Smooth groups for low poly building
polycounter lvl 15
Hey guys,
Trying to figure out the best way to set up the smooth groups on this rts model. I'm using max btw. Should each plane [top, side, other side] be a different smooth group? Is this right?
Trying to figure out the best way to set up the smooth groups on this rts model. I'm using max btw. Should each plane [top, side, other side] be a different smooth group? Is this right?
Replies
Although, only bevel if you normal map will give you that hard edge.
Are you supposed to assign a NEW smoothing group to each section of geometry? What if for some insane reason you have 1000 different section. Do you create 1000 smoothing groups?
What about the edge shared between SG1 and SG2? What if you want that smooth? But still want a hard edge for the edges shared with SG3? How would you do that?
Just curious.
On the example above you could very well have SG5 and SG1 being the same, for the exact same result.
also you can have a face be part of multiple smoothing groups, and obviously the reverse is true since a SG can pan on multiple faces. Basically you can have FaceA(SG1+SG2), FaceB(SG1+SG3). This can create interesting combinations like an edge going gradually from soft to hard, that kind of things.
I wish Max could give access to the 2 normals philosophies tho (either groups, or per-component hardness ala Maya). There is nothing that one can do that the other can't tho so that's all good!
(lunch break ends :P)
But the cool trick in Max is that each face can be assigned to multiple SGs.
So for a super-low-poly face, like Ryno's here, you can make a hard edge between the lips, and still have smoothness at the corner. The faces at the corner have both 1 and 2, so they're smooth. But the lips are either 1 or 2. Dunno if that makes sense.
Never used Maya's setup, wonder if it allows this too?
Anyhow, smoothing groups suck. Bevels are so much better, same vert cost in-game, but you can control the amount of hardness simply by how close the two loops are. Better for normalmapping too, since the rays are cast more evenly, but you can still use bevels instead of SGs, doesn't require normalmapping.
I could be wrong, been a long time since I've seen Maya running - and I haven't used it myself.
Bevels can be better but they're not always the best solution and they aren't going to provide the same level of hardness here with a single bevel and for an RTS I really can't see multiple bevels being necessary.