Cineversity

I have always wondered how to achieve a smooth subdivision on one direction only. My search for this have not given me an answer.
I am not after a way to loop cut or the like, but basically a way to smooth subdivide in on direction only, please see the attached images, as my explaining lacks…

EDIT:
These images are just an simplified example to illustrate the issue.

/Carl

Hi Carl,

I’m not aware of any native tool in C4D that would do that. A combined Ring Selection of the edges and Edge Cut with N-Gons off would be the obvious way, for example.

Typically it is just all, or based on angle (normals) or edges/corners. Please note that some of the options are limited to other tools (GPU tessellation)
https://help.maxon.net/us/#OSDS-ID_OBJECTPROPERTIES

What comes to mind is the weighting of such, but yes, that is a step after and more based on equal subdivision.

If you have a valid reason that makes this an option for many people, please use the suggestion form:
https://www.maxon.net/en-us/support/suggestions/

All the best

Thank you for your reply Dr Sassi. It seems that I am the only one seeing a benefit in this…

You’re welcome, Carl,

My suspicion is, that many models have not really a direction, e.g., a horse, or even a direction given would result in confusion. Possible/Imaginable: certainly.

With the models above, which can be all created with Splines, the intermediate points could be changed in one or the other.

I have linked a one minute clip, using one of your images as example, please have a look: (The file used is included)
https://www.amazon.com/clouddrive/share/xdN4jpQBAbrjPDTnwbZhYZsuOUrQfrjgfpxujpmIyz6

All the best

Thank you Dr!

Thanks for the feedback, Carl.

I got this suggestion at c4dcafé from “King of Snake”

“you could select the edge loops where you need more smoothness (in the case of the example, easily done with ring selection), and use the slide tool with clone and preserve curvature options. This will immediately double the amount of segments along that edge flow while maintaining the curvature.  If you need even more, just redo the same thing selecting the newly made edges as well. Not totally automated but takes about 5 seconds.”

Hi Carl,

If that would smooth the surface, I would have suggested it. It just subdivides the surface, and with it, shows more clearly the former edge, as the phong is now limited in its smoothing ability.

All the best

P.S.: to provide a more visual reply, please have a look here, as you asked for a smooth result.

Clip
https://www.amazon.com/clouddrive/share/XQMCO4KB5TPur8OCh0Gg3ldqtSbvh0ABW5ey1yuEv0D

As a side note:
Phong shading works by taking one Polygon Normal as well as its neighbor, and transition between these. If you just apply more polygons, while the new points of these polygons follow the edge that was there already, the edge will have less influence and the results are typically less pleasing. In some cases it turns a fairly nice sphere into a disco ball with clear segment edges for example.
https://help.maxon.net/us/#TPHONG
The Normals in the help content are shown as arrows, one per polygon.

In the clip I have used a sub division which allows for a straight subdivision, as the Edge-Cut would do, but in comparison also a “Smooth” version, as the Subdivision Surface (ex HyperNURBS) would have created.
In comparison, the Edge-Cut fails to smooth. If done only a little bit and then smoothed, the results are anything (as shown in the last part of the clip above), but not straight or smooth (as in round).

I hope that helps to see the inner workings.

All the best