Smart Bevel

Table of Contents

The easiest way to make your bevel correctly weighted is to use the Smart Bevel from the Normal Toolkit.

It works exactly like the default Maya bevel but it keeps the vertex normals aligned to the original faces instead of averaging with the new faces created by the bevel.

The Smart Bevel also gives you the option to automatically add the bevel faces in the Normal Toolkit Selection Set and/or to select the bevel faces, allowing you to use the Process Normals later on if needed without having to deal with the Selection Set manually.

Using the Smart Bevel #

  • First you need to select at least one object.
  • Then, select all the edges you want to apply your bevel to. (You can use the Select All Hard Edges of the Normal Toolkit to quickly select all hard edges)
  • To apply your bevel, right click on Process Normals and click on Smart Bevel. (It can also be accessed from the GENtools menu under Mesh Tools → Normal Toolkit)
  • Finally, adjust your bevel size with the In-View Editor or the channel box.
  • You should consider adding a hotkey to the Smart Bevel for increased efficency.
  • When you use the Smart Bevel on an object, it resets the normals during the process; if you do multiple operations, you will need to use the Process Normals after you are finished doing your bevels to correctly align all the normals.
  • You have to be careful with the number of segments when beveling; if you wish to change them, you should do it through the Options window. Using the In-View Editor or the channel box will break the normals and the Selection Set. To repair the normals, you can manually clear the Selection Set, use the Select Bevel Faces and Process Normals.
  • Take a look at the Tool Demo page for a video demonstration of the Smart Bevel.

Smart Bevel Settings #

You can customize a few settings of the Smart Bevel by opening the Option Window.

  • Weighted Normals: Correctly weight the vertex normals when applying the bevel.
  • Select Bevel Faces: Automatically select the bevel faces when applying the bevel.
  • Add To Selection Set: Automatically add the bevel faces to the Normal Toolkit Selection Set when applying the bevel.

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