The way I think about it is> hard edges are for mesh shading. Spliting the UV once the only concern about using hard edges is addressed is basically using the button to convert hard edges to UV seams. aka stop using the convert UV seams to hard edges button, you are doing it backwards :#
Hard UV shells - do you mean assigning different smoothing groups (in max terms) for each shell? Vertices are already separated there GPU-wise so what's the harm in separating smoothing groups too?
Hello ! The example with the hands is really as straightforward and self-evident as it can be. If a modeler on a team made the model the way shown on the right, for a bake supposed to capture smooth skin/organics, it simply would have to be redone after removing these hard edges because they are not only unnessary, but…
Hi there, Please re-read my posts above carefully, and also please manipulate actual model examples like a hand or a an analog to that spherical grenade/vial thing. As only thinking about these things will not get you very far - it just has to be manipulated to be grasped. In the case of the hand, it wouldn't matter at all…
I'm not trying to convert you to "dirty normal splitter", rather trying to figure out if there is actually a downside to hardened shells. Not saying each UV seam MUST have normal split, but that it CAN. Insisting it should NEVER be split (apart from what is dictated by necessary hard edges) is just as wrong imho. Having…
@dimwalker , @DustyShinigami : "Hard UV shells - do you mean assigning different smoothing groups (in max terms) for each shell? Vertices are already separated there GPU-wise so what's the harm in separating smoothing groups too?" Of course I won't blame you for asking a question, but this kind of "what's the harm" stance…
To be fair, even though there is of course a lot of loose and sometimes inaccurate information floating around because of random 3d kiddies making so-called tutorials, I have a hard time thinking of anywhere where such "rules" (or inaccuracies ...) are being hammered by anyone on anyone. And particularly not by artists who…
Here's another practical example that should (hopefully !) settle this ... Now to be fair I would agree that this does indeed require a bit of thought as well as some practical experience to wrap one's head around it ! But at the same time this really isn't anything new, and it becomes really quite self-evident when…
"I've always been taught" ... by who ? There's a world of difference between best practices and recommendations which can only be generic, and the specifics of a given model developed under (also very specific) circumstances. This is obviously a "one off" model. This is completely different from a model made to be modular…