Hi @Hurricks ,
Polygonal box modelling with subdivision surfaces is an entire skill set in its own right and I can’t explain it in a single forum post. I will however mention the #1 rule. When modeling at low poly work with the absolute minimum amount of geometry required for the shape you are trying to define and don’t add more unless you need it. This sort of work requires you to carefully manage and frequently edit your topology, and this is easier to do with a minimum of points involved. It also makes it easier to quickly change the form of your mesh. The more points there are, the more points you may need to move to affect uniform changes in your mesh.
Modeling this way is entirely dependent on the topology of the mesh. The topology creates a sort of roadmap for points to travel along and for new polygons to be created. If you’re getting different results in an area it’s probably because the configuration of the topology is different there. The edges might be joined differently, the polygons may be non-square or shaped differently, triangles or poles may be present and all these things will change the results you get.
Please see the following example in some star shaped geometry I have quickly modeled to match some of the things I see going on in yours. The long sides of your star shape have nice clean unbroken edge loops running its entire length. ZModeler will be able to easily identify these and bevel them in a single operation. Note that the edge loop in question is made up entirely by quad polygons and the points all have exactly 4 “spokes” or edges converging in the point. This is an ideal low poly bevel scenario.
However the inside corners have a different configuration with two edges converging in a triangular join, and the point there has five spokes instead of four. This type of topology may disrupt ZModeler’s ability to find an edge loop, and will change the way that the points in the Bevel operation slide along those edges. There may be contextual differences in the results you get depending on which edge you click on and at which angle. However most attempts to bevel that geometry all at once are going to find that ZModeler is unable to find the loop there, and that the bevel created in that location differs because of the way the edges converge. You also have a similar issue at the tips of your star points because of the divergent geometry there.
Poles and triangular geometry will often complicate topology to the point that Zmodeler can no longer find the edge loops when these are involved in the path. When working with low poly modeling you are entirely bound by the topology of your subject. You will need to redraw the topology in such a way that it supports the operation you are attempting, or you will need to try a different approach. There are usually many different ways to do the same thing.
Please see in the following example that redrawing the topology on that corner so that there is only a single edge at the corner and no triangular joins produces much cleaner results:
So in order to model effectively at low poly you’ll need very deliberate and tightly controlled topology. However the method you chose to create your initial topology was “quick and dirty”. So you would need to either refine your topology for the purpose of modelling, or choose an alternate method that is not as reliant on topology.
It sounds like you’re working for print output which has the benefit of not being overly concerned with topology–you’re typically just going to decimate the mesh for export. There probably won’t be UVs or textures involved.
This means you have the freedom to work on geometry at medium to high poly and not worry about creating clean low poly topology. There are many ways to soften or flatten edges on a higher poly mesh. Bevel Pro provides advanced options for creating topology-independent bevels on complicated forms. The clip brushes can flatten sections of geometry, and the Knife brushes can simply cut it away, afterward you can again use ZRemesher to clean and resurface the mesh. Note that the Knife brushes are very sensitive to issues with the geometry and mesh integrity problems, so you will want to be frequently resurfacing your mesh with ZRemesher to clean it if working with those.
Good luck!
