Build your models carefully and you dont need to retopologize anything. Retopologizing what exactly? Why do you need to retopologize your hard surface models? That’s just extra unneeded work. “Final question, related to the second workflow you mentioned, is it possible to create rounded corners with a heavy boolean workflow without sub-d and retopologizing ?” For curved surfaces with complex details, sometimes you either have to collapse the sub-D modifier or use the method mentioned by which works well. On a flat surface, you only need to make sure your geometry is even and minimal, after the boolean cut, you clean up the messy area using merge and knife tools and then check smoothing.

“how do I adjust the structure for boolean cut”:

Use boolean to cut shapes, and try to adjust the structure to remain all quadsĭoes this work? What improvements can I make to it? Is there a much more general and better way to do it? Or a better way to think about hard surface modeling?.

Start deforming the shape, add, drag, move, scale the edges etc (still all quads).

APPLY different levels of subsurf on objects according to its needed detail so I have enough edges to work with (still all quads).

Block out the shape using basic geometry (all quads).

And my understanding of a series of good steps of modeling are as follow: I know every workflow has its pros and cons, I just want to know if my intended workflow suits for general purpose (enough) or not, and would appreciate some feedback and advice to help me make sure I am on the right trackĪccording to my current understanding, a good way to model hard-surface stuff is a hybrid of sub-surf and boolean modeling. I should learn to make good topology as well.Īs I want a clear picture of the workflow I want to develop, I need advice on whether this dream workflow of mine is good or not, and what improvements I can make. But I know I will eventually get into character modeling.

I read somewhere that if you are not going to deform a mesh, it is fine to have Ngons in it, which suits me well at the moment.

I am practicing hard-surface modeling, mainly for machine kind of stuff.

Hard surface modeling zbrush 2020