Sub-D modeling - Correct workflow

[tomislavn]

Okay, one question for all you pro sub-d modellers out there :)

What would be the quickest and the most correct way of optimizing this cut into quads so it does subdivide nicely afterwards?

I would personally add edge loops around the cut and connect it that way.. but I was wondering if someone has some tricks or ideas how to make it into all-quads without looping the complete geometry further and still get absolutely clean smoothing afterwards.

Here is the image so you can draw over it if you wish :)

[Ludvik Koutny]

SubDs automatically round things out so it's wrong to use so many verticles to retain the curvature. Always use as least as possible. Also, anchoring them to the corners always leads to the problems...

Something like this should work:

[tomislavn]

Hmm, true that :) it would probably work alright, but you still got n-gons (5) in corners on your drawing (taking we would want to do all quads specifically). Thank you!

Edit: Added the correct way (in my opinion at least) if the cut would have reduced amount of vertices like you mentioned.

This way the geometry wasn't further adjusted and you get a smooth result.

I am specifically interested in the bigger vertices count like on the first image since I currently work on a model that has very uneven, curved, shape meaning I have to cut one opening similar to this one but using more then 6 vertices to preserve the shape. If I do more loops the geometry of the main body is not in line anymore when sub-d'd.

[Ludvik Koutny]

If you have to do precise stuff, you can always just turbosmooth it and put boolean on top of that. Then don't collapse it, so you keep it adjustable. Sharp edges can then be partially smoothed using rounded corners feature.

[Fibonacci]

Well..There is no "correct workflow"...Everything is correct if that's working...Useally you don't have to spend lot of time to make any polygons to quads. Sometimes just the n-gon working properly. Just keep turbosmooth on the top of the modifier, and always check hows working the flow. The most important to keep the right poly flow...not like here on this model...
Another thing you have to learn the right topology...Here first of all I have recaommend this guy's tutorials. Follow this, and you will learn a lot of things about the right topology...

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSLLdTBwLMfTKWS56tOiQpw

The first videos about the topology. And ther just follow what Grant makin' him tutorials. On the vimeo you'll find the most important topology videos from him.

My experience is...just you follow the proper way...and once...you will filling, what is the proper way for you to terminating the unnecessary verts and how you have to make a proper edge and poly flow. There out on the net, you can find some really good stuffs, and read throught this:

http://www.polycount.com/forum/showthread.php?t=56014

On more thing, when you make the SUB-D, keep the poly low as you can, but that's meen, if you need more geo, than make more geo. Feel free to use more loops ! Dosen't matter how much polygons you got on the end! If do you need, after just optimizing the mesh. And make practice...practice...Basicly, this is my experience.

 

[tomislavn]

Alright :) thank you very much to both of you for your valuable comments and hints. I have watched Grant's tutorials when they were released, so I might bring them out of the closet and check them out again - kinda got rusty with complex modeling after doing only phones and tablets / arch-viz for quite some time now :)

I will check your links as well Fibonacci :) ty!

@Romullus - that's a very good idea with TS/Boole, gonna check it out! Even though I kinda hate Booleans :D

[Fibonacci]

The booleans sometimes is really handy, but when you will learning the right topology and the right modeling methods, after you don't need the boolens operations, just really rarely. The problem with that, thats make always a lot unnecessary vert on the edges...But when you have to use text on the surface, than almost the only way...just after you have to make retopology...

If you modeling for 3D printing, the a normal booleans should be handy, much more than the proboolean.