Edge loop gives hard edge-like artifacts

[Anonymous]

Hi,

I'm fairly new to modelling (wouldn't say complete beginner), but have come across an error I can't seem to find an answer for.

When using the edge loop tool on an object that was modelled from a standard sphere, it seems to give 'hard edge' like artefacts along the edge. Without it has an expected rounded like appareance.

I have attached two pictures of the effect, with and without the edge loops.

Have tried unlocking normals and soften edges without difference. Even importing it into Unity game engine and not importing the normals still has the effect (though there might be a slight difference).

Have tried using the crease tool to remove creasing from thoughes areas without effect.

Have tried going into the Insert edge loop tool properties and changing smoothing angle to 180 before adding loops, without effect.

Have tired ensuring entire model is in quads (as it previously had the poles of the sphere), which just made it worse as the hard edge loops travelled all around the model.

Please help me if you can, Maya is really becoming a chore, I don't understand how such a popular program can be so un-intuative. All I have had is an uphill struggle trying to produce anything with it.

Thank you.

[Anonymous]

FYI, I have taken a screen shot of soft/hard edges to display that they are indeed supose to look 'soft'.

[damaggio]

Seems to me that the fact that the edge loops are close to other edges it will give you the appearance of them beeing harder, they should be evenly spaced out to look smooth.

It's a modeling issue...Maybe you could start with a new sphere and more subdivisions when you create the sphere...so you don't need to add more loops, you can also increase subdvisions by Edit mesh>Smooth...but nowadays we just press the 3 key to get smooth mesh preview.

It's not Maya's fault..its just modeling techinic that is not appropriate here.

Everytime another edge is closer to another edge will give you a crease look.

They gotta be equaly appart all around.

Hope it helps ya.

[Anonymous]

Hi damaggio, yeah your probably right.

I took your advice in the sense I tried another method of creating edge loops (I do not want to restart the model again, issues like this are far too frequent to keep restarting). 

Again I suffered from artefatcs using another technique that it is more evenly spread, and also another bug occured. With the split polygon tool, the top right poly (following the symmetry of the others) cannot be split. It won't add the line, though does change the lighing in the area even though not line is added? 

Are you sure maya is not just a very unstable product? I've had nothing but trouble with it... adding a higher poly density is the last thing I want as this is a game model for a mobile device.

Are there any other packages which are more 'stable' or at least more user friendly? As it does not even give me a warning when the split poly tool fails?

[damaggio]

Yes, Maya can be painfull sometimes, I just accepted after 10 years, no 3d app is free of headaches.

The split polygon tool sometimes won't work if it finds a bad polygon or a triangle.

Sometimes for begginers is easy to screw up the geometry while modeling not knowing you have created some bad geometry along the way  like vertices left over from a deleted edge, or extrusions that created overlapping faces etc...

See if you can check the mesh for any weird stuff or again....try to start fresh, your sphere doesn't seem to be that complicated.

Best of luck.