Smart Extrude Addon Documentation

Overview

The Smart Extrude addon for Blender is a powerful tool designed to extend the native extrusion capabilities. It allows users to perform advanced extrusion operations on mesh elements (faces, edges, and vertices) with customizable settings like distance, scale, rotation, and more. Whether you're creating complex architectural models or organic shapes, Smart Extrude provides flexibility and precision to enhance your workflow.

Installation

1. Download the Smart Extrude addon as a .zip file.
2. Open Blender and go to Edit > Preferences > Add-ons.
3. Click Install and navigate to the location where you downloaded the addon.
4. Select the .zip file and click Install Add-on.
5. Once installed, enable the addon by checking the box next to Smart Extrude.
6. The addon will be available in the Sidebar under the Smart Extrude tab in the 3D View.

Features

Extrude Modes

• Faces: Extrude selected faces of a mesh.
• Edges: Extrude edges of a mesh, using the normals of connected faces for extrusion direction.
• Vertices: Extrude individual vertices along their normal.

Key Parameters

• Extrude Distance: Set the distance for each extrusion step. Default is 0.5.
• Scale Factor: Scale the extruded geometry proportionally. Default is 0.9.
• Random Variation: Adds random variation to extrusion distance and scale for natural or chaotic designs. Default is 0.1.
• Iterations: Perform multiple extrusion steps in one operation. The number of iterations can range from 1 to 10.
• Rotation Angle: Rotate the extruded geometry in each iteration, allowing for twisted, spiraling shapes. The angle can be set between -π and π radians.
• Auto Smooth: Automatically applies smoothing to the extruded geometry for a polished finish.

Usage

1. Select a mesh object and enter Edit Mode.
2. In the 3D View, navigate to the Sidebar > Smart Extrude tab.
3. Adjust the following parameters as needed:
   • Extrude Mode: Choose between Faces, Edges, or Vertices.
   • Distance: Set the extrusion distance.
   • Scale Factor: Control how much the extruded faces or edges are scaled.
   • Random Variation: Enable randomness for more organic extrusions.
   • Iterations: Define the number of extrusions to perform consecutively.
   • Rotation Angle: Set a rotation for each extrusion.
   • Auto Smooth: Enable to smooth the extruded geometry automatically.
4. Click the Perform Smart Extrude button to apply the extrusion.

Example Workflow

1. Select a mesh object and go to Edit Mode.
2. Choose some faces to extrude.
3. Open the Smart Extrude panel and set the extrusion distance to 1.0 and the scale factor to 0.8.
4. Add a slight random variation to give a more organic feel.
5. Set iterations to 3 and apply a rotation angle of 0.5 radians.
6. Click Perform Smart Extrude. The selected faces will be extruded three times, scaled, rotated, and with a slight variation for each step.

Important Notes

• The addon only works in Edit Mode and for mesh objects.
• If no elements (faces, edges, or vertices) are selected, the operation will not run.
• Ensure the mesh normals are correctly aligned for accurate extrusion.

Troubleshooting

• Extrusions appear incorrect or skewed: Check the mesh normals. Recalculate normals by pressing Shift + N in Edit Mode.
• Addon not appearing in the Sidebar: Make sure the addon is installed and enabled in Edit > Preferences > Add-ons.
• Blender crashes during extrusion: Try lowering the Iterations and Random Variation settings, especially with high-poly models.

Future Updates

Planned features for future versions:

• Support for dynamic brush-based extrusions.
• Integration with Blender's modifier stack.
• Presets for common extrusion tasks.

Feedback and Support

For issues, suggestions, or general inquiries, feel free to contact the developer:

• Author: Nuh Unver
• Email: [email protected]

Or visit the official GitHub repository for updates and community discussions.

Version: 1.0
Compatibility: Blender 2.80 and above