Earlier quoted context omitted.
Yes, exactly, knowing they’ll be smoothed is a big difference, it leads to different choices. Looking at a smoothed surface during the modeling process is an even bigger difference than looking a mesh all the way through. Knowing how they’ll be smoothed is important. What about creases? What if you want a creased edge smoothed and it’s part of two separate mesh groups? You can subdivide polygons without smoothing the…
> What about creases? Creases are done by just making polygons/bevels/line loops close to the edge that needs to be sharpened. > What if you want a creased edge smoothed and it’s part of two separate mesh groups? Mesh groups don't have to mean their polygons don't share vertices and this is one of the reasons why - you need to be able to interpolate the attributes of the vertices, like normals. > You can subdivide po…
I’m sorry if you feel defensive. I was responding to your explicit inclusion of “other curved surface representations” besides NURBS here https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=23043791 and here https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=23044537
Really just pointing out that a subdivision surface is literally another curved surface representation, does have some conceptual differences from polygons, and can be ray traced without subdivision. Calling it polygons was confusing to me, but now that I understand what you mean, call it polygons if you want.