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I have noticed this: the "Auto-smooth"

enter image description here

I can't figure out what is its' meaning. I understand that i can use it combing with the smooth shading. For example:

A) FLAT enter image description here

B) SMOOTH enter image description here

C) SMOOTH & AUTOSMOOTH 30°

enter image description here

D) SMOOTH & EDGE SPLIT 30°

enter image description here

It seems that Auto-smooth works like the Edge Split Modifier, with the huge difference that doesn't add vertex and edge loop. My mesh from B) to C) has the same amount of vertex while mesh from B) to D) doubles the number. My question is:

Why there is this Autosmooth?

Could be useful for create hard edges in my low poly (it doesn't increase the number of my vertex) and let me have nice and clean surface for a possible bake with my high poly?

Thank you to anyone will help me!

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  • $\begingroup$ reddit.com/r/blender/comments/2uqc8g/… From this subreddit, it seems that the autosmooth should be used instead of the Edge Split modifier as a faster way than adding the Edge Split modifier. $\endgroup$
    – WhovianBron3
    Jun 16, 2016 at 4:47
  • $\begingroup$ Smoothing technics are also described and compared here blender.org/manual/modeling/meshes/smoothing.html $\endgroup$
    – lemon
    Jun 16, 2016 at 6:59
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    $\begingroup$ See blender.stackexchange.com/questions/734/… $\endgroup$
    – Mr Zak
    Jun 16, 2016 at 8:27
  • $\begingroup$ I see . . . Do you think autosmooth could be the solution for an hard surface low poly (like the one i uploaded above) in order to create nice baking? I can't figure out this shading problem and edge split add vertices, that's what i don't want to. Otherwise if i only use smooth shading (in my low poly) the final bake result won't be good. Any advice? $\endgroup$
    – Fuboski
    Jun 16, 2016 at 13:03
  • $\begingroup$ related: blender.stackexchange.com/q/26576/3710 $\endgroup$
    – p2or
    Jun 17, 2016 at 0:16

3 Answers 3

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With Blender 2.80 the use of the Edge Split modifier is deprecated in favor of new custom normals.

Custom Normals allow precise tweaking of normals beyond what auto-smooth can do

There's a lot more information in the Normals section of the recent documentation site. Although I'm not a big copy-n-paster, this is what it has to say about Auto-Smooth:

The Auto Smooth option is a quick and easy way to combine smooth and faceted faces in the same object.

In addition, when you use custom normals:

This has the side effect of enabling Auto Smooth, as that is necessary to use custom normals. Once you have custom normals, the angle threshold of the Auto Smooth behavior is disabled – all non-sharp-tagged edges will be considered as smooth, disregarding the angle between their faces.

Which brings us to the link to the documentation for Auto-Smooth: https://docs.blender.org/manual/en/2.80/modeling/meshes/structure.html#auto-smooth

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It's really just a simplistic version of the modifier, and is technically easier to use, but really doesn't offer many benefits over the Edge Split modifier.

From the Manual:

With the Edge Split Modifier we get a result similar to Auto Smooth with the ability to choose which edges should be split, based on angle - those marked as sharp.

So, the modifier adds the ability to manually specify which edges get split by marking them "sharp." But the modifier does not automatically set the mesh to "smooth" shaded.

Auto Smooth will work the same, regardless of what other modifiers you have in the stack, whereas the modifier will operate differently depending on what other modifiers are in the stack, and where it is placed among them.

As far as baking is concerned, you'll have to try it and see. It's unclear what that problem is, and it'd be a separate question anyway.

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  • $\begingroup$ I'm sorry but I don't agree with you . . . Autosmooth let me even mark manually edges with sharps, like the edge split modifier; the only difference is 1) won't add vertices 2) wont' split vertices $\endgroup$
    – Fuboski
    Jun 16, 2016 at 14:02
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    $\begingroup$ If Auto Smooth uses the "sharp" setting, then the Manual is wrong. $\endgroup$
    – Matt
    Jun 16, 2016 at 14:04
  • $\begingroup$ Try and you'll see . . . even here blender.stackexchange.com/questions/734/… @MrFlamey underlined this fact in his answer $\endgroup$
    – Fuboski
    Jun 16, 2016 at 14:08
  • $\begingroup$ I don't disagree with you. It just means that the Manual is wrong. $\endgroup$
    – Matt
    Jun 16, 2016 at 14:10
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    $\begingroup$ On a side note about the "won't add vertices" thing - many game engines/GPUs will split along hard edges so you do still get the extra verts in the end. $\endgroup$
    – JtheNinja
    Jun 17, 2016 at 1:15
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I think maybe U already solved this, I was in a same situation today, And I solved it by my self.

The way is Just scroll down to [Geometry data] tab then try to clear these datas. It was works on my Blender v2.79 mac. sry 4 my bad English. I hope this will be UR help. good luck.

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  • $\begingroup$ Note that this will remove normals split in custom way which can be undesired as the object shading will change and one will need to rebuild it $\endgroup$
    – Mr Zak
    Dec 1, 2017 at 22:57
  • $\begingroup$ I did not understand that question perfectly.Sorry I can not do anything. $\endgroup$
    – Yuichi
    Dec 2, 2017 at 17:28

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