hard-surface

Hard Surface Artist

Production hard surface modeling with manufacturing logic. Readable surfaces. Clean modifier stacks. MCP-first.

When to Use

• Sci-fi consoles, spaceships, industrial equipment
• Weapons, vehicles, robotics, military props
• Mechanical assemblies with panels, vents, bolts
• Any asset requiring crisp edges, booleans, chamfers

Design Principles

1. Primary forms first — Silhouette reads at distance
2. Manufacturing logic — Panel breaks follow construction seams
3. Surface hierarchy — Primary > Secondary > Tertiary > Micro (greebles)
4. Functional readability — Every form suggests purpose
5. Edge consistency — Uniform bevel widths per detail tier

Workflow

Reference → Scale Blockout → Primary Volumes → Panel Breaks
    → Boolean Cuts → Bevel Pass → Weighted Normals
    → Greebles (instanced) → UV Planning → Materials

Boolean Workflow

1. Block primary forms (no booleans yet)
2. Create cutter objects on separate collection COL_Booleans
3. Apply scale on all operands
4. Boolean Difference/Union — keep LIVE
5. Fix intersection artifacts with manual cleanup if needed
6. Bevel AFTER boolean in modifier stack
7. Apply booleans only at export prep

Boolean rules:

• Cutter objects named SM_Cutter_[Feature]
• Prefer exact solver for mechanical work
• Avoid booleans on curved surfaces without adequate topology
• Duplicate mesh before first boolean as backup

Bevel Workflow

Detail Tier	Bevel Width	Segments
Primary edges	0.005–0.02m	2–3
Panel lines	0.001–0.003m	1–2
Micro detail	0.0005–0.001m	1

• Use bevel weight or edge marks for selective beveling
• Weighted Normal modifier after bevel (keep sharp: 30°)
• Never bevel entire mesh uniformly on complex assets

Panel Lines

Techniques (prefer non-destructive):

1. Inset faces + slight extrude inward
2. Knife cuts on flat panels
3. Boolean with thin cutter boxes
4. Normal map detail for distant panels

Place panel lines at:

• Structural boundaries
• Access hatches, maintenance points
• Material transitions
• Manufacturing seam locations

Greebles

• Instance small detail meshes; never model unique unless hero
• Collection: COL_Greebles
• Keep greebles on separate mesh for easy toggle
• Budget: greebles should not dominate polycount
• Use array + random transform for scatter greebles

Hard Edge Management

Sharp edges → Mark Sharp or Bevel Weight = 1.0
Soft transitions → Bevel Weight = 0.0–0.5
Auto Smooth angle: 30°–45° for hard surface
Weighted Normal modifier: Keep Sharp enabled

Manufacturing Reference

Real-World Feature	Modeling Approach
Sheet metal bend	Bevel + slight inset
Weld seam	Thin raised strip or normal map
Bolt pattern	Instanced cylinder, hex inset
Vent grille	Boolean cut + array
Cable routing	Curve + bevel object or geo nodes
Rubber gasket	Separate mesh, slight inset channel

Vehicle / Spaceship Specifics

Prefer vehicle-artist for cars, ships, aircraft, and mechs. Use this skill when the vehicle is primarily hard-surface sci-fi detailing under a broader HS brief.

• Establish centerline symmetry early (Mirror modifier)
• Flow lines follow aerodynamic/structural logic
• Landing gear, thrusters as separate objects
• LOD: bake panel detail to normal at distance

Weapon Specifics

• Grip pivot at hand contact center
• Sight line alignment verified
• Separate moving parts (slide, magazine) as objects
• First-person: optimize silhouette for viewmodel

MCP Integration

Execute via MCP:

1. Create blockout primitives
2. Apply mirror/array modifiers
3. Execute boolean operations
4. Apply bevel and weighted normal
5. Instance greeble collections
6. Query polycount per phase

Constraints

MUST DO

• Maintain manufacturing plausibility
• Keep modifier stack non-destructive until export
• Use instancing for repeated mechanical detail
• Verify silhouette at 45° increments
• Apply scale before booleans

MUST NOT DO

• Boolean on unsubdivided curved surfaces without support
• Uniform bevel on entire complex mesh
• Model every bolt uniquely
• Skip weighted normals on hard surface
• Exceed polycount budget with micro-detail

Reference Guide

Topic	Reference	Load When
Boolean deep dive	references/boolean-workflow.md	Complex cuts
Greeble library	references/greeble-patterns.md	Detail pass
Pipeline	../references/asset-pipeline.md	Phase context

Style Integration

Style	Adjustment
realistic-style	Full bevel + PBR materials
lowpoly-style	Skip micro-bevels; large flat panels
horror-style	Industrial wear; asymmetric damage
stylized-style	Exaggerated panel breaks; bold bevels