Hard Ops also has a series of edit mode operations aimed to make life easier.
These operators are just experimental tests of macros of repetitive functions and are still a work in progress. There is much to improve with these as far as functionality however lets go over them in their current state.
Circles / Circles (Nth)
To use circles enable looptools in add-ons. Otherwise there will be issues!
In this image you can see how both the circle and circle (nth) work in action. Basically circle (nth) is a checkerboard formation of circles however these tools are pretty similar except for that particular aspect.
Circles currently excel on flat areas however anywhere there’s a vert you can make it into a circle. This is something I tend to do a lot on hard surfaces however the alternative is just booling cylinders in it. There are also F6 options for subdivision of the circles so if you wanted them to have more geo around to make it more smooth you are able to.
In this image you can see me putting circles on every vert. The angles edges take it the worst and isn’t recommended so I try to keep circles from the sides. There is still much I want to do with this tool so it may be subject to change.
It’s also worth mentioning that after using circles or most of the mesh tools for that matter that the origin will be set to individual origins allowing you to scale individually on each face. (,) will put it back to the default pivot point. And (.) will change it to 3d cursor. Shift + (.) will set it to individual origins so these shortcuts are worth mentioning.
On this image you can see me using the F6 menu to add additional divisions which can be handy. I was originally very excited with the addition of F6 options in the 0049 version. Now they are expanded even more on most tools but its important to keep in mind most tools have an F6 option.
The next options are grate (face) and knurl (face). These options are still works in progress so I’d recommend playing with them however let’s look at them in their current state.
Grate (face) / Knurl
Face grate doesn’t have an F6 menu but maybe a future version will. Once you activate grate (face) the origin will be set to individual origins allowing you to scale individually on each face. (,) will put it back to the default pivot point. And (.) will change it to 3d cursor. Shift + (.) will set it to individual origins.
Knurling
Knurling will basically inset then poke the face. This is useful for knurling. The center points are left selected in which you can press (alt + s) to push them on the normal. This will push out the center points allowing you to set the knurl distance.
As you can see I put bevelled and edge and rolled the wheel to add more segments. From there I chose knurl and used (alt + s) to push the verts out. After that I ran a csharpen and it destroyed the faces because of the bevel amount. So I used b-width to adjust it to something better. There is also an insert mesh for a knurled know which I tend to use more however this is a legacy feature that still has its uses.
Panel (face)
Panel (face) is still a legacy option that isn’t used much however it turns a selection into panels. This is something I may refine later however I feel rebool does a nicer job with more flexibility and customization. Also as of now the behavior is still being refined however it’s an available option.
Panel (edge)
Panel (edge) is used for turning panel into edges. This tool I like quite a bit since not only does it turn edges into panels , it turns faces into individual panels which is an unusual but awesome behavior. This is something that I find useful in all sorts of situation so try it and see how it works out for you. I plan to expand on the functionality of this option as well.
P-Unwrap
P-Unwrap is just like the P-Unwrap I went over previously except for edit mode. For more information read the intro covering Mesh Tools in object mode.
From Imagination To Creation 