Modifiers

Modifiers are a quick and parametric way to alter an object without changing it completely. The modifier stack only affects the visualization (i.e., the render mesh) of an object. Modifiers can be applied to meshes, surfaces, polysurfaces, and SubD.

As mentioned, modifiers can be stacked so that the result of one is fed into the next. This allows you to chain several effects to obtain high-quality results without changing the original geometry. The evaluation order is top to bottom, so the first modifier you create will be applied first.

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Multiresolution

Generates a higher poly-count version of the given mesh. There are two strategies available: the simple method splits the edges and adds vertices, while the star approach reuses existing vertices, only adding faces.

Subdivision surface

Applies the Catmull-Clark or Rhino SubD subdivision surface algorithm to generate a B-spline surface from the given mesh. The approach implemented is slightly different from Rhino's own SubDs; if you want or need to match other tools that use Catmull-Clark subdivision surfaces, this modifier can help you match your geometry.

Mirror mesh

Mirrors the object on the given axis. You can provide an option to merge the mirrored geometry with the original. This mirror modifier is particularly useful if you decide to model symmetric objects.

Bevel edges

Adds a bevel to each edge that matches the given criteria. Beveling is performed on all edges that are over a given angle. The option for welding the mesh allows you to decide if you want normal continuity.

Weld edges

Welds the render mesh; this can be useful especially before a subdivision surface modifier.

Unweld edges

Unwelds the render mesh. It intervenes on edges with an angle greater than the input one.

Array geometry

Creates copies of the object along the X, Y, and Z axes. The number of copies along each axis can be specified, as well as the distance between each copy.

Remesh

Performs a remeshing of the original object using a target edge length or a target quads count.

Reduce Mesh

Reduces the number of faces of the original object. The final number of faces can be specified by an absolute number or by a percentage. This is useful for simplifying a mesh when accuracy is not a priority.

Thicken

Use this modifier to make a mesh thicker than the original. It is very useful when dealing with planar parts that you want to solidify. There is an option to cap only on one side or on both sides. When used in conjunction with subdivision surfaces, it is suggested to weld the parts before applying this modifier.

Project

Projects a mesh onto one or more other meshes, called "Colliders" in the modifier interaction control. It is useful, for example, to "stick" objects like logos to a shoe. You can choose the preferred direction for projection: the Natural direction will automatically compute the best direction. See the B_MeshProject command documentation for more info.

UV transfer

This modifier allows you to transfer UVs from a source mesh to the selected one. The source can be picked from the model. To learn more about UV transfer, see the B_TransferUVs documentation.

Remap

Remaps the object from a source to a target object. Source and target must have matching UV coordinates (textures). The remapping leverages these to match the position from one mesh to the next. You can use diverse meshes, but if the UVs match to some extent, the remapping will work. Choose an appropriate tolerance to inform the tool how far to look around a given point for a match on the target mesh.

Displacement

This modifier enables you to create a depth and relief effect on the surface of an object using a texture as a reference. The positions of points on the object are displaced along the local surface normal, based on the value of the texture function at each point on the surface. You can choose between Displace and Emboss modes to make the texture pattern emerge or recede into the surface. Adjust the Amount parameter according to how pronounced you want the displacement to be.

Smooth

This modifier smooths a mesh in the vicinity of sharp edges by averaging the positions of vertices within a defined region. It slightly adjusts the direction of faces adjacent to edges to create a smoother effect. Users can specify the direction for smoothing; for example, when 'X' is enabled, vertices can move along the X-axis.

The smoothing factor determines the extent to which vertices move towards the average position of neighboring vertices. Enabling the Fix boundaries option ensures that vertices along exposed edges remain unchanged.

A mesh cube smoothed along the X, Y, and Z axes.

Snap to mesh

This modifier is particularly useful when building a model from a 3D scan of a shoe. It allows you to fit any last into the mesh obtained from a 3D scan. Simply overlap the rough last mesh and the scanned one and apply the modifier, selecting the scan as the Target mesh.

The following parameters can be customized:

Maximum distance: Set the distance to search within the target mesh for a matching point.
Target point search modes: You can choose between two search modes, Raycast or Closest point, to see which delivers the best result.
Interpolation: Select either Smooth or Linear interpolation between target points. You can also adjust the level of adherence to the target mesh for a more precise fit.

Different results depending on the level of precision.

Dodge curve

This tool allows you to create a recess along a selected line on the mesh. Simply draw a curve on the mesh using B_DrawCrvOnMesh to define where the recess will be placed. Then, set the Radius of the recess and adjust the Push amount to control how deep it extends from the surface. This feature is especially useful for adding a more realistic appearance to your mesh when applying stitches.

B_ModifierCopy

This command allows you to copy all modifiers from one object to another. It makes it possible to work on a single object's visualization with a stack of modifiers and then easily transfer the result to other objects. You can also call the command by clicking the Copy modifier button in the stack and selecting the object you want to copy the stack to.

Modifiers on multiple objects

When you have many objects with a modifier stack associated with them, you may need a fast and easy way to handle them. To do that, select the objects, and the modifier panel will show a new panel allowing you to apply the following actions:

Apply all modifiers on all selected objects and automatically delete the modifiers in the stacks;
Copy result: Applies all modifiers to a copy of the associated objects, keeping the original object stack intact;
Remove all modifiers from all stacks;
Show or Hide the modifiers on each selected object.

An alternative way to do so is using the B_ModifierMultiEdit command: select the action you want to apply and then the objects.