Modo - Smoothing groups and the infinite sadness
So I've come to accept that Modo just ... doesn't do smoothing groups. It kind of does, but not really.
If I set up the same mesh in Modo and in Max (running the TexTools command that gives you smoothing groups based on UV islands), the mesh coming out of Max will have 60% (or greater) LESS vertices. Same number of triangles.
Now, Modo people, is there a way to easily handle smoothing groups in Modo?
I know they have that terrible menu option on the Geometry menu where you can name the selected polygons and assign them to a smoothing group but with no other UI to support it ... just no.
The way I WAS doing it was to CTRL+X/CTRL+V the parts of the mesh I wanted to be hard edged and that worked from a visual standpoint but apparently it ballooned my vert count something fierce.
So ... how do you Modo guys handle smoothing groups?
My current work flow is starting to shape up to where I can do my high poly, low poly and UVs in Modo -- and then import the FBX into Max for setting up proper smoothing groups and THEN export to Unreal. Is this my fate?
If I set up the same mesh in Modo and in Max (running the TexTools command that gives you smoothing groups based on UV islands), the mesh coming out of Max will have 60% (or greater) LESS vertices. Same number of triangles.
Now, Modo people, is there a way to easily handle smoothing groups in Modo?
I know they have that terrible menu option on the Geometry menu where you can name the selected polygons and assign them to a smoothing group but with no other UI to support it ... just no.
The way I WAS doing it was to CTRL+X/CTRL+V the parts of the mesh I wanted to be hard edged and that worked from a visual standpoint but apparently it ballooned my vert count something fierce.
So ... how do you Modo guys handle smoothing groups?
My current work flow is starting to shape up to where I can do my high poly, low poly and UVs in Modo -- and then import the FBX into Max for setting up proper smoothing groups and THEN export to Unreal. Is this my fate?
Replies
I don't use modo but have you seen this tutorial?
http://udn.epicgames.com/Three/XNormalWorkflow.html
Not sure if you have seen this but it might help. Normally I set smoothing to the entire mesh to 180 degrees and use the normal map to control the smoothing. If there is one or a few faces that need to have a hard edge then I give that it's own.
Yes, I saw that. That's the god awful smoothing group UI I was referring to. Unusable IMO, unless I just don't understand what I'm looking at.
I generally set up the base shader at 89 degrees and that makes the model look good BUT it exports with a bunch of seemingly unnecessary vert breaks. I can make the model look the same in Max with less than half the vert count on the exported mesh.
I'll give your 180 degree idea a shot though. Might work ...
and yeah agreed that modos smoothing groups sucks.