See this image of my heli-backpack. The top of the backpack box and the rotor shaft casing join without any real rounding. But in the rotor shaft there is one line of edges parallel to the join, and another in the top of the backpack box. That restricts automatic smoothing on render to a narrow zone around the join, as in the next image. The result looks reasonably like a rounded "fillet" inserted in the join.

Message edited on: 04/09/2005 12:53

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Yes, that works well. I recall some guy named Kattman (no longer here, AFAIK) doing a tutorial on it several years ago, in regard to Poser 4.

could you use this this idea (turn on smoothing but constrain it by stratigically placed edges) to make things like tables more realistic? I hate that "Perfect sharp edge" look on props. ::::: Opera :::::

the term for one or more border rows of polys that help control smoothing is coplanar polygons -- the trick is, as the name implies, that the coplanar polys must lie in the same plane as the face whose shading you're trying to control. in anthony's illustration the coplanar polys can be seen on both sides of the edge connecting the shaft to the top of the backpack. for a sharper edge, use narrower coplanars and use wider ones for a softer edge.