Hard-Surface Modeling

The execution model is in blender-core. Run blender-asset-qa after every modeling pass.

Pick the workflow first

Workflow	When	Output
Mid-poly (bevel + weighted normals, no bake)	modern games, props seen up close, fast iteration	game mesh directly; tiling materials/trim sheets
High → low (high via booleans+bevel or subd, low baked)	hero assets, unique textures, tight tri budgets	_high + _low → blender-texture-baking
Subdivision (support loops/creases + Subsurf)	renders, product viz, film	smooth surfaces, edges held by loops/creases

Procedure

1. Blockout at real scale (ob.dimensions) from primitives. Settle the silhouette and proportions before any detail. Check against references.
2. Apply scale (transform_apply(scale=True)) before bevels, booleans or solidify, because modifier distances use object space.
3. Primary → secondary → tertiary forms. Booleans for cuts and panels, then bevels. Small tertiary details go in normal maps/decals, or into the high-poly as "floaters" for baking.
4. UV the base mesh now (mid-poly). Bevel/Boolean modifiers propagate UVs, but after bevels no edge is sharp enough to auto-seam. Then build the stack with scripts/apply_stack.py -- --objects Body --preset midpoly --cutters Cut1 Cut2. Order: Mirror → Booleans → Bevel → Weighted Normal → (Triangulate at export).
5. Shading check: smooth shading + Weighted Normal (keep sharp). There must be no gradients across flat faces. View with a matcap or look in solid shading.
6. QA with blender-asset-qa, then apply the stack only on an export copy (--apply), keeping the editable source.