by The 3D Advantage·Modeling
Illustrative cover generated by AnyPlugins — no product screenshot available.
Surface Follow Addon earns its place in the superhive library as a cleaned-up, faster take on The 3D Advantage's free Modeling Cloth script, focused on binding meshes to surfaces without convex errors.
Surface Follow Addon is a Blender tool from The 3D Advantage that binds meshes to the surface of other meshes. It covers similar ground to Blender's surface deform modifier, but works a little differently: it's faster to bind on large meshes and doesn't run into convex errors.
The addon builds on a script that The 3D Advantage keeps available for free on GitHub as part of the Modeling Cloth tools. This version is presented as a cleaned-up, improved edition of that code, reworked to run faster. It was first introduced at the Blender conference, and a video explaining how to use it is available.
The addon lists compatibility with Blender 2.6x, 2.7x, 2.77, 2.78 and 2.79, and is distributed under a royalty-free license. Documentation is included, and the developer lists an email address for questions.
Surface Follow Addon is best for blender users who need to bind one mesh to the surface of another, especially on large meshes where binding speed and avoiding convex errors matter.
Surface Follow Addon is completely free to download and use.
Surface Follow Addon lists compatibility with Blender 2.6x, 2.7x, 2.77, 2.78 and 2.79. These are the versions named for the addon, so if you're running one of them you should be covered. It was published several years ago, which lines up with the version range it targets. For newer Blender releases the compatibility isn't stated, so it's worth checking the developer's page or the free script on GitHub before relying on it in a current project.
Surface Follow Addon covers similar ground to Blender's surface deform modifier, binding one mesh to the surface of another, but it works a little differently. The developer notes it's faster to bind on large meshes and doesn't run into convex errors. This addon is also a cleaned-up, improved version of a free script that The 3D Advantage keeps on GitHub, reworked to run faster than the original code.
Surface Follow Addon is listed as free in this catalog, so you can add it without a purchase here. The underlying script is also kept available for free on GitHub as part of The 3D Advantage's Modeling Cloth tools, with this addon presented as a cleaned-up, improved version of that code. Licensing is described as royalty-free. For current licensing terms and any changes, check the developer's page before you rely on it commercially.
Surface Follow Addon ships with documentation, and The 3D Advantage has published a video explaining how to use the script. It was first introduced at the Blender conference, which is also captured on video. If you still have questions after working through those, the developer lists an email address for direct contact. Between the included documentation, the how-to video and that contact option, there's a clear path to getting set up.
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