Hi all, I had a quick question couldnt find a definitive answer on the internet…
so I want to create different smoothing groups like in max, I found out the modifier edgesplit or splitting faces manually with “Y” does that, only problem, it splits the entire model in pieces, like splits vertices so you end up with more vertices than you had before…is there a reason why it does that and is there a way around this?
thanks
Afaik, blender can not do smoothing groups like 3dsmax but the output should be the same if both situations.
I have never used max but sometimes used milkshape and even it generated extra vertices so I thought that is just how it goes with smoothing groups.
All of next section is my speculation!
for example Unity:
If you export model from 3dsmax with proper smoothing groups, or export object from blender with edge split modifier, both cases willl add more vertices because hard edge will need two different vertex normals.
Okay, so a vertex can only have one normal (ofc) then in theory when ever a model uses a smoothing group (no matter where it is exported) the vertices at the seam of smoothing group needs to be splitted. There is no other way to get the hard edge as far as I know…
Model with one smooth group/no edge split = full smooth
Model with two smooth groups/edge split modifier = sharp edge where we want = two vertex normals = two vertices.
If someone has more knowledge of whole smoothing things, please share your info.
When I model I generally try to keep the objects that require smoothing and subsurf separate from the more primitive meshes. This way when you add the edgesplit modifier it doesnt drastically increase the vertex count for the whole scene.
So it looks like the answer to your question would be to untick the edge angle checkbox in the edgesplit modifier. Once you do this though, you will have to manually go through the mesh and select all of the edges that you would like sharpened and high lite them and select “mark sharp” in the edge menu(press “e” in edit mode). This will cause the edgesplit modifier to only work on these edges.
Also I may be completely wrong here but I think unless you are exprting your mesh to a game engine vertex count isnt really to big of a deal, I think that its just face count which chokes a render engine. Even in the case of a game engine it may be that in the import process edgesplit is applied, I know that this is the case in Unity.
Hehe Unity is exactly where Im exporting to, what are the odds are there lots of blender/unity users?!
Etana, in Max and Maya it splits the vertex normal but doesnt create an extra vertice, but like both of you said it might just be a representation in the 3d software. Yeah greyoxide if pre-rendering I wouldnt care about vertice count, but in a game engine doesnt the game engine has to compute where every vertex is in space to render? not sure…because usually people are mostly concerned about the triangle count…I’d have to do some more research on that subject.
So I did more research…
And you guys are right, apparently Max keeps vertices single when they share splitted normals but upon import in unity its separates the mesh.(sorry cant post multiple links cuz im a new user, did a search in google ended up on unity forums)
However vertex count is also more important than triangle count (Triangle Count vs. Vertex Count)
http://wiki.polycount.com/PolygonCount
I thought the whole point of splitting smoothing groups was to save ressources, wouldnt I be better to just throw in a simple normal map in there instead of splitting the mesh…not sure which takes more resources…
Anyway thanks for your help guys I had no idea ultimately splitted vertex normals are in fact 2 separate vertex.