I`ve attached one of objects from Modo.

I can`t share whole set of objects without rebuilding it becouse of NDA.

That attached mesh is a good example. I model with subd many hard surface models during my regular daily work. To do hard edges in subd I have to give additional loops near hard edges which cause such a tight bendings (to force hard edges there). Doing whole subd model without additional loops for hardening edges is very rare. I can`t remember even one of my subd meshes which had only smooth surface without additional loops near hard edges so it`s a big limitation.

This is example: I`ve doubled same mesh which I`ve attached. One cube has got subd turned on and the second has got subd turned off.



Giving those additional loops is a way to create demanded shape in subd.


Other thing is subd levels. | may change subd levels in Modo but I can`t export it with obj :) So in my opinion those obj are exported as low poly cage without info about subd smoothing. I`ve looked that kind of info in notepad but those obj don`t have any info about subd levels so I can`t change it to lower level without doing it in MoI (becouse it`s imported on lowest level without any smooting info).

Thanks Michael for helping me out with deeper understanding of that workflow.

Hi mdesign, so you can put fillets on a model like ok just as long as they don't have to cross over the tight bend, like this for example:



If they have to cross over a tight bend the fillet radius has to be smaller than the radius of the bend. A larger radius fillet going trying to go across a tight bend will be bunched up like this:



That's not really something specific to sub-d conversion, if you constructed tightly bent things in MoI directly it would be the same thing. In CAD usually the smallest radius fillets go on at the end.


> Giving those additional loops is a way to create demanded shape in subd.

That type of shape will convert over ok but it's highly unlikely that you will be able to fillet anything that runs into those areas, unless the fillet radius is very small.

Really the main idea for a hybrid workflow is not that you would be making the hard surface model in sub-d, it's intended that you would do the hard surface model in MoI and use sub-d for doing more organic smooth blob stuff to use as a base shape. Think of stuff like a car body, base head shape, chest plate, boat hull, not really stuff with small scaled details.

- Michael

Your last sentence was crucial for me. Thanks a lot. Now it`s clear to me.