Reimagining how artists create bevels in hard surface modeling
The problem with bevel tools has been around for years — legacy implementations in Maya and 3ds Max simply weren't built for the flexibility and precision modern workflows demand. Smart Bevel wasn't just about fixing an old problem. We set out to build something that felt native, powerful, and effortless — no workarounds, no cleanup.
- Remove the traditional limits on bevel size and complexity
- Deliver clean, production-ready results with no need for manual fixes
- Seamlessly integrate into existing 3ds Max and Maya workflows
Understanding the problem space
Before jumping into solutions, we spent time digging into how artists actually use bevel tools day-to-day. Through conversations with modelers across film, games, and design, consistent pain points emerged — things that slowed them down, broke their flow, or required tedious cleanup.
Creativity vs constraints
Polygonal modelers frequently want to create forms found in the real world — surfaces with bevels, fillets, and chamfers to soften edges or blend forms. They're ubiquitous, visible in everything from automotive bodies to kitchen appliances. Artists want to create whatever forms come to mind without being constrained by the tools.
The challenge is in creating the transitions between distinct surfaces. Modelers can either explicitly create bevel regions manually or use procedural tools — but both approaches have significant shortcomings.
3ds Max's traditional chamfer tool failing once the bevel size exceeds what the existing geometry allows — note the odd black shading once the feature crosses existing edges.
Geometrical constraints set hard limits
Depending on the geometry, a chamfer or bevel can fail even in the simplest cases. The modeler is left with an uncomfortable choice: create a bevel small enough to work within existing mesh limitations, or remodel to accommodate a larger bevel. Sometimes errors occur even with very small bevels, leaving few options.
With a more complex example the issues are even more apparent. A boolean subtracts a sphere from a box — when the modeler attempts to bevel all edges, the tool immediately produces spiky extrusion errors.
Artists turn to CAD applications to realise their vision
Applications like Fusion 360, SolidWorks, and Plasticity excel at creating these types of features using b-rep or hybrid solid modeling. But CAD modeling has its own challenges — not artist-friendly, overly technical, and exported geometry often requires reworking once brought back into a polygonal tool.
Fusion 360 and other CAD applications can create these forms but with significant usability and pipeline challenges that make them a workaround rather than a solution.
An unsolved problem space
There is no current solution — in any modeling application or third-party plugin — that addresses all of the identified issues. Modo's Mesh Fusion produces desirable results but requires geometry built in a very specific way. Blender's Offset Cut trims the mesh destructively. Third-party plugins for 3ds Max and Maya lack reliability, performance, and native integration.
Modo's Mesh Fusion produces desirable results but requires the mesh to be built in a very specific, constrained way.
Smooth Boolean, a third-party plugin for 3ds Max, is capable but non-interactive, inconsistent, and fiddly — not a production-grade solution.
Why aren't the existing options more widely adopted? Modelers have learned to design around limitations. Partial tools require multi-step processes and aren't interactive. Processing can take seconds to minutes. Almost all existing tools produce problematic geometry in edge cases. And none are native — limiting accessibility for the broader user base.
The kinds of forms Smart Bevel is designed to produce — smooth, blended transitions between distinct surfaces with small rounded edges on panels.
Early concept validation
Before deep investment in development, we validated the concept with customers. The response confirmed the demand:
Core principles to raise the bar
- Make it native. Building directly into both 3ds Max and Maya eliminates third-party friction and ensures broader adoption across teams
- Build on a shared foundation. A portable geometry format lets us reuse core logic across both applications — avoiding redundant work and keeping behaviours consistent
- Prioritise interactivity. Real-time feedback was non-negotiable. Even with complex calculations under the hood, the tool needed to feel responsive so modelers could explore fluidly
- Focus on reliability. Stability above all — treated as a top priority from day one and a major differentiator from existing options
- Deliver a unified experience. 3ds Max and Maya historically had similar but divergent bevel tools. This was the chance to deliver a consistent UX across both platforms simultaneously
- Define a focused MVP. Bevels are deceptively deep. We worked closely with users to identify what was essential for version one without compromising quality or missing the release window
Design process
In positioning Smart Bevel as the replacement for Maya's Bevel Tool and 3ds Max's Chamfer Modifier, the first step was a thorough analysis of the existing tools — assessing how they work, their similarities, and their meaningful differences.
The UIs for the two legacy tools that Smart Bevel replaces — Maya's Bevel node and 3ds Max's Chamfer Modifier.
Reconciling functionality and language
The existing tools in 3ds Max and Maya weren't created equal. 3ds Max's modifier offered more granular control; Maya's Bevel node was simpler but less flexible. Through conversations with modelers from both camps, we found that much of the existing functionality wasn't widely used — or only relevant in rare edge cases.
This opened the door for simplification. We distilled the tool to its most impactful, commonly used features — striking a balance between power and usability. The result: a streamlined, modern bevel experience that feels familiar and intuitive in both environments.
An early side-by-side exploration of the proposed common interface used for initial user validation. Though the visual appearance differs between 3ds Max's command panel and Maya's Attribute Editor, the parameterisation and layout are nearly identical.
Beta iteration and current state
Post initial UX feedback, necessary revisions were made and development moved to a working prototype. Engineering input led to modifications around edge selection and the smoothing of normals across bevel boundaries — both technically complex and critical to quality output.
As of spring 2025, development is ongoing as a result of engineering challenges related to reliable bevel surface smoothness. Beta testing continues, and performance, feature set, and UX have been well received.
Created by lighthouse customer Fausto Demartini — indicative of the results achievable with Smart Bevel, and the quality ceiling we anticipate improving further with continued development.
A complex engineering challenge with clear promise
Tackling bevels at this level of sophistication turned out to be an incredibly complex engineering challenge. A significant portion of development was spent ensuring not just correctness, but reliability — handling the countless edge cases that arise from complex input meshes, n-gons, and tricky junctions.
The payoff is already visible. Modelers can now apply bevels without worrying about topology prep or cleanup, and achieve forms that previously required time-consuming manual work. Early beta feedback points strongly in the right direction:
What comes next
Customers have already weighed in on potential expansions:
- Direct chamfer/bevel application along boolean intersection curves — a natural integration with the Boolean Modifier
- Variable width radius along edges
- Custom curve-based profiles beyond the controls found in legacy tools
- Application of the underlying technology to other modeling tools — bridge, inset, beveled text — to increase proceduralism across the board