Feature: Object Modeling Tools

[ChristopherHaws]

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Some very useful and common modeling tools that Hammer lacks are:

• Subdivide
• Extrude (http://vimeo.com/46116676)
• Loop cut and slide (http://vimeo.com/44840703)

[LogicAndTrick]

While some advanced modelling tools would be very useful in Hammer/Sledge, I think it's important to remember that BSP is not a format that is well suited to the intricacies of most full modelling suites. For better or worse, Sledge is not a moddelling tool.

That said, some of the more interesting features can be simulated using brushes instead of the traditional edge/vertex techniques of a modelling tool. I believe gtkRadiant has a number of these (e.g. the "path duplicator" performs the job of an "extrude") that Sledge could use as a starting point.

The loop cut seems to be covered by the clip tool (because all polygons are convex, there's no need for anything more advanced), though the "slide" part is a bit more complex. The vertex manipulation tool would do the same job, but not as quickly. It's difficult to modify multiple edges quickly like that because they wouldn't be related (co-planar faces in a single solid will generate invalid solids, so they would need to be split into multiple disconnected brushes).

Some other advanced modelling tools (e.g. subdivision) will be available in a way once displacements are implemented. High-poly brushwork is not very helpful in the BSP world so it's probably best to keep those functions for the displacement editing tools.