Maya 2014 - Crease Set Editor vs Quick Selection Sets

Sinking

So, I've been watching this video about Maya 2014 where the guy shows the use of the crease set editor. I have always "manually" softened or hardened edges and saved the results in quick selection sets.

Depending on the asset that could turn into quite a lot of work, since the Selection Sets would only show up in the Outliner and can't be added to when I miss a polygon.

This method with the Crease Set Editor seems much easier, but I've read a while ago that Crease values may not get exported the way selection sets do.

So my question: is it enough to use the Crease Set Editor and how are the export options for it? If I export tangents and binormals does that entail the creasing, or is there another way?

I am asking too, because this guy is modeling for a Maya showcase game, so it should work to export those hard edges. Just how...

now that you've read it all, here is the video. The crease set editor is shown at around 5:20.

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mjsQMgk-9Cc"]Maya 2014 Highlight - Modeling Improvements (Part 3) - YouTube[/ame]

antweiler

I think you are confusing crease edges with hard/soft edges. The latter are a funktion to edit normals, while edge creasing is for subdivided geometry.

Sinking

I'm not so sure the Crease Edge Features is only for SubD modeling. It works on a single edge without producing any subdivision to harden it. It looks to me like the effect of creasing an edge produces a hard edge, so the outcome appears to be the same as hardening edges. Just the Quick Selection Sets are more clumsy than the Crease editor. I am wondering, if I should and can use the Crease Editor, instead of the Quick Selection Sets to produce smoothing groups and export them with the model.


From your response I take it that Smoothing Groups are not created by Creasing an edge (even though it manipulates the edge hardness in visually the same way like "harden edge" does). I'm more confused now than before. So does anyone use "Creased Edges" on their Low Poly models?

passerby

it is meant for subd, work so you can get consistent creases across a mesh, instead of manually entering values everytime you create a crease.

Even know on un-subdivided models why would you use it for smoothing, when the hard/soft edges system just works better for that?

Sinking

passerby wrote: »

Even know on un-subdivided models why would you use it for smoothing, when the hard/soft edges system just works better for that?

Ok, thanks for the info (both of you). I just needed some confirmation.

The reason I thought about using the Crease Edge Editor is, because I don't know how to add to a smoothing group I make in Maya. I can select it in the Outliner, but I cannot add any new polygons I selected. I am looking for the best way to make and tweak smoothing groups. Maybe I just need more experience with Maya.

passerby

Sinking wrote: »

Ok, thanks for the info (both of you). I just needed some confirmation.

The reason I thought about using the Crease Edge Editor is, because I don't know how to add to a smoothing group I make in Maya. I can select it in the Outliner, but I cannot add any new polygons I selected. I am looking for the best way to make and tweak smoothing groups. Maybe I just need more experience with Maya.

maya doesn't use smoothing groups, all smoothing is done by marking edge selections as hard or as soft.

Smoothing groups is just max's way to interact with split normals, maya dosnt use that method.

if you want a easy way to visualize what edges are hard and what is soft, you can go to "display>polygons>soft/hard edges" Which will display hard edges as solid lines and soft ones as dotted lines in the wireframe view.

I much prefer applications that used hard/soft edges over smoothing groups, but it really comes down to preference, they both accomplish the same thing, just different work-flows to get to that end result.

Sinking

I use Quick Selection sets to create smoothing groups that work like those in Max. Everything inside a set has an average smoothing or smoothing value determined manually.

The soft/hard edge feature alone isn't always as handy to me. It's cool on border edges, but it is easier for me to manipulate polygon groups together. It works very well with Quick Selection Sets, however you can't add to them or change them. I always have to make a new group when I want to add to a smoothing group/selection set. Max is clearly better in that regard. But still - Maya rules !