3ds Max 2027 introduces Smart Bevel for post-Boolean intersections, allowing you to create cleaner and more intricate bevels with ease.
How Smart Bevel works
Smart Bevel operates on a set of edges, such as those that are driven by a Boolean operation, and travels outward along the surface in both directions. Smart Bevel follows the topology - you control the distance. The region between the two distances becomes a new surface. This creates a continuous transition, which conforms to the existing model form.
Differences from Chamfer
Unlike Chamfer, Smart Bevel is not limited to only neighboring polygons. It can walk past edges, letting it maintain a constant distance to create a clean transition result. Smart Bevel produces clean results on complex meshes and produces consistent results on irregular meshes.
Chamfer (left) compared to Smart Bevel (right)
Use after Boolean operations
Smart Bevel works well after Boolean operations, which create intersecting meshes. Intersecting meshes often create dense and uneven geometry. This geometry is difficult to bevel cleanly. Smart Bevel generates a new blended surface at intersections and helps you achieve smooth transitions. This reduces the need for manual cleanup.
Related documentation
For more information, see the Smart Bevel documentation and step-by-step guide.