I'm confused. Did you try the method I suggested? If you did I can't see why you would think it's too complicated. It's probably quicker than doing lots of Creasing, Edge Marking and Splitting as you suggest. And the difference is significant because you get genuine tubular geometry instead of faking it with cubes and the end result looks like the real logo.

I also don't understand how you can correct your flabby corners and keep a smooth continuous tube by using Edge Splitting and Creasing. Have you actually done it? I only ask beacuase you said "it SHOULD look tubey". I would like to see it done because I couldn't make it work using your suggestion which creates holes where the corner cubes get split from their adjacent tube sections.

http://www.mood-indigo.org

Take a look around them – it's a german forum generally, but they're very friendly there and also answer in english. It's a forum just for sgi machines.

Regards,
Chris

If you have subsurf turned on, it should look tubey, and the rounded corners shouldn't be there.

A lot of EdgeSpliting and Creasing makes it look tubey.

Delete the default cube.
Go to Front View.
Add > Mesh > Circle > Vertices: 8.
Go to Top View.
Extrude > Only Edges > 2 units (4 times).
Place the 3D cursor 0.5 units to the right of the end verts.
Use Shift S > Cursor-> Grid to get it spot on.
That will be the point that the circles verts will spin around.
Under the Spin Dup button change Steps to 4 (You may want to use more than 4 Steps).
Click on the Spin button (not Spin Dup) to create a 90 degree corner.
Then continue Extruding and Spinning until you are back to the starting verts.
Select all the verts > press W key > Remove Doubles.
That will remove the overlapping 8 verts and make it a continuous tube.
Now apply the Subsurf Modifier and Set Smooth.

I'm no expert, and still learning, so there may be better ways to do this. If there is I would like to know because I need to build a bendy tubular object soon :)

I tried adding EdgeSplit and Crease. Those seamed (pun) to narrow down the corner roundedness. That is what you are talking about right?

I tried using the spin command and it didn't work. Maybe I did it wrong.

@ the PS

I did not use a circle for extrusions, I used a cube. And subdividing the cube to 8 verts, even after the subsurf makes the SGI cube look blocky.

Maybe do an advanced tutorial where you create the rounded corners by using the Spin command to revolve the end face 90 Degrees (4 steps should do it) around the 3D cursor which is set about 0.5 units away from the inside edge.