Can I get faceted display mode in AM?

[Bumbledoer]

Hey, just wated to ask if there is any way to show objects in viewport faceted rather than smooth.
Here is a pic to illustrate what i'm looking for
https://imgur.com/RSqtLWT

[robcat2075]

Could you please put the pic in your post? I don't want to click on a blind link.

You can see A:M patches flat by  pressing the PgDn Key several times. Is that what you want?

 

PageDown...

 

PageUp..

[Bumbledoer]

Flat or faceted shading is not the same as going PgDown.  In AM, patches are polygonized before being sent down the GPU pipeline. At a lowest subdivision one patch equals one square polygon. You increase subdivisions up - and now GPU renders 4 polygons (8 triangles) in place of single patch and so on. By default these polygons are displayed smooth in viewport (right on the picture).  I would like to have them flat like on the left sphere. The reason for such a quirk is that i'm modeling with AM and then use the model as a mid-detailed sculpting base. In this scenario i don't care about the right topology so i can use whatever splinage and junktions are easier to make despite the creasing artifacts. Actually this way modeling can be several times faster for me. But. Looking at severe creasing while modeling is also unpleasant, so if there was a 'faceted shading' mode, most creases would not be noticable among all the hard edges of polygons (GPU polygons AM patches consist off, as i describet above)

[Bumbledoer]

Here's an example of what i'm looking at and what i would like to look at if 'flat faces' option exists in AM.
By sending AM model to blender or other sculpting software i can smooth out those creases in a minute for the whole face and be ready to go for the fine details.
Eliminating creases in AM can take an hour long fight with 5-pointers not wanting to be generated because a spline has a hook somewhere etc etc etc.
Also I want my CP count as low as possible (thats one of the reasons I like spline modeling) and fixing topology will inevitably add quite a few CPs in places where I don't want them.

[robcat2075]

The amount of faceting shown in the left sphere, four facets per patch, is the same as what A:M does one level up from the lowest subdivision level.

However... the totally flat appearance of the facets (no "phong shading" I believe) isn't an option in A:M. A:M's real time shading will always try to smooth the shading from one facet to the next.

 

Quote

Eliminating creases in AM can take an hour long fight with 5-pointers not wanting to be generated because a spline has a hook somewhere etc etc etc.

Something is wrong is this is taking an hour. Detach any hooks (SHIFT-k) to patches adjacent to a 5-pointer-to-be, make the 5-pointer, then reattach the hooks.

[Fuchur]

There is an option called "Polymode" in the settings at the "OpenGL3" tab, which will show you the polygonal structure in realtime, but it is not shaded.

Anyway, you might want to put in a new light into the model you are using this with and then you should be able to see what is happening pretty easily.

Best regards
*Fuchur*

[Bumbledoer]

46 minutes ago, robcat2075 said:

Something is wrong is this is taking an hour. Detach any hooks (SHIFT-k) to patches adjacent to a 5-pointer-to-be, make the 5-pointer, then reattach the hooks.

Thats why I added bolded 'etc etc etc' hehe
Its often like this: I try to make a 5-pointer. It won't let me. Try lasso selection. Try 'double dot' trick. No. I look for hooks, ok, spotted one. Hook fixed. Not enought. Looking for another hook maybe. Seems like no hooks in neighbouring patches at least. Ok, lets try to eliminate the hook farther away. Not it. Ok, maybe not all CPs are attached. Run 'Connect' wizard. Play with distance settings. No. Randomly detach\attach\break splines around desired implied 5-pointer. No. Ok, enough, lets move to another one. Ok, this one was easy. Next one. Oops, problem again. Ok, I need to try another local topology. Seems like it did the trick. But I kinda liked previous spline flow better. OK, move on. Lets play with the shape already. Maybe I need to make the nose tip bigger.. Hmmm.. Maybe put the eyes wider..  Damn that hole from the first unsolved patch distracts me! Ok, lets try again. 
.....
No luck, ended with topology I didn't wanted. The end ☠️

The example of 'impossible' 5-pointer, no hooks in sight.
   

[robcat2075]

Can you send me that model? I'll give it a look.

[Bumbledoer]

Yes sure

am_test.mdl

[robcat2075]

Try this...

 

[Bumbledoer]

Well, I knew there was more than two splines meeting at that points, but it works most of the time so I thought thats not the case.
Also I do that deliberetely because its the fastest way to get the crease (with peaked CP you need to alter handles to get the desired crease). And bias handles tend to break when I edit a model. Also the task i tried to achive with AM was my models to have less CPs than SubD models in blender. Stricktly following the rule of no more than two splines per CP I end up with spline networks just as dense as the SDS cage of the same quality.
But anyway, I realise problems come with me wanting to do things my way, and its not the problem of AM
 

[robcat2075]

The fastest way to get the sharp corner at a spline crossing is to select the CP and press "p" on the keyboard. Pressing "o" will revert to a smooth spline.

[Bumbledoer]

As I said, with peaks (P) I never satisfied with default slopes, so I need to edit biases manually. And edited biases tend to break. And also bias handles are not affected in mirror mode. And I'm too picky,  I know

[robcat2075]

That workflow is not saving you time if you're not able to close your five-pointers because of it.