Newbie seeks quick help!

[MattDesign]

Hi guys,

Please look at the attached jpeg image, and tell me what I am doing wrong. I'd like to get rid of those rigid lines around some polygons, and render the image smooth. I am not sure if the problem is in the mesh it self, or if its some rendering/surfacing setting I screwed up.

Thanks :)

[Flat]

Looks like an alpha map showing through.
Did you use a 32 bit image ?
If this is so, disable the alpha for your image in the image editor.

Phil, who just made the exact same mistake :D

[Harry Houdini]

Well it would help if you post an image of your mesh before you turn on subpach (TAB). Because a lot of times your mesh may look like this.

[Harry Houdini]

this

[Harry Houdini]

but really be this.

[Harry Houdini]

Which can really play with your UV Map, But I think Phil maybe right. So I will just go back to my corner now.

[Zarathustra]

Could also be multiple points and/or polys occupying the same space.
You know, you paste something by mistake or you undo twice when it should have been 3 times and oops, there's extra geometry.

[mmecca]

well i dunno if this is the case or not....but a lot of the time when i was a newbie (though i kinda still am) i would extrude things and forget to delete the faces inside the extrusion which would later stick out after subpatching due to them being over 4 sides

[MattDesign]

Thanks for the reply guys, but I haven't been able to fix the problem yet. :(

The original geometry was modeled in Rhino3D, a spline/NUBRS base modeling program. I exported the model from Rhino in .lwo file format, then opened it in LW. The only thing I did in the LW Modeler was making some poly double sided or filp them.

The first image I posted shows the model rendered without turning the poly model in to subpatches. As I am a newbie, I don't understand weather I should have or not, considering the model was created in NURBS environment.

I did experiement by turning the model into subpatch, then rendering it, but the result was less then perfect, I ran into more surface abnormalities.

The image I am attaching here shows the mesh. Again, this mesh was created in Rhino3D as I exported the original NURBS model. I exported the original model several times at higher polygon count setting, but I still get those black edges of some/random polygons. At higher polygon count, those edges aren't too visible, but I would like to know a way to get rid of them all together as it will be costly in many ways to always have to export the NURBS in the highest polygon count.

I'd very much appreciate more input, thank you!

[Zarathustra]

Well, you should export in a lower poly count if you plan to then subpatch it in LW.
When you import the model hit 'merge'. I bet you there are duplicate points.
Years ago, I was working for someone who bought all these hi-res .objs and when I imported them into LW, there were duplicate points that obviously you can't see until you render and you think, "what the F is that?" Your image reminds me of that experience, so merge points and see if it eliminates any for you.

One way to tell if there are duplicate polys is to select polys in a window with wireframe shade and hide or delete them. Does it still look like there are polys there? Then you have duplicate polys.

Now that you say you're importing from another program, I'm willing to bet it's duplicate points and/or polys.