It's not a strange effect on the edge. Think about what you've done. You've added an inset edge along the length of the curve. This changes the silhouette of the circumference. Remove the inset edgeloop.
Here is a crack at it. You need at least one segment through each inset, and the space between them. I think I counted 5 on a quarter of your piece, so that is 10 for a full cylinder. That is 20 segments, with an additional segment for each for a total of 40. Inset a pair of segments, add support edges, and voila. The…
@DeathstrokeFTW To avoid the collapsing corners, I do as this: Instead of insetting all the way, I make a very small inset (or one with 0 as value), select the corner edges, scale them uniformily, and then scale the entire face.
Is this the best way to approach a square inset with hard corners on a cylinder? Or are there any other methods/techniques that produce the same result? I just can't find the other comments with image/.gif solutions regarding about square insets on curved surfaces. Thanks in advance.
I think a lot of the difficulty is coming from there being 3 over lapping shape ideas. The functional 2 circles of different sizes meeting at 90 degrees, what's being suggested by the the outer ribs, and the inset detail. I'd suggest model the ends before where it bends and transitions, then separate out the ribs and the…
Clockwise from back left: 1. Box with divisions 2. Scale in alternating divisions 3. Connect rings running length of mesh (see inset) 4. Connect rings around inner parts (see inset) 5. Sub-D (TurboSmooth in Max) 6. Bend Modifier