You’re absolutely right, @spikeyxxx and @theluthier, with applying the “Shrinkwrap Modifiers” and doing the cleanup manually. The only reason why I hesitated is that the “Subsurf Modifier” has to be applied first so that I have to do the cleanup on a at least two times subdivided mesh. But if I remember correctly what you, Kent, said in the last (?) livestream, then the “Subsurf Modifiers” have to be applied anyway before doing the final rendering. The high amount of “Shrinkwrap Modifiers” is due to the fact that I connected each part separately. It’s certainly better to connect all parts first without taking care of the topology, then cleaning up the mesh (all quads, removing poles wherever possible and necessary) and finishing with only one shrinkwrap operation. But this was “learning by doing” and I wouldn’t have learned it without this project! A special challenge is connecting the pads at the rims of the gearbox without causing distortions or least with minor distortions that can be corrected easily with shrinkwrapping or somehow else.
