While you may be correct about the SubD being easier in poly modelers, the benefits of doing it in MoI would be the accuracy in adding the details after the form is built. Creating details on a SubD cage in poly modelers is a most difficult process at the best (unless you're a true master at polyflow and Sub-D modeling, which in my experience is not that common).
Modo has a set of SubD boolean tools which do help, but I've heard mixed reviews. Trimming door handles, light openings, even body seams is much much easier in a NURBS package.
I will agree Zarkow is also such a master using NURBs in MoI, but once one can arrive at a basic shape, it is much simpler to add the rest of the details. And, from my perspective as one who has used both SubDs and NURBs to model hard surface objects, I find NURBs infinitely easier to use.
I'm hoping this isn't too long or boring... In the last month, I pulled up an old modeling challenge I had set for myself over 10 years ago. I had found an interesting hard surface model I felt represented many of the challenges I would like to conquer as I developed my modeling skills.
In the late 90's, as CEO of Human Code, we bought a design firm in Tokyo based on a personal relationship I had with the owner (a fellow Industrial Designer). Over the years I visited Japan over 30 times, and very much enjoyed the culture. The anime Ghost in the Shell had just come out, and it's sketchbook displayed a ridiculously talented team of artists and designers with a very interesting design language, not unlike what Syd Mead had created in the first Blade Runner.
In the book, was the following picture:
While it looks like some sort of hybrid Winnebago, it definitely has some interesting design challenges. My goal was to be able to design it in a single sitting, not days, but hours.
Then I discovered the HardOps Blender plugin, and it's author, Jerry Perkins.
( https://www.artstation.com/jerryperkins1447 )
Turns out he lives in Austin so we set up a lunch to visit.
It turns out Jerry is probably one of the top 10 best Blender modelers in the world. He's amazing and I've been lucky to work with him over the past 9 months on Alamo Reality as well.
We hangout a lot while I created all the Alamo architecture and new shaders, and he created all the characters, animations, and workflows. In the meantime he taught me Substance Painter as well, which I am forever grateful for.
One night I suggested we take a break and "take the Ghost in the Shell challenge" -- him working in Blender and I in SketchUp. I had not tried this in SketchUp in awhile and my chops have been fine tuned after the last 10 months working in SU and Unity. The goal was not a perfect model, but just a "proof of concept" for the top shape.
So, we both shared each others screen and began. After a very short time, I realized while I *could* build it in SU, it would take days, not hours to get it right-- so I switched to MoI.
Now, keeping in mind I really haven't touched MoI in over a year, I was able to create the toughest part of this in literally minutes, not hours. Suffice to say, Jerry was impressed as he quickly recognized the simple form of the top of this model was not as easy as it looked.
This is what I came up with in probably less than 30 minutes:
and then in KeyShot:
For me it cemented in my mind a couple of key points I can sometimes forget.
1. A key component of 3D software is not only ease of use, but also how easy you can return to it and "pick up where you left off."
2. Nothing beats NURBS when it comes to after the fact adding details! Full Disclosure, I did end up exporting as STEP to Onshape for some of the more problem fillets, but it took only a couple minutes and imported perfectly back into MoI.
In my mind, another testament to NURBS over Polys (for some things) and the ease of use AND ease of remembering HOW to use in MoI!
<<There is no Mirror command without plugins!
Yes and No! :)
Maybe I made like this with only native tools! :)
detailed (not for you of course but for someone who want test SketchUp ;)
- Select something (In general Triple Clicks, or Box Selection from Right to Left or other depending of the object(s) wanted)
- Ctrl +C, Scale -1, Paste in Place! ;)
With 3 ShortCuts :
- Ctrl +C = Copy (Native)
- S = Scale (Native)
Typing -1 manually on the Numeric KeyBoard after moving the good "green Square Handle" of the Scale tool
(that is the more difficult when the object is complex or small/big and that you must make some zoom and rotate)
(the Scale Tool -1 = Mirror and erase the selected object)
- Personnal ShortCut for Past in Place. (Native Function but no Native ShortCut)
the "red" diagonal shown is just the mouse staying by hasard on another Green Square handle during the pressing -1 !!!
No impact on the result!
The funny is that you must make on the good Handle a move of any dimension before pressing -1
Of course exist some Mirror Plugins for this relative lack of native function! ;)
PS As right-handed I can click / Move mouse with right hand and type with the left hand -1 on my right numeric Keyboard!
So some speddy! :)
Pss As you can't mirror a simple line the trick is draw anywhere another line (or anything) in another direction as you want
before select something and call Scale function! ;)
Erase it at the end! ;)
Just 2 pushes left and right. It's for that there is a line middle top! (Arc is middle top of the box)
No Trim!
And as there is no "Multiple Push" without Plugin you are oblige to make twice!
Very interesting anecdote and eye-candy, thanks for sharing. The futuristic vehicle design also reminds me of Katsuhiro Otomo's brilliant Akira artwork.
The Hard Ops add-on is one of those Blender things I still need to check out. I've seen some pretty impressive videos by Jerry (a.k.a. MasterXeon) demonstrating it.
And I completely know what you mean regarding MoI being easy to pick up again after you haven't used it for a while. That's one of its great strengths.
