Put a Bevel on It
BevelPro is perfect for adding fine detail beveling to hard surface models
The new BevelPro plugin allows you to create complex bevels for meshes at any resolution without low-poly modeling. Suitable for meshes of medium-to-high resolution, BevelPro allows you to use masking and Polygroups to determine exactly which edges to bevel. Adjust and preview your results non-destructively, and even create your bevels as separate sections of geometry for use with Live Boolean.
How BevelPro Works
BevelPro works by creating bevels along the borders of Polygroups. It will respect masking but will not work with partially hidden meshes.
On the left, a mesh with Polygroups; in the center, the same mesh inside BevelPro; on the right, the final result.
Step by Step
- Set up Polygroups on your model so that the borders are where you want the bevels to be. Mask any areas that you don’t want to be beveled.
- Press the BevelPro button in the Zplugin palette. This will launch the BevelPro app.
- Adjust the settings in the BevelPro app to get the result you want.
- If desired, press the Auto Apply button to see the result inside BevelPro. Further adjustments can be made.
- If the Auto Apply button is turned on beveling will be applied to the model before returning to ZBrush and the original SubTool replaced. If Auto Apply is off then the Boolean parts will be sent back to ZBrush where you can make further adjustments if you wish.
- Press OK to return to ZBrush.
BevelPro can create additive as well as subtractive bevels.
The BevelPro app interface. In the default colors, the Polygroup border is shown in blue,
the Bevel Amount is in red and the Bevel Offset in pink.
BevelPro Functions
The BevelPro functions
Save, Load, Reset
Bevel settings can be saved and loaded using the Save and Load buttons. The Reset button will restore the factory default settings. The current settings are restored next time the beveling app is used.
Source Mesh Edit Options
Polish By Groups
The same function as in the Tool>Deformation sub-palette, this option will polish the Polygroup borders. This is especially useful with DynaMeshed models where the group borders can be ragged.
On the left, Polygroups after DynaMeshing; in the center, the same mesh in BevelPro; on the right, the result after using Polish By Groups.
Fix edges
This option will try to resolve poor Polygroup alignment within the beveling edges, such as can sometimes arise from previous boolean operations.
Reset
Undos the result of Fix Edges and Polish by Groups, resetting the mesh to its original state.
Bevel Analysis Options
Bevel Amount
The width of space along polygroup edges that will be used for beveling. With the default colors this is shown on the mesh in red.
Bevel Smoothness
The strength of smoothing applied to the bevel contours within the mesh surface. Bevel smoothness can be useful to reduce the influence of the original mesh and create a more pleasing result.
Polygroup Angle
The degree of the maximum angle between polygroups to consider “flat” and skip on beveling. This is useful if you have Polygroups that are on flatter areas on the mesh and you want to exclude them from beveling.
Sharp
A corner detection mode. When turned on, the app will try to place exact corners in the transitions between bevels, but note that this could lead to artifacts on some curved meshes. When turned off, the corners will be smoother.
Bevel Mesh Output Options
Bevel
Produces a flat surface along the edge where two polygroups meet.
Bevel
Chamfer
Produces a curved surface along the edge where two polygroups meet.
Chamfer
Low Poly Mode
Low Poly Mode processes every profile separately when on and smoothes the whole bevel surface when off. This option is only available when Chamfer is selected..
On the left, Low Poly Mode off; on the right Low Poly Mode on.
Preview Edges
Turn on to display the wireframe of the beveled surface.
Mesh Edge Resolution
The number of subdivisions of the bevel surface.
Mesh Offset Amount
The amount of extra space around the mesh surface to be cut by the bevel. With the default colors, this is shown on the mesh in pink.
Correct adjustment of the Mesh Offset is necessary to achieve a clean result. Too small an offset may leave artifacts or separate pieces. Too large an offset can lead to the bevel penetrating the surrounding geometry.
Auto Crease
Turn this option on to crease the bevel geometry, simplifying polishing and subdividing in ZBrush.
Auto Apply
Show the bevel result within the BevelPro app. With this option turned on, the beveled mesh will replace the original mesh when returning to ZBrush.
Advanced Options
Generate Inner Part
This option produces an additional boolean part to fill the mesh inner volume before cutting the bevel or chamfer surface. This is turned on by default for chamfering and turned off for beveling.
On the left, Generate Inner Part off; on the right, Generate Inner Part on.
Smooth Connection
The Smooth Connection option creates a smooth transition from the chamfer to the original mesh. It makes no difference when the Bevel option is used.
On the left, Smooth Connection off; on the right, Smooth Connection on.
Triangulate Bevel Junctions
Triangulates connection surfaces between multiple bevel or chamfer edges.
On the left, no triangulation; on the right, Triangulate Bevel Junctions is on.
Triangulate Bevel Surface
Triangulates whole surface of the bevel or chamfer.
The result with both Triangulate Bevel Junctions and Triangulate Bevel Surface on.
The triangulation options are useful in some cases when the boolean system is unable to produce a good result. Increasing the Bevel Edge Resolution can also improve the quality of the bevel or chamfer.
Triangulation used to improve the chamfer result.
Display colors
Press the relevant button to change colors in the preview:
Mesh
The display color of the original mesh. The default color is gray.
Edges
The point color along the polygroup edges of the original mesh. The default color is blue.
Amount
The point color along the bevel edges. The default color is red.
Filling
The color of the full extent of the bevel. The default color is pink.
Reset Colors
Resets the colors to their defaults.