8-side rule in regard to topology

 

What is the 8-Side Rule:

The 8-side rule is a guideline for creating cylinders, spheres, and other round objects with a base resolution of 8 edges around their circumference. e.g.

• A cylinder with 8 sides.

• A sphere with 8 longitudinal divisions.

• Pipes or tubes that start with 8 sides.

Why is it Useful:

• Easy to Integrate: An 8-sided cylinder connects seamlessly to a box (4 sides) or to higher-resolution geometry (16 sides) with clean quads.

• Efficient for Games: Keeps poly counts low while maintaining enough roundness to read as cylindrical.

• Animation-Friendly: Clean quads deform better when rigged.

• Subdivision Ready: With subdivision smoothing, 8-sided base rounds out nicely without producing pinching or uneven edges.

 How to Adjust Cylinders and Spheres in Maya:

1. Create a Primitive

   • Go to Create → Polygon Primitives → Cylinder (or Sphere, Pipe, etc.).

   • In the Options Box, set the Axis divisions to 8.

2. Adjust After Creation

   • If you’ve already placed a shape, go to the Channel Box / Attribute Editor.

   • Under polyCylinder1 (or polySphere1, etc.), look for:

     • Subdivisions Axis → set this to 8.

     • Subdivisions Height/Cap → adjust as needed for vertical detail.

3. Scaling & Matching

   • If the object looks too faceted at 8 sides, you can subdivide (double to 16, 32, etc.) while still following the 8-side base.

   • For spheres, you can start at 8 but often move to 12 or 16 divisions if the object will be close to the camera.