In some other 3D packages, like XSI, subdivision surface can be directly interacted with by default. It is possible to display a cage and modify that cage, but it is not mandatory. I have seen some Blender videos, such as this one, where something similar is being done. I notice three things:
- Wire and Draw all edges are turned on by default for objects.
- Optimal Display is turned on by default for subsurf modifier.
- Mesh elements can be directly selected from the subdivision surface and there is no cage visible.
How could I set these as defaults in Blender? Do I have to write a Python add-on? Is there an example that I could look into? Intuitively, I feel this should be a popular requirement.