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What is sub-d level?

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  • Mark Dygert
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    I have no idea if this tutorial is any good or not but it's the first thing to pop up when I rolled my face over the keyboard with googles search page up.

    [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nRrXBtjiLyU"]Sub-D Modelling in 3Ds Max : Part 1 - YouTube[/ame]
  • ZacD
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    ZacD ngon master
    It's just a term that's used to describe how many times a model has been subdivided when using sub-division modeling. Each one of these of these subdivided cubes is another sub-d level. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Catmull-Clark_subdivision_of_a_cube.svg
  • Noors
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    Noors greentooth
    You made some posts that could have been easily answered by a bit of google search and effort from your side.
  • HammerFist3D2D
    Yep sorry, my pc is broken and browsing on mobile usally takes a lot of time.
  • WarrenM
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    So you're throwing the most generalized queries at a messageboard instead?
  • ZacD
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    ZacD ngon master
    I saw your earlier post, http://www.polycount.com/forum/showthread.php?t=126886 you should of asked this question in that thread, since that's when sub-div levels were brought up. They are talking about it's use in zbrush, and gir was joking and being sarcastic.
  • jStins
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    jStins interpolator
    Good explanation of subdivision surfaces here.
  • pior
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    pior grand marshal polycounter
    It's funny how "sub-D" is now used interchangeably with "subdivision levels" even though they are very different things (with one kind of sounding like a nickname of the other)

    Sub-D :
    MayaSubDSnapshotgif546times218-GoogleChrome_2013-10-16_03-14-07_zps538c5511.png~original

    Subdivision levels :
    1.jpg
  • HammerFist3D2D
    ZacD wrote: »
    I saw your earlier post, http://www.polycount.com/forum/showthread.php?t=126886 you should of asked this question in that thread, since that's when sub-div levels were brought up. They are talking about it's use in zbrush, and gir was joking and being sarcastic.

    yep, even that I am noob his answer was sounding strange to me xd.
    So in short subd means how detailed your model is, or something with zbrush?
    So sub-d and subdivisional level are one the same thing? That can be done in any program or just in zbrush? And do I do it poly by poly or it is a bit automatic? Sorry I cannot watch youtube videos cuz of to slow net.
  • Noors
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    Noors greentooth
    Sub-d is the name of the modeling technic. You model a low poly cage that will look fine once subdivided with a subdivision algorithm (catmull-clark). Your base model having fairly low vertex, it makes shapes easy to control.

    Ok now i see Pior image. yeah that's Maya subd surfaces. Kind of patch modeling in max, transition between nurbs and poly. Didn't see anyone using it recently. I think they are indeed the origin of sub-d term, but i don't think people refer to it when talking about subd anymore, as it is Maya specific and barely used anyway.

    Each iteration of subdivision is a "subdivision level". Yeah pretty much all 3d package have a subdivision function, zbrush, max...

    In a sculpting software like zbrush, you can sculpt on any level of subdivision. Edting the global shapes on the lowest levels, fine tuning details on the highest.

    In max its a bit different as it's not a sculpting software, you generally don't edit a subdivided model, you just edit the base mesh. Hence, max is more used for mechanical stuff and zbrush more for organic stuff and details.

    Note that Maya sub-D let you access each subdivision level and refine by area like you see on pior first image.
    Steven Stahlberg was the master at it. But really i don't see it beeing used anymore

    It is generally applied on all the model, though you sometimes might want to only subdivide a few faces for specific case.
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