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I'm in the middle of trying to model an Xbox Series X and I've gotten stuck trying to make this one little button above the disc slot:

Image of Xbox Series X with disk eject button circled.

Screenshot of my model in Blender with the spot I want to put the button circled

My problem is mainly figuring out how to make a circular face in the spot circled above.

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  • $\begingroup$ Hi Oscar :). Are you using Subdivision surface modifier for modeling this part? The approach would be slightly different depending on it :). $\endgroup$
    – jachym michal
    Jun 5 at 5:14
  • $\begingroup$ @jachymmichal Not quite sure what that means sorry, is there a way I can check? $\endgroup$
    – Oscar Betts
    Jun 5 at 5:22
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    $\begingroup$ @jachymmichal Just googled it, I don't think I'm using Subdivision surface modifier $\endgroup$
    – Oscar Betts
    Jun 5 at 5:25
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    $\begingroup$ this might be something more suited for a normal map and not actual modeling. just saying. $\endgroup$
    – shmuel
    Jun 5 at 5:36
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    $\begingroup$ @jachymmichal no problem, thank you very much $\endgroup$
    – Oscar Betts
    Jun 5 at 5:37

2 Answers 2

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jachym's method is more general than this one, allowing for inserts of various shapes. But if faced with the quite common problem of round holes in flat surfaces for subdivision, this typical method is relatively quick, if you can arrange for regions with at least 6 sides to contain the holes.

  • Enable the shipped add-on 'Loop Tools'
  • Set your Transform Pivot to 'Individual Origins'

enter image description here

  • I inset the regions that will contain the holes (Maybe more than once)
  • Invoke Loop Tools > Circle on the insets
  • Adjust, inset again, and delete.

If the 5-edge poles at the corners of the outer insets interfere with shading, (not a problem in flat surfaces) you may have to have a think, and make your first inset from further out.

As you can see, this permits the creation of multiple holes at once. You may have to work under the Subdiv. modifier (with it active, and visible in Edit Mode), to size the holes accurately.

Edit: in response to commentary..

enter image description here

I haven't ever actually done/looked up the maths, but a level 2 Catmull-Clark subdivided regular octagon is a pretty good approximation to a circle.. the interpolation of the next loop out might be throwing your perception?

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  • $\begingroup$ Is there a way to make the circles rounder? $\endgroup$
    – Oscar Betts
    Jun 5 at 8:16
  • $\begingroup$ Hi, @OscarBetts! .. more vertices in the perimeter of a regular polygon will approach a circle more closely (6+ has always seemed reasonable to me, given the error inherent in polygonal approximation, See edit.. $\endgroup$
    – Robin Betts ♦
    Jun 5 at 11:23
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The approach varies very slightly depending on using Subdivision Surface modifier.

  1. Create your supporting geometry with a square hole in the middle
  2. Add a circle (number of vertices depends on what fits best)
  3. Connect the circle edges, to the hole

With Subdiv Modifier

  • keep all polygons 4-sided
  • add a circle that exactly matches it's vertices to the surrounding geometry
  • the modifier will smooth it out

enter image description here

Without subdiv modifier

  • you can use N-gons
  • add a circle with more sides, so it looks smooth
  • connect just some vertices, don't care about the rest.

enter image description here

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    $\begingroup$ Thanks for the help! Just one small question, how do I create a perfectly square hole? $\endgroup$
    – Oscar Betts
    Jun 5 at 5:48
  • $\begingroup$ I used snapping for that :). But in this case you don't need a perfectly square hole. $\endgroup$
    – jachym michal
    Jun 5 at 5:51
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    $\begingroup$ Okay, trying this now. Thanks heaps! $\endgroup$
    – Oscar Betts
    Jun 5 at 5:52
  • $\begingroup$ No problem, if anything else comes up, feel free to post a new question :) $\endgroup$
    – jachym michal
    Jun 5 at 5:52

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