3D Modeling Basics - 3D Modeling in Silo - page 9

While perhaps not strictly a creative endeavor, understanding these technical
basics and creating models that look good and are well put together have
some valuable benei ts, including:

Ei ciency . Modeling smart means modeling faster. Following conventions
helps to provide standard solutions to common problems, and avoid
mistakes that can result in hours of reworking.
Versatility . 3D objects will often have a life in other 3D programs and
formats, and subdividing, posing, painting, sculpting, rigging, and
animating can become very dii cult if the geometry is not done well.
Reusability . Modelers often reference their past work and integrate it into
new projects. The cleaner the reference, the easier it will be to use.

U nderstanding Subdivision

A necessary, powerful complement to working with polygons (and the reason
for many of the conventions of polygon modeling) is subdivision. In fact,
Silo is often referred to as a “subdivision surfaces modeler.” Subdivision tools
allow the software to create smooth organic surfaces from a coarse polygonal
mesh (see Figure 2.1). For example, if you create a cube and subdivide it
multiple times, it will end up looking smooth and spherical (although, for
mathematical reasons, not a perfect sphere). This system allows you to create
a model using only a few hundred polygons, but then automatically give
it a smooth i nished look that might take hundreds of thousands or even
millions of polygons to achieve. Essentially, subdivision allows you to create
high-resolution models without having to create and control all of those tiny
polygons individually.

You control subdivision in Silo with the C and V keys. To get a feel for how it
works:

1. Create a new Silo i le and add a basic model by selecting Create >

Custom Primitive > Base Man With Feet from the top menu.

FIG. 2.1 A character with no subdivision, one level of subdivision, and two levels of subdivision. (Model
courtesy of Glen Southern.)