Subsurf only one axis or face

Support Basics & Interface
1

I am trying to create a wave.
If I create a plane, add the wave and enlarge it, the wave enlarges.
So… the only way I can see to get the wave correct size is to use Array and multiply the plane with the wave.
Thats all fine until I add the Subsurf to make it smooth.
When I do this, it smooths all aspects of the plane. This creates rounded corners where each array ends. It has the below effect. (I have only drawn one side of the plane here as the page doesnt recognise multiple spaces)

/
|
|
_______
/
|
|
_______

when it should be

|
|
|
|_______
|
|
|
|_______

When the wave runs in the animation, there is a noticable colour change as it passes over the crease between the arrays and the light reflects differently.

What I want to know it… is it possible to use the subsurf only on the face of the plane and not the corners?

But really, any solution would be fine.
If it can be over come by building the wave differently, thats fine

2

Make sure that each Array has the Merge button selected and that your Sub-surf modifier is below all the Array modifiers in the stack. This should make the arrays into one large set of verts that the sub-surf can work on, instead of lots of little planes.

3

You can’t selectively subsurf. It’s all or nothing.

However if I get what you are wanting to do, then you can do it by using the merge option on the array modifier.

Screen
Blend

4

The Wave effect is multiplied by the Size (X, Y and Z) factor: either enlarge your plane in Edit Mode or use Ctrl+A > 1 after enlarging in Object Mode to bring the Size factor back to 1. This way you won’t have to mess with the array modifier.

Jean

5

Yay.
Thanks so much… exactly what I was after.