Well, if you're in 3ds max. Then cutting out and adding in edges in the mesh and then converting the edges to splines, sometimes work. Alternatively you could skip the spline bit and just chamfer the edges, creating a band, and from there bevel it inwards.
Keep in mind you should preferably do this on a copy of the original mesh in case something would get messed up, also, if you use the chamfer and bevel technique, then you delete all other geo but the one you use for the actual seam
I'd recommend doing the chamfer-bevel technique though as sometimes the orientation of the spline can mess things up.
Depending on how the projection cage is set up, what program your using and how detailed you need the edge there are a few things you can do.
If you're using 3dsmax you can use sweep to push a custom profile shape around the surface of a spline.
The lip and slope are important because of how the projection rays hit the surface.
Also depending on the arrangement of your pieces and how they where baked, can also just do these sort of additions easily in photoshop with tools like ndo.
You can also add bump maps to your high poly unwrapping it any way you need to, and that map will be accounted for when you bake your materials to your low poly.
You could also experiment with creating a convex edge (instead of concave like shown above) and invert it? I haven't ever tried it but it could work. You would probably need to render it separately...
You can't weld splines like that, they are one contiguous line so T and Y junctions aren't allowed. Bummer, I know.
I seem to remember some way to get around that with some 3rd party plug-ins but I can't remember the name of it off the top of my head... It would be up on scriptspot or maxplugins.de But just know there isn't a way inside of max to get around that other than hand editing the geometry (time consuming) or using booleans (messy and doesn't work on open geometry).
If you go the edit route it helps to break your splines where they intersect so operating on the "junction" isn't too much of a nightmare.
1) You can use one of 2 spline paint scripts, one is in graphite modeling tools the other is in Soulburns tools. These allow you to paint a spline on the surface of any other object(s) the object paint tools are also good good at placing rivets and other floaters.
2) Apply a new edit poly modifier on top of your modifier stack, cut in the edges where you want them, select the new edges, click "create shape" which will convert the edge selection to a spline. Then you can remove the edit poly modifier to undo your cuts/edits.
3) turn on rendering for the spline, convert the spline to edit poly, use the conform compound shape to smash the new object to the surface of the old, this will make a mess of the object as it will smash it flat, but that doesn't matter you, select an edge and convert it to shape to get your new spline.
Well, if you're in 3ds max. Then cutting out and adding in edges in the mesh and then converting the edges to splines, sometimes work. Alternatively you could skip the spline bit and just chamfer the edges, creating a band, and from there bevel it inwards.
Apply a new edit poly modifier on top of your modifier stack, cut in the edges where you want them, select the new edges, click "create shape" which will convert the edge selection to a spline. Then you can remove the edit poly modifier to undo your cuts/edits.
... :poly141:
Oh, and another useful thing to do is cutting out edges in the mesh and converting them to splines
1) You can use one of 2 spline paint scripts, one is in graphite modeling tools the other is in Soulburns tools. These allow you to paint a spline on the surface of any other object(s) the object paint tools are also good good at placing rivets and other floaters.
2) Apply a new edit poly modifier on top of your modifier stack, cut in the edges where you want them, select the new edges, click "create shape" which will convert the edge selection to a spline. Then you can remove the edit poly modifier to undo your cuts/edits.
3) turn on rendering for the spline, convert the spline to edit poly, use the conform compound shape to smash the new object to the surface of the old, this will make a mess of the object as it will smash it flat, but that doesn't matter you, select an edge and convert it to shape to get your new spline.
The conform space warp is quite nice for this too.
The splines aren't rendering because splines don't render by default. Make sure that enable in viewport and enable in Render are checked. Or just drop an Edit Poly Modifier on top of your spline (good for flipping normal for grooves anyway).
So I drew the shape with splines, which allowed me to get nice curved edges then used conform space warp to put it on the model so it follows the shape. Then I detached the edges and used the ic extend surface script to make the lips.
But I had difficulty making the polygons of the lips parrallel with the model.
Unless I figure out a quicker way, I think it's a lot easier to just do this stuff with PS, like with ndo.
Replies
Keep in mind you should preferably do this on a copy of the original mesh in case something would get messed up, also, if you use the chamfer and bevel technique, then you delete all other geo but the one you use for the actual seam
I'd recommend doing the chamfer-bevel technique though as sometimes the orientation of the spline can mess things up.
http://cg.tutsplus.com/tutorials/autodesk-3d-studio-max/using-splines-to-add-detail-to-your-high-poly-model-in-3ds-max/
If you're using 3dsmax you can use sweep to push a custom profile shape around the surface of a spline.
The lip and slope are important because of how the projection rays hit the surface.
Also depending on the arrangement of your pieces and how they where baked, can also just do these sort of additions easily in photoshop with tools like ndo.
You can also add bump maps to your high poly unwrapping it any way you need to, and that map will be accounted for when you bake your materials to your low poly.
You could also experiment with creating a convex edge (instead of concave like shown above) and invert it? I haven't ever tried it but it could work. You would probably need to render it separately...
I've tried connect, weld e.t.c
I seem to remember some way to get around that with some 3rd party plug-ins but I can't remember the name of it off the top of my head... It would be up on scriptspot or maxplugins.de But just know there isn't a way inside of max to get around that other than hand editing the geometry (time consuming) or using booleans (messy and doesn't work on open geometry).
If you go the edit route it helps to break your splines where they intersect so operating on the "junction" isn't too much of a nightmare.
1) You can use one of 2 spline paint scripts, one is in graphite modeling tools the other is in Soulburns tools. These allow you to paint a spline on the surface of any other object(s) the object paint tools are also good good at placing rivets and other floaters.
2) Apply a new edit poly modifier on top of your modifier stack, cut in the edges where you want them, select the new edges, click "create shape" which will convert the edge selection to a spline. Then you can remove the edit poly modifier to undo your cuts/edits.
3) turn on rendering for the spline, convert the spline to edit poly, use the conform compound shape to smash the new object to the surface of the old, this will make a mess of the object as it will smash it flat, but that doesn't matter you, select an edge and convert it to shape to get your new spline.
... :poly141:
Oh, and another useful thing to do is cutting out edges in the mesh and converting them to splines
*You've set the bake to only render onto matching Mat IDs
*The cage isnt covering the floaters
*The floaters are not added to the projection modifier.
The conform space warp is quite nice for this too.
http://www.vg2max.spb.ru/AdvOutline.htm
http://cg.tutsplus.com/tutorials/autodesk-3d-studio-max/using-splines-to-add-detail-to-your-high-poly-model-in-3ds-max/
[Oops! Already posted before. Oh well here it is again!]
Already posted by Cryrid, har har, but yeah, it's good a tuto.
Almost forgot, for people like me who don't do this for smaller things, here is what I use: http://www.scriptspot.com/3ds-max/scripts/loop-regularizer
But I had difficulty making the polygons of the lips parrallel with the model.
Unless I figure out a quicker way, I think it's a lot easier to just do this stuff with PS, like with ndo.