Edge weight

Spoon

Hi guys!

I was wondering, how many of you actually uses subd edge weighting?
I got the MODO trial a week ago, and therefore have been reading a bit about it. It seems I relatively often encounter someone giving MODO credit for it's sexy edge weighting with pixar subd.

But are they usable for games?

Maybe im using them wrong, but I seem to be getting much better edges by doing traditional modeling support loops.

What are your thoughts on this? Do you use them? Why/WHy not?

EarthQuake

I do modeling in modo, but I don't use edge weights. The basic reason is: I do freelance work, and clients often need work delivered in Max or Maya formats, and edge weighting doesn't usually translate between apps. So the only way you could do it would be to permanently sub-divide the mesh before delivering it to the client, which would be an unusable mesh if they needed to make changes.

If you're just doing personal work and don't have similar restrictions, there isn't anything that should stop you. You can export an edge weighted mesh the same as a mesh constructed with traditional control loops, or one created with meshfusion and get a normal map bake with it, so it isn't really a big deal.

Spoon

Thanks for dropping by, Earthquake
Yeah, I meant just for personal use, for the same reasons you state.
But even then, I just dont seem to be able to do a sexy edge. It seems to either look jagged, create artifact or just be so tight that it would never be caught it in bake.

Since I havent used them before, I was just wondering if that is their nature, of it I am doing something wrong :P
Or put another way, if I should learn how to use them, or ignore them.

artquest

It's important to note that you must have a high enough level of sub division for your weighted edges to look decent. In maya Ive found that level 4-5 and sometimes level 6 is required for a decent looking edge. I've been waiting for open subdiv to make it's way into maya so that the performance won't be killed while I model with this kind of workflow.

Spoon

Ah, didnt think about that.
Will try that when I get home!
Thanks for dropping by, Artquest

Mongrelman

I used to use it a long time ago in Blender but stopped once I started taking the models into other programs. It can be useful though if you weight the edges and apply subsurf, then reconstruct subdivisions in zbrush.

passerby

Ya you have to use a high subdivision level, or use a mix of support loops and creases, since the support loops add geo where you need it.

beefaroni

artquest wrote: »

I've been waiting for open subdiv to make it's way into maya so that the performance won't be killed while I model with this kind of workflow.

I believe open subdiv is integrated into Maya 2015.

sprunghunt

beefaroni wrote: »

I believe open subdiv is integrated into Maya 2015.

I think it's already part of Maya LT

However I do remember a few reasons to not use subdiv creasing.

If you deform/animate a creased subdiv model the creases can behave strangely where bevels and support edges are very predictable.

Also editing a model with creases may mean you have to do a bit if extra work to fix broken creases if you edit the creased edges.

HitmonInfinity

We use modo here at id, and edge weighting as well. As someone who never used weights before modo, I'll say it's pretty nice. I use a combination of holding edges and edge weighting. I don't know anyone that strictly uses weights. I generally use them for holding bevels, and stick to holding edges for everything that the bevels intersect with. (Edge weights running through each other usually get ugly.) They also are extremely useful for cutting into stuff, where you don't want to use a floater. I recently made a gun, and didn't use a single floater thanks to edge weights.

artquest

sprunghunt wrote: »

I think it's already part of Maya LT

However I do remember a few reasons to not use subdiv creasing.

If you deform/animate a creased subdiv model the creases can behave strangely where bevels and support edges are very predictable.

Also editing a model with creases may mean you have to do a bit if extra work to fix broken creases if you edit the creased edges.

We're still using 2014 at work. But I sometimes manage to sneak in some creasing.

I agree, I wouldn't recommend using creasing for anything that deforms. But for hard surface it can be a life-saver.

P.S. I wrote a script that selects all my hard edges in maya and then applies creasing to them, so fixing broken creases is pretty easily done as you model. Remember to automate what you can so you spend more time on art!

Michael Knubben

The full implementation of Opensubdiv is also meant to come with local subdivision so weighted creasing doesn't need such a high subdivision level, but I'm unsure if that will get implemented in any software.