Reply To: Why do you use “mesh from curve/meta/surf/text”, instead of applying the subdivision please?

[Kent Trammell]

The context of this thread is expanding into the bigger subject about the nature of learning complex skills.

I am mortal, not a god, and there is always an upper limit on my ability. I should be fully aware of myself. Thank you!

You’re absolutely right. This is true of you and me and everyone. But I feel like you’re asking questions as if I’m not limited in experience and memory. In the question you pointed me to, I simply don’t know the ideal value of the multires quality setting. It’s one of thousands of settings in Blender and I’ve not tested for an “ideal” in that setting nor have I ever been in a situation to need it. The important thing is that I am aware of the setting and its purpose so that in a situation where it is needed, I will be able to experiment with it in that moment.

The tone of your questions read anxious to me. Like I’m afraid that me answering with “I don’t know the ideal multires quality value” will disappoint you or leave you scared to use that setting. Also tone of this thread’s original question:

The official user manual has never said that the two operations are exactly identical. So are you 100% sure that: mesh from curve/meta/surf/text = applying the subdivision ? 

Well…now that you phrase it that way, I’m really only 90% sure about this method. While I’ve used it for years with no issues but I also haven’t tested it from every angle according to the manual like you’re suggesting to know 100%.

Now my question for you: Is that OK not being 100% sure? If not, then my suspicion is that you’re limiting yourself way more than a healthy awareness of your limitations. This is where an attitude of problem solving is crucial not only to applying 3D skills but also learning 3D skills.

We need to be willing to try and experiment with tools rather than thinking we need a definitive answer about a tool’s ideal use. The reason being the promise of 3D is infinite creative possibilities! Which makes nailing down “ideal” values a fool’s errand. Every value and tool in Blender is different depending on the situation. Therefore it’s irrelevant to even try to establish an “ideal”. I know from experience that I like the subsurface radius material setting to be 1(R), 0.5 (G), 0.2(B) for human skin. I always start around these values but I rarely leave it there. With every portrait I inevitably play around with these values to get a desired effect. So I can’t think of them as “ideal”. I can only think of them as a starting value that’s likely to need modification.

I know we’re going back and forth here at length. I just hope we’re on a good page because I truly am trying to give you mindset advice. If you’re open to it, it could profoundly change the way you learn lasting skills for anything.