I have heard you guys talk about this a lot and i have no idea what it means, could you please explain it. thanks.
We are referring to the SubSurf feature in Blender that uses subdivision surfaces for smoothing. Add a crude mesh like a cube and select the SubSurf button in the Edit buttons to see the effect.
SubSurfs rock! If you suck at modelling like I do, create a box model, extrude some legs and arms and a head, press F9, and on the left, there’s a SubSurf button. click it, and press “Set smooth.” You have a rough human!
Mmm…
ok, more technically:
When you press the subsurf button Blender creates a ‘phantom’ mesh whose faces are much smaller than the faces of the original mesh. In particular each EDGE of each face is subdivided 2^N times, where N is the Subsurf level.
The vertexes of this new, finer mesh are located in the space accordingly to an interpolative algorithm I actually don’t know, but which makes the new mesh smoothly following the old one.
You can deform this new mesh by moving the (few) vertexes of the original mesh, and you always have a smooth thing.
What is then rendered is the smooth mesh.
It is GREAT for organic, smooth things
Stefano
Thank you guys that is quite useful.
Of course, doesn’t everyone know that? 