--- Operating System, Graphics card ---
win32

I've made this report previously thinking about to post it in this thread http://projects.blender.org/tracker/?func=detail&atid=498&aid=35584&group_id=9
But I've realized that I need to create a new report.

--- Short description of error ---

Bevel and Edge Split modifiers can't be used together effectively now. A possible solution is to give "mark sharp" for bevels' boundaries in Bevel modifier.

--- Steps for others to reproduce the error (preferably based on attached .blend file) ---

---Further it's just a long version of the description including the steps---

Please, don't take it as a disrespect. I know that improving a program is a hard work. But I think about this case (described down here) as a regression.

I've made a working example that is a part of a real model. The mesh is supposed to use for baking as a high-poly input.


Please, open Shading_Regression_example.blend with Blender 2.66 (I've used r54698) and notice how good it looks. And actually the "optimized" side (there is everything marked and described) looks worse than another (with n-gons). It's related to the combination of Bevel and EdgeSpit modifiers. I've already used this method to model and bake. It works almost perfect and (that is very important) saves a lot of time.
Also switch off "Edge Angle" in the Edge Split modifier and you'll see that it works good without it (and gives a nice and smooth shading).
This was before "the shading commit" that was mentioned in this thread http://projects.blender.org/tracker/?func=detail&atid=498&aid=35584&group_id=9

Now open the blend with Blender 2.67b. You'll see that any side looks bad. Probably it's because Bevel modifier gives n-gons. And now this robust combination Bevel+Edge Split is useless in most of complex hi-poly meshes. Even flat surfaces looks bad.
Then if you'll switch off "Edge Angle" in the Edge Split modifier the result looks just horrible.

BUT! When I've applied Bevel and manually set some of the necessary edges to Sharp the model looks nice again!

You can see this in Possible_Solution_for_EdgeSplit_and_Bevel.blend
Unfortunately it's not with "interactive bevels" now. And manually marking all edges that need to be Sharp is a waste of time.

As a solution I can suggest to propagate the input mesh's edges that were marked as sharp to Bevel modifier. So it will "mark" bevels' boundary edges as sharp (maybe as an option). I guess it's possible to make and will give great results.

Thank you for your hard work, guys! :)