Trouble extruding complex shape from model I am having some trouble adding the following geometry to my model:




The problem in the picture is that the gray geometry isn't connected to the black part of the model. I'm doing some bevel work, and it needs to be connected. I tried using a knife project of the shape, and extruding it from the model. But I had trouble getting all of my faces to stay flat. It created weird artifacts. I also tried using boolean operations to connect the gray part to the model, but the boolean operation failed, and I couldn't figure out a way for that to work either. I am not sure how to solve this.

I feel like there is a better solution; everything I have tried so far has produced artifacts. Are there any modeling techniques for extruding this kind of geometry? Or is there some other way for me to attach the gray mesh to the rest of the model?
You need a quad strip running along where the two meshes meet to get your result without artifacts.

I would suggest:


Dublicate everything and hide the original versions of both objects.
Use a boolean operation to union the two copies.
In edit-mode, delete everything but the edge where they meet. You should now have a face less object that just describes the cut.
Bring back the originals and join everything.
Delete faces around the seam and create new faces that connects to the real seam.
Bevel the seam a slight amount.


Both objects:


Unioned objects with all but seam selected.


Original objects joined plus seam. Faces bordering seams deleted.


Merged geometry. Not all faces are quads, some are pentagons. Try to avoid that (I was in a hurry).


Geometry in wireframe view with beveled seam selected


Same geometry in solid view. It turned out ok.