Understanding Blender's Subdivision Surface Modifier

The Subdivision Surface modifier in Blender is crucial for polygonal modeling, allowing both subdivision and additional smoothing to create complex organic shapes.

### Mastering the Subdivision Surface Modifier in Blender
* The Subdivision Surface modifier is a crucial tool in Blender for creating **smooth and detailed models**, commonly used in **organic shapes**.
* 🎚 The modifier can be adjusted for different levels of subdivision in both viewport and render, with two algorithms available: **Simple** and **Catmull-Clark (Clark)**.
* 🔢 The Catmull-Clark algorithm requires clean topology with mostly quads for best results, although it can work with **triangles and ngons**.
* 📐 Edge loops and creases play a significant role in controlling the smoothing effect of the modifier, with **creases allowing for sharper edges**.
* 🔀 Blender offers various hotkeys for quickly **adding the modifier to multiple objects**, making it **efficient for complex scenes**.
* 🗝 Understanding the modifier's position in the modifier stack is important, as the **order of modifiers can affect the final result**.
* When dealing with ngons or triangles, the modifier may produce **unexpected results**, requiring **manual adjustments** to the mesh.
* 💻 For more detailed information, the Blender documentation and **additional resources** are recommended.

In this video, we will consider one of the most important modifiers in the Blender program called the Subdivision Surface modifier. This modifier is a cornerstone of polygonal modeling and you need to know how to use it before we do that. Let's adjust our scene a bit before we do that. Currently, the scene by default has hidden cameras and light sources. The only thing I've done now is I will go to the shading settings, choose Solid, and additionally enable the Cavity method. This will be necessary for a better perception of the model itself and its surface. Now, before we look at how this modifier works, let's remember how we subdivide the surface in edit mode. And now, let's look at how we subdivide the surface. Select the cube and press the Tab key. If the geometry is not selected, select it and press the A key to select all. To subdivide this cube, in other words, to increase its level of detail.

To increase the number of elements it consists of, we right-click and execute the Subdivide command in Blender. Then we go to the menu of the last operation and can adjust the number of cuts here, meaning we will be subdividing the surface. In Blender, there are special tools provided to smooth the surface. By going to the Vertices menu and executing the Smooth Vertices command, we, in a way, round the shape. By adjusting various parameters, we can customize this smoothing accordingly. This method is specifically available in edit mode. Let's revert the actions back to the original cube in object mode and add a Subdivision Surface modifier, which allows both subdivision and additional smoothing. To add this modifier, we select the object, go to the properties panel, choose the Modifiers tab, and find it in the list. After applying this modifier, the object changes. Can you guess why? Because now

There is a special algorithm called Clark's Algorithm, named after the people who developed it, Edwin and James Clark. In addition to this algorithm, we have a simpler one called Simple. Simple just subdivides, while Clark subdivides and smooths. Also, pay attention to these two sliders; they are very important. Currently, the subdivision level in the viewport is set to 1, but a 2 is rendered. This means we can control how this surface should be subdivided in the viewport and what will be displayed during visualization. Let's take a look at this. Now, let's change the render to 0 here and 1 here. If we render the scene now, you will see that a cube is presented, even though it is subdivided in the viewport.

Surface. Now let's change the level of subdivision here in the render, for example, let's put two or even three, and render this scene again. The surface will be subdivided and smoothed. Take this into account and do not forget about it. This algorithm is not just used as a subdivision smoothing algorithm, it plays an important role in creating any complex models, especially organic shapes. Now let's see how the algorithm called Simple works here first, and then let's take a closer look at the Catmull-Clark algorithm. Now let's see how this Simple algorithm works. This algorithm allows us to subdivide the surface, breaking it up by adding more and more elements, but it does not smooth it. Now the modifier is added, and it works. Let's increase the number of levels in the viewport to around three. How can we see what this surface represents?

For a greater number of elements, let's switch to wireframe view and uncheck the Optimal Display box right here. Now we can observe such an interesting structure. By adjusting the number of these levels, we will change this subdivision of the surface. If needed, we can apply this modifier in object mode. Click here and apply. If we now switch to edit mode, we will see this entire subdivided surface. Then, we work with this surface as needed. Let's undo the actions and return to the original version. What we are doing now is removing this modifier from the cube and looking at a particular feature of the Blender program that needs to be considered when working with this modifier. Let's add it a little differently. Now, let's see what Blender excels at most - the sheer number of hotkeys that can be used here, especially for this modifier.

Now you are about to learn the keys, but first, we need to make several duplicates of this cube. Imagine for a moment that I don't know how to make duplicates and I will do it now a little more sophisticated way through an array. Why not? After all, the video is about modifiers. We add an array modifier to the cube, choose the desired quantity here, maybe adjust the distance between the cubes, and apply this modifier in object mode. We get the necessary number of elements, but remember, it's still one object, and we need five objects. So, we switch to edit mode, everything is selected, we press P in English, and perform separation, the last step, and as a result, we will immediately get 5 objects, 5 cubes. Don't forget about one very important thing - now we will exit edit mode. In Blender, you can select several objects at once, press Tab, and switch to edit mode for all objects at once. Also, remember another feature - let's go out again.

Object mode, if we have switched to editing mode, for example, of this 1 cube, and then we need to switch to editing other objects, we can click with you on this special icon, like this dot, and as a result, we will switch to editing mode of another selected object. Just in case, but we are getting distracted, returning to object mode, selecting the very first cube, and now we add a modifier to it using hotkeys. Remembering them is very simple because here it's mostly one key, we press the English key, or more precisely not the English one, just the control key, hold it, and then press the number 1, and as a result, we add a Subdivision Surface modifier with a level of one. We select another object, press control again, and added a Subdivision Surface with a level of two, and so on: control and three, then control and four, and the last cube, control and five. And please note that all these subdivisions are added specifically in the viewport, not in the render.

Here is a two in all data objects just in case and why is all this done well because again I emphasize this modifier is very important and special keys are used for a reason and now we need to figure out how this special algorithm works with this clock we will probably take the very first this cube with you a little more closely and look at it and accordingly slightly change the geometry of all these objects that are currently presented here and now let's just look at the example of these cubes how the Keith Moore Clark algorithm works and accordingly talk a little more about this modifier first of all for this smoothing algorithm sometimes called sessions so that the long name is not constantly pronounced this special modifier is quite important and you need to be able to work with it and work with it quite proficiently.

Just because this algorithm requires perfect in some sense topologies or the so-called clean topology, it should consist of 4-sided polygons. Although this algorithm also works with triangles and ngons, what will happen if the object contains triangles and ngons, we will soon see. When we model together, we also need to consider how edge loops are formed because it is through edge loops that we can control how the model should be smoothed. These edge loops are sometimes called hold and jess, but in English manner, they are called folds, which are holding loops that allow us to control how the model should be smoothed. And this is not so simple; it requires knowledge of the topology and the study of the basics of modeling. And, of course, how this smoothing algorithm works. Let's see what we will now move on to in editing mode of this cube.

Don't forget that we are working specifically with a cube, and you can even adjust this grid by clicking on this special button to adjust the editable grid to match the modifier result. You will see that right now we are working on the object, and this grid has been adjusted. Let's focus on selecting faces. This will make it more noticeable. But for now, let's deactivate this button by default. Let's do the following: delete this top face, then the bottom face. I will purposely set the subdivision level here to zero in the viewport. By holding down Shift, select these two faces - the top and bottom ones. Right-click and choose Delete Faces. We have created an empty box like this and increased the subdivision to level 1. We can continue with 2 and so on. Pay close attention to how the shape of the smoothed model immediately changes. Initially, it somewhat resembles a cube, but as a result, we have obtained this.

The cylinder because we removed the two top lids here. Now let's move on to the next model. Let's experiment a little on it to switch to editing mode of the next object of this cube. Here, let's just click. Here we will do the following: we will simply take and delete this top face with the right-click Delete Faces and see what shape the original cube now has after this action. This is how it looks now. After smoothing, we can continue working on this geometry here, selecting, adding new faces, extruding, and so on. I recommend experimenting, I won't show some actions that are performed when working with this modifier specifically now, as we will look at them in separate special examples, precisely modeling under subdivision. Now we are just experimenting together and seeing what happens.

In the initial geometry, and here we will do it a little differently now. We are moving to another cube. We have just transitioned here. Let's insert an additional edge loop and see how this smoothed form will change now. We switch to the loop cut tool and add a cut here, then bring it down. Pay attention when I move this cut, how the shape changes immediately. Remember, he mentioned that edge loops, the so-called hold edges, precisely control this smoothing to some extent. But again, in quotes, we put all this, so it all depends on the initial topology of this object. And, accordingly, if we keep adding more edges, let's say, here in the next cube, for example, we can divide it using the classic method in edit mode by right-clicking to select all, right-clicking to confirm. Look how the shape changed immediately, and now let's do this.

What we will do is select this loop of edges from shift and alt, all these loops of edges. Now I will press period so that all of us are selected, around which they encircle like this. We selected it, and let's press the key combination control b. Look closely, now we are creating what is called a bevel from edges, how the shape changes immediately by adding additional loops of edges. Look closely, this is very important, as when working, we emphasize once again the modifiers, specifically subdiv and algorithm. The topology of the mesh itself plays a significant role in this process, as well as the location and arrangement of the edge loops. And at the moment, we have also applied what is called a bevel, as bevel also plays a very important role in shaping the model when using this modifier. Over time, we will become completely familiar with this. Once again, emphasizing, there won't be a specific modeling example in the video, as you can watch any videos where complex modeling is done.

Organic models, and you will see the work of this modifier. Now we need to see what will happen to the object if it contains ngons and if we add this algorithm sap div. Correspondingly, the algorithm for this is clear. Now, a very important point, as many always confuse the concepts of smoothing and subdivision with another smoothing command that we have. Look, right now, if we look at all these objects, they look faceted, and they will also be rendered as faceted. When we increase the number of polygons in objects, we increase their level of detail. But besides increasing detail, we can smooth the surface using work specifically with normals. So, in order to smooth all this geometry, which is currently faceted, let's select all and execute a special command in object mode by right-clicking, Shade Smooth, and it will smooth this surface, but at the same time.

This command does not add polygons; it only smooths them out. This is how these objects will be displayed in the render. Also, if we select them again, they are currently selected, and we execute the shade flat command, they will already be displayed like this - flat-shaded. When we work with complex geometry, for example, if we selected it, performed smoothing, and want to control this smoothing, we go to the data of this object. It is very important. We find the section responsible for normals, check the auto smooth box here, and then we can control this angle, indicating which faces should be smoothed and which should not. Pay attention to this; it is important and should be taken into account. Do not forget about this feature. Now, let's visually see what will happen to the geometry when it consists not only of quadrilateral polygons but also of triangles or, for example, ngons. The best example is a cylinder. We will now add a cylinder for visual perception.

Watch, we have a cube, let it remain in the scene. We add a Subdivision Surface modifier to the cube again, with two levels of subdivision. Now, let's go into edit mode. We select all this geometry together and simply delete it completely. Let's add here, we are working inside the cube, the geometry of a cylinder. What's good about a cylinder is that here you can specify exactly what kind of caps should be. Right now, they are triangles. Look closely at how the surface is represented. We ended up with a barrel, but it's ribbed. And if instead of triangles, for example, there were ngons here, look at how the shape changes now. And if these caps were completely absent, the shape would be more or less decent. There are some pitfalls here as well, especially when we smooth the cylinder, we'll also get acquainted with that eventually. But look closely, let's choose triangles specifically and leave it like this, and take a closer look at this.

Otherwise, first of all, let's switch to object mode and apply smoothing by right-clicking on Shade Smooth so that you can see the roughness of these surfaces. This arises precisely because there are triangles present here. Just pay attention to this; it is quite important. How to get rid of this? Our modifier is still working. In this case, we can switch to face selection with you, select all these faces, insert another face here, press the English O and the situation will improve slightly. That's it. Let's switch back to object mode again and see. You can display other mat caps and see how this particular surface will be presented. Look closely. Here, we inserted an additional face, and here we didn't, so keep that in mind when you come across triangles in your model and how to get rid of them. Getting rid of I'm gonna is actually the most challenging topic in modeling because you need to learn all of this.

Now let's look at another important thing related to this modifier, such as the concept of creases or folds, because this modifier has a special option to use creases. Here are additional settings where we won't discuss them in this video; I'm glad they are hidden. But this point is very important for us now - using creases. Let's see how these creases work on the fold. Let's see how to work specifically with these creases or folds, what are they in general. First of all, we have a cube in the scene, and we need to apply the Subdivision Surface modifier to it again, all default settings. The only thing is that we will probably choose a subdivision level of two, which I think will be enough. Additionally, we switch to edit mode together, remove the selection for now, and here in the settings, make sure the checkbox is checked. If not, be sure to check it. How do we create these folds and creases, and what are they for in the first place?

Switching to highlighting edges and vertices have weights just like the edges, we can control this weight with you, and this weight will determine how the smoothing algorithm should work in this place, like Mouth Clark. That is, we need to make this edge sharper in quotes or not. All of this is described very well in the Blender program documentation, as well as in additional articles that will be in the description below the video. Make sure to read them. And now let's choose, for example, this single edge. Why not? And let's set a certain weight, how it's done. For this, we can immediately go to a special menu item Edge and find the Edge Crease option to change the edge fold size, or use the shortcut Shift and. But it's more convenient to do the following: go here to the side panel, oh, there, and find this special slider Crease Weight used by the Subdivision Surface modifier. There's even a very good hint here. It's set to zero, change it and see what happens, just like that.

In this geometry, to make it even better visible, let's increase the level of subdivisions. Look closely, there is also a change in the lighting; note that there are creases present here. Let's revert this back to new and now let's do the following: let's select these edges. But at the moment, I will just select all the vertices at the bottom and switch to edge selection. We have selected all these edges at the bottom, and now let's control them all, add some weight, and see what happens to this geometry. That is, we are assigning a certain weight, creating these creases. In certain cases, we can use this method, and in other cases, we use edge loops, meaning we use the topology of our model specifically for proper, in quotes, smoothing and subdivision. Why do I put proper in quotes? Because in Blender, I never use the words right or wrong. Our main task is to make it look beautiful; that's the most important thing.

Pay attention to this point, and additionally, let's change it using hotkeys. Press the combination of keys shift and simply move the mouse towards yourself or upwards, regardless of what is happening at the moment. Here we have two arrows indicating this. We just move the mouse and accordingly control it. If we confirm by clicking the left mouse button, the last operation menu appears. There is a factor here, it is the same as here, meaning we can also move and make changes. For example, if we have added these crises and want to disable them in this modifier, simply uncheck this box. So, if the crises are already present and marked here, and these edges have a special designation. But if needed, just check this box just in case. This applies specifically to this modifier, pay attention to all of this, and now let's look at another one.

We have a very important thing and can finish in this video. Look here, an ordinary plane is presented now. Let's switch to editing mode and divide it like this, well, let's divide it in half. Now, we take and delete this part, we deleted half of it and add a mirror modifier and complete this part. When working with the modifier itself, the Subdivision Surface, I emphasize once again that it works in a special way, so you always need to determine how it should be presented in the modifier stack. Look, we applied the mirror with you, and then we add the Subdivision Surface. It smoothes this surface, but if we first added the Subdivision Surface, placed it above, and then comes the mirror, look at the result we get together. This applies not only to the mirror but also to a number of other modifiers, so if there are any problems, make sure to move this modifier along the stack of modifiers. Well, that's all for today.

Blender. Subdivision Surface ("Сабдив")

Программная мясорубка

Understanding the Subdivision Surface Modifier in Blender

The Subdivision Surface modifier is essential for polygonal modeling in Blender, allowing for surface subdivision and smoothing.

It uses algorithms like Clark's Algorithm and Simple to control the level of subdivision and smoothing in the viewport and during rendering.

The modifier is crucial for creating complex models, especially organic shapes, and it significantly increases the level of detail and smoothness of the surfaces in 3D models.

Mastering the Subdivision Surface Modifier in Blender

Switching to wireframe view and unchecking the Optimal Display box allows for observation of the structure.

The Subdivision Surface modifier can be applied in object mode and allows for the adjustment of the surface subdivision.

Using hotkeys, the modifier can be quickly added to objects, with the level of subdivision easily controlled.

Mastering the Smoothing Algorithm for 3D Modeling

The smoothing algorithm requires a clean topology, preferably consisting of 4-sided polygons, although it can also work with triangles and ngons.

Edge loops, also known as holding loops, play a crucial role in controlling the smoothness of a model.

The addition of edge loops can significantly impact the shape of the model, depending on the initial topology of the object.

Mastering the Bevel Modifier in 3D Modeling

Select loops of edges and use the control B command to create a bevel, adding additional edge loops to change the shape.

The bevel modifier plays a significant role in shaping the model, especially when working with complex geometry and ngons.

The type of caps chosen for a cylinder can significantly impact its final shape when using the Subdivision Surface modifier.

Using Subdivision Surface Modifier in Blender

Switch to object mode and apply smoothing to address the roughness caused by triangles in the model.

Inserting additional faces and adjusting crease weights can help control the smoothing algorithm and create sharper edges.

The Subdivision Surface modifier has a special option to use creases, which is important for creating folds in the model.

It is crucial to understand how to use creases and folds to effectively apply the modifier in Blender.

Improving Geometry Visibility and Crease Control in Blender

Increasing subdivisions and adjusting lighting can enhance geometry visibility.

Assigning weight to edges creates creases for smoothing and subdivision.

The order of modifiers in the stack is crucial for the desired result, whether using the mirror modifier or the subdivision surface.