@PancakeMSTR Overall the topology routing around the major forms is well structured but the undulations in the shape is an issue. There's a lot of stray edge loops coming off some of those cut outs and this disrupts the segment spacing that controls the smoothing behavior of the curvature along the sides. Dissolving some…
@rogi92 Which approach is best will often depend on the specifics of a project's technical requirements. There's a lot of ways to approach modeling this part but there's also a lot of different factors that can influence modeling strategy decisions. Broad, open ended questions lack the context required to provide…
@guitarguy00 Not a problem. That loop part starts out as a circle with a segment count that's matched to the area it will attach to. The back end of this part doesn't matter that much since it will be lost in the Boolean operation. Land the part between two of the vertical segments and use those segments as support loops.…
Thanks @Joao Sapiro, Yeah I understand and actually that was part of the reason for snipping, it seemed like I was off to a very bad start and I didnt want any new potential commenters to write me off straight away, I guess it didnt achieve the desired affect. I do appreciate the time everyone takes to post here and you…
@borealis When working with intersecting compound curves it's generally considered best practice to rely on tools, primitives and modifiers to generate geometry with a consistent curvature and segment spacing. It's also helpful to block out the shapes before adding support loops and secondary details since this makes it…
@PixelMagic It's difficult to provide more focused feedback without seeing any specific examples of the topology layout's you've tried and the smoothing errors you've encountered. Most of the advice that's been provided should get you close to some kind of usable result but there's no real way around the fact that it will…
@tynew You're right. It's a 1/8th segment. I should have double checked that. Updated the original post to reflect that. Thanks! Your new geometry looks like it's easier to handle and if you're working on a 1/8th segment then making changes to it should be less work than having to rebuild the entire thing. If you've gone…
@JBurk The underlying topology in both your examples, with some minor adjustments, could work. Which starting topology layout makes the most sense will depend on whether the shapes need a softer or sharper transition. With subdivision modeling there's almost always going to be some kind of minor smoothing imperfection and…
@Neox Really appreciate the kudos. @laeion Welcome to Polycount. Consider checking out the forum information and introduction thread. Soft hard surface objects can be tricky to model but taking apart one of these packages or gathering references of them disassembled can provide some insight into how the paper is cut and…
@Laon A few posts up, there's a couple of relevant examples that cover how to use segment matching to connect a cylinder to a curved surface and how to route the topology around the base of a cylinder that connects to an angled surface. The basic principles of these fundamental modeling strategies can be combined to…