Is it possible to model this padding with "inverted snake scale"-like pattern?

Question

I`m new to Blender. There is a extruded square-like geometry on the surface of the headphones. As the geometry gets close to the boundaries, it changes shape. The shape changes from center to edges.

How do I make this effect?

Answer 1

Here different alternative with is a more parametric approach using modifiers.

Use a technique similar to Moonboots answer to start your shape. Add a plane, subdivide-smooth a few times, poke faces, remove all orthogonal edges so you end up with the lozenges pattern.

Select all diagonal edges and with Ctrl + E Edges menu mark them as Sharp.

Now poke you faces again, and select all face-center vertex. You can do this easily by selecting all Sharp edges from the above step with Shift + G > Sharpness, then switch to Vertex mode and invert the selection.

Create a new vertex group and assign to it all the face center vertex selected previously, leaving all other out.

You can now add a new Displace modifier to your mesh and limit it to the above created vertex group. This will parametrically control the scales concavity with the displace amount.

Add an Edge Split modifier and tick only the option Sharp Edges to separate each individual scale. Follow it with a Smooth modifier to non destructively control the gap between scales.

Add a Solidify modifier to add thickness, then follow it by a Subdivide modifier set to Simple. This will add some gometry to "hold the square shape" of the scales.

After that you can add another Subdivide modifier set to Catmull-Clark to add roundness.

Answer 2

You could repeat a pattern with Array and Curve modifiers, but as Serge L says, a quick way would be to use the Tissue addon. The next Tissue addon made by Alessandro Zomparelli seems amazing by the way (Blendconf presentation here):

Create a plane, subdivide it, press CtrlE > Un-Subdivide, choose an Iteration value of 1 so that it creates lozenges instead of squares.

Create your module, make it rotate 45° on the Z axis. In Object mode select the module, then shift select the plane. In 2.79, in the Tools panel > Create tab > Tissue, press Tessellate, press OK to validate.