Smooth shading to "round off" facets?

[Absolution]

No matter how many faces I add to a rocket body I can never eliminate the faceted effect the faces cause. I know it's bad practice to add more faces so I was wondering if there were any flags or settings I can set up to tell KSP to smooth out the render of a given shape?

[Garibaldi2257]

try smoothing in your 3d modelling program, it seemed to work for me when I tried it.

[NoMrBond]

If you're using Blender (2.70) the smooth shading option is now in Edit Mode on the Shading/UVs tab at the top left (or hit space in your Edit Mode window and search 'smooth')

[700NitroXpress]

You need a normal map for smooth faces. If you have no normal map, then it's going to show all of the hard edges in the 3d modeling program and in the game engine. When you apply a normal map with smooth faces you get this result. The poly count is the same, but the normal map applies a smoothing effect to the model. Depending on what software you're using, the process for this will be different. You then need to export your normal map and make sure to apply it to the material that is applied to your model in the game engine in order for it to look right.

[CaptainKipard]

You need a normal map for smooth faces. If you have no normal map, then it's going to show all of the hard edges in the 3d modeling program and in the game engine. When you apply a normal map with smooth faces you get this result. The poly count is the same, but the normal map applies a smoothing effect to the model. Depending on what software you're using, the process for this will be different. You then need to export your normal map and make sure to apply it to the material that is applied to your model in the game engine in order for it to look right.

This has to be the weirdest way of smoothing I've ever seen. Would not recommend.

A smooth shader is enough.

[Porkjet]

WTF. that's not really what a normal map is there for.

Smooth shading is a basic thing in modelling programs, you just have to find the options for it in your program.

[700NitroXpress]

This has to be the weirdest way of smoothing I've ever seen. Would not recommend.

A smooth shader is enough.

It depends on what you're doing, if you just want the cylinder to be smooth in general, then just applying a material to it is fine and it should look like the bottom image by default. If you have a high poly mesh and want it to look that way on the low poly mesh, then you need a normal map. What I did here in the program was just change the material option from hard faces to smooth faces.

If you're using blender, then I think you press F9. In Maya, you need to apply a basic material to the mesh, or go under normals and select soften edge. Not sure what it is for Max.

Edited April 5, 2014 by 700NitroXpress

[CaptainKipard]

If you have a high poly mesh and want it to look that way on the low poly mesh, then you need a normal map

Yes, but baking normal maps is used for organic modelling, like living things, or terrain, or asteroids.

It's not that useful in this case. In fact it adds work.

[700NitroXpress]

It's used in both hard surface and organic equally. It just depends on what your making. As for this case, your right, all he needs to do is toggle a smoothing option or apply a shader.