How do i get these edges to look sharply defined?

Here’s an object. It does not look how i want it to:
http://i.gyazo.com/f8cb4b9d351599a6ccbd23ccec3a35b9.png

Here’s a closer look at what i’ve done to that object:

Notice the sharp edges all along the larger left barrel, and the edge split modifier. In my experience this is usually enough to get sharp edges.

Here is how i want the upper barrel to look:

Notice how the upper barrel is now a sharp, faceted surface, instead of a smooth cylinder ? This is how i want it to look. In order to make this appearance, i have had to tick Edge Angle on the edge split modifier.
I do not want to do this, because this causes sharp edges in lots of other places where i don’t want them. I want the sharp edges to only appear where i’ve marked them as such, as seen in the second image.

Why won’t this work?

Add loopcuts to both ends of your tube.

ctrl + e


ctrl + e

It calls the menu, you probably mean shift + e
Of course, it adds weight to the subsurf modifier.
Nothing to do with smooth-flat shading.

the loopcuts seemed to do it

Indeed, the fastest way is to select the loops and bevel.

If you don’t want to add extra edges, I believe I’ve seen another option, to which (I guess) finalbarrage refers.

Select the object in object mode, press “smooth”, then switch to edit mode and select the edges you want to be sharp. Then press Ctrl+E to see the edge menu, and select “mark sharp”. Use in combination with Edge Split modifier.

Edit mode, select the faces you need them flat. T menu shading / UVs TAB, = flat. Invert selection = smooth.
Properties panel, edit mode, auto smooth angle… just reminding this option too.
I’m not sure what you’re after. Many ways for this. Loop cuts is probably your best option.

If you plan on giving this thing a material, an effective normal map will help define your sharp/smooth areas.

Create a high-detail equivalent of your gun with all the proper sharpness (I usually do this through subdivision modifiers and creases) and bake its normal to your low-poly ‘working’ model. I am only assuming you’re trying to make a game asset, or something similar where a low poly-count is important.

Here are two cylinders. Both are smooth shaded.


The left cylinder has 16 sides and is our working model (our final product). The right cylinder is 32-sided, with edge loops/insets in place and creases defined to give it a good edge when a subdivision modifier is applied to further define its form.


Here is a render, with the subdivision being used on the right cylinder. Both objects have the same material, and are both completely smooth-shaded.


Now here’s a render of the same scene, but this time I’ve unwrapped the working mesh, and used the high-poly mesh to bake a normal map, which is being applied to the working mesh’s material. The working cylinder is still smooth-shaded, and is still only 18 faces. It isn’t perfect (mostly because I didn’t spend much time on it), but it already looks much more like the high-poly version, without having to add a single vertex to the mesh, or muck around with defining smooth/sharp edges.

I can’t tell if it’s the link or youtube but it keeps starting where I last stopped it.