Jordan Cain
@oddenough.art
Freelance Hard Surface 3D Artist, currently working at @marmoset3d.bsky.social | "Internet N-Gon Guy" I love helping people, problem solving and learning. Autistic, Mentor | 🚫 AI | linktr.ee/odd_enough
Topics: #ngons #scans #autism #photography #descent
Topics: #ngons #scans #autism #photography #descent
For the finishing touches, I added the maker’s mark using vector layers to create a recessed area and traced over a projected decal I found online. Using a sync point above this, we can produce the final mask effects from the vector detail.
November 12, 2025 at 3:37 PM
For the finishing touches, I added the maker’s mark using vector layers to create a recessed area and traced over a projected decal I found online. Using a sync point above this, we can produce the final mask effects from the vector detail.
Now that we have a grip on the surface detail, you can add a sync point above the hammered material to drive some extra finish, like edge wear and dirt buildup, to make it look striking.
November 12, 2025 at 3:37 PM
Now that we have a grip on the surface detail, you can add a sync point above the hammered material to drive some extra finish, like edge wear and dirt buildup, to make it look striking.
Using gradient layers in the mask, you can limit the effect of the hammering using the translation widgets in the viewport and adjust the gradient profile in the layer settings.
November 12, 2025 at 3:37 PM
Using gradient layers in the mask, you can limit the effect of the hammering using the translation widgets in the viewport and adjust the gradient profile in the layer settings.
For this project, I wanted the hammer's surface to match the reference, which has a hammered metal finish. You could use a cellular effect to create this, but fortunately, there is a fantastic hammered copper material in the asset library that you can repurpose for this.
November 12, 2025 at 3:37 PM
For this project, I wanted the hammer's surface to match the reference, which has a hammered metal finish. You could use a cellular effect to create this, but fortunately, there is a fantastic hammered copper material in the asset library that you can repurpose for this.
Forging ahead, it’s bevel shader time! With the hard creases in place, add the bevel shader to the high poly material and we’re in business. I’m baking to a low poly for this project, so I’m using the traditional high to low baking method.
November 12, 2025 at 3:36 PM
Forging ahead, it’s bevel shader time! With the hard creases in place, add the bevel shader to the high poly material and we’re in business. I’m baking to a low poly for this project, so I’m using the traditional high to low baking method.
Weight your creases to maximum and the hard edges can drive the bevel shader like normal. If you’re using Blender, you’ll need to make sure your creased edges are marked as sharp as it doesn’t do it automatically.
November 12, 2025 at 3:36 PM
Weight your creases to maximum and the hard edges can drive the bevel shader like normal. If you’re using Blender, you’ll need to make sure your creased edges are marked as sharp as it doesn’t do it automatically.
Alright, stop. BEVEL TIME.
The bevel shader can be used with creases too! You can get all the advantages of high poly subdiv without needing to use support loops and still use the bevel shader in one time-saving package. Let's hammer out the details with @marmoset3d.bsky.social Toolbag
The bevel shader can be used with creases too! You can get all the advantages of high poly subdiv without needing to use support loops and still use the bevel shader in one time-saving package. Let's hammer out the details with @marmoset3d.bsky.social Toolbag
November 12, 2025 at 3:36 PM
Alright, stop. BEVEL TIME.
The bevel shader can be used with creases too! You can get all the advantages of high poly subdiv without needing to use support loops and still use the bevel shader in one time-saving package. Let's hammer out the details with @marmoset3d.bsky.social Toolbag
The bevel shader can be used with creases too! You can get all the advantages of high poly subdiv without needing to use support loops and still use the bevel shader in one time-saving package. Let's hammer out the details with @marmoset3d.bsky.social Toolbag
Yeah the only thing keeping it from not smoothing well with high distortion is the size of the face area. Bringing the 3 farthest verts in closer would fix that.
October 16, 2025 at 1:51 AM
Yeah the only thing keeping it from not smoothing well with high distortion is the size of the face area. Bringing the 3 farthest verts in closer would fix that.
In low poly, absolutely. But in subdiv, as long as the other program is using catmul-clark subdiv (most do now), it'll subdivide the same way. But yeah the triangulation edge turn issue also affects non-planar quads:
October 9, 2025 at 3:30 AM
In low poly, absolutely. But in subdiv, as long as the other program is using catmul-clark subdiv (most do now), it'll subdivide the same way. But yeah the triangulation edge turn issue also affects non-planar quads:
If you want to know more about the baking process and vector tools used for this asset, you can read up on it in my previous threads. No high poly models used in either post.
Baking: bsky.app/profile/odde...
Vectors: bsky.app/profile/odde...
Baking: bsky.app/profile/odde...
Vectors: bsky.app/profile/odde...
October 6, 2025 at 1:04 PM
If you want to know more about the baking process and vector tools used for this asset, you can read up on it in my previous threads. No high poly models used in either post.
Baking: bsky.app/profile/odde...
Vectors: bsky.app/profile/odde...
Baking: bsky.app/profile/odde...
Vectors: bsky.app/profile/odde...
Just like any project, it’s important to pre-plan where you intend to use the bevel shader and vectors. Knowing when to use separate meshes and materials will help save you time when you go to bake and texture. 5/5
Completion time: 6 days
Completion time: 6 days
October 6, 2025 at 1:04 PM
Just like any project, it’s important to pre-plan where you intend to use the bevel shader and vectors. Knowing when to use separate meshes and materials will help save you time when you go to bake and texture. 5/5
Completion time: 6 days
Completion time: 6 days
The large gears use the bevel shader on a booleaned mesh, but since the small gears have shallow teeth, I decided to use my trusty radial vectors. I also tapered the ends slightly to show how you can emulate the valleys in the teeth. 4/5
October 6, 2025 at 1:04 PM
The large gears use the bevel shader on a booleaned mesh, but since the small gears have shallow teeth, I decided to use my trusty radial vectors. I also tapered the ends slightly to show how you can emulate the valleys in the teeth. 4/5
The bolts use the same texture as the housing, but I used a different material to control their bevel widths with their own vertex mask (shown in the previous post). To make sure they don’t look fused to the housing surface, I enabled Bevel Same Surface Only. 3/5
October 6, 2025 at 1:03 PM
The bolts use the same texture as the housing, but I used a different material to control their bevel widths with their own vertex mask (shown in the previous post). To make sure they don’t look fused to the housing surface, I enabled Bevel Same Surface Only. 3/5
Since the housing has varying edge widths, I used a vertex color mask to define those widths. I set the model to 100% red, then defined which edges should be smaller by using lower red values. Vertex masks grant you finer control while using only 1 material. 2/5
October 6, 2025 at 1:03 PM
Since the housing has varying edge widths, I used a vertex color mask to define those widths. I set the model to 100% red, then defined which edges should be smaller by using lower red values. Vertex masks grant you finer control while using only 1 material. 2/5
For the latest thread in my Part Modeling series, I wanted to show off the combined effect of Low to Low baking with the bevel shader and vector layers in @marmoset3d.bsky.social Toolbag 5, this time on a more complex model. I really pushed the bevel shader on this one! 1/5
October 6, 2025 at 1:03 PM
For the latest thread in my Part Modeling series, I wanted to show off the combined effect of Low to Low baking with the bevel shader and vector layers in @marmoset3d.bsky.social Toolbag 5, this time on a more complex model. I really pushed the bevel shader on this one! 1/5
Ah, almost the same one. The button on mine is orange.
October 3, 2025 at 4:17 PM
Ah, almost the same one. The button on mine is orange.
And here’s the final render animation. I hope this thread helped to shed some light on this workflow 😉
Total time to make this asset including modeling, unwrapping, bake, vector details, texture, and scene setup: 6 hours
10/10 Can recommend 😁
Total time to make this asset including modeling, unwrapping, bake, vector details, texture, and scene setup: 6 hours
10/10 Can recommend 😁
October 3, 2025 at 3:46 PM
And here’s the final render animation. I hope this thread helped to shed some light on this workflow 😉
Total time to make this asset including modeling, unwrapping, bake, vector details, texture, and scene setup: 6 hours
10/10 Can recommend 😁
Total time to make this asset including modeling, unwrapping, bake, vector details, texture, and scene setup: 6 hours
10/10 Can recommend 😁
Vector layers respond to sync points, so they can be used in the texture process just like baked detail. Here, I’m using the curvature data from the sync point to drive the edge wear mask.
9/10
9/10
October 3, 2025 at 3:45 PM
Vector layers respond to sync points, so they can be used in the texture process just like baked detail. Here, I’m using the curvature data from the sync point to drive the edge wear mask.
9/10
9/10
For my last trick, I want to add some non-radial grippy detail to the button. I’ll need a grid-like pattern, so I’m going to use the Decal mode of the vector layer. I can draw simple lines snapped to the grid, change the bump, and increase width of the lines.
Boom, done. 8/10
Boom, done. 8/10
October 3, 2025 at 3:45 PM
For my last trick, I want to add some non-radial grippy detail to the button. I’ll need a grid-like pattern, so I’m going to use the Decal mode of the vector layer. I can draw simple lines snapped to the grid, change the bump, and increase width of the lines.
Boom, done. 8/10
Boom, done. 8/10
This is an aspect of vector layers that I really love. Did the AD not like the pattern and requested other versions? No problem. I made 4 variations in under 8 minutes and it’s all non-destructible. And this is just using one shape. You have near endless possibilities.
7/10
7/10
October 3, 2025 at 3:45 PM
This is an aspect of vector layers that I really love. Did the AD not like the pattern and requested other versions? No problem. I made 4 variations in under 8 minutes and it’s all non-destructible. And this is just using one shape. You have near endless possibilities.
7/10
7/10
I felt like this needed a little extra detail, so I also added some swoopy looking lines around the divot in the middle. Using symmetry lets me change how dense I want this area to be. I can also select any of the instanced lines to edit them all.
6/10
6/10
October 3, 2025 at 3:45 PM
I felt like this needed a little extra detail, so I also added some swoopy looking lines around the divot in the middle. Using symmetry lets me change how dense I want this area to be. I can also select any of the instanced lines to edit them all.
6/10
6/10
Then moving onto the knurling! This is the really fun part. I used to hate modeling knurling, and static alphas were too limiting. Here, I used a simple line with a bevel and tapered ends, and set the radial count to control size. It’s both fun AND you have so much control.
5/10
5/10
October 3, 2025 at 3:44 PM
Then moving onto the knurling! This is the really fun part. I used to hate modeling knurling, and static alphas were too limiting. Here, I used a simple line with a bevel and tapered ends, and set the radial count to control size. It’s both fun AND you have so much control.
5/10
5/10
Starting with the grip, my goal is to add some knurling and panel lines to separate it into sections. So let’s draw a simple panel line for this with the symmetry enabled and set up in a radial array.
4/10
4/10
October 3, 2025 at 3:44 PM
Starting with the grip, my goal is to add some knurling and panel lines to separate it into sections. So let’s draw a simple panel line for this with the symmetry enabled and set up in a radial array.
4/10
4/10
After using the same Low to Low baking and bevel shader method I covered in the previous thread, I created a texture project using the resulting baked maps. From here, I can add all of the remaining details using only vector layers.
3/10
3/10
October 3, 2025 at 3:43 PM
After using the same Low to Low baking and bevel shader method I covered in the previous thread, I created a texture project using the resulting baked maps. From here, I can add all of the remaining details using only vector layers.
3/10
3/10