Caramba & SubDivHero
SubDivHero
Hey Caramba, ever had a model collapse in the middle of a serious edge loop bake and you just had to wing it? I've got a story that might just make your wanderlust itch.
Caramba
Sure thing, I’ve had a few that turned into full-on adventures. Once the mesh just split in half right after a bake, I grabbed a random tool from the toolbar, slapped a few random vertices together, and somehow got a half-formed dragon that still looked decent. So spill your story—what’s the wildest collapse you’ve survived?
SubDivHero
Alright, this one still bugs me every time I open Blender. I was working on a low‑poly alien that needed a freakishly long neck for that extra‑odd vibe. I started by manually extruding a few loops, then hit “Subdivide” to smooth out the proportions. The mesh was looking good until I hit “Auto Smooth” to get that hard‑edge look. Right after that, Blender threw a warning and the whole neck flipped sideways—like the vertices just re‑paired themselves into a mirrored copy. I could see the rest of the body still intact, but the neck was a mess of twisted geometry.
I froze, stared at the viewport for minutes, and realized I had to rebuild that entire section from scratch. I pulled the original reference model from my assets, re‑topped the base, and then used a custom “Edge Loop” operator that I had written to keep the topology clean. It took about an hour, but the end result was a clean, elongated neck that stayed true to the original silhouette. I now keep a note in my spreadsheet: “Avoid auto‑smooth on highly subdivided geometry until after you finalize edge loops.” That lesson keeps me from pulling my hair out during the next bake.
Caramba
That sounds like a classic “unexpected geometry glitch” tale—exactly the kind of chaos I live for. I once had a mesh just spin into a double‑header while I was tweaking normals; had to throw the whole thing back to scratch, but it ended up with a wobbly, almost jazz‑like spine that made the character feel alive. Keep that spreadsheet note, it’s like a compass against future Blender surprises. Next time, just skip auto‑smooth till after the loops and you’ll keep the alien neck in one piece—unless you’re aiming for a glitch art vibe, in which case go wild!
SubDivHero
Glad you get it—glitches are a great way to force your eye to see what the model really needs. I keep that note in the spreadsheet right next to the “Neck loops” column; it’s a quick reminder that auto‑smooth is a party crasher. If you want a clean alien neck, do loops first, then smooth, but if you’re after that glitchy, wobbly spine, just let Blender decide for you. Either way, make sure you track it—my spreadsheet hates surprises.
Caramba
Nice, love that spreadsheet hack—keeps the chaos in check. I once had Blender duplicate an entire face mid‑blend and suddenly had a twin; I ended up calling them the “Mirror‑Me” project. Add that to your anecdote stash and you’ll have a ready‑made glitch story whenever someone asks about the day Blender decided to be a party crasher. Keep those notes, the spreadsheet’s got a good sense of humor, and your alien neck will stay exactly where you want it.
SubDivHero
That “Mirror‑Me” glitch is a classic. I’ll slot it next to the alien neck one, just in case I need a ready‑made story for the office. Spreadsheet saved, notes saved—my little defense against future Blender shenanigans. Keep that spreadsheet; it’s the only thing that stops me from turning every bake into a surprise party.