To join, or not to join, that is....

[Eric2575]

There are many instances in a model, when you could simply stick one object into another to make it look like they are one. Take, for example, a wrought iron fence, or a lever sticking out of a machine. Another good example, intersecting pipes. When would you have to join the CP's and when could you get away with the cheat?

[Scottj3d]

I believe it would be necessary to be connected in an instance where a mesh is required to stretch. In some cases it may affect the render of an animation. I recently started doing that. My wings on my seraphim are actually 2 parts. I am learning to rig him and other than not having my feathers cp's attached the the right bones while checking the rig in the action window it doesn't seem to affect the area where they intersect. I think it is a matter of experimentation. Just my opinion though!

[zandoriastudios]

There is no reason to join them. It isn't cheating either

[J L Johnson]

In most cases you increase the number of patches and therefore the render time. I only join when I have to. Sometimes I link a single spline between two associated parts just to help with selecting.

[Zaryin]

When doing mechanical -- and in some instances organic -- modeling it is not nessacary to join splines. Especially if it's not doing to stretch.

 

The original version of Vic Navone's Blitz didn't have his arms attached to it's body. ANd we know how far that character has gone.

[starwarsguy]

Also, they might look strange with a material on them. First, the specularities and things such as that would be separated throughout. Second, you couldn't blend textures into one another in the middle to the outside.

[heyvern]

On of the main reasons I join rather than stick... or whatever... in mechanical modeling...

 

Bevels. I am very obsessive about bevels. I like them. They give wonderful little bounces of light...

 

I also hate with a passion... perfect razor sharp corners.

 

Now there are instances where I can get away with out joining... if the edge touching is beveled and I nudge it ever so snuggly up against another surface... usually only when the spline counts don't match up and hooks won't work for various reasons.

 

I just did this last night! I had a 4 patch area on a larger model. I needed to add a more detailed suface on top of it... but 4 patches wouldn't cut it... I couldn't add any splines or else the whole thing gets wrecked...

 

So... I broke the patches, extruded a bevel for the edges added a new "object" with more splines just touching it... looks great. Nice little beveled seam.

 

So, that being said... I join... and I am looking for a thearapist as well.

 

Vernon "!" Zehr

[Eric2575]

You are funny Vern...always like reading your posts.

[R Reynolds]

Now there are instances where I can get away with out joining... if the edge touching is beveled and I nudge it ever so snuggly up against another surface... usually only when the spline counts don't match up and hooks won't work for various reasons.

As an example see attached image. As long as you put in some bias tweaking time to get all splines aligned, after decaling and texturing no one will know that the model is not a single mesh.