# bevel tool The **Bevel Tool** allows you to soften the hard edges of your mesh to get more rounded edges. ![[Pasted image 20220912101821.png]] You can bevel an entire mesh object, although weirdness can sometimes happen. Better to select only the edges you would like beveled. Right-click and hold on the object to get the marking menu. Move the mouse up to Edge mode. There are several ways to get to the Bevel tool in Maya (as always). - using the pull-down menus **Edit Mesh > Bevel Tool** - quick-key for **CTRL-B** or **CMD-B** - use the marking menu through **SHIFT > Right-Click** and moving the mouse to the right to **Bevel Edge** ![[Pasted image 20220912102408.png]] Once you’ve activated the Bevel Tool, you will see immediate changes on your mesh and there will be a floating menu with adjustable options. These will not be permanently set. You can continue to edit the settings in your Attribute Editor under the **PolyBevel** tab. ![[Pasted image 20220912102857.png]] The **Fraction** setting is how much space on the object is given over to the bevel. A smaller number will give you a tight rounded edge and a bigger number will give a bigger, gentler edge. The **Segments** are how many faces make up the bevel transition. Higher numbers will give smoother curves but also give more faces to manipulate. Try to stick with even numbered segments on cubes or you get triangles at the vertex points. Setting the **Depth** to a negative number will carve out a bevel instead of having a rounded edge. This can be really cool. Turning **Chamfer** on will show the beveled edges in your model and will create a bigger, softer bevel that actually renders as a bevel. Turning Chamfer off will continue to show as a solid crisp edge and will render as a solid edge. It does give more supported faces to work with. (more on this later) You can adjust the visibility of the bevel in your perspective view by choosing the mesh and pressing 1 or 2 or 3 on your keyboard. 1 will give a sharp edge and 3 will be a softer edge. These don’t affect the rendered bevel at all, they are just display settings for the panel you are working in. ## supporting edges _need to add this content. adding extra edge loops to add extra structure around edges to help with getting nice rounded edges that don’t fully deform the hell out of your mesh._ [This video from Digital Dreambox](https://youtu.be/qYyjKgS4jQk) covers this content quite well. --- ### cutting and curving edges A bevel on a single edge with only one segment is good for creating a nice cut edge. Adjust settings to tweak the amount you are cutting off. ![[Pasted image 20220912104926.png]] A bevel on a single edge with several segments is good for creating a nice rounded corner. ![[Pasted image 20220912105108.png]] As always, if you are happy with the bevel and want to bake it into your mesh, delete the history by using the pulldown menus for **Edit > Delete by Type… > History**. --- Learn more… - [Bevel Tool in Maya with 3DWolf on YouTube](https://youtu.be/gknvC3lJyDI) --- tags: #3d #maya #resources home: [[! 3d modeling- maya]]