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I'm stuck with this one. I made a shotgun model using the sub-d workflow. I intended to make high and low poly models so I could bake all the details and shading and sell this model on stocks.

Here is how it looks:

High Poly

Low Poly

After I tried baking some parts, testing if everything would bake without errors I understood that the low poly model is too low.

Baking error

I really want this model to be high quality and avoid any baking errors like the one above. I understand that this error comes from the lack of polygons and the way the subdivision modifier works - it shrinks the original mesh.
For now, I cannot find any non-destructive ways to add more polygons to complex objects. All the parts already have bevels which were hard to make on some of them. The subdivision will surely destroy the topology, and I don't want it to smooth it on flat surfaces(adding creases doesn't help). Also, applying subdivision gives me a result that is not representable for showing the topology.
Is there any other way to add more polygons without making the model from scratch?
I'd love to know what workflow is actually used in the game dev industry.
Should the hard surface modeling rely on sub-d methods or do you just need to create three models: low poly as final version, low poly as a base level of the subdivision, and high poly that is a subdivided base?

Trying to subdivide only some polygons of the mesh doesn't help:

Before

After

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    $\begingroup$ Hello, it looks high-poly enough to me, why do you want to add faces? If you need, subdivide or use a Subdivision Surface modifier and apply it, but it will round some edges so you'll need to bevel some edges beforehand or use Edge Crease $\endgroup$ Commented Feb 17 at 9:15
  • $\begingroup$ Hi! Thanks for your answer. I already beveled all the objects that you see on the screenshot. I've added a screenshot of the baking error that I was talking about, please check. Basically what I want now is to subdivide the mesh without breaking the topology that I made. The subdivision will dilate the bevels and add unnecessary cuts. Adding creases to the bevels solves the problem for some of the parts but for some it just breaks the smoothness of the rounded surfaces. $\endgroup$ Commented Feb 17 at 11:44
  • $\begingroup$ You mean unsubdivide ? $\endgroup$ Commented Feb 17 at 21:49
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    $\begingroup$ Sometimes you have no other solution but to redo the mesh from scratch $\endgroup$ Commented Feb 18 at 8:13

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If you want to add more polygons to a low-poly model, press Tab to enable Edit Mode if Edit Mode is not already enabled. Make it so that only the faces that you want to be smoothed are selected.

Right Click then Left Click on where it says S̲ubdivide. Set the smoothness to 1. Choose the number of cuts. If the topology becomes messed up, Left Click on the Object Data Properties icon This is a picture of the Object Data Properties icon., and then remesh the object.

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  • $\begingroup$ Hello. It doesn't work for complex objects, especially if they have bevels. The algorithm of the subdivision modifier is itself a destructive way to add more polygons. I've added the screenshots in the question for you to check how it works in my case. $\endgroup$ Commented Feb 17 at 11:52

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