TACHYON STUDIO

Hardsurface Helper Pro — Documentation

Installation, first results and tool-by-tool procedures, with selection requirements and the difference between live construction and mesh edits.

Find a tool

Use your browser’s Find command (Ctrl+F on Windows/Linux, Command+F on macOS) with a heading below.

The written instructions are complete without the clips. Demonstrations are edited sequences; sped-up practical segments are labeled on screen.

Requirements and installation

Hardsurface Helper Pro brings Boolean construction, bevel control, symmetry, repeated parts and mesh-detail tools into the HardSurf sidebar. The current marketplace downloads are labeled version 1.7.0.

Choose the installer for your Blender version: hardsurface_helper_pro-1.7.0-blender3.3-4.1.zip for the classic add-on, or hardsurface_helper_pro-1.7.0-blender4.2-5.2.zip for the Extension. Install one, not both. Fusion requires Blender 4.0 or newer even when the rest of the add-on is installed on an older version.

The installer names advertise Blender 3.3–5.2. The classic add-on metadata declares a minimum of 3.3, and the Extension manifest declares 4.2. Exact build and operating-system coverage has not been verified for every combination. Some bundled documentation and internal version labels still refer to 1.6.0; identify your installation by the downloaded package and its manifest.

The package contains Python source, icons, README.md, DOCUMENTATION.md, CHANGELOG.md, LICENSE, PRIVACY.md and THIRD_PARTY_NOTICES.md. No sample scene or external application is needed for the first workflow below.

1. Save your .blend file. Download the installer matching your Blender version and keep the ZIP intact.
2. For Blender 3.3–4.1, open Edit > Preferences > Add-ons > Install, select the classic ZIP and enable Hardsurface Helper Pro.
3. For Blender 4.2 and newer within the advertised range, open Edit > Preferences > Get Extensions, use Install from Disk from the menu and select the Extension ZIP. Enable the installed add-on.
4. Return to the 3D Viewport, select a mesh, press N and open HardSurf.
5. Enable only one copy. Before switching formats, disable the previous installation and back up your settings.

First result: a live Boolean cut

Use a disposable scene for your first pass. Object Mode selects whole objects; Edit Mode selects their mesh components. The active object is the last selected object, shown with the active selection highlight.

1. Add a cube as the base, then add a second smaller cube and move it so the two volumes overlap.
2. In Object Mode select the small cutter, then Shift-select the base last. The base must be the active mesh.
3. Open N > HardSurf > Booleans and choose Difference. Leave Apply Immediately off.
4. The base now has a live Boolean modifier. Select and move the cutter: the cut follows the cutter. Depending on your preferences the cutter is shown as wireframe and organized into the Cutters collection.
5. Select the base again and inspect Boolean Manager. Mute the Boolean to compare with the original shape, then enable it again.
6. Use Blender Undo to undo the operation if required. Keep the modifier live while exploring; Apply commits the result to the base mesh.

• Automatic scale application is an opt-in preference. When enabled, operations that use it can apply object scale as well as add modifiers.

Difference

Select the cutter, make the base active, then keep the cut editable.

Draw to Cut: box and circle cutters

Draw a cutter directly in the plane of a visible surface. The result is a real cutter object connected to a live Boolean. This version provides Box and Circle with Difference and Union. Polygon, Rounded Box, Slot, surface snapping, grid drawing and saved-cut recipes are not part of this basic cutter.

1. Work in the 3D Viewport in Object Mode. Select a visible, editable mesh as the active target.
2. In HardSurf > Booleans > Draw to Cut choose Cutter Type and Operation. Review Alignment, Draw From and Depth. For a circle, choose Cylinder Sides.
3. Click Start Box Cutter or Start Circle Cutter. Click-drag on the target to size the footprint, then release to enter the depth stage.
4. Adjust the depth using the live preview and displayed controls, then confirm the cut. Use the in-tool numeric entry where available to set an exact size.
5. Use Esc or right-click to step back or cancel the current stage. In a continuous session, Ctrl+Z while waiting for another cut removes the last cut from that session. Exit the tool before using ordinary Blender Undo for the completed session.
6. Move or edit the resulting cutter object to revise the cut. Bevel Cut Edges adds a finishing bevel; its width is adjustable in the Draw to Cut panel.

• Do not follow old snapping or advanced-profile instructions for this build. The basic cutter draws where the pointer is; its surface-snapping and grid-drawing paths are disabled.
• The target must be visible and editable. Linked objects without a library override are rejected.

Difference, Union and the Boolean Manager

Difference subtracts the cutter volume from the active base; Union combines their evaluated volumes. The base is always the active mesh, with the other selected supported objects acting as cutters. Start with mesh cutters when learning the workflow.

Use Object Mode and the Standard controls in HardSurf > Booleans. Live Booleans keep their cutters available for editing. Apply Immediately is an explicit destructive option and is off by default. Standard Boolean operations also include Intersect and Live Slice; those are separate from the limited operation choices inside Draw to Cut.

1. Select the cutter or cutters, then select the base last. Choose Difference or Union and inspect the result.
2. Select the base and open Boolean Manager. Read the list in evaluation order; changing that order can change the shape.
3. Mute an entry to compare it, or use Solo to isolate its contribution. Use Select Cutter to edit the associated object.
4. Reorder with Move Boolean Up or Move Boolean Down. Use Apply only when you want that modifier committed to geometry.
5. Review what an Apply All command affects before running it. Modifier application removes live adjustability for the applied stage; it is different from hiding or muting it.

• Check both operands if a Boolean appears empty or unstable. Overlap, normals, non-manifold topology and the chosen solver can affect the result.

Boolean Manager

Inspect evaluation order, isolate an operation and select its cutter.

Boolean Doctor: inspect first, repair explicitly

Boolean Doctor inspects operand references, topology, transforms, bounding overlap, solvers and managed stack order. Scanning does not edit mesh geometry or apply modifiers. It can write or replace the HS Boolean Doctor Report text datablock; that is a report, not a geometry repair.

1. In HardSurf > Booleans find Boolean Doctor. Choose Selected to inspect relevant selected objects, or Scene to inspect Boolean owners across the current scene.
2. Run the scan and read the error, warning and information counts. Open the generated report in Blender's Text Editor for the detailed findings.
3. Choose a repair only after reading the issue. The panel offers Enable, Disable Broken, Safe Solver and Order actions.
4. Treat Apply Scale separately: it opens a confirmation and skips objects the repair cannot safely handle, including linked, shape-keyed, animated or constrained cases.
5. Scan again after a repair to inspect the new state. Use Undo if the repair is not the change you intended.

• Evaluate Final Result evaluates the modifier stack and can take longer on dense meshes. A successful scan is not a guarantee that every possible topology is suitable for Boolean modeling.

Boolean Doctor

Inspect the report before choosing a separate repair action.

Fusion: a live join with a rounded seam

Fusion requires Blender 4.0 or newer. It builds a new live result from two source meshes, with a fillet around the intersection. Select exactly two meshes for a predictable result: although the operator accepts a larger selection, it uses the active base and only one other mesh.

The original objects remain in the scene and are hidden in the viewport and render by default. The fusion result still reads those objects. Editing a source changes the live result.

1. In Object Mode select two overlapping meshes, making the intended base active.
2. Open HardSurf > Booleans > Fusion and click Fuse Selected.
3. Select the result and choose Merge, Difference or Intersect. Swap A and B reverses which source is the base.
4. Set Fillet Radius, Fillet Segments and Tension. Use Subdivision and the advanced controls only as needed for the part.
5. To edit a source, reveal it through the Outliner, adjust it, then hide it again to judge the fusion result without overlapping displays.
6. Use Bake only when you want ordinary geometry instead of a live fusion. Delete the Originals is a separate opt-in bake option and is off by default.

• Fusion uses Blender's Exact Boolean solver to obtain the seam information. A poor intersection or unsuitable source topology can still produce a poor fillet.
• Baking applies the fusion-owned stack. Save a copy before committing a construction you may need to revise.

Fusion

Adjust a live join and fillet. Requires Blender 4.0 or newer.

Bevel weights and bevel groups

Bevel weights identify mesh edges for a weight-limited Bevel modifier. Bevel Groups provide separate Bevel modifiers limited by vertex groups, allowing different widths on one object. The two workflows store different kinds of selection data.

1. For weights, select a mesh, enter Edit Mode, select edges and open HardSurf > Bevel Control.
2. Choose a weight value or Toggle Weight. Use Toggle Overlay to inspect the marked edges and Select by Weight to recover the selection.
3. Use a Bevel modifier limited by weight to turn the edge data into visible rounding. Adjust the modifier width and segments; changing a weight alone does not create new topology.
4. For separate widths, select the desired vertices or edges in Edit Mode and run Add Bevel Group. Enter a unique Name, Width, Segments and Profile.
5. Assign additional selections to a group or remove them using its group controls. Select Bevel Group helps inspect its membership.
6. Adjust each group's live Bevel modifier to change its rounding. Applying that modifier commits its geometry.

• Creating a bevel group in Object Mode creates the group and modifier without assigning an Edit Mode selection. Assign geometry afterwards.
• Auto Bevel Weight by Angle is also provided; inspect the selected edges and modifier settings after using it.

Bevel groups

Use separate groups and Bevel modifiers for different widths.

Bevel the Seam: live or applied

Select a base mesh that already has Boolean modifiers. HardSurf > Booleans > Boolean Manager > Bevel Seam rounds the Boolean construction using one of two distinct modes.

1. Choose which Booleans to affect: All, Union or Difference.
2. Use Live to mark operand edges and add a Bevel modifier while keeping the Booleans editable. This mode also switches the affected Boolean solver to Exact where possible.
3. Adjust Width, Segments, Profile and Clamp Overlap, and inspect the visible result.
4. Use Apply & Fillet only when you want to apply the selected Booleans and round the resulting intersection edges. Only Sharper Than filters flatter seams in this applied mode.

• Live mode changes bevel-weight data on the operands; it is not a read-only preview. Apply & Fillet commits geometry and removes the live Boolean stage.

Support Loops: geometry or an editable modifier

Support Loops adds a two-segment bevel around selected manifold edges to help hold a form. Each selected edge should have exactly two adjacent faces. Work on one mesh at a time in Edit Mode.

1. Select the edges to support, then open HardSurf > Bevel Control > Support Topology and click Add Support Loops.
2. In Adjust Last Operation choose Width, Profile and Clamp Overlap. Absolute uses a distance; Relative derives a width from the selected edge lengths. Only Sharper Than can exclude nearly flat edges.
3. Enable Keep Editable if you want a vertex-group-limited Bevel modifier whose width remains adjustable. The default is off, so the ordinary operation creates mesh geometry.
4. Use Remove Support Loops to remove the add-on's editable support-loop modifier and group. It does not identify or remove loops already cut into the mesh.

• Multi-object Edit Mode, shared mesh data and shape keys are rejected by this operation. Boundary and non-manifold edges are unsuitable for the geometry operation.
• Use Undo to reverse newly created mesh loops. The Remove Support Loops button is not a general geometry cleanup tool.

Support Loops

Choose mesh topology or enable Keep Editable for a modifier-based result.

Mirror with a visible pivot and live controls

Mirror creates and manages Mirror modifiers. Use Object Mode and start with one selected mesh so the axis and pivot are easy to judge. The mirrored result stays editable until Apply Mirror is used.

1. Open HardSurf > Mirror and choose the axis you need. Inspect the object origin: it determines the default mirror plane.
2. Choose Mirror About Cursor when the 3D cursor should define the pivot, or use the panel's custom pivot controls.
3. Enable Live Mirror to display the viewport handles. Adjust the mirror, then inspect Bisect and Flip when you need to control which side remains.
4. Use Remove Mirror to remove the modifier, or Apply Mirror to commit its evaluated geometry. Those operations have different outcomes.

• Handle Size is configurable in preferences. A missing gizmo is not proof that no Mirror modifier exists; inspect the modifier and the Live Mirror toggle.

Live Mirror

Inspect the mirror plane and adjust the live viewport controls.

Linear and radial arrays

Arrays repeat a selected mesh using modifiers. Radial Array additionally creates a managed pivot empty and displacement setup. Keep these helpers while the array is live.

1. Select a mesh in Object Mode and open HardSurf > Array.
2. Choose a linear or radial axis. For a radial layout around the 3D cursor, place the cursor first and choose At 3D Cursor.
3. Move the pointer to adjust spacing or radius and use the mouse wheel to change the count. Shift gives finer adjustment; Ctrl uses stepped adjustment.
4. For Radial Array, Space pauses the interaction so you can navigate the view; press Space again to resume.
5. Confirm with left-click or Enter. Cancel with Esc or right-click to remove the current preview setup.
6. Continue editing the resulting modifiers while the layout is live. Apply All Arrays commits array geometry; inspect the selected objects before using it.

• Moving or deleting a radial pivot helper can change or break a live array. Batch array tools act on multiple selected meshes; begin with a single object to understand the setup.

Radial arrays

Arrange repeated parts with live count and radius controls.

Panel Cut and Pipe from Edge

These tools begin with component selections in Edit Mode. Panel Cut edits the source mesh. Pipe from Edge duplicates the selected edges into a separate curve-based pipe.

1. For Panel Cut, select faces on a mesh and choose HardSurf > Details > Panel Cut > Create Panel Cut.
2. Move the pointer to change Panel Width and use the wheel for Panel Depth. Shift gives finer control; Ctrl steps the values. I toggles Individual Faces; O toggles Outset.
3. Confirm with left-click or Enter to retain the geometry edit. Esc or right-click cancels the preview and restores its saved mesh state.
4. For a pipe, select the desired edges in Edit Mode and choose HardSurf > Details > Pipe from Edge > Create Pipe.
5. Move the pointer to set radius, use the wheel for section segments, R or Shift+R to change curve resolution, and C to toggle end caps.
6. Leave conversion off to retain a curve with editable thickness. M toggles conversion to mesh on confirmation. Confirm with left-click or Enter; Esc or right-click cancels the new pipe.

• Panel Cut is an inset/extrude operation, not a live Boolean cutter. Use Undo or a saved copy to reverse it after confirmation.
• The original pipe path edges remain in the source mesh; the pipe is a separate object. Converting the result to mesh removes the curve thickness controls.

Panel Cut

Set width and depth on selected faces; confirmation changes mesh geometry.

Pipe from Edge

Create a separate pipe from selected edges; retain a curve or convert to mesh.

Face Extract and Extend

Face Extract copies selected faces into a separate mesh object while preserving the source. Extend moves the part of an existing mesh on one side of the selected face's plane; it edits vertex positions rather than adding a modifier.

1. To extract, edit one mesh, select at least one visible face and choose HardSurf > Details > Face Extract > Extract Selected Faces.
2. Set Object Name if needed. Solidify Thickness adds a live Solidify modifier to the extracted surface; zero leaves a surface without thickness. Adjust Solidify Offset and Even Thickness for the shell.
3. Return to Object Mode to inspect the new object. The source faces remain; hide one object temporarily if overlapping surfaces obscure the result.
4. To extend a part, select the face at the end you want to move in Edit Mode and choose HardSurf > Details > Extend from Face.
5. Set Distance in Adjust Last Operation and choose Face Normal or an object axis for Along. Positive distance lengthens; negative distance shortens.
6. Inspect the whole part. The tool moves vertices on the chosen side of the face plane; it does not repeat a ribbed section or create a live deformation modifier.

• Face Extract supports one mesh in Edit Mode at a time.
• Extend refuses if no vertices qualify or if every vertex would move. Pick the intended end face and use Undo if the chosen plane includes more detail than intended.

Face Extract

Copy selected faces into a separate object while keeping the source.

Mesh Doctor: cleanup changes the mesh

Mesh Doctor is separate from Boolean Doctor. It merges nearby vertices, deletes loose vertices and edges, and runs cleanup on whole selected mesh objects. It is a repair operation, not a read-only scan.

1. Save a copy of your scene. In Object Mode select only the meshes you want cleaned.
2. Run Mesh Doctor from the main HardSurf controls or the pie/quick menu.
3. Review Merge Distance and the reported vertex, edge and face changes. The operation processes the whole selected objects, rather than restricting cleanup to an Edit Mode component selection.
4. Inspect small details and intended seams. Undo if the merge threshold removes detail you need, then retry with a suitable distance.
5. Use Find Problems selection tools to inspect non-manifold edges, n-gons or triangles before deciding what to change.

• If the global automatic scale application preference is enabled, cleanup can apply object scale as well. Read-only diagnosis is the Boolean Doctor scan.
• In the current 1.7.0 package, the normals step after loose-geometry cleanup may leave faces unrecalculated. Run the separate Recalculate Normals action afterwards when outward normals are needed, then inspect the result.

Pie menu, preferences and workflow presets

The configured default pie shortcut is Shift+W in the 3D Viewport. Object Mode and Edit Mode have separate eight-slot layouts. In the current 1.7.0 package, Blender's Edit Mode Bend shortcut can take precedence over the pie; use the sidebar or assign an unconflicted shortcut if that happens. The optional Icon Tray adds extra actions beneath the pie. The quick menu has no default key binding.

Open the add-on preferences to configure Pie Menu, Shortcuts, Favorites, Interface Options and tool defaults. If a shortcut conflicts with another add-on or Blender action, assign a different chord and test it in the viewport. Do not assume another user's custom mapping matches the default.

Balanced, Live Boolean, Game Low-Poly and Product Viz presets set groups of defaults for future operations. They do not remodel existing objects and do not overwrite shortcut or pie-slot choices. Interface options and Favorites are included only when requested.

Export Preferences writes a JSON file you choose; Import Preferences reads a selected JSON file. Keep a backup before importing settings or changing installation format. Preferences also provide the custom icon color and built-in-icon choices.

Pie menu

Customize separate Object and Edit Mode layouts; see shortcut notes in the manual.

Troubleshooting

• No HardSurf tab: confirm the add-on is enabled, move to the 3D Viewport, press N and select a mesh. Check for a second installed copy and review any error shown during enabling.
• A section is dimmed: switch to the mode named by that section. Booleans and arrays use Object Mode; component-based bevel and detail tools use Edit Mode.
• A Boolean does nothing: make the base active, verify the cutter overlaps it, then run Boolean Doctor. Review normals, topology, solver and modifier order before applying anything.
• Draw to Cut will not start: use a visible editable mesh in Object Mode and start it from the 3D Viewport. This build does not provide advanced cutter snapping or the removed profiles.
• Fusion is unavailable: Fusion requires Blender 4.0 or newer and two mesh operands. Keep the Exact solver; the seam depends on the intersection information it produces.
• Support Loops refuses the selection: edit one single-user mesh without shape keys and choose manifold edges with two adjacent faces. Remove Support Loops only removes the editable modifier form.
• A panel cut damaged small detail: undo the operation and reduce width/depth or choose a smaller face region. It changes mesh geometry on confirmation.
• A pipe is hard to edit: check whether Convert to Mesh was enabled. A curve result retains radius and curve-resolution controls; a converted mesh does not.
• Mesh Doctor removed useful detail: undo, reduce Merge Distance and restrict the object selection. It cleans entire selected meshes.
• Need a reproducible bug report: include the installed add-on version, exact Blender version, operating system, relevant selection/mode and the smallest steps that show the issue. Share only scene content you are permitted to share.

Updates, removal and data safety

Before an update, save your work and export preferences if you want a settings backup. Disable the previous add-on copy before enabling another installation format. Avoid keeping both a legacy folder copy and an Extension active.

Use Blender Preferences to disable or remove the installed add-on. Keep backups of your .blend files and installers. Removing the add-on is different from deleting the meshes, cutters, curves, helper empties, modifiers and node groups it created in a scene; inspect those scene objects before deleting anything.

Modal tools have their own confirmation and cancellation behavior. The modeling operators use Blender Undo, but Undo history is not a substitute for a saved file. Save before applying modifiers, baking a fusion or running broad cleanup.

License, credits and support

Hardsurface Helper Pro is by Tachyon Studio. The supplied package declares GPL-3.0-or-later and includes LICENSE and THIRD_PARTY_NOTICES.md. The software license governs the code; purchase options do not replace those rights.

Individual: For 1 person (1 seat). Commercial use included.

Team: For a team of up to 6 people (6 seats). Commercial use included.

Studio: For a studio of up to 20 people (20 seats). Commercial use included. Need more than 20 seats? Contact us directly.

All three options receive the same complete features and downloads.

For help, feedback and feature suggestions, use Superhive messaging or join the Tachyon Discord at https://discord.gg/SuSqbZMDk5. Discord is optional and is not required to activate the add-on.

The add-on is designed to run locally without third-party Python packages, an online account or telemetry. Clicking its support link opens an external website. Preferences and scene data are stored locally; preference import/export uses files you select.