Clone Trooper Phase 2 Helmet, stuck on hard/sharp edges

[SalmonShot61]

I am getting very close to being done with modeling this Phase 2 Clone trooper Helmet. All other attachments are pretty much finished, but I needed to go back and work on the hard/sharp edges on the side of the helm. I have tried Beveling, adding loop cuts, and trying the Edge Split modifier. It looks wonky and creates ‘artifacts?’ when I Subdivide it. Is it my topology that needs work? I would greatly appreciate some advice or tips, thanks! I am pretty much beginner level when it comes to modeling and animating in Blender.

[Webslinger_616 (Arjun)]

That caused by the incorrect topology, show a wire frame of the helmet. I believe it’s quad

[Okidoki]

Indeed… this highly depends on the topology… here for example both objects are same; left with a bevel modifer first and then two levels of subd and right directly three level od subd:

( To get the same “size” for this hole it should be made “bigger” in subd only… )

[SalmonShot61]

Thanks for the replies, here are some more references:

[SalmonShot61]

Or should I try marking sharp? Or add triangles to the topology for the corners?

[Okidoki]

In fact your topo is not that bad… i tried to recreate it on a plane… also using a vertex group to bevel before subd… (i guess you did this too ?)

Try the slider to watch the difference… i guess you have to “only” move some edges for better supporting the “weight” (nearer to cornr edges) or with play with some edge greases…

[oo_1942 (Kim)]

If there is no edge to hold the status quo, the same phenomenon occurs as the problem presented.

The configuration can be like the image on the left.

[SalmonShot61]

Thanks for the help and replies guys, I’ll try these out!

[RSEhlers]

I use Mean Crease to sharpen an edge in a hard surface mesh.