Hard surface modeling on cylinder

[black7cloud7]

Hi, I have a problem - I can't figure out how to do this or if it is even possible.

I am trying to make a cylinder with cube like protrusions (see images for example) as a single mesh, and I can't make those protrusions look like cube without messing up cylindrical form because when adding loop cuts to add support edges - cylinder loses it's shape - pinching after I add turbosmooth or opensubdiv, and that is just how it works if you add loops alongside the cylinder, if you add across you are fine.

I understand that but is there a solution to this or I just can make cubes separate from rest of the mesh and place them on surface of cylinder, is that ok to do in hard surface modeling and generally in 3d (if so when it is ok and when it is not?) or is it no-no?

I tried using chamfer modifier on edges that I want to make sharp but in that case cylinder surface folds under cubes when turbosmooth is applied.

Also I tried using edge crease attribute set to 1 for edges that I want to be sharp but that just creates the mess of the shading on cubes.

Is there a solution to this?

[dmitriy.shpilevoy]

Start with higher polycount for cylinder and boxes.

[wernienst]

Here is a different approach:

Create a cylinder, sides number is 8x the number of desired boxes, e.g. 64.

Convert to EditablePoly.

Select the side polygons: select 4, gap 4. Extrude them as groups.

Create another cylinder, slightly higher than the first, sides number is number of extrusions, e.g. 8.

Align it to the first, center to center.

Add a Boolean modifier, then intersect with the first cylinder.

Convert to Editable Poly.

Now select top and bottom polygon of the cylinder and extrude them as desired.

Add a Chamfer modifier: Mitering Quad, Amount and Segments as desired, Tension 0.5.

Voilà:

[black7cloud7]

I would need to start with a lot of polys and it would make it hard for modeling other details.

[black7cloud7]

I like this it looks like it could work I will try it when i get to PC, but those ngons could cause a lot of issues with turbosmooth that I need to apply because if the rest of the model, I think model on pictures doesn't have turbosmooth.

[domo.spaji]

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@black7cloud7 wrote:
I would need to start with a lot of polys and it would make it hard for modeling other details.

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Repeating what you "hear" on youtube and forums?

You would need only enough polys to establish/preserve curvature for turbosmooth and that is less than what you get

with "support" edges.

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@black7cloud7 wrote:
...or I just can make cubes separate from rest of the mesh and place them on surface of cylinder, is that ok to do...

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If you want hard edges on intersections (and looks like  you do) than is yes-yes ok (just place them little deeper under cyl. skin)

[domo.spaji]

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@wernienst wrote:

Here is a different approach:

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Different from what?

Starting with higher polycount?

[black7cloud7]

It does feel like cheating but it seems like only possible solution in this case - to make it separate from the rest.

[pawel_karbarz]

Do it with low polycount, you can add latter turbosmooth and have a same effect. It can be pain in the a** when you have a lot of polys and you want to do some detail (like chamfer or something similar). Anyway... in this case very helpful can be symmetry modifier. You can focus on just top and side of the boxes (in hardcore mode you can focus just on top and one side of the box, but you have to do good calculations about angels). This is very easy shape and you can do it in less than 5 minutes! Remember... start from low poly!

[ahmadkhan012514]

You done it lonely?