Introduction To Polygonal Modeling

Introduction To Polygonal Modeling
Topics in this section:
Introduction to polygons
Polygons are a type of geometry you can use to create three-dimensional models in
Autodesk® Maya®. The other geometry types that Maya provides for modeling in 3D are
NURBS and subdivision surfaces.
Polygons are useful for constructing many types of 3D models and are widely used in the
development of 3D content for animated effects in film, interactive video games, and the
internet.
Polygon terminology
Polygons are straight-sided shapes (3 or more sides), defined by three-dimensional points

(vertices) and the straight lines that connect them (edges). The interior region of the
polygon is called the face. Vertices, edges, and faces are the basic components of polygons.
You select and modify polygons using these basic components.
When you model with polygons you usually use three-sided polygons called triangles or
four-sided polygons called quadrilaterals (quads). Maya also supports the creation of
polygons with more than four sides (n-gons) but they are not as commonly used for
modeling.
An individual polygon is commonly called a face, and is defined as the area bounded by
three or more vertices and their associated edges. When many faces are connected together
they create a network of faces called a polygon mesh (also referred to as a polyset or
a polygonal object). You create your 3D polygonal models using polygon meshes. Polygon
meshes can be created using a variety of techniques.
Polygon meshes normally share the vertices and edges that are common between the
individual faces. These are referred to as shared vertices or shared edges.
A polygon mesh can also be composed of several disjointed sets of connected polygons
called shells. The outside edges of a mesh or shell are referred to as border edges.
Polygon Primitives
Creates a polygon-based geometric primitive at the origin or, depending on the primitive
options you have set, wherever you click your mouse in the scene view (Interactive
Creation). You can then move, scale, rotate, and reshape the new object using the
standard tools and polygon menu items.
Note
When the Maya workspace is set to High Quality Rendering mode, primitives created using
the Interactive Creation option do not appear shaded until the primitive creation steps are
complete.
Create > Polygon Primitives > Sphere >
Radius
Specifies the distance from the center of the sphere in all directions. (For interactive
creation, appears as a single-click setting only.)
Create > Polygon Primitives > Cube >
Width
Specifies the width of the cube. (For interactive creation, appears as a single-click
setting only.)
Height
Specifies the height of the cube. (For interactive creation, appears as a single-click
setting only.)
Depth
Specifies the depth of the cube. (For interactive creation, appears as a single-click
setting only.)
Create > Polygon Primitives > Cylinder >
Radius
Specifies the distance from the center of the cylinder. (For interactive creation,
appears as a single-click setting only.)
Height
Specifies the height of the cylinder. (For interactive creation, appears as a single-
click setting only.)
Create > Polygon Primitives > Cone >
Radius
Specifies the distance from the base of the cone in all directions. (For interactive
Height
Specifies the height of the cone. (For interactive creation, appears as a single-click
setting only.)
Create > Polygon Primitives > Plane >
Width
Specifies the distance along the x axis (by default). (For interactive creation, appears
as a single-click setting only.)
Height
Specifies the measurement along the y axis (by default). (For interactive creation,
appears as a single-click setting only.)
Create > Polygon Primitives > Torus >
Radius
Specifies the distance from the center of the torus in all directions. (For interactive
Section Radius
Specifies the size of the sections that make up a torus. Change this value to increase
or decrease the radius of these sections.
Twist
The Twist option value specifies the twist angle of the torus. Change this value to
adjust the distance around the torus in all directions.
Create > Polygon Primitives > Prism >
A prism is a polyhedron with two polygonal faces lying in parallel planes and with the other
faces parallelograms.
When creating a prism, you can set the following options:
Length
Enter values or use the slider to specify the length of the prism (the distance
between the two polygonal faces). (For interactive creation, appears as a single-click
setting only.)
Side Length
Enter values or use the slider to specify the side length of the prism’s polygonal
caps. (For interactive creation, appears as a single-click setting only.)
Number of Sides
Enter the number of sides for the ends of the prism. The above example is a
triangular prism (3 sides). The size and volume of the prism increases with the
number of sides if the edge length and length/height are kept constant.
Create > Polygon Primitives > Pyramid >
A pyramid is a polyhedron with a polygon base and triangles with a common vertex for
faces. Maya creates 3-, 4-, or 5-sided pyramids with equilateral triangles.
When creating a pyramid, you can set the following options:
Side Length
Enter values or use the slider to specify the side length of all faces. (For interactive
Number of Sides in Base

Select the number of sides for the base of the pyramid (3, 4, or 5).
Create > Polygon Primitives > Pipe >
The options are very similar to the options for the cylinder polygonal shape, with the
addition of Thickness (which specifies the thickness of the wall).
Radius
Specifies the distance from the center of the pipe in all directions. (For interactive
Height
Specifies the height of the pipe. (For interactive creation, appears as a single-click
setting only.)
Thickness
Specifies the thickness of the pipe walls.
Create > Polygon Primitives > Helix >
A helix is a curve in three dimensional space that lies on a cylinder, so that its angle to a
plane perpendicular to the axis is constant.
Coils
Specifies the number of coils.
Height
Specifies the height of the helix. (For interactive creation, appears as a single-click
setting only.)
Width
Specifies the width of the helix. (For interactive creation, appears as a single-click
setting only.)
Radius
Specifies the radius of the helix coils. (For interactive creation, appears as a single-
click setting only.)
Direction
Specifies the direction of the helix’s twist: clockwise or counterclockwise.
Create > Polygon Primitives > Soccer Ball >
The soccer ball is a truncated icosahedron: thirty-two faces, alternating hexagons and
pentagons.
For this shape, you can set the following options:
Radius
Enter values or use the slider to specify the radius of the soccer ball. (For interactive
Side Length
Enter values or use the slider to specify the side length of the soccer ball. (For
interactive creation, appears as a single-click setting only.)
Create > Polygon Primitives > Platonic Solids >
You can create many different types of polygonal platonic solids. Platonic solids are shapes
where all sides are equal, all angles are the same, and all faces are identical. These are:
 Tetrahedron: four triangular faces
 Octahedron: eight triangular faces
 Dodecahedron: twelve pentagonal faces
 Icosahedron: twenty triangular faces
(The cube—the fifth platonic solid—has a separate listing in the primitives.)
You can switch between these types by selecting Solid Type in the Attribute Editor or in
the option box for Platonic Solids.
For these four shapes, you can set the following options:
Radius
Enter values or use the slider to specify the radius of the platonic solid. (For
Side Length
Enter values or use the slider to specify the side length of the platonic solid. (For
Platonic type
You can switch between platonic solid types in the options for these shapes.
Create > Polygon Primitives > Interactive Creation
You can position and scale primitives as you create them using your mouse, without having
to use transformation tools. This option stays on until you turn it off.
Create > Polygon Primitives > Exit on Completion
This option interacts with Interactive Creation. When Exit on Completion is turned on,
you must select a primitive type again in order to create another primitive. When this option
is turned off, you can interactively create multiple primitives of the same type, until you
select another tool.
Divisions
The values you enter in these boxes change the primitive by adding or taking away faces of
the polygonal surfaces.
Almost all primitives allow you to subdivide along the height axis. The exception is the helix,
which subdivides per coil instead.
Primitives with radial symmetry allow you to subdivide around the axis. These include
spheres, cylinders, cones, tori, pipes, and helixes.
Primitives with caps allow you to subdivide the caps. These include cylinder, cones, pipes
and helixes.
The plane allows subdivisions along the width axis, and the cube allows subdivisions along
both the width and depth.
Axis divisions
This option defines the number of subdivisions there are around the axis. This option
is called Subdivisions Axis in the Channel Box and the Attribute Editor.
Increase or decrease this value to add or take away faces around the axis defined by
the Axis option.
Height divisions
This option defines the number of subdivisions there are along the axis defined by
the Axis option. Height is equivalent to the Y direction by default. This option is
called Subdivisions Height in the Channel Box and the Attribute Editor.
Increase or decrease this value to add or take away faces in the Axis direction.
Depth / Width, Depth divisions

When Axis is set to X or Y, depth is equivalent to the Z direction for polygonal
cubes. When Axis is set to Z, depth is equivalent to the Y direction. This option is
called Subdivisions Depth in the Channel Box and the Attribute Editor. Increase
or decrease this value to add or take away faces along the depth.
Cap divisions
Caps are the tops, bottoms, or sides of cones, cylinders, prisms, pyramids, pipes,
and helixes. This option defines the number of subdivisions around the origin of the
primitive caps. This option is called Subdivisions Cap in the Channel Box and
the Attribute Editor. Increase or decrease this value to add or take away faces
around the caps.
Round Cap
This option allows you to create a round surface for the cap. Your Subdivisions
Cap value must be one or greater to see the round cap effect. This option applies to
the Cylinder, Cone, Pipe, and Helix primitives.
Axis
This option does not appear in Interactive Creation.

Tip
To set the axis for your primitive during interactive creation, you can use the orthogonal
views. Whichever view you create your primitive in—top, front, or side—is the way your
primitive’s axis will be aligned (y, z, or x).
By default, a primitive is created along the Y axis. You can change a primitive’s default
orientation before you create it by changing the Axis option.
You cannot change the orientation for a new primitive from the Channel Box, but you can
enter values in the Axis boxes in the Attribute Editor.
Select a path of edges between two vertices
The Select Shortest Edge Path Tool lets you easily select a path of edges between two
vertices on a surface mesh. It determines the most direct path between any two selection
points and selects the polygon edges in between.
The Select Shortest Edge Path Tool is particularly well suited to selecting a long and
possibly winding path of edges on a surface mesh when you need to subsequently perform a
Cut UV Edges operation when Unfolding UV shells.
To select a path of edges between two vertices
1. In the scene view, select the surface mesh whose edges you wish to select.
2. From the Polygons menu set, choose Select > Select Shortest Edge Path Tool.
The selected surface mesh updates to display the vertices on the mesh.
3. To select a path of edges on the mesh, click a vertex to specify the start of the edge
path, then click a second vertex to specify the end of the path.
The edges that form the most direct path between the two vertices are selected. That is,
the path may follow a diagonal stair-step path but the selection will follow the most
direct route.
Note
You can click several vertices in turn and the selection will follow the most direct path
through the vertices you’ve indicated.
4. If you want to undo the last selection press Ctrl + z. If you want to cancel the existing
selection and start again click anywhere off the mesh. Press y if you want to keep the
existing selection and begin a new one. Press q to quit the tool and proceed to your next
operation. For example, you may want to cut the UV edges associated with the selected
path of edges using the Cut UV Edges feature (Edit UVs > Cut UV Edges).
Mesh > Create Polygon Tool
Mesh > Create Polygon Tool >
These are the options for the Create Polygon Tool. You can set these options before you
create your polygon, or change the options as you work.
Divisions
Specifies the number of Divisions that are distributed along the edges of the
polygon being created. The default is 1. Extra vertices are created along the edges.
You can manipulate these vertices in subsequent operations.
Note
Setting the Divisions option is not the same as subdividing a polygons using Edit
Mesh > Add Divisions. Divisions makes the polygon n-sided. Using the Add
Division operation creates new faces by default. To create new vertices, you have to
specifically subdivide the edges only.
Limit the number of points

Specifies the number of vertices required for the new polygon. The default value is 4,
which creates four-sided polygons (quads). When set to 3, the tool will create three-
sided polygons (triangles). The polygon closes automatically after you place the
number of points specified in the option and you can continue to click to create new
polygons in the view without re-selecting the tool.
Keep new faces planar

By default, any faces you add using the Create Polygon Tool lie in the same plane
as the polygonal mesh you append to. Turn off Keep new faces planar if you want
to append polygons in another plane.
Note
When you turn on or off Keep new faces planar, Maya also turns on or off the
same setting under Edit Mesh > Append to Polygon Tool. The setting is saved to the
preferences file when you exit Maya. It applies to all new objects until you change
the setting.
Polygon component display
Maya’s default display of polygon components uses different colors and sizes to help you
identify different types of selected and unselected components.
Component Unselected Selected
Vertex Small purple box. Yellow.
Edge Light blue. Light orange.
Border edge Thicker line.
Face Blue dot in center. Light orange tint.
UV Medium purple box. Bright green.

Polygon selection
Select polygon components
To perform many types of operations on a polygon mesh you must first select the related
polygon components you want to modify.
The following table describes techniques for selecting the various types of polygon
components.
To... Do this
Set the selection type to vertices:
 Press on the polygon mesh and select Vertex from the context
sensitive marking menu that appears.
or
 If the polygon mesh or other component types are already selected you
can change the selection type to vertices by pressing F9.
Then:
Select polygon vertices
 Select the dots that appear where the lines intersect on the polygon
mesh.
Set the selection type to edges:
 Press on the polygon mesh and select Edge from the context
sensitive marking menu that appears.
or
Select polygon edges Then:
 Select the lines on the polygon mesh.
Set the selection type to faces:
 Press on a region of the polygon mesh and select Face from the
context sensitive marking menu that appears.
can change the selection type to vertices by pressing F11
Then:
Select polygon faces  Select the dots in the center of the faces.
Set the selection type to multi:
 Press the right mouse button on a region of the polygon mesh and
select Multi from the context sensitive marking menu that appears.
Then:
 Select components on the polygon mesh.
Select polygon vertices, edges Multi component selection mode will select vertices, edges or faces based
and faces on whichever is closest to the mouse cursor.
Set the selection type to UVs:
 Press on a region of the polygon mesh and select UV from the

context sensitive marking menu that appears.
or
Then:
Select UV texture coordinates  Select the dots that appear where the lines intersect on the polygon
for a polygon mesh mesh.
Select a face loop
A face loop is a path of polygon faces that are connected in sequence by their shared
edges. For example, if you select one face on a sphere, a loop selection selects all of the
faces along the same line of latitude or longitude on the sphere by selecting each successive
face that is adjacent to the selected face.
Face loop selections let you select several faces across a polygon mesh without having to
select each face individually.
There are several options for selecting a face loop on a polygonal mesh in Maya. You can
select:
 A face loop that fully traverses a polygonal mesh (closed loop)
 A face loop that partially traverses a polygonal mesh (open loop)
To select a face loop on a polygonal mesh
1. In the scene view, press over a polygon mesh and select Face from the context
sensitive marking menu.
2. Select one face in the face loop you want to select.
3. + double-click an adjacent face in the direction you want the face loop.
All the faces along the same line are selected.
To select a partial face loop on a polygonal mesh
1. In the scene view, press over a polygon mesh and select Face from the context
2. Select one face in the face loop you want to select.
3. + double-click a non-adjacent face on the same line of longitude or latitutde.

All the faces between the two faces are selected.
Select a vertex loop
A vertex loop is a path of vertices that are connected in sequence by their shared edges.
For example, if you select one vertex on a sphere, a loop selection selects all of the vertices
along the same line of latitude or longitude on the sphere by selecting each successive
vertex that is adjacent to the selected face.
Vertex loop selections let you select several vertices across a polygon mesh without having
to select each vertex individually.
There are several options for selecting a vertex loop on a polygonal mesh in Maya. You can
select:
 A vertex loop that fully traverses a polygonal mesh (closed loop)
 A vertex loop that partially traverses a polygonal mesh (open loop)
To select a vertex loop on a polygonal mesh
1. In the scene view, press over a polygon mesh and select Vertex from the context
2. Select one vertex in the vertex loop you want to select.
3. + double-click a vertex connected to an adjacent edge in the direction you want

the vertex loop.
All the vertices along the same line are selected.
To select a partial vertex loop on a polygonal mesh
1. In the scene view, press over a polygon mesh and select Vertex from the context
2. Select one vertex in the vertex loop you want to select.
3. + double-click a non-adjacent vertex on the same line of longitude or latitude.

All the vertices between the two vertices are selected.
Select an edge ring
An edge ring is a path of polygon edges that are connected in sequence by their shared
faces. For example, if you select one vertical edge on a sphere, a ring selection selects all of
the vertical edges along the same line of latitude on the sphere by selecting each successive
edge that is adjacent to the selected edge.
Edge ring selections let you select several edges across a polygon mesh without having to
select each edge individually.
There are several options for selecting an edge ring on a polygonal mesh in Maya. You can
select:
 an edge ring that fully traverses a polygonal mesh (closed ring)
 an edge ring that partially traverses a polygonal mesh (open ring)
 a multi-directional path of edges on a polygonal mesh
To select an edge ring on a polygonal mesh
1. In the scene view, select the polygon mesh upon which you want to select the edge ring.
The selected polygon mesh highlights in a green color.
2. From the Polygons menu set, choose Select > Select Edge Ring Tool.
The selected polygon mesh highlights in a blue color to indicate edge selection mode.
3. If you want to select an edge ring that traverses the entire polygonal mesh, double-click
on an edge of the polygon mesh where you want the edge ring selection to occur.
When you double-click on an edge of the mesh, a ring of selected edges appears across
the mesh in either direction from the edge you select. For example, if you double-click a
single vertical edge on a sphere comprised of four-sided faces (quads), the ring selection
feature selects the adjacent vertical edges on the adjacent shared faces and continues to
select successive adjacent edges around the circumference of the sphere.
4. If you want to select a partial ring of edges on the polygonal mesh, do the following:
 In the scene view, click the edge of the polygon mesh where you want the edge ring
selection to begin.
 Continue to click edges along the same contour line of the mesh, to build a partial ring
of selected edges on the mesh.
The Select Edge Ring Tool indicates the partial ring selection by selecting any edges
that exist between subsequent edges you select.
5. If you want to select a multidirectional path of edges on the polygonal mesh, do the
following:
 In the scene view, click on an edge of the polygon mesh where you want the edge
path selection to begin.
 Continue to click on edges along the same contour line on the mesh to build a partial
ring of selected edges on the mesh.
The Select Edge Ring Tool indicates the partial ring selection by selecting any edges
that exist between the edges you’ve previously selected.
 To change the direction of the selection path, click on an edge that is directly adjacent
to the edge you previously selected to indicate the change in direction for the
selection.
6. When you have completed the desired edge ring selection, you can do one of the
following to exit the tool:
 Choose the Select Tool in the Toolbox (Hotkey: q).
 Choose another tool or feature that performs the next operation on the edge ring
selection.
For example, selecting the Move Tool to move the selected edge ring, selecting Edit
Mesh > Extrude to extrude the selected edge ring, or converting the edge ring selection
to faces.
7. If you want to cancel the edge selection, do one of the following:
 To cancel the selection of an edge, + on the desired edge.
 To cancel the selection of a portion of the edge ring, + on the portion of the
selected region.
 To cancel the edge selection entirely, click anywhere in the scene view off of the
mesh.
Select an edge loop
An edge loop is a path of polygon edges that are connected in sequence by their shared
vertices. For example, if you select one horizontal edge on a sphere, an edge loop selection
will attempt to select all of the horizontal edges along that same line of latitude on the
sphere.
Edge loop selections let you select several edges across a polygon mesh without having to
There are several options for selecting an edge loop on a polygonal mesh in Maya. You can
select:
 an edge loop that fully traverses a polygonal mesh
 an edge loop that partially traverses a polygonal mesh
 a multi-directional edge loop path on a polygonal mesh
To select an edge loop on a polygonal mesh
1. In the scene view, press over a polygon mesh and select Edge from the context
2. Double-click on an edge of the polygon mesh where you want the edge loop selection to
occur.
When you double-click an edge on the mesh, a path of selected edges appears across
the mesh in either direction from the edge you select.
For example, if you double-click on a single horizontal edge on a sphere, a loop selection
will select the remaining edges that lie along the same line of latitude on the sphere as
the edge you selected, provided the selection does not encounter any faces that are not
four-sided.
You can also select a partial edge loop using a process similar to selecting a face or
vertex loop, or with the Select Edge Loop Tool.
To select a partial edge loop
1. In the scene view, press over a polygon mesh and select Edge from the context
2. Select one edge in the edge loop you want to select.
3. + double-click a non-adjacent edge on the same line of longitude or latitude.

All the edges between the two edges are selected.
Note
You can re-use edges from previous loop selections as the first selected edge of another
loop selection. You can use this technique to select multi-directional edge loops.
To select a partial edge loop using the Select Edge Loop Tool
1. In the scene view, select the polygon mesh upon which you want to select the edge
loop.
The selected polygon mesh highlights in a green color.
2. From the Polygons menu set, choose Select > Select Edge Loop Tool.
The selected polygon mesh highlights in a blue color to indicate edge selection mode.
3. In the scene view, click an edge of the polygon mesh where you want the edge loop
selection to begin.
4. Continue to click edges along the same contour line on the mesh, to create a partial loop
selection of edges on the mesh.
It’s not necessary that you click every edge along the path, just click once to specify the
first edge and a second time along the same contour line along the mesh to indicate the
end of the path.
The Select Edge Loop Tool indicates the partial loop selection by selecting any edges
that exist between subsequent edges you select.
5. If you want to select a multidirectional edge loop path on the polygonal mesh, do the
following:
 In the scene view, click on an edge of the polygon mesh where you want the edge
loop path selection to begin.
 Continue to click on edges along the same contour line on the mesh to build a partial
loop of selected edges on the mesh.
The Select Edge Loop Tool indicates the partial loop selection by selecting any edges
that exist between the edges you’ve previously selected.
 It’s not necessary that you click on every edge along the path. Click once to specify
the first edge and a second time along the same contour line along the mesh to
indicate the end of the path.
 To change the direction of the selection path, click the edge that is directly adjacent to
the edge you previously selected to indicate the change in direction for the selection.
6. When you have completed the desired edge loop selection, you can do one of the
following to exit the tool:
 Choose another tool or feature that performs the next operation on the edge loop
selection.
For example, selecting the Move Tool to move the selected edge loop, selecting Edit
Mesh > Extrude to extrude the selected edge loop, or converting the edge loop selection
to faces.
7. If you want to cancel the edge selection, do one of the following:
 To cancel the selection of an edge, + on the desired edge.
 To cancel the selection of a portion of the edge loop, + on the portion of the
selected region.
 To cancel the edge selection entirely, click anywhere in the scene view off of the
mesh.
Edge ring and edge loop selection tips
faces. An edge loop is a path of polygon edges that are connected in sequence by their
shared vertices. Edge ring and edge loop selections let you select several edges across a
polygon mesh without having to select each edge individually.
The Select Edge Loop Tool and Select Edge Ring Tool, as well as the Offset Edge Loop
Tool and the Insert Edge Loop Tool, use a variety of criteria for the selection of the
various edge types. Understanding these criteria can help you troubleshoot an issue when
an edge selection doesn’t occur as you expect.
Select Edge Ring Tool uses a selection criteria that is primarily based on four-sided
polygons (quads) within the mesh. That is, when you perform a double-click selection on an
edge you will be able to accurately predict the resulting edge selection when the mesh is
comprised of four-sided polygons.
In Maya, an edge ring has the following properties:
 The faces that connect the edges must be four-sided (quads).
 The criteria for connecting the sequence is that the next edge in the sequence is the (i +
2nd) edge of the shared face, determined in order from the current edge (i).
 The sequence of edges (ring) can form either an open or closed path on the mesh.
 The start and end edges need not share a four-sided face.
When you double-click to select a ring (path) of edges on the mesh, all adjacent edges in
either direction of the initial edge selection also get selected along the same contour line of
the mesh. The selection only stops when it cannot determine a corresponding adjacent edge
on the shared face or when it reaches the end of the mesh.
When the tool cannot accurately determine which direction to continue the selection or
when the four-sided condition is not being met, you need to manually click the next desired
edge to determine the direction of the selection path and continue the selection.
Select Edge Loop Tool uses a selection criteria that is based on the number of edges that
are connected to a single vertex (referred to as the valency). The number of edges attached
to a vertex for a selected edge must equal four (Valency = 4) in order for a loop selection to
occur.
In Maya, an edge loop has the following properties:
 The vertices that connect the edges must have a valency equal to four. Valency refers to
the number of edges connected to a particular vertex.
 The criteria for connecting the sequence is that the next edge in the sequence is the (i +
2nd) edge of the shared vertex, determined in order from the current edge (i).
 The sequence of edges (loop) can form either an open or closed path on the polygonal
mesh.
 The start and end edges need not have a valency equal to four.
If you perform a double-click selection and two paths of selected edges appear
unexpectedly, this usually indicates that the configuration of the four-sided polygons has
one or more faces that are shaped in a diagonal fashion. As a result, the edge selection will
deviate by continuing in a different direction. One example of this is when two locator lines
appear on a single mesh to indicate that the selection has resulted in a U-shaped selection
on the polygon mesh (see diagram below).
Some polygon configurations are problematic for the edge ring and edge loop selection and
splitting tools. That is, the selection of edges will not occur as you expect, or the selection
will cross a face in an unwanted fashion. When this occurs, you should choose an alternate
selection operation. For example, manually shift-selecting the polygon edges; or using the
Maya® Artisan ™ tools to paint a selection. When you need to insert edges on the polygon
mesh and the current topology varies drastically, you can manually split the mesh using Edit
Mesh > Split Polygon Tool to avoid producing unexpected results.
Select border edges
Border edges are the edges that lie either on the exterior or interior perimeter of a polygon
mesh. Border edge selection works in a manner similar to the ring and edge loop selection
types. Depending on which edge you initially select (exterior or interior), the associated
border edges along the polygon mesh get selected.
Border edge selections save you from having to select each border edge individually.
To select interior and exterior border edges on a polygonal mesh
1. In the scene view, select the polygonal mesh upon which you want to select the border
edges.
The selected polygonal mesh highlights in a green color.
2. From the Polygons menu set, choose Select > Select Border Edge Tool.
The selected polygonal mesh highlights in a blue color to indicate edge selection mode.
3. If you want to select the exterior border edges for the mesh, double-click on an exterior
edge of the polygon mesh.
The exterior border edges on the mesh become selected.
4. If you want to select the interior border edges on the mesh, double-click on an interior
edge of the polygon mesh.
The interior border edges on the mesh become selected.
5. If you want to cancel the selection of a particular edge, + on the desired edge.
If you want to cancel the edge selection entirely, click anywhere in the scene view off of
the mesh.
Note
You can also click border edges to create a partial border selection. For example, if you
click one exterior border edge and then click a second exterior border edge that is
connected through the border edges along the mesh, the border edge segment between
the first and second click will be selected. See the diagram below.
Tip
If you need to perform a lot of edge selection you can view the Tool Settings and easily
switch between the various edge selection modes without having to repeatedly select
the tool items from the Edit menu.
Polygon selection and creatio

Polygon selection and creatio
Polygon selection and crea
Select a path of edges between two vertices
The Select Shortest Edge Path Tool lets you easily select a path of edges between two
vertices on a surface mesh. It determines the most direct path between any two selection
points and selects the polygon edges in between.
possibly winding path of edges on a surface mesh when you need to subsequently perform a
Cut UV Edges operation when Unfolding UV shells.
To select a path of edges between two vertices
1. In the scene view, select the surface mesh whose edges you wish to select.
2. From the Polygons menu set, choose Select > Select Shortest Edge Path Tool.
The selected surface mesh updates to display the vertices on the mesh.
3. To select a path of edges on the mesh, click a vertex to specify the start of the edge
path, then click a second vertex to specify the end of the path.
The edges that form the most direct path between the two vertices are selected. That is,
the path may follow a diagonal stair-step path but the selection will follow the most
direct route.
Note
You can click several vertices in turn and the selection will follow the most direct path
through the vertices you’ve indicated.
4. If you want to undo the last selection press Ctrl + z. If you want to cancel the existing
selection and start again click anywhere off the mesh. Press y if you want to keep the
existing selection and begin a new one. Press q to quit the tool and proceed to your next
operation. For example, you may want to cut the UV edges associated with the selected
path of edges using the Cut UV Edges feature (Edit UVs > Cut UV Edges).
Select components based on criteria
The selection constraints action lets you select all polygon components that satisfy various
criteria. To learn how to select components using the Select Tool.
To select by constraints
1. Select a polygonal object and make sure you are in a component selection mode.
2. Choose Select > Select Using Constraints.
3. Do one of the following:
 To apply these constraints to the next selection you make, click Next Selection. This
lets you limit the effects of your selections.
 To apply these constraints to the current selection and your next selection,
click Current and Next. This is useful for modifying the selection you’ve already
made.
 To select all components on the selected object that meet these constraints and your
next selection, click All and Next. This option automatically updates the selection as
you change the options in the window.
4. Open the sections to set various selection constraints and conditions.

Each section represents a limit on the components that will be selected. Turn on
the Activate check box at the top of a section to apply its limit.
5. Click the Close and Remember or Close and Reset button.
Tip
The Nothing option makes the selection constraints window options have no effect. This
is just a convenience to let you keep the window open without it affecting your
selections.
To quickly turn off all selection constraint options
1. In the selection constraint window, open the Reset menu and choose Disable All.
Change vertex selection using pick walk
You can use the arrow keys (uparrow, downarrow, left arrow, right arrow) to change the
selection of vertices in a polygonal mesh. This is useful when you need to quickly change
the selection to neighboring vertices when modifying a mesh.
To select and then walk a selected vertex or selection of vertices across a mesh
1. Select a vertex or group of vertices on a mesh.
2. Single click using the left, right, up, or down arrow keys to walk the selection in any
direction along the mesh.
The following limitations exist on vertex selection with arrow keys:
 This feature works best when the selection is a single vertex.
 When pressing an arrow key would select a vertex that is hidden (for example, on the
back side of geometry), you will need to tumble the view to continue pick walking.
 If you have multiple vertices selected and you pick walk past the visible portion of the
object, the original selection will not be preserved.
 You cannot always reverse the vertex selection in complex geometry; that is, if you
press left-arrow to move a vertex selection, right-arrow will not always bring you back
to the original vertex.
 You cannot always get back to the initial selection state when you select multiple
vertices and pick walk.
Change edge loop selection using pick walk
You can use the arrow keys ( , ) to change the selection of edges to a full edge loop on
a polygonal mesh. You can then quickly change or walk the edge loop selection along the
mesh.
To select and then walk an edge loop selection across a mesh
1. Select either of the following:
 A full edge loop on the mesh.

You can select an edge loop using Select > Select Edge Loop Tool or by Ctrl + right-
clicking on the desired edge and choosing the Select Edge Loop Tool from the Edge
Loop Utilities marking menu item.
 A single edge that is within the edge loop you want selected.
Note
When you select a single edge, you must click a second time using either the left or
right arrow keys to expand the selection to an edge loop.
2. Continue to click either the left or right arrow keys to change the selection to the
neighboring parallel edge loop along the mesh.
Clicking either key changes the direction of the pick walk.
Note
Clicking a key in succession, walks the edge loop selection across the mesh until it
reaches and selects the border edges on the mesh. Continue to click the same key to
reverse the direction of the pick walk.
The following limitations exist for edge loop selection with arrow keys:
 This feature works best when the initial selection is either a single edge or edge loop.
Otherwise, when multiple edges are selected, the tool chooses a single edge loop from
the selection arbitrarily.
 The left and right arrow keys change the direction of the pick walk, but may not be
predictable in terms of the initial pick walk direction in relation to the orientation of the
mesh.
 You cannot revert the edge selection back to the initial selection state; that is, if you
press left-arrow to expand the edge selection to a full loop, pressing the right-arrow will
not select the original single edge.
 The up-arrow and down-arrow have no effect on the edge loop selection or pick walk.
 To change the direction of the edge loop selection once it has been selected, (the edge
loop runs across the mesh in a horizontal manner, and you want it to run in a vertical
manner) you must change the selection to a vertical edge or edge loop.
Polygon creation
Create polygon primitives
You can create pre-defined 3D geometric shapes called primitives in Maya. Primitives can be
used as-is or as a starting point for 3D modeling.
Some examples: you can create a sphere primitive and then scale it so it appears more
elliptical. You can detach half of a sphere to make a dome. You can create a plane to use as
a floor in your scene. You can also use Boolean features to intersect primitives with each
other to produce new shapes.
The primitive creation options are located in the Create menu. For example, Create >
Polygon Primitives > Cube.
The options for each primitive type are selected by choosing the option box beside the
primitive’s name. For example, Sphere > , Cube > , Cone > , and so on.
There are three ways to create polygon primitives:
 Create polygon primitives interactively
 Create polygon primitives using the Create menu
 Create polygon primitives using the Shelf

Create polygon primitives interactively
You can position, scale, and adjust various attributes on primitives as you create them using
the Interactive Creation feature. Interactive Creation is turned on by default.
The Interactive primitive creation feature lets you create primitives in two ways:
 Click-drag in the scene to interactively position and adjust the primitive’s attributes.
 Click once in the scene to create a primitive. A primitive is created where you click. The
primitive’s options are set by selecting Create > Polygon Primitives > Primitive Shape
> .
The Exit on Completion option (turned on by default) automatically exits the primitive
creation tool once you have created the primitive. If you want to create multiple primitives,
turn off Create > Polygon Primitives > Exit on Completion.
If you prefer to have primitives created at the origin with options set by Create > Polygon
Primitives > Primitive Shape > , select Create > Polygon Primitives > Interactive
Creation to turn off the Interactive Creation feature.
You can also turn the Interactive Creation feature on and off for polygon primitives from
the marking menu by selecting + .
The steps for creating a polygon primitive interactively consist of multiple click-drag
operations in the scene view. The number of click-drag operations varies depending on the
primitive type:
NotePressing Enter at any point during the interactive creation process immediately
completes the primitive creation and skips any remaining attributes.
If you want to skip interactively setting an attribute during the interactive creation process,
single-click with your mouse to move to the next step.
Before you start:
 Turn on Create > Polygon Primitives > Interactive Creation if necessary.
 Select Create > Polygon Primitives, and choose the primitive type, or select the primitive
type from the Polygons shelf.
If you want to change the non-interactive attributes that a polygon primitive is created
with, such as Radius, Divisions, or Texture Mapping UVs, select Create > Polygon
Primitives > Primitive Shape >
Primitive type To create the primitive interactively
1. In the scene view, click-drag to create the primitive.

The initial click-drag specifies the location for the primitive as
well as the radius or scale for these primitive types.
The Torus primitive has an additional click-drag step to specify
the Section Radius attribute.
2. In the scene view, click-drag to specify the subdivisions along the
height and width of the primitive using the left mouse button.
Sphere, Torus, Pyramid, Soccer The Soccer Ball and Platonic Solids primitives do not have a
Ball, Platonic Solids subdivisions step.

well as the shape of the base of these primitive types.
2. Click-drag to specify the height of the primitive.
3. Click-drag to specify the subdivisions along the height, width, and
depth of the primitive.
Note: The number of click-drag operations for the subdivisions
Cube, Cylinder, Cone, Prism varies depending on the primitive type.

well as the radius/width of the primitive.
2. Click-drag to specify the height of the primitive.
3. Click-drag to specify the following attributes for these primitive
types:
 Pipe - specifies the thickness of the pipe.
 Helix - specifies the number of coils.
Note: The Helix primitive has an additional click-drag step after
the number of coils to specify the Radius attribute.
4. Click-drag to specify the subdivisions along the height, width, and
Pipe, Helix depth of the primitive.
When the primitive creation steps are complete, the wireframe color for the primitive
changes from a bright green to the green color for an actively selected object.
Tip
To set the axis for your primitive during interactive creation, you can use the orthogonal
views. Whichever view you create your primitive in—top, front, or side—is the way your
primitive’s axis will be aligned (y, z, or x).
Note
Primitives with caps (Pyramid,Cylinder, Cone, Pipe) have an additional attribute

called Adjust cap subdivisions after create that is turned off by default. When you turn
this feature on in the primitive’s tool options window, an additional step is added to the
interactive creation process for those primitive types.
Holding down the Shift and Control keys during primitive creation has the following effect:
Modifier
Effect
key
Grows plane and cube primitives from one corner. Grows all other primitives from their
(None) center.
Grows plane and cube primitives from their center. (No effect on all other primitives.) When
adjusting primitive attributes in subsequent interactive steps, pressing the Control key
Control momentarily reduces the mouse speed.
Constrains all primitives to three-dimensional equilateral proportions and grows them from
their base. When adjusting primitive attributes in subsequent interactive steps, pressing the
Shift Shift key momentarily increases the mouse speed.
Control + Constrains all primitives to three-dimensional equilateral proportions and grows them from
Shift their center.
To create a polygon primitive with a single click
1. Select Create > Polygon Primitives > Interactive Creation. (Ensure that a check mark
appears beside the Interactive Creation menu item)
If you want to change the settings that the polygon primitive is created with, such
as Divisions or Texture Mapping, select Create > Polygon Primitives > Primitive
Shape > .
There are specific single-click settings for primitive creation.
2. Click in the scene view to create the primitive.
To create multiple polygon primitives interactively
1. Select Create > Polygon Primitives > Exit on Completion to turn off the feature.
You can create multiple polygon primitives in succession without having to return to
the Polygon Primitive menu or Shelf.
Useful interactive creation options
During interactive primitive creation, you can snap the polygon to existing objects in the
scene. You have the following options (click the icon in the Status line or press the
hotkey). Snap to:
 grid
 curves
 CV, vertex, or pivot
 live object
These features let you snap to a projected point on the line or plane defined by any other
object in your scene while you create the primitive. For example, you could create a cylinder
to act as a telescope on the dome of an observatory.
TipSome grid snap operations may limit the interactive primitive creation in the perspective
view. For example, if you turn on grid snap and interactively create the base of a cube, you
will not be able to vertically drag to create the height component if the grid snap option is
left on while working in the perspective view.
Instead, create the base of a cube in the perspective view, then switch to a front or side
orthographic view to snap the
Create polygon primitives using the Create menu
Creating primitives by selecting from the Create menu lets you specify the primitive’s
attributes before you create it. Using this method, creates a primitive at the X, Y, Z origin.
To create polygon primitives at the X, Y, Z origin using the Create menu
1. Turn off Create > Polygon Primitives > Interactive Creation.
2. Select Create > Polygon Primitives and select the primitive’s option box from the list of
primitives. For example, Sphere > , Cube > , Cone > , and so on.
When you select the beside the primitive, its associated options window appears.
3. In the primitive’s tool settings window, edit the attributes for the primitive as required.
You can set attributes that specify the radius, scale, subdivisions, and whether default
UV texture coordinates are created with the primitive.
The primitive object appears at the X, Y, Z origin of the scene view. By default the
primitive remains selected so you can perform other operations on it. For
example, move, rotate, or scale.
Note
You can modify a primitive’s attributes after you create it using either the Channel
Box or the Attribute Editor.
Create polygon primitives using the Shelf
You can create polygon primitives using the Shelf, which provides easily-selectable primitive
icons. Using the Shelf you can also set a primitive’s options and then save a custom version
of that primitive to the Shelf for future use.
To create polygon primitives using the Shelf
1. In the scene view, select the Polygons tab on the Shelf.
2. Click a polygon primitive icon.

Depending on how your Interactive Creation options are set the primitive will either
appear at the origin, or you will be prompted to click-drag to create the primitive in the
scene.
Create a polygon mesh
To create a new polygon
1. Select Mesh > Create Polygon Tool.
2. Click to place the first vertex.

Maya places vertices on the ground plane unless you snap them to existing geometry.
3. Click to place the next vertex. Maya creates an edge between the first point and the last
point you placed.
4. Place another vertex. A dashed edge connects the three vertices.
5. Do any of the following:
 Press to finish the polygon.
 Press to delete the last point you placed.
 Press y to start a new polygon.
 Continue placing vertices to create a quad or n-sided polygon.
 To switch to editing vertices, press Home or Insert. A manipulator appears on the

previous vertex. Use the manipulator to move the vertex, press Delete to delete a
segment, or click another vertex to edit it. Press Home or Insert again to finish.
Add polygons to an existing mesh
You can add polygons to an existing polygon mesh using the Append to Polygon Tool.
The Append to Polygon Tool creates the new polygon using an edge as a starting point.
To add a connected polygon to an existing mesh
1. Select the polygon you want to append to.
2. Select Edit Mesh > Append to Polygon Tool.

The border edges highlight and appear thicker.
3. Click the border edge you want to append to.

The edge you select is the first edge of the new face. Arrows indicate the edge direction.
4. Click to place a vertex for the new polygon. You can also click another border edge to
use it in the new polygon.
A new vertex appears with a line connecting it to the last point of the selected face
edge.
 Continue placing vertices or selecting edges.
 To remove the last vertex you placed, press .
 To switch to editing vertices, press Home or Insert. A manipulator appears on the

previous vertex. Use the manipulator to move the vertex, press Delete to delete a
segment, or click another vertex to edit it. Press Home or Insert again to finish.
 Press to finish the polygon.
 Press Y to start a new polygon.
NoteThe Append to Polygon Tool will not let you append to a non-boundary face.
If you want to append a face to a single non-boundary edge, use Edit Mesh > Extrude,
then modify the new face as desired.
Create a polygon face with a hole
You can create a polygon face with a hole while using the Create Polygon Tool.
To create a hole in a polygon as you draw it
1. Place the points of the polygon by selecting Mesh > Create Polygon Tool.
2. Before you complete the polygon, press and click the first vertex of the hole. Click
the remaining vertices without held down.
3. Press to finish the polygon.
Tip
You can also make a hole in an existing face using the Mesh > Make Hole Tool.
Extrude a polygon face, edge, or vertex
You can add polygons to an existing mesh using the Extrude feature (Edit Mesh >
Extrude). You can extrude polygon faces, edges, or vertices using the feature. For example,
when you extrude a face on a polygon mesh the existing face telescopes inwards or
outwards as it creates new connecting faces on the sides of the extrusion.
Note
The Extrude options window is context sensitive. That is, when you display
the Extrude options window, only the options for the currently selected components (faces,
edges, or vertices) are displayed in the window.
To extrude polygon faces or edges
1. Select the faces or edges you want to extrude.
2. Select Edit Mesh > Extrude

The action creates an extrude node and switches to the Show Manipulator Tool.
NoteYou can also switch to the Show Manipulator Tool by selecting the entire
poloygon mesh, then pressing + and choosing Extrude Face from the
marking menu.
 Use the manipulator to control the direction and distance of the extrusion. Remember
that you can also change the pivot by pressing Insert or Home. Click the circle handle
attached to the manipulator to switch between local and world axes.
Note
The Show Manipulator Tool only appears when Construction History is on.
 Use the controls in the Attribute Editor or Channel Box or the Extrude tool to edit
the extrusion. See Edit Mesh > Extrude.
You can use the Extrude tool controls to modify

the Thickness, Offset and Divisionsof the selected face or edge. Insert numerical
values or use or to adjust the speed of changing the values.
You can turn the tool controls on or off by pressing + + and then
selecting Show Attribute Sliders from the marking menu.
Tip
You can set the precision for the Thickness, Offset, and Divisions values. These
controls use the same precision settings as the Channel Box. Select Edit > Settings
> Change Precision to set.
Tip
You can scale and rotate the extrusion along its length to create interesting forms.
Note
Extruding edges can make your mesh non-manifold. Use Mesh > Cleanup to fix non-
manifold geometry.
To extrude edges or faces along a path curve
1. Select the edges/or faces you want to extrude and the curve you want to extrude along.
2. Select Edit Mesh > Extrude > .
3. Turn on either the Selected or Generated options.
4. Click Extrude.
5. Use the controls in the Attribute Editor or Channel Box to edit the extrusion. See Edit
Mesh > Extrude.
For example, increase Divisions so the extruded polygons better match the shape of
the curve.
Reduce Taper so the extruded polygons gradually become narrower along the curve.
(You can also use the Taper Curve controls to create more complex tapers.)
Adjust Twist so the extruded polygons rotate along the curve.
Vertices extrude along its vertex normal, creating additional faces for each face that shares
the vertex.
To extrude a vertex
1. Select the vertex you want to extrude.
2. Select Edit Mesh > Extrude > .
3. Set the Length setting to extrude the vertex and click Extrude.
Keeping faces together when extruding
The Keep Faces Together option (Edit Mesh > Keep Faces Together) controls
how Extrude treats the edges of adjacent faces. When Keep Faces Together is on, the
faces expand so their edges stay connected. When Keep Faces Together is off, Maya
creates new polygons along the edges of the faces as they extrude.
Note
When Keep Faces Together is off, each face becomes a separate mesh.
Extrude polygons in an arc or wedge shape
You can use the Wedge Face feature to extrude a face to quickly create:
 arches in buildings
 knees and elbows in characters
 curved sections of roads or tunnels
To extrude polygons in an arc or wedge shape
1. Select a face, then select the edge or edges the wedges will pivot about.
For best results, select only one edge or edges in a straight line.
2. Select Edit Mesh > Wedge Face.

Create symmetrical polygon meshes
Maya lets you create polygon models that have symmetry. Symmetry is when a form has
balanced proportions across a dividing line or axis. There are many types of symmetry
possible. The most common types of symmetry are bilateral symmetry and radial
symmetry.
In Maya you can model a polygon mesh symmetrically using the following features:
 Using Duplicate Special to create a symmetrical mesh
 Using Mirror Geometry to create a symmetrical mesh
 Using Mirror Cut to create a symmetrical mesh
 Using Subdiv Proxy to create a symmetrical mesh
Using Duplicate Special to create a symmetrical mesh
The Duplicate Special feature lets you copy any object across the X, Y, or Z axis using the
object’s pivot point as a reference point. Duplicating an object in this way creates an
identical copy that is separate from the original.
To mirror a polygon mesh across its pivot point using the Duplicate Special feature
1. Select the polygon mesh and choose Edit > Duplicate Special > .
2. Set the Translate and Rotate values to 0.
3. Set the scaling to -1 for the axis (X, Y, or Z) across which you want to mirror the
polygon mesh.
4. Click Duplicate Special.
Note
When you scale an object by -1 across its axis of symmetry, the surface normal will be
flipped. Keep this in mind when you need to perform other modeling operations on the
mesh. You can reverse the normals using Normals > Reverse.
Using Mirror Geometry to create a symmetrical mesh
Use the Mirror Geometry feature when you have created one half of a model and want to
create an identical duplicate mirrored half. The original half of the polygon mesh is
duplicated across an axis of symmetry based on its bounding box or pivot point. You can
also merge the duplicated polygon mesh with the original mesh to create one resulting
polygon mesh.
To mirror a polygon mesh across its bounding box using the Mirror
Geometry feature
1. Select the polygons and choose Mesh > Mirror Geometry > .
2. Choose the direction to mirror the polygons and whether to merge the duplicated
polygons into the original mesh.
3. Click Mirror.
Using Mirror Cut to create a symmetrical mesh
You can model a polygon mesh and then copy it across a user defined axis of symmetry
using the Mirror Cut feature. The Mirror Cut feature lets you manually position the axis
that the mesh will be duplicated across. You can also merge the duplicated polygon mesh
with the original mesh to create one resulting polygon mesh. Mirror Cut can provide for
interesting symmetry results depending on where you locate the axis of symmetry.
To model a polygon mesh symmetrically with Mirror Cut
1. Select a polygon mesh.
2. Select Mesh > Mirror Cut.
3. Use the manipulator to adjust the plane of symmetry.
Note
 If you position the plane of symmetry so it is beyond the positive edge of the original
object, then both the original object and its mirror image will disappear (except for
one face on each). If you want to mirror the object in the direction of its positive
edge, then move the symmetry plane so it intersects the original object and rotate the
symmetry plane 180 degrees.
 When you delete history of an object on which you have applied Mesh > Mirror Cut,
the plane of symmetry is not deleted. You must manually delete the plane of
symmetry.
Using Subdiv Proxy to create a symmetrical mesh
Subdiv proxy lets you simultaneously preview the smoothed version of the polygon mesh
while you modify the original mesh. The original mesh appears partially transparent so you
can view the smoothed version beneath. When you turn on Subdiv Proxy’s Mirror
Behavior option, you can modify the original half of the polygon mesh while the other half
updates.
To model a polygon mesh symmetrically using Subdiv Proxy
1. Select a polygon mesh.
2. Select Proxy > Subdiv Proxy > .
3. In the Subdiv Proxy options window, set Mirror Behavior to Full, set the Mirror
Direction, and click Smooth.
The original mesh is mirrored along the Mirror Direction.
4. Modify one half of the subdiv proxy (for example, using Edit Mesh > Extrude).
The modification automatically updates on the opposite half of the subdiv proxy.
5. If you want to combine the two halves, select Proxy > Remove Subdiv Proxy Mirror.
Notes on mirroring polygon meshes using Subdiv Proxy
 Mirroring only works across the world axes. Mirroring an object that has been arbitrarily
rotated may produce unexpected results; some geometry may overlap as a result.
 If you modify the mirrored half of the subdiv proxy in object space mode, dragging a
manipulator in one direction will modify the proxy in the opposite direction.
 If you modify the mirrored half of the subdiv proxy in world space mode, dragging a
manipulator in one direction will modify the proxy in the same direction.
 If you modify the original half of the subdiv proxy, in object space or world space mode,
dragging a manipulator in one direction will modify the proxy in the same direction.
Duplicate polygon faces
The Duplicate Face feature lets you copy one or more polygon faces in a mesh. You can
duplicate faces and specify that the duplicates become polygon shells within the existing
mesh or form a new separate polygon mesh.
To duplicate polygon faces
1. Select the faces to duplicate and choose Edit Mesh > Duplicate Face > .
2. Set the Duplicate Face options as follows:
 If you want the duplicated faces to become their own mesh, turn on Separate
duplicated faces. The duplicated faces will be separated into their own separate
object. Any pre-existing shells in the mesh will not be affected.
 Turn off Separate duplicated faces to make the duplicated faces part of the existing
mesh.
 If you know the exact transformation values you want to use, you can enter them in
the option box, otherwise you can specify them interactively later.
3. Click Duplicate.
The action creates a node and switches to the Show Manipulator tool.
 Use the manipulator to control the direction and distance of the duplication.
Remember that you can also change the pivot by pressing Insert or Home. Click the
circle handle attached to the manipulator to switch between local and world axes.
 Use the controls in the attribute editor or channel box to edit the duplicates.
Keeping faces together when duplicating
The Keep Faces Together option (Edit Mesh > Keep Faces Together) controls how Maya
treats the edges of adjacent faces. When Keep Faces Together is on, the faces expand so
their edges stay connected. When Keep Faces Together is off, the duplicated faces are
disconnected.
Combining, separating, and splitting
 Merge polygons
Merge boundary edges
You can select boundary edges of a model and merge them (or sew them) to create one
common edge using the Merge Edge Tool.
Merging edges can reduce your polygon count. You can merge the boundary edges of a
model and then delete the interior edges, resulting in fewer faces.
NoteYou can only merge edges that are part of the same polygon mesh.
If you want to merge edges from different mesh objects, you must first combine the meshes
into a new mesh using the Combine feature (Mesh > Combine).
To merge polygon edges
1. Select Edit Mesh > Merge Edge Tool.
2. Click the first border edge you want to merge.

The next selectable edge displays in purple.
3. Click the second (purple) edge you want to merge. Do not Shift-click or drag out a
selection box.
 Press to merge.
 Press y to merge and continue using the tool.
 Press to go back and select another edge.
You can edit the merge by selecting the merge node and changing the mode attribute.
To merge multiple polygon edges
1. Select the edges you want to merge and choose Edit Mesh > Merge > .
2. Set the Threshold value to control how close edges must be to merge.
3. Click Merge.
Notes
 To make it easier to distinguish between border edges and interior edges, turn on the
display of border edges by selecting Display > Polygons > Border Edges.
 You can only merge border edges. You cannot merge non-border edges or non-manifold
edges.
Merge vertices, edges, or faces into one vertex
You can merge vertices, edges, and faces into a single vertex using the Merge feature.
When you merge vertices, coincident edges and their associated UVs are also merged
automatically (within a specified threshold).
To merge several vertices into a single vertex
1. Select the vertices you want to merge.
2. Select Edit Mesh > Merge > .
3. Set the Threshold setting to control how close vertices must be to merge.
4. Click Merge.
Note
You can only merge edges that are part of the same polygon mesh.
If you want to merge edges from different mesh objects, you must first combine the meshes
into a new mesh using Mesh > Combine.
Merge Vertex Tool
You can merge two vertices on the same mesh together using the Merge Vertex Tool.
Merging two vertices with this tool yields the same result as selecting the vertices
individually and using the Merge feature.
To merge two vertices using the Merge Vertex Tool
1. Select a mesh.
2. Set the component selection mask to vertices.
3. Select Edit Mesh > Merge Vertex Tool.
4. Drag the mouse from a source vertex on the selected mesh to a destination vertex.
The vertices merge to become a single vertex.
When dragging between the vertices you want to merge, a red line appears from the source
vertex to the mouse cursor.
You can also merge multiple vertices with the Merge Vertex Tool.
To merge multiple vertices
1. Select a set of vertices with the Select Tool.
2. Select Edit Mesh > Merge Vertex Tool.
3. Drag the the mouse from one of the source vertices to a destination vertex.
All the selected source vertices merge with the destination vertex.
You can change the behavior of the Merge Vertex Tool, with the Tool Settings Editor, to
merge the vertices at either the destination vertex or at the center between the source and
destination vertices. In the latter case, a small red dot will appear at the center of the red
line drawn between the source vertex and the mouse cursor.
You can merge several vertices to their collective center using Edit Mesh > Merge To Center.
To merge edges or faces into a single vertex
1. Select the edges or faces you want to merge to a center point.
2. Select Edit Mesh > Merge To Center.
To merge a selection of edges separately
1. Select the edges you want to merge on a component by component basis.
2. Select Edit Mesh > Collapse.

Each edge is collapsed and its component vertices merged.
Notes
 Merging vertices can make your geometry nonmanifold.

Use Mesh > Cleanup to fix nonmanifold geometry.
 When you merge vertices, Maya also attempts to merge the corresponding UVs. In some
cases, such as UVs on separate UV pieces, Maya cannot merge UVs. You must manually
merge the UVs in the UV Texture Editor using Edit UVs > Merge UVs.
Bridge between border edges
You can construct faces between pairs of border edges using the Bridge feature. The
resulting bridged faces are merged into the original mesh.
Bridge is useful when you need to connect two sets of edges together with a piece of mesh.
For example, connecting and merging the wrist on a character’s arm to its hand.
You can select border edges by two methods:
 Select two regions of border edges using an edge selection method.
 Select two regions of faces that are associated with the border edges you want to bridge
using a face selection method.
To bridge between border edges you must ensure that:
 the selected edges reside in the same polygonal mesh. Separate meshes can be
combined into one using Mesh > Combine.
 the number of border edges in each selection is identical. While you can have non-
border edges in the selection, the number of border edges to be bridged must match.
 the normals on the faces associated with the selected edges are oriented consistently.
Otherwise the resulting bridge mesh may be constructed with an unexpected shape.
To bridge between two or more selected polygon edges
1. Select the border edges you want to bridge as follows:
 Select two separate regions of border edges on the combined mesh using any edge
selection method.
It’s not critical that you select only border edges when selecting edges because
the Bridge feature will automatically filter out non-border edges. However, the resulting
number of border edges in both the origin and target regions you select, must match.
 Select two separate regions of faces on the combined mesh using any face selection
technique from which the border edges will be used for the bridging mesh.
The Bridge feature automatically determines the valid border edges from the face
selection and then deletes the faces after the bridging mesh is constructed.
Note
If the border edges reside in separate meshes you must first combine the meshes into
one using Mesh > Combine.
2. Select Edit Mesh > Bridge > .

The Bridge Options window appears.
3. In the Bridge Options window set any of the following options as required:
 Select the Bridge type to define the shape of the bridging mesh between the
selected edges.
 Enter a number for the Divisions in bridge to specify the number of equally spaced
segments you want between the selected border edges.
4. Click the Bridge button to create the bridging faces and close the option window.
Note
If faces were originally selected to determine the origin and target regions, those faces
will be deleted once the bridging mesh is constructed.
5. You can edit the attributes for the bridging mesh by selecting the mesh and editing
the polyBridgeEdge node in the Attribute Editor.
For more information on the Bridge options and attributes see Edit Mesh > Bridge.
UV texture coordinates and the Bridge feature
UV texture information is taken into account when the bridging mesh is created. UV texture
coordinates are created based on the selected edges and the UV texture or color information
is interpolated based on the divisions of the new bridging mesh.
Troubleshooting the Bridge feature
The Bridge feature failed to bridge a mesh between the selected border edges.
Ensure that:
 the meshes being bridged are combined into one mesh.
 the number of selected border edges is the same for both the origin and target regions
of the mesh.
 The selected faces were not along an outside border of the mesh.
The bridged mesh flips between the two sets of border edges in a “bow tie”
shape.
If the selected edges do not form a closed loop, the normals on the faces associated
with the selected edges may be oriented inconsistently. The Bridge
feature determines the orientation of each connection using the normals associated
with the faces of the selected edges. You can check the orientation of the normals
using Display > Polygons > Face Normals. If the normal orientation is inconsistent,
try reversing the normals on the faces on one side of the bridge using Normals >
Reverse, and then create the bridged mesh again.
The bridged mesh twists between the two sets of closed loop border edges in a
spiral.
When the selected edges form a closed loop (for example, a ring or cylindrical shape)
the Bridge feature may connect between edges in an unexpected way. You can
correct this using the Bridge offset attribute in the Attribute Editor. Simply
increase the Bridge offset value by one to change the start or end location of the
bridged loop of edges to the next vertex in the loop.
Will the Bridge feature construction history let me switch the Bridge type after
I’ve created a bridge mesh?
If you created a bridge mesh using the Linear path or Smooth path + curve
options, you can change the Bridge type to Smooth path. If you created a bridge
mesh using the Linear path or Smooth path options, you cannot change
the Bridge type to Smooth path + curve.
How do I edit the explicit curve to modify the shape of the bridging mesh?
It is recommended you select and modify only the interior CVs on the explicit curve
to modify the shape of the bridging mesh.
 Combine and separate polygon meshes
Combine polygon meshes
You can combine two or more polygon meshes into one polygon object using
the Combine feature. The Combine feature assembles the meshes as polygon shells in a
new polygon mesh node that gets created. The topology of the combined meshes are not
modified in any other way.
In general, you must combine separate polygon meshes before you can perform many types
of polygon editing operations. For example, if you wanted to merge the edges/vertices of
two halves of a character, you must first Combine the meshes into one object.
To combine two or more polygon meshes into one mesh
1. Select the meshes you want to combine into a single object.
2. Select Mesh > Combine.

The meshes are combined as separate polygon shells in one new polygon mesh node.
Notes
 Combining meshes can result in non-manifold geometry, where the normals of adjacent
faces are pointing in opposite directions. To avoid this, use Normals > Conform to flip all
normals in the combined mesh to the same side.
Combine polygon meshes using booleans
Boolean operations in Maya describe features that determine how existing shapes interact
with each other. For example, you can use the volume of one shape to sculpt another. They
can be very powerful for modeling shapes that would otherwise be very difficult to model
using other techniques.
Maya provides three boolean operations:
 Union combines the volumes of the two meshes you select.
 Difference subtracts the volume of the second mesh you select from the first.
 Intersection leaves the shared volume of the two meshes.
Boolean operations are very useful for trimming objects.

Boolean operations generate a new shape node. If you keep construction history, the
original shapes can still be selected in the Channel Box, Hypergraph, or Outliner
and edited, with the boolean result automatically updating. You can even change which
boolean operation to use to combine the objects.
To combine two meshes with a boolean operation
1. Select the meshes.

For the Difference operation, select the mesh you want to subtract from first.
2. Select one of the boolean actions in the Mesh > Booleans submenu.
The faces of the objects are now connected and both original meshes act as one single
object.
You can select the original objects using the Outliner, Hypergraph, Attribute Editor, or
Channel Box. As long as construction history is on, when you edit the originals, the
boolean result updates automatically.
For example, you can subtract a sphere from a cube using the Difference operation, then
animate the original sphere to create an interesting effect:
Troubleshooting the polygon boolean operations
Boolean operations don’t work as expected
Boolean operations may sometimes produce unexpected results if the original objects
are not closed volumes, or if they contain nearly coincident vertices. Other conditions
to note include:
 The region of intersection should not contain border edges. You can display border edges
by selecting Display > Polygons > Border Edges.
 Avoid meshes that are non-manifold in nature. That is, an edge does not connect to
more than two faces.
 The normals on the meshes must consistently point outwards on the volumes. You can
view the normals on a mesh using Display > Polygons > Face Normals. You reverse
face normals using Normals > Reverse.
 Before applying a boolean operation, fill any openings in the original objects (for
example, use Mesh > Fill Hole), and then use the Merge feature (Edit Mesh > Merge)
with a suitably small Threshold tolerance to merge vertices that are effectively
coincident.
 Ensure the meshes involved do not have very small faces and edges. Booleans
operations do not work on meshes that have zero area (or very small) faces or zero
length (or very short) edges.
The boolean feature automatically checks for and removes very small faces and edges
via the Use Thresholds option on the polyBoolOp node. This controls two threshold
settings that determine whether small faces and edges are checked for and removed
automatically during the boolean operation. The default setting is on.
- The Vertex Distance Threshold checks for zero length edges (or very short edges).
Any vertices closer than the value specified will automatically be merged into one
vertex.
- The Face Area Threshold checks for zero area faces (or very small faces). Any faces
with an area smaller than the value specified will automatically be collapsed into one
vertex.
Note
The default threshold settings are a good starting point. If the boolean operation fails,
you can experiment with the threshold settings to achieve best results. Increasing either
the Vertex Distance Threshold or the Face Area Threshold on
the polyBoolean node by too large a value will cause portions of the mesh to
disappear.
Maya runs out of memory when using the boolean operations
Using booleans on large polygonal objects is a memory intensive operation. Maya

can run out of memory if this operation is performed many times on large polygonal
objects.
To reduce the possibility of running out of memory, keep the undo queue length
small or flush the undo queue every now and then when performing boolean
operations on large polygonal objects.
Edit the original objects after a boolean operation
The objects you combine in a boolean operation to create a union, subtraction, or

intersection still exist in the scene, they are just hidden. You can select them, edit them,
and make them visible again.
If you want to transform the objects after a Boolean operation, you have to access the
history of the objects from the Hypergraph, Outliner, Channel Box, or Attribute Editor.
You can then use Maya’s transformation tools or enter values to transform the objects.
To select an input object
1. After a boolean operation, select Window > Hypergraph: Hierarchy to open

the Hypergraph.
The result of the boolean operation is a single node.
2. In the Hypergraph, select the input object you want to transform.
3. In the scene view, the object changes color to indicate that you are now working on an
object’s history nodes.
To make an input object visible
1. To display one of the input objects you used when performing the boolean operation,
select the transform node for the input object in the Hypergraph.
2. Turn Visibility on in the transform node’s Attribute Editor.
3. Select the object’s transform node, open the Display section, and turn on
the Visibility checkbox.
Now you can see the input object as well as edit it. The Boolean operation constantly
updates the original object based on the new transformed tool object.
Separate polygon shells into separate meshes
The Separate feature separates polygon shells within a polygon mesh into their own
separate meshes. You can separate all of the shells at once or specify that only some of the
shells get separated by selecting some faces on those shells.
To separate shells into separate meshes
 Select the mesh object and choose Mesh > Separate.

The shells are divided into separate meshes.
 Select some faces on the shells you want to have separated and then choose Mesh >
Extract.
Only the shells with the selected faces will be separated into their own separate mesh.
Any remaining shells will not be affected.
Extract faces from a mesh
You can select and then disconnect faces from a polygon mesh using the Mesh >
Extract feature. Extract removes the polygons by duplicating the appropriate edges and
vertices based on the selection.
You can either place the extracted faces into a new shell within the same mesh object, or
create a new polygon mesh using the extracted faces.
To extract faces from a mesh
1. Select the faces you want to extract and choose Mesh > Extract > .
2. Set the Extract options as follows:
 If you want the extracted faces to become their own mesh, turn on Separate
extracted faces. The extracted faces will be separated into their own separate
object. Any pre-existing shells in the mesh will not be affected.
 Turn off Separate extracted faces to make the duplicated faces part of the existing
mesh.
 If you know the exact transformation values you want to use, you can enter them in
the option box, otherwise you can specify them interactively later.
3. Click Extract.
The action creates a node and switches to the Show Manipulator tool.
 Use the manipulator to control the direction and distance to move the extracted faces.
Remember that you can also change the pivot by pressing Insert or Home. Click the
circle handle attached to the manipulator to switch between local and world axes.
Note
 Use the controls in the attribute editor or channel box to edit the extraction.
Keeping extracted faces together
The Keep Faces Together option (Edit Mesh > Keep Faces Together) controls
how Extract treats the edges of adjacent faces. When Keep Faces Together is on, the
faces expand so their edges stay connected. When Keep Faces Together is off, the edges
are disconnected.
Note
When the Keep Faces Together option is off and Separate extracted faces setting is on,
each face becomes a separate mesh.
 Split polygon components
Split shared vertices
You can split a shared vertex into multiple vertices (one for each polygonal face that shares
it) using the Detach Component feature. You can then perform independent operations on
the split edges.
Splitting a vertex that is shared lets you separate the edges of the faces so you can create
an opening in a polygon mesh or divide the polygon mesh altogether.
To split a vertex
1. Select the shared vertex or vertices you want to split.

The Detach Component feature ignores selected vertices that are not shared.
2. Select Edit Mesh > Detach Component.

The selected vertices get split into multiple separate vertices that are not shared.
Split polygon faces
The Interactive Split Tool and the Split Polygon Tool lets you split one or more polygon
faces in a mesh by drawing a line across the faces to specify the location of the split.
When using either of these tools, the following conditions apply:
 A polygon is split only if the split line crosses two of its edges. (If the split line ends in
the middle of a polygon, that polygon is not split.)
 Multiple polygons can be split by one split line. Any polygons the split line crosses are
split.
To split a polygon face
1. Select Edit Mesh > Interactive Split Tool or Edit Mesh > Split Polygon Tool.
2. Click an edge where you want the split to begin.
3. To refine the split line you can:
 Click additional points to define the direction of the split line.
 Drag to move the previous point after you’ve placed it.
 Constrain the placement of split line points (see below).
4. Click an edge to complete the split line, and either press or press y to perform the
split. To finish the split and exit the tool, press . If you complete the split line by
clicking on the interior area of a face, the split will end at the last edge crossed.
Note
Neither tool can cross and split the same edge twice in one operation. If you receive an
error message “internal edge repeated” when splitting, press the Delete key to undo the
previous step and then press Enter to complete the split. Then split across those faces in
a second split operation.
To constrain the placement of split lines using the Interactive Split Tool
1. Select Edit Mesh > Interactive Split Tool >

The Interactive Split Tool settings appear:
 Constrain to edges: Constrains any points you place to edges.
 Snap Magnets: Allows you to snap to points along the edge.
 Magnet Tolerance: Controls how close the vertex must be to a snapping point before
the vertex snaps to it. Set this to 10 to constrain vertices to always be at snapping
points.
To constrain the placement of split line points using the Split Polygon Tool
1. Select Edit Mesh > Split Polygon Tool > .

The Interactive Split Tool settings appear:
 Split only from edges: Constrains any points you place to edges.
 Use snapping points along edge: Snaps points to regular distances along an edge.
 Number of points: Controls the number of magnet points inside edges.

 Snapping tolerance: Controls how close the point must be to a magnet before the
point snaps to it. Set this value to 100 to constrain points so they are always at magnet
points.
To snap a point to the exact midpoint of an edge, turn on Use snapping points along
edge, set Number of points to 1, and set Snapping tolerance to 100.
Tip
When you click an edge, the location of the vertex is displayed as a percentage distance
on the Help Line. This is helpful when you want numerical confirmation of the split
location. For example, 25% is a quarter of the distance, 50% is the halfway point.
Connect arbitrary components
You can connect multiple vertices and edges with edges in one operation using the Connect
Components tool. These components must be adjacent, meaning each vertex or edge
must border an adjacent face as the last.
To connect arbitrary components
1. + select vertices and edges bordering adjacent faces.
2. Select Edit Mesh > Connect Components.

The selected components are connected by edges. Vertices are connected directly to
connecting edges while edges are connected at their midpoint.
Split multiple polygon faces
You can split multiple polygon faces in one operation using the Cut Faces Tool (Edit Mesh
> Cut Faces Tool). The tool can also split polygons across multiple polygon meshes in one
operation.
Using the Cut Faces Tool you can:
 Add edges where you want more bend in the surface, such as a character’s elbow or
knee.
 Slice and delete a portion of model—this operation is like a Boolean subtraction.
 Prepare a model for mirroring by slicing away a portion to create a clean edge along the
mirror axis.
To cut faces along a line you draw
1. Select a mesh or faces and choose Edit Mesh > Cut Faces Tool > .
2. Ensure the Cut direction is set to Interactive.
3. You can turn on Delete cut faces to delete the faces on one side of the cut, or Extract
cut faces to disconnect the cut faces along the cut edges.
4. Drag a line in a view window to define the cutting plane.

When the Delete cut faces option is on, a dotted line shows which side will be deleted.
 Draw another line to cut the faces again.
 Select another tool.
Once you have cut the faces, you can select the polyCut node and click the Show
Manipulator tool to further modify your work.
To cut faces along a defined plane
1. Select a mesh or faces and choose Edit Mesh > Cut Faces Tool > .
2. Choose a plane from the Cut direction settings.
3. Click Enter Cut Tool And Close.

Split a face so that a vertex is added at its center
The Poke Face feature subdivides a polygon face in such a fashion that a new vertex is
added to the center of the selected face. When the vertex is added a manipulator appears to
move the newly created vertex or vertices.
Poke Face is useful when you need to add details such as bumps or indentations to a
polygon face.
To split a face so that a vertex is added at its center
1. Select one or more faces and choose Edit Mesh > Poke Face.
2. Use the manipulator to move the new vertex or vertices. Remember that you can also
change the pivot by pressing Insert or Home. Click the circle handle attached to the
manipulator to switch between local and world axes.
Note
Insert an edge loop
The Insert Edge Loop Tool lets you select and then split the polygon faces across either a
full or partial edge ring on a polygonal mesh.
The Insert Edge Loop Tool is useful when you want to add detail across a large area of a
polygon mesh or when you want to insert edges along a user-defined path.
For a description of an edge ring, please refer to Select an edge ring.
When you insert an edge loop, you are splitting the polygon faces associated with the
selected edge ring. The Insert Edge Loop Tool lets you insert one or more edge loops
across a full, partial, or multidirectional edge ring.
Possible workflow scenarios are as follows:
 Insert an edge loop across a full edge ring on a polygon mesh.
 Insert a partial edge loop across a polygon mesh.
 Insert a multidirectional edge loop

To insert an edge loop across a full edge ring on a polygonal mesh
1. In the scene view, select the polygonal mesh.
2. From the Polygons menu set, select Edit Mesh > Insert Edge Loop Tool > .
The Insert Edge Loop Tool settings editor appears.
3. Ensure that the default options are set as follows:
 Maintain position: Relative distance from edge
 Auto complete: On
When Maintain position is set to Relative distance from edge, the preview locator is
positioned based on a percentage distance along the edge (25%, 50% and so on)
When Auto complete is turned on you can select a full edge ring and immediately split
the corresponding faces.
4. Click the edge on the polygonal mesh where you want a set of new edges to be inserted
across the mesh. Do not immediately release the mouse button.
A green dotted edge loop preview locator line appears within the edge ring that is
selected perpendicular to the edge you clicked. The edge loop preview locator indicates
where the new edge loop will be inserted across the mesh once you release the mouse
button.
5. Depending on the orientation of the selected edge ring on the mesh, drag your mouse in
either a side to side, or back and forth motion to position the edge loop preview locator.
6. Release the mouse button when you have moved the edge loop locator to the desired
location.
The new edge loop is inserted on the polygon faces associated with the selected edge
ring. The new edge loop remains selected so that you can perform additional operations
on the edges.
7. When you have split the desired polygons, do one of the following to exit the tool:
 Choose the Select Tool in the (Hotkey: q).
 Choose another tool or feature that performs the next operation on the selected edge
loop.
Mesh > Extrude to extrude the selected edge loop, or converting the edge loop
selection to faces.
To insert a partial edge loop across a polygonal mesh
3. Set the following options:
 Auto Complete: Off
Note
When the Auto Complete option is turned off you can select a partial edge ring
without the edge loop being automatically inserted after you release your mouse
button.
4. Click an edge of the polygonal mesh to indicate the starting point of the partial edge ring
where you want the new edge loop to be inserted across the mesh.
The edge is selected and a green vertex appears on the edge you clicked to indicate the
selection.
5. Click a second edge that you want to be the ending point of the partial edge ring. The
second edge should be parallel to the first edge you selected.
All of the edges between the first and second edges you clicked become selected and a
dotted green edge loop preview locator appears across the selected edge ring. The
preview locator indicates where the new edge loop will be inserted across the mesh.
6. If you want to cancel the selection of a particular edge, + on that edge and
continue your selection. If you want to cancel the edge selection entirely, click anywhere
in the scene view off of the mesh.
7. When you have completed your selection process, either press or and
select Complete Tool from the marking menu that appears.
An edge loop is inserted at the location that was indicated by the edge loop locator on
the polygonal mesh. The new edge loop remains selected so that you can perform
additional operations on it.
8. When you have completed the desired polygon splitting, you can do one of the following
to exit the tool:
ring.
to faces.
To insert a multidirectional edge loop
3. Set the following options:
 Auto Complete: Off
Note
When the Auto Complete option is off you can select a partial edge ring that is
multidirectional without the edge loop being automatically inserted after you release
your mouse button.
4. Click an edge of the polygonal mesh to indicate the starting point of the partial edge ring
where you want the new edge loop to be inserted on the mesh.
The edge is selected and a green vertex appears on the edge you clicked to indicate the
selection.
5. Click a second edge that you want to be the ending point of the partial edge ring. The
second edge must be parallel to the first edge you selected.
All of the edges between the first and second edges you clicked become selected and a
dotted green edge loop preview locator appears across the selected edge. The preview
locator indicates where the new edge loop will be inserted across the mesh.
6. To continue the existing edge ring path in a different direction, click on an edge that is
directly adjacent to the edge you last selected to indicate the change in direction for the
selection.
7. Continue to select edges and/or change the direction in your edge ring path as described
in steps 5 and 6 above.
Note
You can change the direction of your edge ring selection path several times, but the path
should not be constructed so that it crosses an existing area of selection. When the
selection path intersects itself the edge insertion mode of the tool cannot determine
where to insert an edge loop. In these situations, you need to perform multiple edge
split operations.
8. If you want to cancel the selection of a particular edge at any time during the selection
process, + on the desired edge. If you want to cancel the edge selection
entirely, click anywhere in the scene view off of the mesh.
9. When you have completed your selection process, either press or and
select Complete Tool from the marking menu.
An edge loop is inserted at the location that was indicated by the preview locator on the
polygonal mesh. The new edge loop remains selected so that you can perform additional
operations on it.
10. When you have completed your edge loop insertion, do one of the following to exit the
tool:
ring.
to faces.
Note
If the Edge Ring selections do not select the edges as you expect you may wish to refer
to Edge ring and edge loop selection tips for additional information.
Note
When the Auto Complete option is off, you can also insert a partial edge loop on faces
that are not comprised exclusively of four-sided polygons by clicking two edges for any
given face in sequence along the desired path. This specifies the direction of the selected
ring path.
Insert Edge Loop Tool notes
You can turn many of the Insert Edge Loop Tool options on or off while the tool is active
using a marking menu. This assists your workflow by letting you continue your work without
having to re-open the tool options window.
To change the tool options when the Insert Edge Loop Tool is active
1. Press + + anywhere within the scene view away from a surface.

The Insert Edge Loop Tool options (Auto Complete, Absolute distance from
edge, Relative distance from edge, and Multiple edge loops) appear on a marking
menu.
2. Depending on your desired workflow you can select any of the options from the marking
menu to either turn them on or off.
You can continue to use the Insert Edge Loop Tool and the options you selected will
be used.
Create edge loops that are offset from an edge
The Offset Edge Loop Tool lets you insert two lines of parallel edges on either side of the
edge(s) you select. The parallel edge lines traverse the extent of the edge selection. Offset
Edge Loop is useful when you want to add localized detail to a polygonal mesh on either
side of a single edge or line of edges.
When editing a polygonal mesh, there is always the risk that splitting a polygon to add
detail to the mesh will result in changing the integrity of the polygon topology from the
usual ideal four-sided topology (quads) to triangles or some type of multisided (n-sided)
polygon topology.
The Offset Edge Loop Tool lets you insert edges on either side of selected edges to add
detail to a polygon mesh while ensuring that the integrity of the four-sided polygon topology
is maintained. When an edge or multiple edges get offset on a mesh comprised of four-
sided polygons (quads), the Offset Edge Loop Tool creates two new edges on either side
of the selected edge and subdivides the affected faces to ensure that the four-sided polygon
topology is maintained.
To offset an edge loop on a polygonal mesh
2. From the Polygons menu set, select Edit Mesh > Offset Edge Loop Tool > .
The Offset Edge Loop Tool options window appears.
3. Set the following options, then click Enter Tool and Close.
 Tool Completion = Automatically
4. Click an edge on the polygonal mesh where you want the new edge loops to be offset
from. Do not immediately release the mouse button.
A pair of green dotted edge loop preview locator lines appear on the mesh parallel to
and on either side of the edge you clicked. The edge loop preview locator indicates
where the new edge loops will be inserted across the mesh once you release the mouse
button.
5. Depending on the orientation of the edge loop on the mesh, drag your mouse in either a
side to side, or back and forth motion to position the preview locators.
6. Release the mouse button when you have positioned the edge loop preview locators in
the desired location.
The new edge loops are inserted on the polygon faces associated with the edges you
selected. The original edge loop remains selected so you can perform additional
operations on it.
7. When you have completed the desired edge loop offsets, do one of the following to exit
the tool:
loop.
to faces.
To offset a partial edge loop on a polygonal mesh
2. From the Polygons menu set, select Edit Mesh > Offset Edge Loop Tool > .
The Offset Edge Loop Tool options window appears.
3. Set the following options and then click Enter Tool and Close.
 Tool Completion: Press Enter
 Delete Edge: On
4. Click an edge on the polygonal mesh where you want the new edge loops to be offset
from on mesh.
A pair of edge loop preview locator lines appear on either side of, and parallel to, the
edge you clicked. The green dotted preview locators indicate where the edge loops will
be inserted across the mesh once you release the mouse button.
5. Continue to click edges along the same edge loop of the mesh to build the desired
partial loop of selected edges on the mesh.
The Offset Edge Loop Tool selects any edges between the first and last edge you
select and updates the edge loop preview locator as you proceed.
Tip
You do not have to click every edge along the path. Click once to specify the first edge
and a second time along the same contour line of the mesh to indicate the end of the
path.
6. If you want to cancel the selection of a particular edge, + that edge and
continue your selection. If you want to cancel the selection entirely, click anywhere in
the scene view off of the mesh.
7. Position the edge loop preview locator by dragging your mouse back and forth.
8. When you have completed your selection, either press or and select Complete
Tool from the marking menu.
The new edge loops are inserted on the polygon faces associated with the original edge
loop you selected. The original partial edge loop remains selected so that you can
perform additional operations on it.
9. When you have completed the desired polygon splitting, do one of the following to exit
the tool:
loop.
to faces.
Depending on the extent of your edge selection, the Offset Edge Loop Tool inserts edges
in a more radial fashion compared to the original mesh, based on how the Offset Edge
Loop Tool maintains the four-sided topology when the Delete Edge option is turned on.
This radial detail can be useful for creating features such as an eye, ear, or a mouth on a
model of a character.
Note
Additional options for duplicating edges are possible when the Offset Edge Loop Tool is
set to work as an action.
To change the Offset Edge Loop Tool so it works as an action
1. Select Edit Mesh > Offset Edge Loop Tool > .
2. From the Offset Edge Loop Tool options window, choose the Edit menu, select As
Action, and then Close.
The additional options will be available the next time you select this feature.
You can turn the Auto Complete and Delete Edge options on or off while the tool is active
using a marking menu. This assists your workflow by letting you continue your work without
having to re-open the tool options window.
To change the tool options when the Offset Edge Loop Tool is active
1. Press + + anywhere within the scene view away from the surface.
The Offset Edge Loop Tool options (Auto Complete and Delete Edge) appear on a
marking menu.
2. Depending on your desired workflow, you can select either Auto

Complete and/or Delete Edge from the marking menu to turn these options on or off.
You can continue to use the Offset Edge Loop Tool and the options you selected will
be used.
 Divide polygon components
Divide faces into triangles or quadrangles
You can subdivide a polygon face into triangles or quadrangles using the Add
Divisions feature (Edit Mesh > Add Divisions).
To divide a face using the Add Divisions feature
1. Select the faces you want to divide and choose Edit Mesh > Add Divisions > .
2. Set the Add divisions to either Exponentially or Linearly.

The Exponential setting subdivides the face or edge recursively. The Linear setting
subdivides the face into an absolute number of segments. In addition, when Linearly is
the selected Add Divisions setting, you can specify subdivisions in U and V.
3. Set the Division Levels to specify the number of subdivisions that occur for the
selected faces depending on the Add divisions setting.
4. The Exponentially controls let you specify the Mode to be either triangles or
quadrangles.
5. Click Add Divisions.
You can select the polySubdFace node and modify the subdivision settings in the Channel
Box or Attribute Editor.
Troubleshooting the Add Divisions feature
A face does not subdivide
You cannot use the Add Divisions feature on faces that contain holes. Also, you
cannot subdivide concave faces unless the center point is inside the face.
To subdivide a concave face into convex parts, use Edit Mesh > Split Polygon
Tool or Mesh > Triangulate. To remove holes use Triangulate.
Divide polygon edges
You can divide a polygon edge into two or more edges using the Edit Mesh > Add
Divisions feature. This is useful when you need to split an edge into two or more parts. For
example, when you divide one edge of a triangle polygon in half, it effectively becomes a
four-sided polygon (quad).
To divide a polygon edge into two or more edges
1. Select the edges you want to divide and then select Edit Mesh > Add Divisions > .
2. Set the Division Levels to the number of interior segments you want to create.
3. Click Add Divisions.
To change the subdivision values and modes in the Channel Box or Attribute Editor you
can select the polySubdFace node.
Editing polygons
 Modifying polygon meshes

Bevel polygon edges
The Bevel feature lets you chamfer or round the edges of a polygon mesh. It does this by
expanding each vertex and each edge into a new face. You can position these faces at an
offset from the original edge or scale them towards the original face center using the Bevel
options.
UV texture coordinates are automatically created for the new faces created by
the Bevel feature. UV assignment options allow you to specify the method by which UVs are
created for the beveled object.
On meshes with assigned color-per-vertex data, the vertex colors for the new vertices on
the Bevel are derived from the original neighboring vertices and the colors interpolated as
required.
To bevel edges
1. Select the mesh or edges you want to bevel.

If you select a mesh object, Maya will bevel every edge in the mesh.
2. Select Edit Mesh > Bevel.
You can edit the bevel in the Channel Box or the Attribute Editor after you perform the
operation.
Troubleshooting Bevel
When Bevel works strangely or not at all
Bevel works with convex and even star-shaped concave faces. However, it can give
unwanted results with concave faces where the center point is not inside the face.
To fix a concave faces, use Edit Mesh > Split Polygon Tool or Mesh > Triangulate.
Spin polygonal edges
You can spin edges on a polygon mesh using the Edit Mesh > Spin Edge Forward or Edit
Mesh > Spin Edge Backward option. Spinning an edge modifies your polygonal mesh by
changing the selected edges’ connectivity 1 vertex at a time. You can use this to quickly
change the flow of topology of your mesh. An example of this is shown below.
You can spin an edge forward or backward based on its winding direction. If you spin an
edge that was spun before, or spin an edge multiple times, Maya edits the offset attribute of
the existing history node rather than creating a new one.
Spinning an edge does not affect the vertex IDs or edge IDs, however as you spin an edge,
the adjacent faces rotate along with it.
Note
You can only spin edges that are attached to two faces.
To spin an edge
1. Select the edge(s) you want to spin.
2. Select Edit Mesh > Spin Edge Forward or Edit Mesh > Spin Edge Backward.
Alternatively, you can also press + or + + to spin the edge
forward or backward respectively.
The edges spin in the appropriate direction based on their individual winding orders.
You can spin multiple edges at once, but only 1 edge per face.
Crease polygonal edges and vertices
You can crease edges and vertices on a polygon mesh using the Crease Tool (Edit Mesh >
Crease Tool). Applying creases to components modifies your polygonal meshes so you can
create shapes that transition between hard and smooth, without unduly increasing the
resolution of the base mesh.
The crease value indicates the amount that each level of a subdivision is creased. For
example, a crease value of 2 means that the base level and first level edges are fully
creased, but finer level edges are not creased at all. Decimals can be used to specify partial
creases.
You can also create a Crease Set for any of the components you have creased using
the Create Crease Set feature. Crease Sets allow you to easily select and manage your
creased components. You can easily select your crease sets via the marking menu and use
the Outliner or the Relationship Editor to manage them.
To crease edges or vertices on a polygon mesh
1. Select Edit Mesh > Crease Tool.
You can also + -click in the scene view when you are in edge or vertex
selection mode and select Crease Tool from the marking menu.
2. Select the edges or vertices on the mesh you want to crease.
Note
You can select more than one edge or vertex at a time on a mesh to crease. You can
also select items on more than one polygon object and crease all of the items
simultaneously. However, you may experience crease popping.
3. -drag in the scene view to adjust the creasing value.

A heads-up display appears in the viewport to indicate the Crease Mode, the
current crease value, and the maximum crease value visible for the
current subdivision level.
Edges that have creasing applied appear with heavier lines on the original mesh.
Vertices with creasing applied are indicated by a small circle encompassing the vertex.
Note
The maximum crease value is the same as the number of levels of subdivision of the
mesh.
To create a Crease Set
1. Select the creased components (edges or vertices) that you want included in the Crease
Set.
2. Select Edit Mesh > Crease Sets > Create Crease Set.
Alternately, you can Create a Crease Set by pressing + + in the scene

and selecting the Create Crease Set item from the marking menu that appears.
The Create Crease Set window appears.
3. Type the name for your new crease set, and then click Create.
A list of the current crease sets in the scene appears below the Crease Sets menu item
or in the marking menu.
Tip
When the Crease Tool is active you can select your existing crease sets from a marking
menu by pressing + + in the scene. You can use the Outliner or
the Relationship Editor to manage your crease sets.
Chamfer a vertex
You can create a chamfered corner at the location of a vertex using the Chamfer
Vertex feature. Chamfer Vertex removes a vertex and creates a chamfered corner.
To chamfer a vertex
1. Select the vertex you want to chamfer.
2. Choose Edit Mesh > Chamfer Vertex.
Note
Because of the way Chamfer Vertex works internally, the node it creates
has Length and Divisions attributes. These attributes are locked and are not
meaningful to edit.
Deform a polygonal mesh
You can modify the shape of your polygonal meshes using features
called deformers. Deformers let you modify the individual components of a mesh at a
global level so you don’t have to modify each component individually.
Deformers can also be used to animate the shape of an object. For example, using a lattice
deformer you construct a cage-like box or lattice that surrounds the object you want to
modify.You then modify the lattice which then modifies the object. Maya has many types of
deformers available-: blend shape, lattice, cluster, nonlinear, sculpt, soft modification and
so on
Fill holes in a polygon mesh
The Fill Hole feature lets you automatically create a three or more sided face to fill an open
area on a polygon mesh. The open area must be surrounded by closed border edges.
The Fill Hole feature is useful when importing polygonal models from other software
applications where the meshes have holes, or to correct and rebuild models that imported
with the polygon mesh corrupted in some fashion.
To fill holes in polygons
1. Select the border edge you want to fill.
2. Select Mesh > Fill Hole.
This action creates a node called polyCloseBorder.

Transfer vertex attributes
To transfer UV, color per vertex (CPV), and vertex position information between meshes
that have differing topologies (that is, the number, arrangement, and connectivity of
vertices on each mesh is not identical) use the Transfer Attributes feature.
Transfer Attributes transfers vertex data by sampling the vertex information on the
source mesh and then transferring the information to the specified target mesh, based on a
comparison that is spatially based. The target mesh gets modified as a result.
Transferring vertex attributes using Transfer Attributes is useful in the following

situations:
 Transfer a finished UV layout, including multiple UV sets, from one surface mesh to
another mesh that has no existing UVs.
 Transfer a UV layout from a high resolution model to a low resolution version.

 Transfer color per vertex (CPV) data, including multiple color sets, from a high resolution
model to a low resolution version.
 Modify the vertex positions on a low resolution surface mesh to match the positions on a
high resolution version.
 Mirror vertex information from one half of a surface mesh to another half. For example,
you can ensure symmetry of UV, vertex, and color information on one mesh by sampling
the attribute information from one half of the mesh and transferring the data to its
opposite half.
Note
You can set the Transfer Attributes feature to transfer the UV sets, CPV color sets,
and vertex position data either separately or all at once depending on your
requirements.
While the source and target meshes can vary widely in their topology, the default transfer
settings require that the objects be positioned in identical locations spatially because of the
nature of the sampling and transfer process that occurs.
You can also use Transfer Attributes to flip the orientation of the UV shells as they appear
in the UV Texture Editor. This streamlines your UV layout and texturing workflow.
To transfer attributes between separate meshes
1. In the scene view, move the source and target meshes so they are positioned and
oriented as you want for the attribute transfer. Ensure that the source mesh and then
the target mesh are selected in that order.
NoteThe order of selection is important. The last object selected is always considered
the target for the transfer operation.
You must select the source mesh in object mode, you can select the target mesh either
in object mode or by selecting the individual vertices in the region to be modified on the
target mesh.
If you have difficulty selecting either the source or target meshes in the scene view,
change the display of the meshes to wireframe mode or select them using
the Outliner (Window > Outliner).
2. Select Mesh > Transfer Attributes > . In the options window, specify what attributes
you want to transfer by setting the Attributes to Transfer options as follows:
 Set Vertex position to On if you want to transfer the vertex positions on the source
mesh and have the vertices on the target mesh modified to match. The default setting
is Off.
 Set UV sets to All if you want all UVs from the source mesh sampled and transferred
to the target mesh. When multiple UV sets exist, the All setting ensures they are all
sampled and then transferred to the target mesh. If the source mesh has more than
one UV set, you can selectively transfer the currently active UV set by selecting
the Current option. The default setting is All.
 Set Color sets to All if you want all of the CPV data for the source mesh sampled and
transferred to the target mesh. When multiple color sets exist, the All setting ensures
they are sampled and then transferred to the target mesh. If the source mesh has
more than one CPV set you can selectively transfer the currently active color set by
selecting the Current setting. The default setting is All.
3. Specify how you want the sampling to occur by setting the Sample space setting as
follows:
 Use the World setting to sample in world space. It should be used for the majority of
your attribute transfer operations. This is the default setting.
 Use the Local setting when the objects are the same size and shape, but may have
been translated, rotated or scaled in the scene (for example, you have two chairs in
different locations). The Local setting is used when you want to compare the source
and target side by side.
 Use the UV setting to sample attributes in UV space when no useful spatial correlation
exists between the source and target meshes. For example, when the meshes are of
radically different proportions or have been constructed at different scales but the
meshes share a common mapping in UV space. For example, models of a giant and a
dwarf can correlate based on their UV texture coordinates if the UV mapping for their
faces is in the same position in UV texture space.
Note
Using UV setting to determine how the transfer of attributes will occur is very
different from physically transferring UV data between models. Transferring of UV
attributes is usually done using the World or Local space settings.
 Use the Component setting to transfer attributes directly from one component to
another via their component IDs. To use this setting, both objects must have the
same number of vertices, faces, and edges, and the relationship between these
components must be the same on both objects. For example, use this setting if you
want to transfer a UV texture map from one head to a stretched version of the same
head.
 Use the Topology setting to transfer attributes directly from one component to
another when the objects’ topologies are identical, but their component IDs are not.
For example, some options in Maya may rearrange the vertex order on a model. This
option allows you to transfer a texture map from the original mesh by their matching
topologies, rather than their non-matching vertex order.
4. Set the remaining options based on other specific requirements:
 Set the Mirroring option when you want the attribute transfer to occur across a
defined axis (X, Y, Z). Ensure that you have selected the vertices along the mirror
border. You must set a mirroring axis when the source sampling and target transfer
occurs on the same mesh. The default setting is Off.
 Set the Flip UVs option when you are sampling UVs and want the transferred UV
shells to be flipped along the U or V axes as they appear in the UV Texture Editor.
This is useful when you are mirroring UVs on the same surface mesh. The default
setting is Off.
 Set Color borders to Preserve if you want the hard color edges in the source mesh
maintained when the CPV data is transferred to the target mesh. Otherwise, if the
surface topologies differ widely, you may set the Color borders option to Ignore.
The default setting is Preserve.
5. Click Transfer to transfer the attributes and close the options window or click Apply to
transfer the attributes and keep the window.
To mirror vertex attributes on the same surface mesh
1. In the scene view, select the components on the surface mesh (that is, faces, vertices,
or edges) that you want to have modified by the Transfer Attribute feature.
The Transfer Attributes feature samples the surface about the specified mirroring axis
and assigns new values to the selected components. All unselected components retain
their original attribute values.
2. Select Mesh > Transfer Attributes > .
3. Depending on your workflow, set the Transfer Attributes options as follows:
 Specify the attributes you want transferred (Vertex Position, UV Sets, Color Sets)
 Specify the axis you want the attributes mirrored along. For example, if you want the
attributes mirrored along the X axis based on what you have selected, set
the Mirroring axis to X.
 For more information on other Transfer Attributes settings see Mesh > Transfer
Attributes
4. Click Transfer to transfer the attributes and close the options window, or click Apply to
transfer the attributes and keep the window.
 Moving polygon components
Move, rotate, or scale polygon components
You can use move, rotate, or scale polygon components in the following ways:
 Using Maya’s Move, Rotate, and Scale tools to transform any polygon objects and
components in the scene.
 Using Edit Mesh > Transform Component to create a history node to record moves,
rotations, and scaling you apply to selected components. You can select the transform
node for subsequent operations without having to tediously reset the transform values.
Transform Component also has additional constraints that Maya’s generic transformation
tools do not have, such as moving perpendicular along normals.
Note Avoid tweaks (moving CVs, moving polygon components with Move, Rotate or Scale)
on objects with history. If you tweak an object with history, the tweak is applied to a
specific component ID. Subsequent changes to the object’s history can cause the
component IDs to change, altering the effect of the tweak.
For example, if you revolve a curve to create a surface, then tweak CV number 3 on the
surface, the tweak will always apply to CV number 3. If you later change the revolve node
attributes to reduce the number of segments on the surface, the CV that you tweaked will
now have a new number, and the tweak will no longer be applied to it. The tweak will be
applied to the CV that is now number 3, which may be in a different location on the surface.
Note
Deleting history on a polygonal object with animated vertex tweaks will result in the loss of
the animation on the tweaks.
To create a history node to transform components
1. Select the components you want to move.
2. Select Edit Mesh > Transform Component.

Maya creates a transformation node (polyMoveComponentType) and automatically
switches to the Show Manipulator tool, allowing you to edit the node.
3. Drag the manipulator handles to move, rotate, or scale the components, or change the
settings in the Attribute Editor or the Channel Box.
The manipulator is a standard move/rotate/scale combined manipulator, with an extra
handle to switch between Local axes and World axes. Moving components along their
local Y can be very useful to move components “inward” or “outward”.
Moving UVs using Transform Component
 The manipulator does not display in the scene view when you use Transform
Component on UV texture coordinates, but it does display in the UV Texture Editor.
 Local coordinate mode is not applicable for UVs.
 A texture must be assigned to the object to see the results of the transform in the scene
view.
 Once you select the UVs on the object, use the options window or the Channel Box to
change the settings and transform the UVs within the area you selected.
 It is recommended that you use the UV Texture Editor if you want more control when
transforming UVs.
Move polygon vertices along their normals
You can move the vertices on a polygon along the direction of their normal.
To move polygon vertices along their normals
1. Select the vertices in the scene view.
2. In the Toolbox, double click the Move tool to display its option panel.
3. In the options panel, set Move to Normal and turn on Update (UVN) Triad.
4. Drag the UVN (Move Normal Tool) manipulator to move the selected vertices.
Slide polygon edges
The Slide Edge Tool lets you reposition a selection of edges or entire edge loops on a
polygon mesh. You can slide an edge along its shared perpendicular edges or in the
direction of the shared vertex normals.
To slide a selection of edges on a polygonal mesh
1. Select the edges you want to slide on the polygonal mesh.

You can select the edges individually by shift-selecting the edges or by selecting an
entire edge loop using the Select > Select Edge Loop Tool.
Note
You can convert an existing selection to an edge loop using Select > Convert Selection >
To Edge Loop, or use the pickwalk feature (Left and right arrow hotkeys).
2. Select Edit Mesh > Slide Edge Tool > .
3. Drag using the middle-mouse button to slide the selected edges.

The vertices associated with the selected edges move along their shared perpendicular
edges.
 Smoothing polygon meshes
Preview a smoothed polygonal mesh
Smooth Mesh Preview lets you quickly and easily see how your polygonal mesh will
appear when smoothed.
By default, polygonal meshes display with the Smooth Mesh Preview setting turned off. You
can turn on the Smooth Mesh Preview setting for any polygon mesh so it displays either
the original mesh (as a wireframe outline referred to as cage mode) and a preview of the
smoothed version simultaneously or only the smoothed preview version by itself. The cage
term is used because it allows the smoothed version to appear
You can modify components on the mesh in either of the preview display modes. Any
modifications occur on the original mesh and subsequently appear on the smooth preview
as well.
Note
Smooth Mesh Preview only changes the display of a mesh to allow you to visualize how it
will appear when smoothed. The original mesh is not modified or smoothed.
When the Smooth Mesh Preview version of the mesh is rendered, the original version will
be rendered. If you want the Smooth Mesh Preview version to be rendered you can
convert it to a fully smoothed mesh using Modify > Convert > Smooth Mesh Preview to
Polygons or create a subdiv proxy from the smooth mesh preview settings using Proxy >
Subdiv Proxy.
To preview a polygonal mesh using Smooth Mesh Preview
1. Select the polygonal mesh(es) you want to preview in smooth mode.
2. Do either of the following:
 Press the 2 key.

This turns on the Smooth Mesh Preview feature and sets the display mode to Cage +
Smooth Mesh, a display mode which displays both the original mesh as a wireframe
(cage) and the smooth mesh preview version in shaded mode simultaneously. You can
select components on either the wireframe cage or the shaded smoothed preview and
view the resulting effect.
 Press the 3 key.

This turns on the Smooth Mesh Preview feature and sets the display mode so that
only the Smooth Mesh is displayed. You select and edit components directly on the
smoothed preview and the changes are reflected back onto the original mesh.
 In the Attribute Editor, select the polyShape node for your mesh, open
the Smooth Mesh Preview section, turn on Smooth Mesh Preview, and then
select the desired Display setting: Cage + Smooth Mesh, or Smooth Mesh.
3. Press the Page Up and Page Down keys to change the amount of smoothing/subdivision
that occurs on the smoothed preview version of the mesh.
4. In the Smooth Mesh Preview settings section of the Attribute Editor you can also set
what components can be edited while working in Cage + Smooth
Mesh mode: Cage, Smooth Mesh, or Both.
Note
When modifying the components on the smoothed preview the transform manipulator
(move, rotate, scale) always appears in the location of the component as it appears on
the original version of the base mesh.
5. Press the 1 key to turn off the Smooth Mesh Preview feature so that the mesh
displays in its default display mode.
To edit a polygonal mesh when Smooth Mesh Preview is turned on
1. Ensure that Smooth Mesh Preview is turned on for the polygonal mesh you want to
edit.
Turn on Smooth Mesh Preview to either Cage + Smooth Mesh mode (Hotkey: 2)
or Smooth Mesh mode (Hotkey: 3).
Note
When working in Cage + Smooth Mesh mode you can set the Edit options to select
components on the Cage, Smooth Mesh, or Both by selecting the desired option in
the Smooth Mesh Preview section of the polyShape node within the Attribute Editor.
For more information on the Smooth Mesh Preview settings see Smooth Mesh.
2. Select and edit the desired components on the mesh.

3. To display the subdivisions on a polygonal mesh when using Smooth Mesh
Preview
1. Select the polygonal mesh that is currently displayed in Smooth Mesh Preview mode
whose subdivisions you want displayed.
2. In the Attribute Editor, select the polyShape node for the selected mesh and open
the Smooth Mesh Preview section.
3. Click the Display Subdivisions option so a check mark appears.

The subdivisions are displayed for that level of smoothing on the mesh.
Converting the Smooth Mesh Preview to polygons converts the preview version to a
smoothed version of the mesh by copying the Smooth Mesh Preview attributes to a
polySmooth node.
To convert the Smooth Mesh Preview to polygons
1. Select the polygonal mesh(es) that you want to convert and ensure that the Smooth
Mesh Preview setting is on. (Press either the 2 or 3 keys on your keyboard to turn
on Smooth Mesh Preview.
2. Select Modify > Convert > Smooth Mesh Preview to Polygons.

The original version of the polygon mesh (Cage) is smoothed using the Smooth Mesh
Preview settings.
Note
The Smooth Mesh Preview options are set in the Smooth Mesh Preview section of
the polyShape node in the Attribute Editor. For more information on the Smooth
Mesh Preview settings see Smooth Mesh.
Smooth polygon meshes
There may be times when your polygon mesh does not appear as smooth as you would like.
Maya provides several methods for smoothing polygons:
 Mesh > Smooth: Maya modifies the polygon mesh by adding new polygons and
smoothing out vertices and their connected edges.
 Mesh > Average Vertices: Maya averages the values of the vertices to produce a
smoother surface without modifying the topology. Average Vertices is useful when you
want to maintain the existing polygon count in a mesh.
 Proxy > Subdiv Proxy: Displays both a smoothed version of the polygon mesh as well as
the original unsmoothed version so you can edit and animate the mesh more easily.
 Mesh > Sculpt Geometry Tool: The Sculpt Geometry Tool smooths the polygon mesh
by letting you manually modify the position of polygon vertices using a brush paradigm.
This lets you smooth local regions of the mesh and does not modify the topology.
 To smooth by adding polygons
1. Select the mesh or just the faces you want to smooth.
2. Select Mesh > Smooth.

To smooth by moving vertices
1. Select the mesh or just the vertices you want to smooth.
2. Select Mesh > Average Vertices.
Note
You can apply this action repeatedly to smooth more and more (use the ‘g’ hotkey to
repeat the last action), or you can choose Mesh > Average Vertices > and set a
specific Smoothing amount.
Troubleshooting the Smooth feature
Smooth works strangely or not at all?
Smoothing works with convex and even star-shaped concave faces. However, it can give
unwanted results with concave faces where the center point is not inside the face.
To fix a concave faces, use Edit Mesh > Split Polygon Tool or Mesh > Triangulate.
 Editing polygon normals
Edit the vertex normals to affect polygon shading
You can modify the shading of individual polygons by manually editing the vertex normals
associated with the polygon mesh.
To control vertex normal direction manually
To... Do this
Select the mesh and select Display > Polygons > Vertex
Show vertex normals. Normals.
Make edges appear sharp in shaded mode. Select the edges and selectNormals > Harden Edge.
Make edges appear soft in shaded mode. Select the edges and choose Normals > Soften Edge.
Lock or unlock vertex normals to their current Select the vertices and choose Normals > Lock
direction. Normals or Normals > Unlock Normals.
Select the locked vertices and select Normals > Set Vertex
Normal > .
Turn off both Lock Normals and Unlock Normals.
Force normals to point along a certain vector Use the text boxes to enter the X, Y, and Z rotation values for
(by entering values numerically). the vector, then click Set Normal.
Select the vertices and choose Normals > Vertex Normal Edit
Force normals to point along a certain vector Tool.
(by adjusting a manipulator) Use the manipulator to adjust the direction of the normals.
Note
The Normals features create history nodes that actually change the normals. The correct
way to reverse one of these actions is to delete the node.
Do not try to reverse the effects of one of these actions by applying the action again with
the opposite setting. Doing so will probably not have the effect you want, and will just add
another node to the dependency graph.
To set vertex normals to the same direction as the face normals
1. Select one or more vertices or vertex face components.
2. Select Normals > Set to Face > .
3. Set the options, then click Set to Face.

This has the same effect as hardening the adjacent edge.
Tip
Using Vertex/Face selection lets you set normals on a per-vertex per-face basis.
To average vertex normals
1. Select one or more vertices or vertex/face components.
2. Select Normals > Average Normals > .
3. Set the options, then click Average Normals.
Tip
Using Vertex/Face selection lets you set normals on a per-vertex per-face basis.
You can do any of the following:
 You can average the vertex-face normals at a single vertex.
 You can increase the tolerance and average the normals of several vertices in the same
region to give the area a flattened look.
 You can pick vertices on opposite sides of a seam and average them to smooth across
the seam.
 Using a small tolerance, you can select all the vertices along a seam, and each group of
close-together vertices will be averaged separately.
Notes
 If these actions can achieve their effect using Soften Edge or Harden Edge they will,
however they will usually force explicit normal directions.
 Average Normals works in object space, so if you want to average normals across two
different shapes, make sure that the scene hierarchy for each shape has the same
transforms.
 Use the Vertex Normal Edit Tool (Normals > Vertex Normal Edit Tool) or the Set
Vertex Normal (Normals > Set Vertex Normal) when you want to manipulate the
direction of the vertex normal and lock the direction of the normal. That is, setting the
vertex normal with these features implies that you want to override the normals that
Maya automatically computes and then lock them in the position you set.
 When you unlock a previously locked vertex normal, Maya will automatically calculate
the normal for the face based on its default normal calculations.
Reverse polygon normals
Reversing the face normal on a polygon face switches the “front” and “back” facing direction
of the face. Vertex normals are usually computed from the face normals, so they are
affected as well.
To reverse face normals
1. Select the faces you want to reverse:
2. Select Normals > Reverse > .
3. Set the Reverse normals on option to one of the following:
 To reverse the face normals of selected faces, choose Selected faces.
 To reverse face normals and vertex normals and then extract the vertices,
choose Selected faces then extract.
 To reverse face normals of all (selected or unselected) faces in the shell, choose All
faces in the shell.
4. Click Reverse Normals.
To flip all normals to the same side
1. Select the faces.
2. Select Normals > Conform.

The normals flip to the side shared by the majority of all faces.
 Deleting and simplifying polygons
Delete polygon vertices and edges
Delete vertices
To delete vertices on a polygon mesh you must use the Delete Edge/Vertex feature
(Delete Edge/Vertex).
Many types of polygon vertices cannot be deleted using the key. For example, while
you can delete border vertices on the exterior of a mesh using the key when the
selected vertex shares only two edges, you cannot use the key to delete a vertex when
it shares more than two edges.
When an interior vertex is deleted using Delete Edge/Vertex, any edges associated with
the deleted vertices are also removed as a result. The polygon faces surrounding the
deleted vertex are replaced with a single n-sided polygon created from the vertices
surrounding the deleted vertex. Maya does not use quads and triangles in the affected area
in order to reduce the number of polygons.
This action is equivalent to selecting all the edges surrounding the vertex and deleting
them.
To delete vertices
1. Select one or more vertices on the polygon mesh.
2. Select Edit Mesh > Delete Edge/Vertex.
Notes
 Deleting vertices will affect UVs, color, and blind data, and therefore the mesh’s
appearance may change.
 Maya preserves shader and other set memberships based on vertices and faces.
 If you delete vertices from a polygonal mesh that is an instance, the geometry changes
for all instances.
Delete edges
When the edges of a polygonal mesh are deleted using the key the selected edge is
deleted but not the shared vertices at either ends of the edge. if you want to delete the
shared vertices associated with the deleted edges you must use Edit Mesh > Delete
Edge/Vertex. You can only delete interior edges on a mesh using the Delete
Edge/Vertex feature.
To delete edges and the associated shared vertices
1. Select the edges you want to delete.
2. Select Edit Mesh > Delete Edge/Vertex.
Troubleshooting Delete Edge/Vertex
I cannot delete vertices with the Delete key?
If you try to delete interior vertices with the key, Maya will display a warning
message that it cannot delete the vertices because they have “complex edge
attachment”. That is, the vertices are connected to more than two edges.
Instead, select the vertices and choose Edit Mesh > Delete Edge/Vertex, or only
select vertices that reside at a corner or are connected to two edges only.
I cannot delete edges using Delete Edge/Vertex?
If you select edges that are border edges, you cannot delete them. You can only
delete interior edges on a mesh using Delete Edge/Vertex. If you want to delete
border edges, select the face associated with that edge and delete it instead.
Clean up, simplify, or validate meshes
The Cleanup feature lets you remove unwanted geometry from a polygon mesh (for
example, zero area faces or zero length edges). You can also tessellate faces that may be
valid within Maya, but not in a game console, such as concave faces, or faces with holes.
Note
Because the Cleanup feature has the ability to merge vertices and collapse zero length
edges, there may be situations where the Cleanup feature can output nonmanifold
geometry.
This can occur when you set the Cleanup options to perform multiple cleanup operations on
a mesh in a cascading way.
If this situation is likely, it is recommended you run the Cleanup feature multiple times and
turn on the Non-Manifold Geometry option in the Remove Geometry section only on the
last iteration.
To clean up polygon meshes
1. Select the polygon mesh you want to clean up.
2. Select Mesh > Cleanup.
Reduce the number of faces in a mesh
The Reduce feature lets you automatically reduce the number of polygons in a mesh by a
percentage of the overall polygon count that you specify. The Reduce feature also attempts
to retain the original shape as part of the reduction process.
Reducing the number of polygons is useful when you need to reduce the overall polygon
count in a polygon mesh or reduce the number of polygons in a particular region of the
mesh. For example, you may need to create a low resolution copy of a high resolution
polygon model with a reduced polygon count for level of detail display purposes in an
interactive video game. Another example would be to simplify a polygon data set of a
detailed physical model that was 3D laser scanned.
Overall, polygon models that have been simplified will have less data and improved
interactive performance when animated in the scene view.
The polygon reduction is controlled via a polyReduce node that gets created. This lets you
experiment with the amount of blend reduction and can be removed altogether should you
wish to return the polygon mesh to its original pre-reduced state.
To... Do this
Select the faces you want to reduce, then

Reduce the number of faces in a mesh. choose Mesh > Reduce > .
In the Reduce Options window, turn on

the Keep Original option.
Keep the current polygon mesh so you can compare the The reduced mesh will appear next to the
original and reduced versions as you change options. original along the X axis.
You can also use the Artisan paint feature to specify a region on the polygon mesh you want
to have the polygons reduced. Painting a region for reduction using the Paint Reduce
Weights Tool gives you finer control over the polygon reduction as well as blend between
the areas where less reduction occurs.
To get finer control over which areas are reduced using the Paint Reduce Weights
Tool
1. Select the faces you want to reduce.
2. Choose Mesh > Reduce > .
3. Set the general reduction percentage and turn on Keep Original, then click Reduce.
The reduced mesh appears next to the original along the X axis.
4. Choose Mesh > Paint Reduce Weights Tool.
5. Paint reduction values on the original polygon mesh.

Darker areas will be reduced more. Lighter areas will be kept as-is as much as possible.
As you paint on the original, the reduced version updates.
Notes on using the Reduce feature
 You cannot paint reduce weights on the reduced version. You must use the Keep
Original option and paint on the original object.
If you try to paint reduce weights on the reduced version, Maya will automatically select
the original instead.
 When you select faces to reduce (rather than reducing the entire mesh), faces bordering
the selection may move or be reduced as well.
You can avoid this effect by extracting the polygons from the mesh before reducing
them. Turn on the Preserve - Mesh Borders option so the extracted mesh can be
reattached later.
 When you are painting reduce weights, the Paint Attributes Tool’s default is to only
update when you finish a stroke. This is because the reduce operation can take a
noticeable amount of time on large meshes.
If you want the reduced version to update as you paint, choose Modify > Paint Attributes
Tool > , open the Stroke section, and turn on Update Continuously.
 Reduce Weights are a bias, not an absolute control. In some extreme cases polygons
that you painted white but are not needed will still be reduced to preserve shape
elsewhere.
 Reduce works with quads and n-sided polygons, however, non-planar polygons can
become deformed and may not reduce well.
 The Keep Quads option can produce distorted results in some situations. When this
occurs, reduce the Keep Quads slider value or increase the Triangle
compactness option until you achieve a satisfactory result. (The Triangle
compactness option affects the mesh reduction even if the mesh is comprised of all
quad polygons).
 If you are painting reduce weights and want to revert a region back to its original state,
you can either undo your paint strokes or simply flood the mesh with black color.
Sculpting surface meshes
 Soft Selection
Soft Selection overview
Soft Selection lets you sculpt geometry in an organic way. It’s useful for sculpting a
smooth object or making smoothly integrated slopes or contours to your model without
having to transform each vertex manually.
Soft Selection works by maintaining a falloff from the selected components to the
components around your selection to create smooth transitions.
For example, if you select a vertex at the center of a plane and translate it up into a spike
without Soft Selection, the sides are very steep and the point is very sharp. When Soft
Selection is on, the slope and tip are smoother.
You can use Soft Selection with polygon meshes, NURBS surfaces or NURBS curves.
Reflect Soft Select transformations
You can turn on Soft Select and Reflection simultaneously for any of the transformation
tools to reflect your soft select transformations across either the world or object axis.
When using reflection and soft selection together, Maya reflects a transformation performed
on one side of the seam to the other. As a result, performing a soft select reflected
transformation on a non-symmetrical object will yield a non-symmetrical object. For more
information see Move, rotate, or scale components with reflection.
When transforming components with soft selection near the reflection seam, you may notice
that the components near the seam don’t transform as smoothly as those further away. This
is because the seam has its own falloff independent of the soft selection falloff.
To smooth a transformation near the seam
1. With Reflection on, select the components on the mesh that you want to transform in
the scene view.
2. In the Tool Settings editor, set the Seam Tolerance to a value higher than its current
value.
3. Transform the components.
As you increase the Seam Tolerance, the transformations around the seam become
smoother.
 Sculpt Geometry Tool
Sculpt Geometry Tool overview
The Sculpt Geometry Tool lets you manually sculpt NURBS, polygons, or subdivision
surfaces quickly with the stroke of a brush. You simply paint the surface mesh using
the Sculpt Geometry Tool to push or pull CVs (NURBS) or vertices (polygons and
subdivision surfaces) to achieve the shape you want. The effect is similar to sculpting clay.
You can perform six different operations using the Sculpt Geometry Tool: push, pull,
smooth, relax, pinch and erase. These operations move the position of the surface’s
components to sculpt the surface shape depending on the surface type.
For polygons and subdivision surfaces, the vertex positions are changed when sculpting with
the Sculpt Geometry Tool. For NURBS surfaces, control vertices have their positions
changed as a result of sculpting.
Note
When using the Sculpt Geometry Tool, either the vertices or control vertices will be
affected depending on the surface type you’re working with (NURBS, polygons, subdivision
surfaces). We’ve used the terms interchangeably to indicate the same thing.
Push/pull
You can push or pull a mesh in a configurable direction in the shape of the tool.
Reference surface
Sculpting simply pushes or pulls the surface’s vertices from their initial positions on the
reference surface. The Maximum Displacement option controls how far vertices can get
from the reference surface.
In this example, the two strokes both raise the surface to the maximum displacement
distance, but not beyond it.
If you update the reference surface, the current state becomes the reference, and further
sculpting will displace vertices from the new base point.
In this example, after the first stroke, the user updates the reference surface. The second
stroke then applies the maximum displacement to it, going over the first stroke, which is
now “baked onto” the reference surface.
You can update the reference surface manually, or set the Update on Each Stroke option
to bake each stroke onto the reference as you finish the stroke.
Smoothing
You can paint over bumps to smooth them out. This smoothing operation works by
averaging the position of all features within the brush radius with all other nearby features.
Relaxing
You can paint over bumps to relax the most out of place surface features. Unlike smoothing,
Relax works by only averaging the largest surface anomalies so that the overall shape is
maintained.
Pinching
You can pull vertices inwards towards the center of the tool cursor. Pinching is useful for
making existing creases more sharply defined.
Erasing
You can save the state of a surface and then later erase changes to the surface back to the
saved state.
You can also turn on an option to save erase state after every stroke, which allows you to
erase only the last stroke you made.
Surface density
In general, it’s advised that you minimize the number of patches/polygons in your surfaces
whenever possible. However, when using the Sculpt Geometry Tool, the more polygons a
surface has, the more precisely it can deform to the shape of the sculpting brush.
Sculpting and construction history
 When you sculpt polygons that have construction history, Maya’s performance can slow
down.
 Editing the history of a surface that has been sculpted can give unexpected results.
If you don’t need to keep the history of the surface, consider deleting the history (select the
surface and choose Edit > Delete by Type > History).
The Sculpt Geometry Tool does not create construction history of its own.
Relax a surface mesh
To relax surface meshes with the Sculpt Geometry brush
1. Select the surface, mesh(es), or control vertices you want to sculpt.
2. Open the Sculpt Geometry Tool settings by doing one of the following:
 From the Polygons menu set, select Mesh > Sculpt Geometry Tool > .
 From the Surfaces menu set, select Edit NURBS > Sculpt Geometry Tool > .
 From the Surfaces menu set, select Subdiv Surfaces > Sculpt Geometry Tool
> .
The Sculpt Geometry Tool options appear and the Maya cursor changes to a brush
icon to indicate it is now in sculpting mode.
3. In the Sculpt Parameters section, under Operation, click Relax.
4. Use the options under Sculpt Parameters to control how brushing relaxes the surface
mesh.
 Use Max displacement to alter the depth that a surface is relaxed in one stroke.
 Use the Seam/Pole tolerance to alter the area of the relax (in combination with the
brush size)
 Use the flood button to relax the entire surface.
 Brush across the mesh to push or pull vertices.
 Hold b and drag left or right to change the brush radius.
 Hold m and drag left or right to change how much the tool moves the mesh as it
smooths.
Note
When the Operation is set to Push, Pull, Smooth or Relax, the Max
Displacement option is respected. That is, the smoothing will be limited by the Max
Displacement value.
Coloring polygons
Topics in this section
 Color per vertex overview

Coloring polygons using color per vertex data
In addition to assigning shaders to your polygon meshes, you can also assign a color to
each vertex associated with a polygon face. Color per vertex data (CPV) is commonly
applied to 3D models that are created for interactive video games to more efficiently
simulate shading and prelighting effects.
Color per vertex data can be assigned even when a polygon vertex is shared between faces,
it has a color for each face that shares it. The colors at the vertices of a face are blended
together across the face.
Color per vertex data gets stored separately in the maya scene file when it is saved. You
can also apply one or more sets of CPV data (called color sets) to a polygon mesh.
Prelighting polygons
Prelighting stores the shading and lighting data from the rendered look of a mesh into the
color per vertex data for the mesh. Prelighting is also referred to as light baking because it
freezes the information onto the object.
You can prelight the objects in your scene using Prelight features that use either the Maya
software or mental ray for Maya renderers.
Prelighting objects in the scene lets a simpler display device (such as a video game console)
show the objects as though they were shaded and illuminated without actually having the
shading, lights, or textures, and without doing the rendering calculations in real time.
After prelighting a scene you can simplify it by removing the lights and shading, or simplify
the shading networks, since the final shaded results are “baked on” the polygons.
Prelighting is also useful to export to a platform that does not support certain shading
effects. For example, some graphic APIs only support a limited number of lights, and many
platforms have a limited amount of texture memory available.
If you prelight some lights and textures and bake their effects onto the geometry, they can
then be removed from the scene.Similarly, some platforms may be unable to fully achieve
the effects available from Maya’s software rendering network. Prelighting removes the need
to transfer the shading network functionality.
Sample storage
A sample can either be stored as color-per-vertex-per-face, or used to displace the position

of a vertex.
If stored as a color-per-vertex-per-face color, RGB color and alpha (transparency) is stored.

For displacement, the X,Y,Z coordinates of the vertex position changes. Since a sample
contains four channels (RGBA), the displacement uses the luminance value of the color.
Polygon color sets
You can apply multiple sets of color per vertex (CPV) data to your polygonal meshes.
Multiple color sets let you separate, layer, and blend the color per vertex data stored on
your polygonal meshes.
Color sets are useful because they can contain multiple layers of CPV data (baked lighting,
painted vertex colors, and so on) that you can merge and blend to produce various effects.
For example, you can have a color set for each time of the day (morning, afternoon, night
and so on) or color sets that store levels of dirtiness or damage for a car model.
To edit and manage all of your color sets you use the Color Set Editor.
Blind data
 Blind data overview

What is blind data?
Blind data is information stored with polygons which is not used by Maya in any way, but is
useful to the platform to which you export the polygons, such as an interactive games
console.For example, when you use Maya to create content for interactive game levels you
can use blind data to specify which faces of the level are “solid” or “permeable” to the
character, or which faces on a polygon mesh are lava and hurt the character, and so on.
You use Maya’s Blind Data Editor to:
 define the blind data types you need, and then apply the blind data to objects or
components in your scene.
 query your scene for blind data of a specific type or set of values and use false coloring
to visualize what blind data is assigned to each objects.
Note
You can also apply blind data to NURBS patches using “face”, but you cannot false color
it.
Templates
A template is a list you can create for each component that lists one or more blind data
attributes as well as their data types.Possible data types for attributes are:
 int (integer numbers).
 float/double (real numbers).
 boolean (on/off).
 string (text).
 binary (raw data).
You can specify what components (faces, vertices, edges, or all types) the template applies
to.Each template needs a unique ID. Every attribute needs both long and short names for
setting and retrieving the data.
When you create a template, you can also create one or more presets that will load pre-
defined values into the attributes.
 Working with blind data
Set up the structure of blind data
Before you add blind data to polygons, you must set up how the information is structured
using a template. A template is a list of attributes and presets.
To define a new template
1. Select Window > General Editors > Blind Data Editor.
2. Click the Type Editor tab.
3. Click the New button below the list on the left side. You may need to resize the window
to see it.
4. Enter an ID number and Name for the template, and set the Association Type to the
component type this template is associated with (or Any).
5. Enter the Long name, Short name, and Data type of the first attribute in the
template.
6. For any additional attributes you want to add, click the New Attr button to add more
fields.
7. You can define presets, which will load pre-defined values into each attribute. For any
presets you want to create, click the New Preset button. Enter a Preset name and a
value for each attribute.
8. Click the Save button below the list on the left side.
Note
If you are entering a new blind data type in the Blind Data Editor, and Save does not
save the new type, (and there is no error message indicating that the type is invalid in
some way, such as a duplicate id), select an existing type, press Save,
perform New again and enter the new type. The editor may have been confused by an
incomplete edit done earlier.
To edit an existing template
3. Click the name of the template in the list on the left.
4. Edit the fields to change the template’s Name, Association type, and Free Set values.
You can also edit and add new presets.
You can save a template to a template file. This is useful if you want to use the same
template in multiple scenes.
Export a template to a file
3. Click the Export button below the list on the left side.
You can save a template to a text file. This is useful if you want to:
 Convert the template information to some other form, such as a program structure.
 Show the template to other people, such as a level designer.
Export a template to a text file
3. Click the Text Dump button below the list on the left side.
Apply blind data to components
1. Select the components.
3. Click the Apply tab.
4. Select the template from the list on the left.
5. Enter values for each attribute, or click the radio button for a preset.
 Click the Apply button at the bottom of the window to apply the blind data value to
all components.
 Click the Paint Values button to use the Edit > Paint Selection Tool to apply the blind
data value to components by painting them.
Make blind data visible
The View tab in the Blind Data Editor shows the data assigned to the lead component or
object for all blind data types defined in your scene.
View the actual blind data values on components
1. Select the component or mesh.
3. Click the View tab.

The Name of the key component or object is at the top of the tab, followed by columns
indicating the blind data ID, the name of each attribute and its value. If there is no data
assigned to the component for a particular template the value is blank.
Visualize blind data with color
1. Select the component or mesh.
3. Click the Color/Query tab.

Each row of controls can assign a color to different blind data.
4. Turn on the checkbox to the left of a row to activate the row.
5. Click the color swatch at the end of the row to edit the color.
6. Press in the Tag/ID field to choose a template.

When the center checkbox is off, the color will simply show on any component that has
this blind data template.
7. To further refine the display, turn on the center checkbox.
 To show this color for any blind data which match certain values, set the pop-up menu
to Discrete Value and enter values for each attribute.
 To show this color for any blind data within a range of values, set the pop-up menu
to Discrete Range, and enter a range in the form [low,high] for each attribute.
 To show continuous shading based on blind data values, set the pop-up menu
to Continuous, and for each attribute specify the minimum and maximum values and
shades.
9. Click the Apply button at the bottom of the window.

Notes
 Although you can examine multiple types of blind data at one time, you are only allowed
one type of Color/Query action. The possible types are:
 Binary: either the data is assigned or not
 Discrete: either a discrete value or discrete range
 Continuous: use grayscale values for coloring
 Hex: use bit operations on the values

If you have rows with different types, the operation will fail.
Association type and selection type are also important in this regard. If all the rows have
templates tied to a particular association, your selection is converted to this selection
type. If, however, any of the rows have Any as the Association Type, or if the rows do
not match (one row’s blind data has FaceAssociation Type and another’s Association
Type is Vertex), the selection will not be converted and the components and objects
selected are queried or colored in their present state.
 Blind Data false coloring does not show up in lighting mode.

Use Default Lights to see the Blind data false color.
Add component-level metadata
You can use the Maya Metadata API to create an arbitrary number of metadata structures
that can be attached to components of Maya mesh objects, including vertices, faces, and
edges, or directly to a Maya node. A small set of MEL commands provide access to the
metadata from within Maya.
Using the Metadata classes, you can create data structures for the component-level
metadata, and combine it into a single data stream that lets the metadata flow through
mesh operations in the Maya DG, while maintaining its attachment to the mesh. Since
metadata can be attached to any node with an arbitrary named association, you can extend
the API for uses such as attaching metadata to points in a point cloud, particles in a
simulation, or a vertex on a NURBS surface. The metadata can later be examined or
modified by MEL commands or through the API, and is preserved in Maya files across
sessions. An example in the adsk::Data::Association class reference shows how to store
vertex velocity and acceleration data on a simulated mesh. See the Maya API
Documentation.
Metadata API classes
The Metadata API includes the following most commonly used

classes: adsk::Data::Association, adsk::Data::Channel, adsk::Data::Stream, adsk::
Data::Structure, and adsk::Data::Handle.
 The adsk::Data::Association class is used to create the date structures for the per-
component data. For example, you define the data to attach to every vertex on a
surface of a mesh object.
 The adsk::Data::Channel class is used to amalgamate the data streams to a single

data block.
 The adsk::Data::Stream class manages an indexed list of data and is optimized for
typical operations, such as deleting from the middle of the list and duplicating entries.
 The adsk::Data::Structure class defines and manages the metadata data structure.
 The adsk::Data::Handle class provides the interface to access the metadata values
within the adsk::Data::Stream.
Metadata MEL commands
From Maya, you can use the following MEL commands to access and manipulate data
structures created from Metadata API.
 Use dataStructure to create an unattached metadata structure.
 Use addMetadata to apply members of the structure to components in Maya.
 Use editMetadatato assign values to the members of the metadata stream to selected
components.
 Use getMetadata to query metadata values.

Appendices
Appendix A: Tangent and binormal vectors
The following is a brief explanation of how the tangent and binormal vectors are calculated
for polygonal mesh geometry in Maya.
Per triangle tangent computation
Inputs: For each vertex of a triangle we pass in: v (vertex position, 3-float), n (normal
position, 3-float) t (tex coord value, 2 float) : v[3][3], n[3][3] t[3][2];
Outputs: For each vertex we compute and return a tangent vector (3-float) :
tangentArray[3][3];
float $edge1[3];
float $edge2[3];
float $crossP[3];
float $tangentArray[3][3];
//==============================================
// x, s, t
// S & T vectors get used several times in this vector,
// but are only computed once.
//==============================================
$edge1[0] = $v[1][0] - $v[0][0];
$edge1[1] = $t[1][0] - $t[0][0]; // s-vector - don't need to compute this
multiple times
$edge1[2] = $t[1][1] - $t[0][1]; // t-vector
$edge2[0] = $v[2][0] - $v[0][0];
$edge2[1] = $t[2][0] - $t[0][0]; // another s-vector
$edge2[2] = $t[2][1] - $t[0][1]; // another t-vector
$crossP = crossProduct( $edge1, $edge2 ) ;
normalize( $crossP );
bool $degnerateUVTangentPlane = equivalent( $crossP[0], 0.0f );
if (degnerateUVTangentPlane)
$crossP[0] = 1.0f;
float $tanX = -$crossP[1]/$crossP[0];
$tangentArray[0][0] = $tanX;
//--------------------------------------------------------
// y, s, t
//--------------------------------------------------------
$edge1[0] = $v[1][1] - $v[0][1];
$edge2[0] = $v[2][1] - $v[0][1];
$edge2[1] = $t[2][0] - $t[0][0];
$edge2[2] = $t[2][1] - $t[0][1];
$crossP = crossProduct( $edge1, $edge2 );
degnerateUVTangentPlane = equivalent( $crossP[0], 0.0f );
$crossP[0] = 1.0f;
float $tanY = -$crossP[1]/$crossP[0];
$tangentArray[0][1] = $tanY;
//------------------------------------------------------
// z, s, t
//------------------------------------------------------
$edge1[0] = $v[1][2] - $v[0][2];
$edge2[0] = $v[2][2] - $v[0][2];
$edge2[1] = $t[2][0] - $t[0][0];
$edge2[2] = $t[2][1] - $t[0][1];
$crossP = crossProduct( $edge1 , $edge2 );
degnerateUVTangentPlane = equivalent( $crossP[0], 0.0f );
$crossP[0] = 1.0f;
float $tanZ = -$crossP[1]/$crossP[0];
$tangentArray[0][2] = $tanZ;
// Orthnonormalize to normal
for( int $i = 0; $i < 3; $i++)
{
$tangentArray[i] -= $n[i] * $tangentArray[i].dot( n[i]);
}
// Normalize tangents
normalize( $tangentArray[0] );
return $tangentArray;
Surface Tangent and Binormal Computation
The tangent computation is based on the texture coordinates (uv) of a given texture
coordinate set (uvset) used. The normals used are the geometric normals which consider
smoothing and user normals.
For each triangle on a face the tangents for each vertex of the triangle are computed. If the
triangle is mapped (that is, has uv's) and those uvs are non-degenerate then the
computation in Per triangle tangent computation) is performed.
Degenerate uv's means having a 0 length vector in uv space along any edge of the triangle.
If the triangle is either not mapped or degenerate, the geometric edges are used to
compute the tangent. For each vertex (i) of the triangle the following is computed:
tangent[i] = vertex[i+1 % 3] - vertex[i];

tangent[i] = tangent[i] - normal[i] * dotProduct( tangent[i], normal[i]);
normalize( tangent[i] );
For mapped face, for each uvId on a vertex we keep of list of shared tangents if and only if
the associated normalId for that vertex is the same.
The uvId is the offset into the uv set data array, the normalId is the offset into the normal
data array. The tangent data array will match the size of uvId data array. Each list is
normalized to compute the final shared tangent vector.
Binormals are computed as the normalized cross product of the tangent and normal vectors
at a given vertex on a face. Binormals are computed and cached on demand.
Polygons menus
 Select
Select > Object/Component
Toggles the selection mode between objects and components. This feature can also be
selected pressing the F8 hotkey.
Select > Vertex
Sets the Component Selection Mask to select vertices. This feature can also be selected by
pressing the F9 hotkey.
Select > Edge
Sets the Component Selection Mask to select edges. This feature can also be selected
Select > Face
Sets the Component Selection Mask to select faces. This feature can also be selected
Select > UV
Sets the Component Selection Mask to select UV texture coordinates. This feature can also
be selected pressing the F12 hotkey.
Select > Vertex Face
Sets the Component Selection Mask to select vertex faces. This feature can also be
selected press Alt + F9.
Select > Select Edge Loop Tool
You can select an edge loop on a polygon mesh using the Select Edge Loop Tool. An edge
loop is a path of polygon edges that are connected in sequence by their shared vertices.
Edge loop selections let you select several edges across a polygon mesh without having to
Select > Select Edge Ring Tool
You can select an edge ring on a polygon mesh using the Select Edge Ring Tool. An edge
ring is a path of polygon edges that are connected in sequence by their shared faces. Edge
ring selections let you select several edges across a polygon mesh without having to select
each edge individually.
Select > Select Border Edge Tool
You can select border edges on a polygon mesh using the Select Border Edge Tool. This
saves you from having to select each border edge individually. Border edges are the edges
that lie either on the exterior or interior perimeter of a polygon mesh.
Border edge selection works similar to the edge ring and edge loop selection types.
Depending on which edge you initially select (exterior or interior), the associated border
edges along the polygon mesh get selected.
Select > Select Shortest Edge Path Tool
You can easily select a path of edges between two or more vertices on a surface mesh
using the Select Shortest Edge Path Tool. The Select Shortest Edge Path
Tool determines the most direct path between any two selection points and selects the
polygon edges in between.
possibly winding path of edges on a surface mesh when you need to subsequently perform
a Cut UV Edges operation when Unfolding UV shells.
Select > Convert Selection > To Vertices
Changes the existing polygon component selection to the vertices that are associated with
the components originally selected.
For example, if you have a polygon mesh comprised of four-sided polygons (quads) with
several faces selected and then choose Select > Convert Selection > To Vertices, the
selection is converted to the vertices associated with the previously selected faces.
Tip
Many of the convert selection features are available from the context sensitive polygon
marking menu when you press + whenever a polygon component is selected.
Select > Convert Selection > To Vertex Faces
Changes the existing polygon component selection to the vertex faces that are associated
with the polygon components originally selected.
two faces selected and then choose Select > Convert Selection > To Vertex Faces, the
selection is converted to the vertex faces associated with the two previously selected faces.
That is, eight vertex faces become selected based on the two previously selected polygon
faces.
Vertex faces are used when assigning color per vertex information to polygon faces. You can
assign a color to each vertex associated with a face. Even if a vertex is shared between
faces, it has a color for each face that shares it. The colors at the vertices of a face are
blended together across the face.
Tip
Select > Convert Selection > To UVs
Changes the existing polygon component selection to the UV texture coordinates that are
associated with the polygon components originally selected.
For example, if you have a polygon mesh with several faces selected and then
choose Select > Convert Selection > To UVs, the selection is converted to the UV
texture coordinates associated with the previously selected faces.
While the UV selection will appear on the mesh in the scene view, to edit or otherwise
modify the selected UV texture coordinates you must use the UV Texture Editor. (Edit UVs
> UV Texture Editor)
Tip
Select > Convert Selection > To UV Shell
Changes the existing polygon component selection to the UV shell that is associated with
the polygon components originally selected.
choose Select > Convert Selection > To UV Shell, the selection is converted to the UV
shell associated with the previously selected faces.
To edit or otherwise modify the selected UV shell you must use the UV Texture Editor.
(Edit UVs > UV Texture Editor)
Tip
Select > Convert Selection > To UV Border
Changes the existing polygon component selection to the border UVs on the UV shell that is
associated with the polygon components originally selected.
choose Select > Convert Selection > To UV Border the selection is converted to the
border UVs on the UV shell associated with the previously selected faces.
To edit or otherwise modify the selected border UVs you must use the UV Texture Editor.
(Edit UVs > UV Texture Editor)
Tip
Select > Convert Selection > To UV Edge Loop
Changes the currently selected vertices, UVs, or edges to an edge loop. Any polygon edges
associated with the original selection and any edges along the same edge loop in either
direction terminating at any UV boundaries are converted.
Select > Convert Selection > To Edges
Changes the current polygon selection to any polygon edges that are associated with the
selected polygon components.
several vertices selected and then choose Select > Convert Selection > To Edges, any
edges that are associated with the selected vertices are selected. That is, the four edges
that are connected to each vertex get selected.
Tip
Select > Convert Selection > To Edge Loop
Changes the current component selection by selecting the polygon edges associated with
the original selection and then extends the selection of the edges as an edge loop in either
direction along the polygon mesh.
An edge loop is a path of polygon edges that are connected in sequence by their shared
vertices.
one interior vertex selected and then choose Select > Convert Selection > To Edge
Loop, four edges initially become selected on the mesh (based on their connection to the
selected vertex) and then the edge loop selection is extended outward in both directions
along the mesh to define a path of selected edges.
Tip
Select > Convert Selection > To Edge Ring
the original selection and then extends the selection of the edges as an edge ring in either
faces.
one interior vertex selected and then choose Select > Convert Selection > To Edge
Ring, four edges initially become selected on the mesh (based on their connection to the
selected vertex) and then an edge ring selection is extended outward in both directions
along the mesh to define a path of selected edges.
Select > Convert Selection > To Contained Edges
Changes the current selection to any polygon edges that can be selected depending on what
components were originally selected.
several vertices selected and then choose Select > Convert Selection > To Contained
Edges, only the edges that have two selected vertices are selected.
Tip
Select > Convert Selection > To Faces
Changes the current selection to any polygon faces associated with the components that
were originally selected.
several vertices selected and then choose Select > Convert Selection > To Faces, any
faces that are associated with the selected vertices are selected. That is, the four faces that
are connected to a vertex get selected for each vertex that was selected.
Tip
Select > Convert Selection > To Face Path
the original selection and then extends the selection of the edges as polygon faces in either
one interior vertex selected and then choose Select > Convert Selection > To Face
Path, four edges are initially selected on the mesh (based on their association with the
selected vertex) and then a path of faces are selected outward from the four edges.
Tip
Select > Convert Selection > To Contained Faces
Changes the current polygon component selection to any polygon faces that can be selected
depending on whether the original selection contains a region.
several vertices selected and then choose Select > Convert Selection > To Contained
Faces, any selected vertices that indicate a four-sided region are selected as faces. If a
region only contains three selected vertices, the corresponding face will not be selected.
Tip
Select > Grow Selection Region
Expands the region of the currently selected components outwards in all directions from the
currently selected component on the polygonal mesh. The expanded selection is a boundary
type selection that is dependent on the components in the original selection.
one interior vertex selected and then choose Select > Grow Selection Region, the eight
vertices that immediately surround the selected vertex are selected on the mesh (as these
vertices form a boundary around the selected vertex). As you continue to grow a polygon
selection the region of selection expands outwards.
Tip
Many of the polygon selection features are available from the context sensitive polygon
Select > Shrink Selection Region
Shrinks the region of the currently selected components inwards in all directions from the
currently selected component on the polygonal mesh. The characteristics of the reduced
selection region/boundary is dependent on the components in the original selection.
nine interior vertices selected, in the shape of a square grid, and then choose Select >
Shrink Selection Region, the eight vertices that form the boundary on the selection
become unselected on the mesh, leaving a single vertex selected. If you continue to shrink
the selection, eventually nothing is selected.
Tip
Select > Select Selection Boundary
Changes the current component selection to select only the components that form a
boundary around the current component selection. The previously selected interior
components that are not part of the boundary are unselected.
nine interior vertices selected, in the shape of a square grid, and then choose Select >
Select Selection Region, the eight vertices that form the boundary on the selection
remain selected on the mesh. The interior vertex is unselected.
Tip
Select > Select Contiguous Edges
Maximum 2D Angle, Maximum 3D Angle

These settings determine how far the selection continues based on the angles
between edges. When Maya considers an edge for selection and it exceeds the
specified angles, automatic selection stops.
The 2D angle refers to angles made by the surface topology, regardless of the
surface’s shape. The 3D angle refers to angles made by the surface’s shape, as
measured in world or local space. The following example illustrates how the
combination of these settings control the selection.
Limit number of edges selected

Turn on Limit number of edges selected to set the Edges either side option.
Edges either side

Edges either side is the number of edges that Maya will select on either side of your
original selection. For example, you can avoid selecting too many edges by setting
Edges either side to a low number and applying Select Contiguous Edges several
times until enough edges are selected.
Tip
Many of the convert selection features are available from the context sensitive
polygon marking menu when you press + whenever a polygon component
is selected.
Select > Select Using Constraints
Lets you select polygons based on a user-configured constraint filter.
Select > Select Using Constraints
These are the options for the Select Using Constraints feature.
Note
The options that display in the Select Using Constraints option window are dependent on
the selection of components in the scene view. That is, you must first select an example of
the component type you wish to filter in order to display the related options within
the Select Using Constraints option window before you can set the filter options.
At the very top of the window in the Constrain list, you specify conditions to filter your
selection actions in different ways. These options apply to all component modes. Click the
option to make your selection. Which constraints are applied, and to what settings, is
determined by the options you set. There are four different modes:
Nothing
When on, no selection constraints are used. This is the default setting.
Next Selection
When on, the constraints affect only the next selection mode with a technique such
as holding the Shift key and clicking the left mouse button.
Current and Next
When on, Maya applies the constraint to whatever has already been selected, plus
whatever selection you make next.
All and Next
When on, Maya applies the constraints to the entire object automatically, plus
whatever group you select next.
Constraint Properties options
The following section describes the options you can set for selected components in the
properties section of the window.
Location properties
The following options are applicable to all component types.

Location
Select where the items are constrained.
Off
If selected, this constraint is not taken into account. The Off option means the same
for every option in the Properties section.
On Border
If on, the selection constrains to only the items on the perimeter of the current
objects.
Inside
This is the default setting for Location properties. Maya selects only the items on the
inside of the current objects. It has the reverse effect of On Border.
Smoothing properties (for edges only)
If you select edges, Smoothing options are made available. These Properties options do
not display for any other component type
Smoothing
Select the type of edges.
Hard/Smooth
Click one of these options to constrain the selection to either hard or soft edges.
Constraint Properties for faces
In addition to the properties that all component modes share, when you are in the face
component mode, Maya provides numerous face-specific properties. For example, you can
set options to select faces according to order, planarity, and shape— if a polygon is concave
instead of convex—as well as mapping and topology.
These are described next.
Order
Order options are used to set a valid range for the shape of the faces. If the following
options are on, Maya constrains the selection to what you specify.
Triangles
Maya only selects faces with three edges.
Quads
Maya only selects faces with four edges.
N sided
Maya only selects faces other than triangles or quads (faces that have more than
four edges).
Planarity
Select eitehr Planar or Non-planar faces.

Planar/Non-planar
Planar selects only planar faces. Non-planar selects only non-planar faces.
Convexity
Select polygons based on the angle of their sides.
Concave/Convex
Concave selects polygons that have at least one interior angle greater than 180
degrees. Convex selects polygons whose interior angles are all less than or equal to
180 degrees.
Domains
Select faces based on whethe they have a hole or not.
Holed/Non-holed
If you select non-holed, only faces that do not have holes are selected. If you
select Holed, only faces in which holes have been created (using the Mesh > Make
Hole Tool) are selected.
Note
Maya considers faces with holes to be concave.

Mapping
Depending on what you choose, only mapped or unmapped faces are selected.
Mapped faces are faces with texture (UV) coordinates—unmapped faces do not have
texture (UV) coordinates.
Topology
Select from various types of problematic faces.
Lamina
A group of faces glued on top of each other are selected. For example, two faces
whose normals face each other.
Non-triangulable
Lets you select faces that cannot be triangulated. Use this constraint option to select
these problem faces, then repair them using the Split Polygon Tool (Edit Mesh >
Split Polygon Tool). See Split polygon faces for details.
Geometry options
Min and Max values
The Min and Max values for most of the Geometry options correspond to the units of a
polygonal face. The values you set constrain the selection to the size of the face that
corresponds to those units. The default unit size is in centimeters by default. You can
change this in the Preferences window (Window > Settings/Preferences > Preferences,
then click the Settings category).
In this example, each face of a polygonal primitive plane is four units. You can determine
this by looking at the squares of the grid within each face.
When you scale some of the faces and subdivide others, the topology changes as do
the Min and Max values you can enter to constrain the selection area.
Try setting different Min and Max values for the Area option for faces, for example, to
determine which faces fall within the Min/Max criteria determined by the unit size.
If you set the Area criteria to a Min value of 0 and a Max value of 7, all faces are selected
because there are no faces with a unit area less than 0 or greater than 7.
Tip
If you want to constrain the selection for a unit area that is very small, such as the area
under the eyes on a polygonal modeled face, set the Min and Max values to a small value.
The opposite is true if you want to set the constraint area to the cheeks of the face where
the faces cover more unit space.
Options common to all Geometry sections (Activate and Off)
Each section contains an Activate switch or an Off option.
 Click Activate (to turn it on) to tell Maya to acknowledge these option settings when
making your selections.
 Click Off (to turn it on) to tell Maya not to acknowledge these option settings when
making your selections.
Area options for faces
Maya selects the faces with an area that is within the range specified in
the Min and Max boxes. See Min and Max values for details about using these values.
Neighbors options for vertices and UVs
Maya selects the vertices with no fewer than the Min number of edges connected to them
and no more than the Max number of edges connected to them.
Length options for edges
Maya selects the edges whose lengths are within the range specified in
the Min and Max boxes.
Tip
Use this selection constraint option after collapsing edges (Edit Mesh > Merge To Center)
to remove the extra tiny edges sometimes produced as a result of converting a NURBS
object.
Angle options for edges, vertices, and UVs
Maya selects edges based on the angle between the two faces sharing the edge. The
possible range of angles is set using the Min and Max values.
Maya selects vertices based on the angle between the edges sharing the vertex. The
possible range of angles is set using the Min and Max values.
In the case of UVs, Maya selects them according to the range set for the angle between the
edges joining the UVs corresponding to vertices.
Note
This option works only for non-border edges.
Mapped Area options
These options are used to control the area range of components that are flattened out in
the UV Texture Editor window.
Unsigned
If on, Maya selects all faces whose flattened areas (whether they are positive or
negative) are within the minimum and maximum values you set. Unsigned tells Maya
to ignore the direction the face normal is facing.
Signed
If on, Maya selects all faces whose normals are pointing in the same direction and
whose flattened areas are within the minimum and maximum values you set.
Min/Max values
You can enter the minimum (Min) and maximum value (Max) for this area which lies
in the UV plane. The mapped area of a flattened component can be positive or
negative. It is positive if the face is seen from the front and negative if seen from the
back.
Distance options
These options are used to set a reference point and a valid range for the distance between
the component, (such as the face center) and the point you specify.
Point
The Point option determines whether Maya acknowledges the distance to the origin
you specify (the P, or PointX, PointY, or PointZ values).
Axis
The Axis option determines whether Maya acknowledges the distance to the line
defined by its origin (P) and its axis (V).
Plane
The Plane option determines whether Maya acknowledges the distance to the plane
defined by its origin (P) and its normal (V).
Px, Py, Pz
These values are used to define the location of the point from which you want the
selection to extend.
Vx, Vy, and Vz
If Axis is selected, these values define the axis along which the selection is made. If
Plane is selected, these values define the normal vector along which the selection is
made.
Orientation options for faces, edges, and vertices
Orientation
The Orientation option determines whether Maya uses the orientation of the
component for the selection.
Direction
The Direction option determines whether Maya uses the direction of the component
or the selection. Using this option, even two faces facing opposite each other can be
selected.
Vx, Vy, and Vz
These values define the axis along which the selection is made.
Visibility options for faces, edges, and vertices
These options are used to set a target point and a focal angle for your selections. Maya
selects a component if the target point can be viewed from the center of a face with its
normal as the viewing axis (the Px, Py, and Pz values) and the angle as the field of vision.
Angle
This value determines a focal angle for selected components.

Px/Py/Pz
The Px value determines the location of the target point in the X axis, the Py value
for the Y axis, and the Pz value for the Z axis.
Random option
Ratio
This value determines how many components to randomly select according to the
ratio value you set within the face units. For example, 0=no faces, 1=all faces, or
0.5=50% of the faces.
Propagation options
You can extend your selection using the propagation options at the bottom of the window.
Off
This option is on by default. That means that no extensions are performed.
Shell
Select Shell to extend the selection up to the border of the individual piece within
which the selection has been made. This option is useful for objects made from a
series of individual pieces such as those produced when you use Polygons >
Combine.
Border
Choose Border to select the border of the current selection only.

Tip
With Constrain set to All Next, select Inside as the Properties

Location and Propagation Shell at the bottom of the Constraints window, then
click a single face to selects all the faces that are inside your object.
Grow Selection Region, Shrink Selection Region, Select Selection Boundary

buttons
These buttons work the same way as the corresponding Select menu items.
 Click Grow Selection Region to increase the number of components you initially
selected.
 Click Shrink Selection Region to decrease the number of components you have
selected. This button can be useful if you want to shave off one face around every face
in the current selection.
 Click Select Selection Boundary to define the boundary of the current selection
region. This is a quick way to select the boundaries of whatever is currently selected
(faces, vertices, edges, or UVs).
 Mesh
Mesh > Combine
Combines the selected meshes into a single polygon mesh. Many polygon editing operations
can only be performed between two separate mesh shells once they have been combined
into the same mesh.
Mesh > Separate
Separates disconnected shells in a mesh into separate meshes. You can separate all of the
shells at once, or you can specify the shells you want separated by first selecting some
faces on the shells you want separated before choosing Mesh > Separate.
Mesh > Extract
Detaches the selected faces from the associated mesh. The extracted faces become a
separate shell within the existing mesh. If you select the mesh in object mode both the
mesh and any extracted faces get selected.
Mesh > Booleans
Booleans let you combine polygon meshes to create a new shape. The following briefly
describes what each of the Boolean submenus performs:
 Union: Combines the volume of the meshes.
 Difference: Subtracts the first mesh from the second.
 Intersection: Leaves only the shared volume of the meshes.

Mesh > Smooth
Smooths the selected polygon mesh by adding divisions to the polygons on the mesh.
Mesh > Average Vertices
Smooths the polygon mesh by moving the positions of the vertices. Unlike Mesh >
Smooth, Average Vertices does not increase the number of polygons in the mesh.
Mesh > Average Vertices >
Smoothing amount
Maya applies smoothing to the selection this many times for every time you
choose Mesh > Average Vertices or click the Apply button. Increase this number to
smooth a mesh quickly. The default setting is 10.
Mesh > Transfer Attributes
Transfer Attributes transfers UV, color per vertex (CPV), and vertex position information
between meshes that have differing topologies (that is, the meshes have different shapes,
and the vertices and edges are different).
Transfer Attributes transfers vertex data by sampling the vertex information on the
source mesh and then transferring the information to the specified target mesh, based on a
comparison that is spatially based. The target mesh gets modified as a result.
Mesh > Transfer Shading Sets
The Transfer Shading Sets tool allows you to transfer the shading assignment data
between two objects that may be topologically different. For example, you can transfer
shading assignment data from a cube to a sphere. Faces in similar locations are assigned
the same shading data.
Transferring the shading set from one object to another
1. Select first the source object, then the target object and select Mesh > Transfer
Shading Sets > .
2. Mesh > Transfer Shading Sets >
Attribute Settings
Sample space
Select the space in which the attribute transfer is performed. Choose

between World space and Local (model) space.
Search method
Select the search method used for identifying corresponding points in the source and
target objects. Choose between Closest along normal and Closest to point.
Mesh > Paint Transfer Attributes Weight Tool
The Paint Transfer Attributes Weights Tool lets you blend between the source and
target’s attribute values on a per vertex basis to control the influence of either mesh on the
resulting deformation. The blending is controlled by an attribute map you paint on the mesh
using the Maya Artisan brush tools.
The Paint Transfer Attributes Weights Tool menu item is located under the Mesh menu
in the Polygons menu set (Mesh > Paint Transfer Attributes Weight Tool).
Mesh > Clipboard Actions > Copy Attributes
Copy Attributes lets you copy UV, shader, and color per vertex attributes from one
polygon mesh to another by copying the attributes to a temporary clipboard. You can set
the copy feature to copy one attribute or all three simultaneously. The attribute options you
can copy between polygon meshes are described below.
UV
Sets the copy feature to copy the UV attributes associated with the selected polygon
face to the clipboard.
Shader
Sets the copy feature to copy shader attributes associated with the selected polygon
face to the clipboard.
Color
Sets the copy feature to copy color per vertex information associated with the
selected face to the clipboard.
Mesh > Clipboard Actions > Paste Attributes
Paste Attributes lets you paste any UV, shader, and color per vertex attributes that you
previously copied to the temporary clipboard from another polygon mesh. You can set the
paste feature to paste one attribute or any of the three attributes that were copied as a
result of the copy operation.
Mesh > Clipboard Actions > Clear Clipboard
Clear Clipboard empties the clipboard of any saved polygon attributes so that new
attributes can be subsequently copied and pasted between polygon meshes.
Mesh > Reduce
Reduces the number of polygons in a selected region of a polygon mesh, optionally taking
into account UVs and vertex colors as it chooses which areas to reduce.
Reduce is useful when you need to lower the number of polygons in a particular region of a
polygon mesh. The polygon reduction is controlled via a polyReduce node that gets
created. This lets you experiment with the amount of blend reduction and can be removed
altogether should you wish to return the polygon mesh to its original pre-reduced state.
You can also preserve the original vertex positions to minimize the overall shape change
that occurs on the mesh as a result of the reduction.
You can optionally paint the amount of polygon reduction using the Mesh > Paint Reduce
Weights Tool.
Mesh > Reduce >
Reduce number of faces
Reduce by (%)
Maya attempts to reduce the number of polygons in the selected mesh or meshes by
the specified percentage. The actual reduction may not match this number exactly.
Keep quads
Maya attempts to maintain any existing quad topology on the mesh as it reduces.
The slider range is between 0 and 1. The default setting is 1 (maximum effect).
Reduce the slider value or increase the Triangle compactness option if the
reduction results in an undesirable shape change.
Triangle compactness
Controls the degree to which Maya sacrifices mesh shape accuracy to produce better
triangles, as a value from 0 to 1.
A value of 0 specifies to reproduce the original mesh shape as accurately as possible
while reducing, no matter what kind of triangles are produced. A value of 1 specifies
to sacrifice accuracy as much as possible to produce regular equilateral triangles.
Values closer to 0 can produce long skinny triangles that can be hard to work with.
Values closer to 1 can produce reduced meshes that do not match the shape of the
original.
Triangulate before reducing
Converts the polygons to triangles before reducing them.

By default this option is off in order to maintain the quad topology on a mesh. If
three or four sided polygon topology is not an issue, turn this option on.
Keep original (for paint weights)
The original mesh is preserved for the purposes of using the paint weights features.
See Mesh > Paint Reduce Weights Tool.
Cache reduction (for speed)
Saves intermediate versions of the reductions in memory and is useful when multiple
reduction iterations are anticipated. If memory reduction is an issue, turn this option
off.
Reduction Influencers
These options take extra information (beside shape) into account when reducing the mesh.
UVs
Reduces polygons to preserve UV mapping as much as possible. Turning this option

on will preserve texture placement between the original and reduced polygons.
Color per vertex
Reduces polygons so that color per vertex data (such as prelighting/baking and
painting) is preserved as much as possible. Turning this option on will devote more
polygons in the reduced mesh to areas with color changes, and fewer polygons to
areas with flat color to preserve the look of the original.
Preserve
Mesh borders
Maya attempts to preserve the shape of polygon borders (edges that are not shared
by other polygons).
UV borders
Maya attempts to preserve the shape of UV borders as it reduces.

Turning this on can give unpredictable results if you have a lot of UV borders. Try
sewing as many UV pieces together as possible before reducing.
Note
If a polygonal surface has numerous UV seams on it and if the Mesh >

Reduce operation is performed with UV Borders turned on, there is a good chance
the object will not reduce at all, since the reduction algorithm is attempting to
maintain the UV borders (seams) that are on the object.
If you don’t mind losing your UV seams, turn off UV Borders to successfully reduce
your polygonal surface.
Hard edges
Maya attempts to preserve the shape of edges marked “hard” as it reduces.

You can set edges on a mesh to be hard or soft using Normals > Soften
Edge or Normals > Harden Edge. Marking edges as “hard” can result in more shape
retention than painting reduction weights.
Vertex positions
Locks the position of vertices thereby preserving the original shape of the mesh as
much as possible.
Mesh > Paint Reduce Weights Tool
Paint Reduce Weights works in conjunction with the Mesh > Reduce feature to let you
reduce the number of polygons in a mesh while attempting to retain the shape of the
original. The Paint Reduce Weights Tool lets you paint on the mesh to specify a region on
the mesh where you want the polygons to be reduced.
Mesh > Cleanup
Performs various operations on the selection to identify and remove extraneous and invalid
polygon geometry.
Mesh > Triangulate
Converts the existing polygon selection to triangles.
Mesh > Quadrangulate
Converts the existing polygon selection to quadrangles.

Mesh > Fill Hole
The Fill Hole feature lets you fill in a region of a polygon mesh where polygons do not exist
provided the region is bounded by three or more polygon edges. Fill Hole creates a polygon
with three or more sides to fill in the selected region.
Mesh > Make Hole Tool
Creates a hole in a polygon face, optionally in the shape of another face.
Mesh > Create Polygon Tool
Lets you create individual polygons by placing vertices in the scene view.
Mesh > Sculpt Geometry Tool
Use this tool to sculpt NURBS, polygons, and subdivision surfaces. See How Artisan brush
tools work in the Artisan guide.
Mesh > Sculpt Geometry Tool >
Lets you specify the settings for the Sculpt Geometry Tool in the Tool Settings editor.
There are attributes unique to the Sculpt Geometry Tool in the Sculpt
Parameters sections. These unique attributes are described below.
Sculpt Parameters
These are descriptions of the attributes in the Sculpt Parameters section.
Operation
Select Push, Pull, Smooth, Relax or Erase. A letter appears within the brush
stamp to reflect the operation: Ps (Push), Pl (Pull), Sm (Smooth), Re (Relax) or E
(Erase).
To remove the letters from the brush stamp, open the Sculpt Surface Tool
Settings window, click the Display section, and turn off Draw Brush Feedback.
When the Operation is set to Smooth, the Max Displacement and Reference
Vector (X, Y, Z) options are respected. That is, the smoothing will be constrained
based on what Reference Vector option is set and limited by the Max
Displacement value.
Tip
To select a brush operation from a marking menu, press your keyboard’s u key while
dragging the mouse.
Auto smooth
When Auto Smooth is turned on, the surface is automatically smoothed for every
brush stroke when using either the Push or Pull sculpting operations. The amount of
smoothing is based on the Smooth Strength value. The Auto Smooth option is
only available when either the Push or Pull sculpting operations are selected.
Smooth strength
Specifies the amount of smoothing the Sculpt Surface Tool applies to the surface
for each Push, Pull, or Smooth stroke you perform. The Smooth Strength value
ranges from 1 to 10. The higher the Smooth Strength value entered, the more
smoothing takes place for each brush stroke.
Brush strength
Determines how much the selected Sculpt Surface Tool affects the surface for each
stroke you perform. The Brush strength value ranges from 1 to 100. The higher the
value entered, the more influence the tool has on each brush stroke. This option is
only available when the Pinch sculpting operation is selected.
Reference vector
In the Sculpt Parameters section, select the Reference Vector. The Reference
Vector controls the direction the vertices move when you push or pull. The brush
arrow represents the reference vector.
Normal
The vertices move in the direction of the surface normal.
First normal
The vertices move in the direction established by the surface normal at the beginning
of the stroke.
View
The vertices move parallel to the camera view direction.
X Axis
The vertices move in the direction of the X axis only. They do not move along the Y
or Z axis.
Y Axis
The vertices move in the direction of the Y axis only. They do not move along the X
or Z axis.
Z Axis
The vertices move in the direction of the Z axis only. They do not move along the X
or Y axis.
U
U moves CVs in the direction of the U isoparm when sculpting NURBS surfaces.
V moves CVs in the direction of the V isoparm when sculpting NURBS surfaces.
Tip
To avoid overlapping isoparms when you sculpt along the U or V isoparms of NURBS
surfaces, use a softer brush shape and keep the displacement small.
Max displacement
Type the maximum possible depth or height of the brush stroke, or use the slider to
select it. (The actual displacement of the brush stroke is based on how hard you
press with the stylus and on the Opacity value.)
Seam/Pole tolerance
Set how close the vertices must be along an edge, and how close the edges on the
same surface must be to each other before they are detected as common. This is
most commonly used to detect poles on surfaces like spheres.
Flood
Applies the Operation to all selected control vertices.
 When Operation is Push or Pull, Flood applies the maximum displacement to all
selected control vertices.
 When Operation is Smooth, Flood smooths all selected control vertices.
 When Operation is Erase, selected control vertices are restored to their last saved
state.
Reference Surface
Turn the following on or off:
Update on each stroke
To “bake” or update the surface automatically on each stroke, turn on Update on

each Stroke.
Erase Surface
Turn the following on or off:
Update on each stroke
To update the erase surface automatically on each stroke, turn on Erase Surface >
Update on each Stroke. To update the erase surface manually, click Update.
Mesh > Mirror Cut
Mirror Cut creates a plane of symmetry that mirrors the selected object. You can position
the symmetry plane using the manipulator. Changes that you make to the original object
are then updated on the mirrored object. This can make symmetrical modeling of certain
types of objects much easier (for example, creating an environment with streets, creating a
skateboard park).
Mesh > Mirror Cut >
Cut Along
Specifies the pair of axes to mirror the object across: YZ, XZ, or XY.
Merge with the original
Combines the original object and the mirrored object into a single mesh. Subsequent
changes that you make to the original object are not updated on the mirrored object
as a result.
Merge vertex threshold
Vertices within this distance of each other will be merged. This option is only
available when the Merge with original setting is turned on.
Mesh > Mirror Geometry
Creates a duplicate of the selected polygons mirrored across an axis.
Mesh > Mirror Geometry >
Mirror direction
Specifies the direction you want Maya to mirror the selected polygonal object. By
default, the direction is +X. Change these options and click Mirror if you want to
mirror the object in another direction.
Merge with the original
Selects how you want the polygons to merge.

When turned on (the default setting), Maya duplicates and flips the original polygon
and merges the duplicated polygon with the original polygon. This makes the new
polygonal object one shell. When turned off, Maya duplicates and flips the original
polygon but does not merge the separate shells.
Merge vertices
Select this option to merge adjacent vertices, creating a single shell.
Connect border edges
Select this option to connect the original polygon with the mirrored polygon at the
border edges, filling in faces to create a closed shape.
 Edit Mesh
Edit Mesh > Keep Faces Together
Turn Keep Faces Together on or off when you are extruding, extracting, or duplicating
faces to specify whether you want to retain the edges of each individual face or only along
the border edges of the selection.
A check mark beside the menu name indicates that the Keep Faces Together Setting is
on. When this option is turned on, Maya automatically turns on the associated attribute in
the Attribute Editor and Channel Box for the Extrude Face, Duplicate Face,
and Extract.
When Keep Faces Together is on, only the border edges make walls as they are extruded,
extracted, or duplicated. For example, faces connected by their shared edges create a single
tube, with the connected faces as a single roof.
When Keep Faces Together is off, each edge makes a separate wall as it is extruded.
Duplicated faces are duplicated separately, and extracted faces are extracted separately.
The faces separate from each other and scale from their own center.
Edit Mesh > Extrude
Pulls new polygons out from existing faces, edges, or vertices, with options to transform
and reshape the new polygons as they are pulled out from the selected originals.
Edit Mesh > Extrude >
These are the descriptions for the Extrude feature.
Note
The options that display in the Extrude option window are dependent on the current
polygon component selection. If no valid selection exists the extrude face options display by
default.
Divisions
Controls number of sections along the length of the extrusion.
Smoothing angle (Faces and edges)
Specifies whether the edges of the extruded geometry are soft or hard. If you want
the extruded edges to appear soft, set the Smoothing angle to a high value (for
example, 180). If you want the extruded edges to appear hard, set the Smoothing
angle to a low value (for example, 0). The default smoothing angle for extruded
faces and edges is 30.
Offset (Faces and Edges)
Enter a value to offset the edges of the extruded, extracted, or duplicated faces.
This option can be used to produce a bevel effect for extrusions, cut-outs around
faces using Extract, and to uniformly scale duplicated faces.
Thickness (Faces and Edges)
Specifies the depth of the selected face.
Curve (Faces and edges)
Uses a selected curve in the scene as the path for the polygon extrusion when this
setting is set to Selected (default) or Generated. The extruded polygons can be
made to twist and taper along the path curve when Selected or Generated is
selected.
If you choose Selected, you will have to create a curve and align it the desired
location.
If you select Generated, the curve will be created and aligned to the average of the
component normals.
Taper (Faces and edges)
Scales the extruded polygons as they travel along the curve. Twist is only available
when extruding along a curve.
To control the taper exactly, open the Taper Curve section in the Attribute
Editor and use the graph control to set scaling along the length of the curve.
Twist (Faces and edges)
Rotates the extruded polygons as they travel along the curve. Twist is only available
when extruding along a curve.
Edit Mesh > Bridge
Constructs a bridging polygon mesh (additional faces) between selected pairs of border
edges on an existing polygon mesh. The resulting bridging polygon mesh is combined with
the original polygon mesh and the edges are merged.
Edit Mesh > Append to Polygon Tool
Lets you add polygons to an existing mesh using a polygon edge as a starting point.
Edit Mesh > Cut Faces Tool
Splits all faces along a cut line. You can cut and delete faces or extract the faces.
Edit Mesh > Split Polygon Tool
Splits one or more faces on a polygon mesh into multiple faces after you specify the split
location on the mesh.
Edit Mesh > Insert Edge Loop Tool
The Insert Edge Loop Tool lets you insert one or more edge loops across either a full or
partial edge ring on a polygonal mesh. An edge loop is a path of polygon edges that are
connected in sequence by their shared vertices. An edge ring is a path of polygon edges
that are connected in sequence by their shared faces.
When you insert an edge loop, you are splitting the polygon faces associated with the
selected edge ring. The Insert Edge Loop Tool lets you insert on or more edge loops
across a full, partial, or multidirectional edge ring.
The Insert Edge Loop Tool is useful when you want to add detail across a large area of a
polygon mesh or when you want to insert edges along a user-defined path. You can also
modify the profile of the inserted edge loops creating features that protrude or recess on
your polygon meshes along the inserted edge loop.
Edit Mesh > Offset Edge Loop Tool
The Offset Edge Loop Tool lets you insert two edge loops on either side of any edge(s)
you select. An edge loop is a path of polygon edges that are connected in sequence by their
shared vertices. The parallel edge lines formed by an edge loop traverse the extent of the
edge selection. Duplicating edges in this fashion is useful when you want to add localized
detail to a polygonal mesh on either side of a single edge or line of edges.
Edit Mesh > Add Divisions
Splits selected polygon components (edges or faces) into smaller components. Add
Divisions is useful when you need to add detail to an existing polygon mesh in either a
global or localized manner.
Polygon faces can be divided into three-sided (triangles) or four-sided (quadrangles) faces.
Edges can be subdivided so that the number of sides on a face is increased.
Edit Mesh > Slide Edge Tool
The Slide Edge Tool lets you reposition a selection of edges or entire edge loops on a
polygon mesh. You can either select the edges individually by shift-selecting the edges or
select an entire edge loop using the Select > Select Edge Loop Tool before using this tool.
You can also convert an existing selection to an edge loop using Select > Convert Selection
> To Edge Loop, or use the pickwalk feature (Left and right arrow hotkeys).
Use the middle-mouse button to slide the selected edges. The vertices associated with the
selected edges move along their shared perpendicular edges. Alternately, you can press the
Shift key to move the edges/edge loop along each vertex normal.
Edit Mesh > Transform Component
Transform Component lets you transform (move, rotate, or scale) polygon components
(Edges, vertices, faces, and UVs) relative to the normal while creating a history node.
Random (Vertices, edges, faces, and UVs)

Enter a value to transform the components randomly varying from a value of 0 to 1.
Local center (edges)

Selecting an item from the Local center pull-down menu repositions the
manipulator along the selected edge. Depending on which item you select, all
subsequent transforms derive from that position. The default is middle.
polyMoveComponentType attributes
Additional modifications can be made to the transformed components by editing the

following attributes on the polyMoveComponentType nodes using the Attribute
Editor or Channel Box. Where the ComponentType can be edges, vertices, faces, or UVs.
Local Values (Faces)
Offset
The Offset option is only available for selected faces. Enter a value to offset the
edges of transformed faces. This option can be used to produce a bevel effect. In
effect, using this option uniformly scales a face.
Note
The options window for selected UVs does not contain Local Values.
Translate
This value moves the component locally along the X, Y, or Z axis. Positive or
negative values indicate how far the components are moved locally.
Tip
The path you transform along can be perpendicular, or at any other angle to the
transformed face. To transform along a face normal, set the Z value for Local
Values Translate to 1, and then click the Move Face button.
Rotate
This value sets the angle at which you want to rotate the components locally around
the X, Y, or Z axis.
Scale
This value scales the components locally along the X, Y, or Z-axis.
Direction
Enter a value to set the location of the X, Y, or Z point in the local axis. Notice how
the manipulator handles change accordingly when you change the Y direction value
to 4.0.
Global Values
Translate
This value moves the components along the X, Y, or Z axis.
Scale
Enter a value to scale the components along the X, Y, or Z axis.
Rotate
This value sets the angle by which you want to rotate the components around the X,
Y, or Z axis.
Other Values
World Space
Turn on the World Space setting to use the world space coordinate system when
you change values randomly
Edit Mesh > Flip Triangle Edge
Switches the polygon edge dividing two triangle polygons so it connects between their
opposite corners.
Note
You can access Flip/Spin Edge from the marking menu by clicking + when the
polygone is in Edge mode.
Edit Mesh > Spin Edge Forward
Spins the selected edges in their winding direction, changing their connectivity 1 vertex at a
time. Edges must be attached to only 2 faces in order to be spun.
If you spin an edge multiple times, Maya edits the offset attribute of the existing history
node. Spinning an edge does not affect the vertex IDs or edge IDs, however as you spin an
edge, the adjacent faces rotate along with it.
Note
Edit Mesh > Spin Edge Backward
The same as Edit Mesh > Spin Edge Forward, except it spins the selected edges opposite
to their winding direction.
Note
Edit Mesh > Poke Face
Splits the selected faces to let you push or pull the center of the original polygon.
For example, a four-sided polygon (quad) is split into 4 three-sided polygons with one
shared vertex in the middle. A manipulator appears after the Poke Face operation to let
you further transform the vertex.
Vertex offset
Specifies the X, Y, Z direction and distance the new vertex will be offset from the
original face.
Offset space
Determines the coordinate space for the offset.
World
Specifies the offset in world space units. That is, the vertex will be offset based
on absolute X, Y, Z values.
Local
Specifies the offset in local space units. That is, the vertex offset will occur
relative to the object units.
Edit Mesh > Wedge Face
Pulls an arc of new polygons from existing faces.
Edit Mesh > Wedge Face >
Arc Angle
The degrees of rotation around the pivot edge(s).
Divisions
The number of subdivisions around the rotation.

Edit Mesh > Duplicate Face
Creates a new separate copy of any selected faces. The duplicated faces become part of the
original mesh which otherwise remains unaffected.
Edit Mesh > Connect Components
When vertices and/or edges are selected, Connect Components connects them via edges.
Vertices are connected directly to connecting edges, while edges are connected at their
midpoint.
Note
You can access Connect Components from the marking menu by
clicking + when the polygone is in Edge, Face, Vertex or Vertex Face mode.
Edit Mesh > Detach Component
When vertices are selected, Detach Component separates any selected vertex that is
shared by multiple faces into multiple vertices depending on the number of faces the vertex
shares. The edges of the faces associated with the vertex also become unshared as a result.
Note
Detach Component ignores any vertices that are not shared.
When edges are selected, Detach Component separates the selected edges into two
overlapping edges. If you perform a Detach Component operation over a path of edges,
the vertices along that path are also seperated along that path. The vertices at the ends of
each selection remain attached to both of the new edges or edge paths.
If both vertices and edges are selected, Detach Component defaults to the same behavior
as when only vertices are selected.
Note
You can access Detach Component from the marking menu by clicking + when
the polygone is in Edge mode.
Edit Mesh > Merge
Merges selected edges and vertices that are within a numerically specified threshold
distance of each other. For example, two selected edges will be merged into one shared
edge.
Edit Mesh > Merge To Center
Merge To Center merges any selected vertices so they become shared and positions the
resulting shared vertex at the center of the original selection. Any faces and edges
associated with the originally selected vertices also become merged as a result.
Edit Mesh > Collapse
The Collapse feature collapses edges on a component by component basis and then
merges the associated vertices for each collapsed edge separately. Collapse also works on
faces, but produces results that are more predictable when using edges. If you wish to
collapse and merge a selection of faces you should first try Edit Mesh > Merge To Center.
Area Threshold
The Area Threshold setting specifies that faces with an area smaller than the
specified threshold value get collapsed. You must explicitly turn on Use Area
Threshold as the default setting is off. The Area Threshold attributes are set on
the polyCollapse node.
Edit Mesh > Merge Vertex Tool

Lets you merge vertices to create a shared vertex between them by dragging from a
source vertex to a target vertex. Vertices can only be merged if they belong to the same
mesh. The Merge Vertex Tool options determine the merge behavior.
Edit Mesh > Merge Vertex Tool >
Target Vertex
The target vertex becomes the new vertex and the source vertex is deleted. This is
the default setting.
Center
A new vertex is created equidistant between the source and target vertices. The source and
target vertices are then removed.
Edit Mesh > Merge Edge Tool
Lets you merge edges to create a shared edge between them by selecting the two edges.
The Merge Edge Tool options determine the merge behavior.
Edit Mesh > Delete Edge/Vertex
Deletes edges or vertices from the polygon mesh depending on what components are
selected.
When vertices are selected, it removes any shared vertices that are selected on the mesh.
Shared edges associated with the selected vertices are also removed as a result. The faces
surrounding the deleted vertices and edges are replaced with a single n-sided polygon
created from the vertices surrounding the deleted vertex.
When edges are selected, it removes any shared edges that are selected on the mesh as
well as any shared vertices that are associated with the deleted edges. Delete
Edge/Vertex does not delete border edges on a polygonal mesh.
Edit Mesh > Chamfer Vertex
Replaces a vertex with a flat polygon face.
Edit Mesh > Bevel
Creates beveled polygons along the currently selected edges.
Edit Mesh > Bevel >
Offset Type
Select the way that the bevel width is calculated.
Fractional
When Fractional is selected, the bevel width will not be larger than the shortest
edge. This option limits the size of the bevel to ensure no inside-out bevels are
created. This is the default setting.
Absolute
When Absolute is selected, the Width value is used without restriction when
creating the bevel. If too large a Width value is used the bevel may turn inside-out.
Offset Space
Determines whether a bevel applied to a scaled object will also be scaled in relation to the
scaling on the object.
World
If you bevel a scaled object, the offset will ignore the scaling and use world space
values. This is the default setting.
Local
If you bevel a scaled object, the offset is also scaled relative to the scaling applied to
the object.
Width
Specifies the distance between the original edge and the center of the offset face to
determine the size of the bevel. The Width option is dependent on whether
the Offset Type is set to Fractional or Absolute.
When Fractional is the Offset Type, the Width value is limited to a range between
0 to 1 that controls the distance between the original edge and the center of the
offset face. When the Width value is 1, the distance will be the maximum possible
(based on the shortest edge) that will not produce an inside-out bevel.
A Width value greater than 1 will produce inside-out bevels.
When Absolute is the Offset Type, the Width value is the distance between the
original edge and the offset face measured in the scene’s linear unit. This is like the
radius of the bevel. A large Width value can produce inside-out bevels.
Values range from 0.2 to 10.0, although smaller values produce better results
if World Space is turned off.
Segments
The Segments value determines the number of segments created along the edges
of the beveled polygon. Use the slider or enter a value to change the number of
segments. The default is 1.
Automatically fit bevel to object
If you select Automatically fit bevel to object, Maya automatically determines

how the bevel fits the object. If selected, you cannot change the Roundness value.
Roundness
By default, Maya automatically adjusts the rounding to bevel an object based upon
the object's geometry. If you select Automatically fit bevel to object, this option
is dimmed. If Automatically fit bevel to object is not selected, use
the Roundness slider or enter a value to round the bevel edges. You can set
the Roundness to a negative number to create inward bevels.
UV assignment
Specifies how UV texture coordinates are modified as a result of the bevel operation.
Planar project per face
Each original face is projected using a planar projection to produce UVs that
incorporate the new faces resulting from the bevel. The boundaries of the original UV
coordinates may be modified as a result.
Preserve original boundaries
UVs are incorporated into the UV map that maintain the UV boundaries that existed
prior to the bevel. For best results, use an even value for the number of Segments.
polyBevel node
Additional modifications can be made to a bevel by editing the following attributes on

the polyBevel node using the Channel Box or the Attribute Editor.
Angle tolerance
Bevel uses this angle to decide whether it needs to insert extra edges. If your model
still has unwanted edges, try increasing this value to remove them.
Merge vertices
Merges vertices automatically when beveling an edge without having to use

the Merge Vertices feature separately. Coincident edges and their associated UVs
are also merged automatically (within a specified threshold). The Merge
Vertices attributes are turned on by default and can alternately be edited within
the Channel Box.
Subdivide Ngons
Subdivides any faces that have large numbers of edges as a result of doing a bevel
operation with more than one segment. The subdivide Ngons option is turned on
by default and can alternately be controlled within the Channel Box.
Smoothing angle
Lets you specify whether you want the recently beveled edges to appear hard or soft
when shaded.
If you want the beveled edges to be soft, you can set the Smoothing Angle to a
high value such as 180. If you want the beveled edges to be hard, you can set
the Smoothing Angle to a low value such as 0.
In general, if the angle between two shared edges is greater than the value specified
by the Smoothing Angle attribute, the beveled edge will be shaded to appear hard.
The default Smoothing Angle value for polygon Bevel is 30 degrees.
Mitering angle
Controls how two intersecting beveled edges get joined when an intersecting non-
beveled edge is involved. You can specify whether you want the recently beveled
edges to be mitered or not by setting the Mitering Angle value as required.
If the angle between the two beveled edges is greater than the specified mitering angle, the
beveled edges will not be mitered. The Mitering Angle feature is on by default and is set to
180 degrees.
Edit Mesh > Crease Tool
You can crease edges and vertices on a polygon mesh using the Crease Tool (Edit Mesh >
Crease Tool). This lets you modify your polygonal meshes and obtain shapes that transition
between hard and smooth, without unduly increasing the resolution of the base mesh.
You can also + -click on an object when you are in either edge or vertex selection
mode to select the Crease Tool.
Edit Mesh > Crease Sets > Create Crease Set
Creates a set containing the currently selected creased components (polygonal edges and
vertices) when using the Crease Tool. Crease sets let you easily select those components
when you need to modify them later on.
The Create Crease Set window lets you enter a unique name for your crease set. Crease
sets can easily be selected by pressing + + to display the list of sets via a
marking menu. A selection list of the current crease sets also appears below the Create
Crease Set menu item.
You can manage crease sets using the Outliner or the Relationship Editor. All crease sets
appear in the Outliner nested within a default crease set that gets created the first time a
Crease Set is created.
Edit Mesh > Assign Invisible Faces
Toggles selected faces as invisible. Faces assigned as invisible do not appear in the scene.
However, these faces still exist and can still be manipulated.
Edit Mesh > Interactive Split Tool
Splits one or more faces on a polygon mesh into multiple faces after you specify the split
location on the mesh.
Edit Mesh > Project Curve on Mesh
Projects a curve onto a polygon surface.
Edit Mesh > Split Mesh with Projected Curve
Splits or splits and detaches edges on a polygon surface.
Split mesh with Projected Curve >
Split
Cuts the surface of a polygon. The face of a polygon is split, but the components are
still connected and there is only one set of vertices.
Split and detach edges
Separates the polygon along the edges that were split. The components of the
polygon are detached and there are two or more sets of vertices.
 Proxy
Proxy > Subdiv Proxy
Subdiv Proxy smooths the selected polygon mesh by adding polygons and keeps the
original non-smoothed mesh as a proxy. A node connection is made between the proxy and
smoothed version of the mesh so that changes to the proxy's shape or topology update the
smoothed version of the mesh.
Subdiv Proxy is useful for reshaping and/or animating a coarser version of a polygonal
model (with fewer components to worry about) while seeing what the smoothed version will
look like.
Hotkeys for Sudiv Proxy:
+ ` (left single quote beside the 1 key) Turns on/off the display of the proxy mesh or the smooth mesh.
+` Displays both the proxy mesh and the smooth mesh.
+` Proxy > Subdiv Proxy
+ +` Proxy > Subdiv Proxy >
Page Up Increases the denseness of the smooth mesh.
Page Down Decreases the denseness of the smooth mesh.
Proxy > Subdiv Proxy >
Inherit Smooth Mesh Preview
Turn this setting on when you want to convert a mesh from Smooth Mesh
Preview display mode to a Subdiv Proxy and retain the current Smooth Mesh
Preview settings. For example, if you want to render or animate a smoothed version
of the object.
Mirror Behavior
Controls how the smooth mesh and proxy mesh are mirrored and/or located relative to each
other.
None
The smooth mesh is created within the proxy mesh.
Full
The smooth mesh is created within the proxy mesh, and both the proxy mesh and
the smooth mesh are mirrored about the Mirror Direction.
Adjustments that you make to one half of the proxy mesh are automatically mirrored
onto the other half, making symmetrical modeling much easier.
Half
The smooth mesh is created adjacent to the proxy mesh (based on the Mirror
Direction). This allows you to modify the proxy mesh and clearly see the result on
the smooth mesh.
Note
You would usually use mirroring for modeling an object, not animating it. Otherwise,
the object’s animation would be symmetrical.
After you have finished modeling an object with mirroring, use Proxy > Remove
Subdiv Proxy Mirror to remove the smooth mesh. Then create a new subdiv proxy
(with Mirror Behavior set to None) for animating the object.
Note
If you modify the mirrored half of the subdiv proxy in object space mode, dragging a
manipulator in one direction will modify the proxy in the opposite direction.
If you modify the mirrored half of the subdiv proxy in world space mode, dragging a
manipulator in one direction will modify the proxy in the same direction.
If you modify the original half of the subdiv proxy, in object space or world space
mode, dragging a manipulator in one direction will modify the proxy in
the same direction.
Note
Mirroring only works across the world axes. Mirroring an object that has been
arbitrarily rotated may produce unexpected results; some geometry may be
overlapping.
Mirror Direction
The direction that the selected mesh will be mirrored. That is, positive or negative X,
Y, or Z.
Subdiv Proxy will mirror the proxy mesh at the extent of its bounding box in
the Mirror Direction.
Merge Vertex Tolerance
When a vertex on the original mesh and its corresponding mirrored vertex are closer
than the Merge Vertex Tolerance, then they will be merged into a single vertex.
Share Transform Node
Controls whether the smooth mesh is transformed when you transform the proxy mesh.
For example, you may prefer to move the proxy mesh away from the smooth mesh in order
to adjust the proxy mesh and clearly see the effect on the smooth mesh. In this case, turn
off Share Transform Node.
Or you may prefer to keep the proxy mesh and smooth mesh together. In this case, turn
on Share Transform Node.
On
If you transform the proxy mesh, the smooth mesh will also be transformed.
Off
If you transform the proxy mesh, the smooth mesh will not be transformed.
Tip
When working with Subdiv Proxy, you can save the low resolution mesh and use it
for fast interactive playback provided you have not performed additional
modifications to the node that would affect its history.
Use Proxy > Subdiv Proxy with Share Transform Node turned off. Bind the proxy
mesh to a skeleton, and hide the smooth mesh using the hotkey ` (left open quote
beside the 1 key). The low resolution mesh will provide fast interactive playback.
To display the smooth mesh (for example, for rendering), press the ` hotkey again.
(Or turn off the Subdiv Proxy Renderable option so the proxy mesh is not
rendered.)
Note
If you create a subdiv proxy with Share Transform Node turned on, and then
delete history on the proxy mesh, the proxy mesh and smooth mesh will appear to
become a single object. This is because they share a transform node. To select either
the proxy mesh or the smooth mesh (for example, in order to delete one of them),
press the arrow key and then press either the or key.
Display Settings
Subdiv Proxy Shader
Controls the appearance of the proxy mesh’s material to best suit the way you like to
work.
 Transparent: Assigns a new Lambert material with partial transparency to the proxy
mesh. This lets you view the smooth mesh beneath the proxy.
 Remove: Eliminates the connection between the proxy mesh and its material.
 Keep: Maintains the original connection between the proxy mesh and its material. If you
choose Keep, you’ll need to move the proxy and smooth mesh side-by-side.
Subdiv Proxy Transparency
Sets the Transparency attribute of the proxy mesh material. This material is created
by the Subdiv Proxy operation.
Subdiv Proxy Renderable
Controls whether the proxy mesh is rendered (on) or not (off).
Subdiv Proxy In Layer
When on, Maya adds the proxy mesh to a new layer so you can control the visibility
of the proxy mesh. When off, no layer is created. For example, if the object is
already in another layer, you might want to turn off this option so that the proxy
mesh only belongs to one layer and not two.
Smooth Mesh In Layer
Turns on the ability to add the smooth mesh to a layer in the Layer Editor.
Smooth Layer Display

Sets the default state for the smooth mesh layer. These options are only available when
the Smooth Mesh in Layer option is turned on
Normal
The smooth mesh is fully visible and selectable in this display state.
Template
The smooth mesh is visible as a template only and is not selectable as an object.
Reference
The Reference display state restricts you from editing the smooth mesh directly.
This is the default setting.
Note
Mesh > Smooth and Proxy > Subdiv Proxy each output the polygon vertex order
differently. If you need to perform operations that require identical topologies, for
example, using Blend Shape, you may wish to use the same smoothing tool for
smoothing the polygon meshes to avoid unexpected results.
Proxy > Remove Subdiv Proxy Mirror
Removes the smooth mesh created by Proxy > Subdiv Proxy (with Mirror Behavior set
to Full) and combines the two halves of the proxy mesh (the original mesh and the
mirrored mesh) into a single mesh (similar to using Mesh > Mirror Geometry on the original
mesh).
Adjustments that you make to one half of the mesh will no longer be automatically mirrored
onto the other half.
After you have created a symmetrical model using Proxy > Subdiv Proxy (with Mirror
Behavior set to Full), use Proxy > Remove Subdiv Proxy Mirror to remove the smooth
mesh. Then use Proxy > Subdiv Proxy (with Mirror Behavior set to None) to create a
smooth mesh that you can animate non-symmetrically.
Proxy > Remove Subdiv Proxy Mirror >
Mirror Direction
The direction that the original proxy mesh will be mirrored. (Set Mirror Direction to
the same setting you used for Mirror Direction with Proxy > Subdiv Proxy.)
Proxy > Crease Tool
The Proxy > Crease Tool is the same feature as Edit Mesh > Crease Tool. They exist in two
locations to more easily facilitate user workflows.
Proxy > Toggle Proxy Display
Toggles the display of the subdiv proxy object between normal polygon display and the
smooth subdiv proxy version.
Switching between the subdiv proxy and the normal polygon display modes is useful when
you’re modeling polygon surfaces and want to quickly switch between either mode to
preview your work.
You can also toggle this display mode using the Ctrl + ‘ hotkey.
Proxy > Both Proxy and Subdiv Display
Displays both the proxy mesh and subdiv mesh simultaneously. You can also control this
display mode using the ~ hotkey.
 Normals
Normals > Vertex Normal Edit Tool
Lets you adjust the user-defined normal of a vertex (or several selected vertices) using a
manipulator. For example, you can make sharp edges appear smoother or adjust the
lighting on a polygonal object by modifying the direction of the vertex normal.
Editing the vertex normal with this tool overrides the existing Maya normals for the mesh
and locks the user-defined normal you set. You can unlock the user-defined normal using
the Normals > Unlock Normals feature.
Note
Editing normals with face/vertex components can cause new hard edges, any unlocked
neighboring normals might move in the process. Lock any neighboring normals you want to
remain unaffected prior to editing.
Normals > Vertex Normal Edit Tool >
Rotate Axis
Select the coordinate system to rotate on.
Local
Rotates the vertex normal about the object space axes.
Global
Rotates the vertex normal about the world space XYZ axes.
Normals > Set Vertex Normal
Controls the positions of vertex normals. This affects the appearance of shaded polygons.
Normals > Set Vertex Normal >
By default, Maya locks normals to their existing values.
X, Y, and Z Values
Enter a value or drag the slider to change the range of the normals associated with
the vertices and faces. You can lock or unlock these values using the Lock
Normals or Unlock Normals option.
Normalize Normal
Regardless of the current normal’s values, clicking this button sets the normals to
unit length (or normalizes them).
The unit length of a normal is calculated by the point offset from the vertex. You
may inadvertently change the X, Y, Z values to ones that change this unit length to
something undesirable which could un-normalize the normals (for example, changing
X to 1.11).
Normals > Lock Normals
Locks vertex normals. Normals have a direct affect on the appearance of shaded polygons.
You can modify their appearance by first unlocking, editing the normals, and then locking
them.
To change the X, Y, or Z values for normals, you need to unlock the normals using Normals
> Unlock Normals. The normal values you specify (or if you use the default values) are fixed
for each normal associated with the vertex or vertex/face component. This means that if
you change a vertex position, normals do not change position.
Normals > Unlock Normals
Unlocks vertex normals. Normals have a direct affect on the appearance of shaded
polygons. You can modify their appearance by first unlocking, editing the normals, and then
locking them. Use this option to unlock locked normals.
Normals > Average Normals
Controls the positions of vertex normals. This affects the appearance of shaded polygons.
Normals > Average Normals >
Normalize before averaging
Turn this option on so that all the normals in the calculation have a length of 1, and
each one contributes equally to the average. This is the default setting.
If this option is turned off, and if you explicitly set normals where the length is not
equal to 1, then the contribution of these normals to the average is weighted by the
length of the normal (the new normal will be closer in direction to the longer
normals).
Normalize after averaging
If Normalize before averaging is off, you can keep the length of the normal that
resulted from the calculation, or set the length to 1 by turning on Normalize after
averaging. The length may be significant in future invocations of Average Normals. If
Normalize before averaging is on, this option is disabled, since the result will be
automatically normalized.
Do not normalize
Turn on Do not normalize when you do not want the Normals normalized before
averaging.
Grouping threshold
The vertices within the distance you specify are considered as a group to share a
normal which is the average of the normals in the group. So your selected vertices
may be divided into several groups, and each group averaged separately.
Allow zero normals
If two normals of exactly opposite direction are averaged, the result will be a zero-
length normal. While this is valid in Maya, it may not be what you want. If this option
is turned off, the normals are replaced by user-specified value.
Replace zero normals by
If Allow Zero Normals is on, this option is disabled. If Allow Zero Normals is off,
the normals are replaced by the X, Y, and Z values you specify here.
Normals > Set to Face
Normals > Set to Face >
Create face normals
Select whether to unlock or lock face normals.
Unlock vertex face normals
The edges surrounding the vertex face are hardened if it is possible to do so, and the
normals unlocked. This is the default setting.
Match face normal
When Match face normal is set, the vertex/face normal value is matched and locked
to its current face normal.
Normals > Reverse
Reverses the normals on the selected polygons. You can also specify whether or not the
user-defined normals get reversed.
Normals > Reverse >
Reverse normals on
Specifies what elements have their normals reversed.
Selected faces
Maya reverses the normals on the selected faces. This is the default setting.
Selected faces, then extract
Maya reverses the normals on the selected faces and then extracts, or splits the
vertices.
NoteThe Reverse option can result in non-manifold geometry, where polygons that
share an edge have reversed normals. Some tools cannot work with non-manifold
geometry.
To avoid creating non-manifold geometry, use the Select faces, then extract option.
This option splits vertices so as not to create non-manifold geometry.
All faces in the shell
Maya reverses the normals on all (selected or unselected) faces in the shell.
User Normals
Specifies whether or not user-defined normals are affected by the Reverse operation.
Preserve user normals direction
Specifies that User-defined normals are not reversed when using

the Reverse feature. The default setting is off.
Reverse user normals
Specifies that user-defined normals are reversed when using the Reverse feature.
This is the default setting.
Normals > Conform
Unifies the direction of the surface normals for a selected polygon mesh. The resulting
direction of the surface normals will be based on the direction that is shared by the majority
of the faces on the mesh.
Normals > Soften Edge
Manipulates vertex normals to change the appearance of shaded polygons to render with a
softened appearance. Soften Edge sets the Normal angle to 180 degrees, making all
selected edges render soft.
Note
User defined (locked) normals are not affected by softening or hardening only in how they
are shared at a vertex. Instead, use the Average Normals or Set to Face features to set
the values.
Normals > Harden Edge
Manipulates vertex normals to change the appearance of shaded polygons to render with a
hardened appearance. Harden Edge sets the Normal angle to 0 degrees, making all
selected edges render hard.
Note
User defined (locked) normals are not affected by softening or hardening only in how they
are shared at a vertex. Instead, use the Average Normals or Set to Face features to set
the values.
Normals > Set Normal Angle
Lets you manipulate the shaded appearance of polygons by specifying an angle value for the
Normals.
Angle
Use the slider or enter a value to set the angle. Angles greater than the current
value render hard; angles less than the current value render soft.
 Color
Color > Prelight (Maya)
The Prelight feature calculates and then stores the shading and lighting color information
from the rendered appearance of a polygon mesh directly on the color per vertex
information for the mesh. This is also referred to as “baking” the lighting.
You can prelight a polygon mesh in a scene using either the Prelight (Maya
Software) feature or using the Batch Bake (mental ray) feature that uses the mental
ray for Maya renderer.
It is also possible to export the prelighting information that is produced as a texture map.
Color > Prelight (Maya) >
By default all options are turned off, and the Sample scale factor is set to 1.0.
Sample selected faces only
You can select objects and or any type of polygonal component of an object. This
includes vertices, edges, faces, and UV / map component types. By default Maya
examines each component type to determine which vertices have been selected and
the selected vertices are then sampled.
If Sample selected faces only is turned on, Maya examines each component type
to determine which complete faces have been selected. The selected faces are then
sampled.
For example, if a face has four vertices, and only three of them are selected:
 if Sample selected faces only is off, three vertices are used for sampling.
 if Sample selected faces only is on, no sampling is performed since the face is
considered to be only partially selected.
Sample using face normals
This option uses the corresponding face normals for sampling regardless of
whether Sample selected faces only is off, or whether the edge is hard or soft.
Compute shadow maps
Turn this on if you want shadows to be computed. A software rendering Shadow

Pass occurs, which outputs a set of depth shadow maps, and then uses these maps
during a sample evaluation.
It is equivalent to doing the following in Maya rendering:
 Set Shadow Pass on in the renderGlobals tab in the Attribute Editor. You
can select this tab by opening the Outliner and turning Display > DAG Objects
Only off.
 Select each light and turn Use Depth Map Shadows on in the Attribute
Editor.
 Select each light and turn Disk Based Dmaps maps to Overwrite Existing
Dmap(s).
 Perform a software render with the current active view camera.
 Select each light and turn Disk Based Dmaps off.
 Read in the shadow maps, and use them during sampling.
Force shadow map usage on lights
This option is available only if Compute shadow maps is on. When Force shadow
map usage on lights is turned on, shadows are computed for each light, even
if Use Depth Map Shadows is turned off for the lights.
Reuse computed shadow maps
To re-use computed shadow maps, turn Compute shadow maps on. Turn this
option on to skip the Shadow Pass computation (Compute Shadow maps above).
This lets you use statically created shadows, and/or computes shadows just once for
future adjustments of the prelight operation or the software rendering.
Ignore mapped channels on surface shaders
Turn this option on to turn on Ignore when Rendering for each channel of the surface
shader.
Sample incoming illumination only
If this option is selected, only incoming illumination lighting is computed. This option
is useful if you want to use this information for your own shading computations. It is
also useful if you want to sample lighting effects, such as when a light’s color has
been mapped.
Note that the lights in your scene must have a Decay Rate for this option to have
an effect.
Displace geometry
Using sampled shading values to displace geometry is not a prelighting effect, but is
related to using sampling data to modify attributes on an object’s geometry. The
positions of the vertices selected to sample are displaced along their normals by the
sampled data value amount. The normal used for displacement is the vertex normal
used for rendering.
You can see this normal in a perspective view by turning on the Vertices
Normals option by selecting Display > Polygons > Vertex Normals).
Note
 Sample using face normals is disabled when this option is turned on. That is
because performing a displacement for each face of a vertex cannot be done,
which would be attempted if Sample using face normals was available.
 Modify > Convert > Displacement to Polygons achieves much the same effect
(although it can only be applied to the entire object).
Ignore double sided
Ignores the double sided attribute on the shape node for the mesh when prelighting
the mesh. The default setting is on.
Store shared values
If there are multiple vertices are selected, turn this option on to average the values
at the vertices and store the average value.
Sample scale factor
The scale factor is useful if you want to brighten or darken colors before storage, or
to adjust the amount of displacement to be performed.
It is possible to scale the sample before applying it to the geometry (meaning, you
can store color or displace a point). For colors, a negative scale factor is ignored. For
geometric displacement, the scale factor is taken into consideration regardless of
whether it is positive or negative.
Note
A value between 0.0 and 1.0 is usually applied to each channel of a sample, though
values greater than 1.0 can be used.
Clamp minimum RGBA value, Clamp maximum RGBA value
Turn on these options to clamp the minimum and maximum RGBA values so that the
values are forced to be within the range you set.
Color blending, Alpha blending
Control how the newly computed colors and transparency values affect the current
colors/transparency on the vertices.
The minimum and maximum clamp options are applied after the operation.
Overwrite
The new value replaces the current value.
Add, Subtract, Multiply, Divide
Combines the current and new values with a mathematical operation.
Average
Averages the current value and the new value.
Don’t Overwrite
Won’t save the new value if the vertex has a current value.
Color > Batch Bake (mental ray)
The Batch Bake feature calculates and then stores the shading and lighting color
information from the rendered appearance of a polygon mesh directly on the color per
vertex information for the mesh. This is also referred to as pre-lighting.
This menu item is only accessible when the mental ray Mayatomr.mll plug-in is loaded
(Window > Settings/Preferences > Plug-in Manager).
Note
If the Batch Bake feature appears dimmed in the menu, it indicates that the Maya for
mental ray plug-in is not loaded. Select Window > Settings/Preferences > Plug-in
Manager to load the plug-in.
Color > Assign New Vertex Bake Set
Creates a new vertex bake-set and assigns selected objects to it so that you can create light
maps.
Color > Assign Existing Bake Set
Assigns selected objects to existing bake-sets. A list of existing bake-sets is displayed in the
drop-down list for selection.
Color > Edit Assigned Bake Set
Displays the Attribute Editor with the currently assigned bake set tab displayed so you can
edit any bake set attributes.
Color > Create Empty Color Set
Creates an empty color set for color per vertex work.
Color > Create Empty Color Set >
You can specify whether your empty color set is RGB, RGBA, or A (alpha) only. You can also
specify whether the values are clamped to the 0–1 range or whether they can be beyond
this range.
Color > Delete Current Color Set
Removes an existing color set that you specify.
Color > Rename Current Color Set
Renames an existing color set.
Color > Modify Current Color Set
Assigns a polyColorMod node downstream from the selected color set so you can apply
global color modifications to the color set for either HSV color space or RGBA color channel
basis. An option for this also exists in the Color Set Editor.
Color > Set Keyframe for Vertex Color
Lets you set animation keyframes for color-per-vertex attributes.
Color > Apply Color
Adds or removes color per vertex (CPV) information on the selected vertices of a polygonal
mesh.
Color > Apply Color >
Operation
Determines which color per vertex (CPV) operation is applied to the selected vertex or
vertices.
Replace color
Replaces the selection’s color with the color you define in the Color Value section.
This is the default.
Add color
Adds the color you define in the Color Value section to the selection.
Subtract color
Subtracts the color you define in the Color Value section from the selection.
Remove color
Removes the assigned vertex color information from the selected vertices.
Effect
Select the channels on which to make the Color Value settings availables
All channels
Turn this option on to make the Color Value settings available.
Individual Channels
Turn this option on to make the Color Channel Values settings available.
Color Value
Color
Click the swatch to display the Color Chooser. Use the slider to adjust the value of
the swatch color.
Grab Color
Click the eyedropper button to enable the eyedropper, which lets you pick any color
on your monitor to define the Color.
Selected Vertex Color
Click this button to change the Color to the color of the selected vertex.
Alpha
Sets the alpha channel of the Color, which defines the object’s transparency.
Color with alpha
Displays the color that is applied to the selection taking into account both
the Color and the Alpha settings.
Color Channel Values
You can set the red, green, blue, and alpha (RGBA) values individually by
setting Effect to Individual Channels and then turning on the Set Red, Set Green, Set
Blue, and Set Alpha options, respectively, and changing the corresponding values. All color
channels are turned on by default when the Color Channels option is turned on.
Color > Paint Vertex Color Tool
Lets you apply color-per-vertex information on a polygon mesh by painting directly on the
mesh using either your mouse or a tablet with stylus.
Color > Paint Vertex Color Tool >
Lets you specify the settings for the Paint Vertex Color Tool in the Tool Settings editor.
Attributes unique to the Paint Vertex Color Tool are described in the Color section below.
Color
These are descriptions of the attributes in the Color section.
Operation
Select the method of coloring the vertices.
Replace
Replaces existing color.
Smooth
Averages the colors under the brush. Specifically, the vertex under the brush gets
the average color of the four surrounding vertices
Remove
Removes existing color.
Paint
Select the component to color.
Vertex
All faces connected with the vertex you paint over get the color.
Vertex face
Only the interior part of the face is colored. The vertices are left unshared, so that
they may have different color values on either side of the edge.
Face
All vertices attached to the face get colored. The color bleeds over the edge of the
face.
Channels
Select the color channel to color with.
RGB
Painting vertices applies the Color Value.
RGBA
Painting vertices applies the Color Value (color) and Color Alpha (transparency).
Color Value
The color that painting will apply to vertices.
Color Alpha
The alpha value that painting will apply to vertices (when Channels is RGBA).
Painting vertices with a Color Alpha of 0 makes them transparent. Painting vertices
with a Color Alpha of 1 makes them opaque.
Flood
Sets all vertices to the current Color Value (and Color

Alpha if Channels is RGBA).
Color > Toggle Display Colors Attribute
Toggle Display Colors Attribute turns the Display Colors attribute (located in the Mesh
Component Display tab of the shape node) on or off for the currently selected polygon
mesh.
Turning on the Display Colors attribute lets you view the color per vertex information as
well as any assigned shaders on a polygonal mesh when the display is set to shaded mode.
The default Display colors setting for any object is off until color per vertex information is
applied.
If you do not want to view color per vertex information for any new polygon objects in your
scene while viewing in shaded mode, turn Toggle Display Colors Attribute off.
Color > Color Material Channel
The Color Material Channel option determines the interaction between existing material
channels and the vertex colors you assign. For all options other than None, lighting affects
the object's shading. The Color Material Channel options are as follows:
None
None of the material properties of the shader(s) assigned to the object are used. In
this case lighting is also disabled.
Ambient
The ambient material channel of the assigned shader(s) is overridden by the vertex
color.
Ambient+Diffuse
The ambient and diffuse material channels of the assigned shader(s) are overridden
by the vertex color.
Diffuse
The diffuse material channel of the assigned shader(s) is overridden by the vertex
color. This is the default setting.
Specular
The specular material channel of the assigned shader(s) is overridden by the vertex
color.
Emission
The emission material channel of the assigned shader(s) is overridden by the vertex
color.
Color > Material Blend Setting
Specifies how the Color Material Channel blends color-per-vertex (CPV) values with the
assigned shading material.
Overwrite
Replaces the assigned shading material values with the CPV values.
Add
Adds the CPV values to the assigned material shading values depending on the Color
Material Channel setting.
Subtract
Blends the CPV values by subtracting the CPV values from the assigned material
shading values, depending on the Color Material Channel setting.
Multiply
Blends the CPV values by multiplying the CPV values and the assigned shading
values together.
Divide
Blends the CPV values by dividing the assigned shading values by the CPV values.
Average
Blends the CPV values by first averaging the CPV values and the assigned shading
values.
Modulate2X
Blends the CPV values by multiplying the CPV values and the assigned shading
values together and then multiplies the product by 2. This is used with some gaming
consoles.
Blind Data Editor
The Blind Data Editor lets you create, apply, edit, and view blind data.
Apply tab:
Assoc Type
If the selected blind data type already has a particular association type assigned to
it, then this option is available and the data will only be applied to that component
type (or, if the type is object, to the whole object). Otherwise, if the type was Any,
this option is not available and you should select the association type you want to
apply your data to. The default is face.
Selected components are converted to the Assoc Type before the data is applied.
Apply Type
If the data types of the selected blind data type are not all either int or double, this menu is
unavailable. Possible values are Absolute, Offset, and Scale.
Absolute
The value is applied to the data. If selected components or objects already have
blind data of this type, the values are overwritten.
Offset
The values are added to the data that is assigned to the selected components or
objects. If no data exists on a selected component or object, no data is applied. If
the attribute being affected is Ranged, the values are clamped at the minimum and
maximum values.
Scale
The existing data associated with the selected components or objects is multiplied by
this value. If no data exists, none is applied. If the attribute is Ranged, the values
will also be clamped.
Paint values
Selects the Edit > Paint Selection Tool and opens the Tool Settings window. This
tool only works if you have a blind data type selected and if the association type is
face or vertex. The component pick mask is switched to the association type selected
for this blind data type, and the data is applied on every mouse release.
Color data on apply

When turned on, the selected components are false colored after the apply is done
according to how you have color set up in the Color/Query tab.
Color/Query tab
Use this tab to false color and query polygonal objects and components based on criteria
you set up. There are several levels through which you can look at the data.
The first is a high level view of what components or objects have the specified blind data
assigned to them, regardless of value.
Note
The colors show the sequence of queries that were performed, and do not get updated by
subsequent changes to blind data. If the object’s topology changes, colors may no longer be
accurate.
Tag/Id
To complete the Tag/Id fields, right-click in the field to bring up a popup of the
available types, or type in the fields.
Set Color
In the following illustration, Set Color goes through the selection list and colors
components that have floorType blind data red, wallType blind data green, and
ceilingType blind data blue. If any components have two or more of the specified
types assigned, the components (or objects) are colored with the Clash Color, in
this case, light blue. Components that have none of the specified types are colored
with the None color, which is black in this case.
Query
Click Query to select the components (or objects) which would be colored if you had
chosen Set Color. Note that if any of the row conditions are satisfied, the
component or object is selected.
Note
To use a row in the Color/Query operation, turn on the check box to the left of
the Tag/Id field. Disabling a row is useful if you do not want to use a particular type
or value but may want it later.
Remove Color
Click Remove Color to remove color from the components that have the listed blind
data types.
Select value options
When you enable the values for a row, this section displays below the row, providing
you with the following options for the color or query action.
discrete value
Select this option to color or query one value for a particular type.
discrete range
Select this option to color or query a range of values for a particular type.
In the following illustration, components with the blind data type floorType with a
value of 0 (corresponding to preset: normal) are colored red. Components with blind
data type damage and values between 75 and 100 are colored green. Components
with both floorType and damage blind data are colored with the Clash color.
Continuous
Integer or double data can also be colored with grayscale values.
Select continuous from the drop down menu, and select min and max values and
colors to use in coloring the data.
In the following illustration, the blind data type floorRough is displayed. Components
which have a value of 0 are colored black, those with values of 1 are colored white,
and those in between will have the appropriate grayscale. Values less than 0 or
greater than 1 are colored yellow, the Out of Range color. The None color is blue
to differentiate between components with 0 floorRough and components that have no
floorRough assigned at all.
When using the continuous type, query works as if discrete range were selected;
any components that have blind data with values between the min value and the
max values are added to the selection list.
Note
The Blind Data Editor will not properly handle false coloring and querying of more
than one blind data type with the Continuous type enabled. The Blind Data
Editor also will not handle combinations of Discrete Value colors/queries (including
unsigned color/query actions) and Discrete Range colors/queries - if a specific
value is required in combination with a range, use that value for both
the Min and Max in the discrete range section.
Hex
You can also color and query with the hex type if the blind data type selected
consists of hex data.
When the selected Compare Type is Set, components with the selected value(s) set
are colored or selected. If it is Not Set, only components with the value not set are
colored or selected. If set to Equal, only values which equal the selected value are
colored or selected.
Type Editor tab
Id
Must be a unique integer which specifies which blind data type you’re working with.
Note
Subdivision surfaces use blind data to store hierarchical edit information when
converting from a subdivision surface to a poly proxy object. The Id numbers
between 65119000–65119999 are reserved for this purpose. Do not assign them to
your blind data types.
Name
A word or string (with no spaces) that will help you remember what the blind data
types are. It must be unique.
Association type
Describes what the blind data is attached to. Valid choices from this editor
are Face, Vertex, Object, or Any. If you select Any you have to choose what you
want to apply the data to when you are applying it. If you select Face, Vertex,
or Object, the data is assigned only to that type of component or object (and
selected objects/components are converted to this type).
If the component type you are going to be applying this data to is always going to be
the same, it’s a good idea to select it here so that Maya will know how to treat your
selection when applying, coloring, or querying components.
Free Set
Turn this option on if you want to be able to set the value manually (according to the
appropriate data type). Turn it off to use only the values that have been explicitly
defined as Presets.
New Attr
When you first enter a new type, only one attribute is presented to you. To create a
blind data type that has more than one attribute (for example, two ints), click New
Attr.
Long Name
Type the long name for the attribute you are defining, such as “message.” It can
contain, but not start with, numeric characters.
Note
The names vertexBlindData, faceBlindData, edgeBlindData, fbd, vbd, and ebd are
reserved for the parent attribute of the corresponding types and cannot be used for
attribute names for those components.
Short Name
Type the short name for the attribute you’re defining, such as “msg” for message.
This name must be 3 characters or less and can contain, but not start with, numeric
characters.
For object blind data, choose unique long and short names for the blind data type,
making sure they are different from any attribute name on the object to which you
are going to apply the blind data. For component blind data, the names must be
unique within the DG node.
To see all the long names of attributes on a shape, type:
listAttr pPlaneShape1;
To see all the short names of attributes on a shape, type:
listAttr -sn pPlaneShape1
Data Type
Select which type of data the attribute is. Valid choices are:
double
A floating point decimal number. This choice is equivalent to a float type.
int
An integer.
hex
This is a special case of integer in which hex values are used to represent the data.
Using this type, you can pack a large number of binary values into one integer.
boolean
True or false (1 or 0) only.
string
An ascii string of text.
binary
An arbitrary stream of data, stored as text.
Ranged
This option is available only if you have a numeric data type selected (double, int, or
hex) and if Free Set is turned on. Turn on Ranged to restrict the data to an upper
and lower range. When you turn it on, the Min and Max boxes appear for you to
specify the upper and lower range.
You use Presets to set up values you can quickly select by name instead of having to
know which values to use. They provide a means for enumerating integral or (in the
case of the hex type) flag values, that let you quickly set frequently-used data and,
if Free Set is turned off, restricting what values you can apply to data.
New Preset
Click this button to create a new preset; when you do, several input boxes appear.
There is one box for the Name of the preset and one box for each attribute in this
blind data type. Click Delete to remove presets you do not want.
Once you have entered all of the data, click the Save button to save this blind data
type to the scene so that you can apply data using it as a template.
Color Set Editor
The Color Set Editor lets you manage the color sets for any texture and prelighting work you have done.
The Color Set Editor lists only the color sets for the currently selected mesh. If more than one
mesh is selected, all sets on the meshes that have the same names can then be edited using
the Color Set Editor. For example, all the meshes in your scene may have color sets for day and
night.
Note
The Color Set Editor lists only the color sets for the first selected mesh (or the first mesh in the
picking order if you select several meshes at once). To edit color sets common to several meshes,
first select a mesh using all these color sets, then Shift-select the additional meshes.
New
Creates a new color set for the selected surface.
Color Range
If Clamped is on, the values are clamped to the 0–1 range.

Component Type
Specifies RGB, RGBA, or A (alpha) only
Color Set Sharing
Specifies whether Color Per Vertex data is Shared, Per Instance Shared, or Per
Instance Unshared.
Rename
Lets you rename the color set currently selected in the Color Set Editor list.
Delete
Removes the selected color set and its data from the surface. It is deleted from the Color
Set Editor’s list.
Copy
Creates a copy of the selected color set. By default, copies of color sets are
named colorSetName1.
Modify
Assigns a polyColorMod node downstream from the selected color set so you can apply
global color modifications to the color set for either HSV color space or RGBA color
channel basis. You can also animate the parameters in the polyColorMod node.
Note
The modifications you make to the HSV and RGBA modifiers in the polyColorMod node
are cumulative.
Merge
Merges the top-most selected color set with the bottom-most selected color set using
the Over blend style. Merge creates a new color set, assigns it a blendColorSets node, and
deletes the two original color sets. The new merged color set is given the name of the
color set that was the top-most selection. You can only merge two color sets at a time.
Blend
Blends one color set with another and creates a new set for the resulting blend. By default, the
blended color set is named blendedColorSet in the Color Set Editor window. You can only
blend two color sets at a time.
Over
The source color is applied to the base color like a decal. The shape of the decal is
determined by the source color’s alpha according to the following formulae:
Blended color set = source color x source alpha + (base color x (1 -
source alpha))
Blended color set alpha = 1 - ((1 - base color alpha) x (1 - source
color alpha))
Add
The source color is added to the base color as if being projected onto the base through a
slide projector. The resulting color is then applied over the base color using the source
alpha to define the opacity of the blended color set according to the following formulae:
Blended color set = base color + (source color x source alpha)
Blended color set alpha = base color alpha
Subtract
The source color is subtracted from the base color. The resulting color is then applied
over the base color using the source alpha to define the opacity of the blended color set
according to the following formulae:
Blended color set = base color - (source color x source alpha)
Multiply
The source color is multiplied by the base color. The resulting color is then applied over
the base color using the source alpha to define the opacity of the blended color set
according to the following formulae:
Blended color set = base color x (source color x source alpha + 1 -
source alpha)
Linear
The source and base colors are added together, but the amount of each color in the
resulting blended color set is controlled by the Blend Weight A value.
For example, if the Blend Weight A is 0.25, then 75% of the base color and 25% of the
source color are added together to create the blended color set according to the following
formulae:
Blended color set = (1- primary blend weight) x base color + primary
blend weight x source color
Blended color set alpha = (1- primary blend weight) x base color alpha
+ primary blend weight x source color alpha
Bilinear
The source and base colors are added together or subtracted from each other, but the
amount of each color in the resulting blended color set is controlled by the Blend Weight
A and Blend Weight B.
For example, if the Blend Weight A is 0.80 and the Blend Weight B is 0.80, then 80%
of the base color and 80% of the source color are added together to create the blended
color set. You could also have a Blend Weight A of 1.0 and a Blend Weight B of -1.0 so
that 100% of the source color is subtracted from 100% of the base color to create the
blended color set according to the following formulae:
Blended color set = primary blend weight x base color + secondary blend
weight x source color
Blended color set alpha = primary blend weight x base color alpha +
secondary blend weight x source color alpha
Channels
The source and base colors are added together, but the amount of each color channel in
the resulting blended color set is controlled by the Red, Green, Blue and Alpha
Weights according to the following formulae:
Blended color set = Red + Blue + Green
Red = weight1 x source red + (1 - weight1) x base red
Green = weight2 x source green + (1-weight2) x base green
Blue = weight3 x source blue + (1-weight3) x base blue
Blended color set alpha = weight x source alpha + (1-weight) x base
alpha
Move Up
Moves the selected color set up in the Color Set Editor’s list.
Move Down
Moves the selected color set down in the Color Set Editor’s list.
Note
Move Up and Move Down do not create history on your meshes.

Polygons nodes
 blendColorSets
blendColorSets
A blendColorSets node is created whenever you merge or blend two color sets. You can
access this node from the Channel Box or the Attribute Editor.
Blend Style
Sets the type of blend used to combine the selected color sets.
Alpha Blend
Multiply
Add
Subtract
Linear Blend
Bilinear Blend
Color Channel
Primary (Red) Weight
Sets the primary weight value for the selected blended color set. For a Linear blend,
this sets the blended color set’s only weight value. For a Bilinear blend, this sets the
blended color set’s source weight value. For a ColorChannel blend, this sets the
blended color set’s Red channel weight.
Secondary (Green) Weight
Sets the secondary weight value for the selected blended color set. For
a Bilinear blend, this sets the blended color set’s base weight value. For
a ColorChannel blend, this sets the blended color set’s Green channel weight.
Blue Weight
Sets the Blue channel weight for the selected ColorChannel blended color set.
Alpha Weight
Sets the weight value of the alpha channel for the selected blended color set.
Base Color Set
Second color set selected to participate in the blend.
Blend Color Set
First color set selected to participate in the blend.
Destination Color Set
Blended color set’s name.
Swap Base and Blend Sets
Swaps the source color (Blend Color Set) and base color (Base Color Set) for the
selected blended color set. Swap Base and Blend Sets may change your blend
results, depending on your current blend mode.
 Tangent Space
Tangent Space
You can control how Maya sets tangent space for the polygon models in your scenes.
The Tangent Space attributes are set within the Tangent Space section on the polyShape
node for the mesh.
Coordinate System
By default, Maya uses a right-handed tangent space. That is, the normal, tangent,
and the binormal form a right-handed coordinate system.
However, if you are working in an environment that requires a left-handed tangent
space (for example, the game engine you are using mandates that you use a left-
handed system, or you are incorporating normal maps into your scene from other
applications that are based on a left-handed system), then setting this option to left-
handed ensures that the tangent space is calculated so that the normal, tangent, and
the binormal always form a left-handed coordinate system.
Note
By default, Autodesk® 3ds Max® uses a left-handed tangent space. Therefore, when
you are incorporating normal maps from 3ds Max, you should make sure to select
the Left Handed option in the Attribute Editor of the polygon mesh. Alternatively,
you can also go to Window > Settings/Preferences > Preferences > Modeling
> Polygon Tangent Space and set the Default co-ordinate system to Left
handed so that all new meshes use left-handed maps by default.
UV Winding Order
In situations where the UV winding order of a face is reversed (that is, counter-
clockwise), a straightforward left or right-handed tangent calculation results in a
flipped binormal.
By selecting the UV Winding Order Detect option, Maya will calculate the binormal
based on the V direction of the UV mapping.
Tip
The UV Winding Order Detect option is set by default for any new meshes you
create. In most cases, this option should allow your normal and bump maps to be
displayed correctly.
You can modify the default preferences by selecting Window > Settings/Preferences
> Preferences, and selecting the Modeling category. In the Polygon Tangent
Space section you can set the default coordinate system and winding order that
Maya uses for Polygon meshes.
Tangent Smoothing Angle
Specifies an angle below which tangents are smoothed. The default setting of 0
leaves the tangent space along UV borders and mirrored edges unsmoothed.
Increasing this value smooths those regions which may help to remove artifacts in
bump maps, normal maps and other advanced lighting models caused by tangent
space seams.
Tangent Normal Threshold
Specifies an angle below which the normals are considered equivalent when
calculating tangent space. The default setting of 0 ensures that all hard edges results
in a tangent space seam. Increasing this value may help to eliminate the appearance
of hard seams when vertex normals are not shared across an edge.
Note
Whenever a polygon mesh is deformed, the tangent space will be dynamically

recalculated on a per frame basis in Maya. This can cause the tangent space
smoothing to change as the mesh deforms.
Many interactive games/interactive applications that use tangent space export a

single snapshot of the tangent data at either the bind or rest pose for the mesh and
deform based on that data. As a result, any artifacts introduced will not be visible in
the final game.
 Smooth Mesh
Smooth Mesh
The Smooth Mesh Preview feature controls how Maya displays a polygon mesh in the
scene. The mesh can be displayed either un-smoothed, fully smoothed, or in both modes
simultaneously.
You can enable this option under the Smooth Mesh section on the polyShape node for the
mesh.
The Smooth Mesh Preview display modes are controlled by first selecting the mesh and
then pressing the Hotkeys: 2 or 3. In addition, the level of smoothing/subdivision that
occurs on the Smooth Mesh Preview can be controlled via the Hotkeys: Page Up, Page
Down. Other attributes for this feature are set on the polyShape node via the Attribute
Editor. Press the 1 key to turn off the Smooth Mesh Preview feature so that the mesh
displays in its default display mode.
The following describes the Smooth Mesh Preview attributes available on the polyShape
node.
Note
Smooth Mesh Preview affects only the display of the polygon mesh in the scene view. If
you render the mesh while Smooth Mesh Preview is turned on the mesh will appear in its
original un-smoothed state in the final image.
If you want the mesh to appear smoothed in a rendering you can convert the smooth
preview to a smoothed polygon mesh using Modify > Convert > Smooth Mesh Preview to
Polygons or to a subdiv proxy using Proxy > Subdiv Proxy.
Smooth Mesh Preview
Turns the Smooth Mesh Preview feature on or off. The default setting is off. If the
feature is on you can turn off Smooth Mesh Preview by selecting the polygonal
object and then pressing the 1 key.
Display
Determines the display mode for Smooth Mesh Preview. Two display modes are possible:
Cage + Smooth Mesh
Press the 2 key to display the selected polygonal mesh in this mode. The original un-
smoothed version of the mesh is displayed in wireframe (cage) as well as a
smoothed shaded preview version of the mesh simultaneously. The Edit options lets
you specify whether you can select and edit components on either of the separate
versions of the mesh, or both, by setting it to Cage, Smooth Mesh, or Both.
Smooth Mesh
Press the 3 key to display the selected polygonal mesh in this mode. Only the
smoothed preview version of the mesh is displayed in this mode. You select and edit
components on the smoothed preview when working in this mode.
Note
When editing components on the mesh in either preview mode, the transform
manipulator always appears in the location of the component as it appears on the
original version of the mesh.
Subdivision Levels
Display Subdivisions
Controls whether the subdivided components in the smoothed preview are displayed
on the smoothed preview version of the mesh. Subdivided components will be
displayed when a check mark appears.
Preview Division Levels
Controls the number of times the original version of the mesh is subdivided (Default
hotkeys: Page Up, Page Down). The slider range is between 0 and 4. The default
setting is 2. A value of 0 indicates no smoothing while a value of 4 is the highest
smoothing within the range of the slider. You can input values higher than 4 in the
text field.
Note
Whenever a polygon mesh has an associated subdiv proxy object and the Smooth
Mesh Preview option is turned on, the Page Up and Page Down hotkeys will only
control the smooth level on the subdiv proxy.
Extra Controls
Continuity
Controls the amount of smoothness on the smooth mesh preview. The slider range is
between 0 and 1. A value of 0 applies no smoothing.
Smooth UVs
Applies the same smoothing operation to the UV texture coordinates as occurs on the
vertices. Smooth UVs is on by default and provides better results for UV texture
coordinates.
Propagate Edge Hardness
Copies the edge hardness values from any hardened edges on the original mesh to
the associated new edges on the Smooth Mesh preview. The default setting is off.
Map Borders
Controls how UV borders are smoothed when the Smooth UVs option is turned on.
Do not smooth
Border UVs are not smoothed.
Smooth Internal
Internal UVs are smoothed. This is the default setting.
Smooth All
All UV borders are smoothed.
Preserve
Specifies what components will remain unaffected by the Smooth Mesh Preview.
Geometry Borders
This option preserves the properties of border edges on the mesh.
Hard Edge
Preserves the properties of any existing manually hardened or softened edges.
Notes on Smooth Mesh Preview
 When the Edit option for Cage + Smooth is set to Both you may want to change the
active and inactive display colors for the Smooth Mesh Preview to more easily
differentiate between the cage and the smoothed versions of the mesh. Select Window >
Settings/Preferences > Color Settings and then choose either
the Active or Inactive tabs to set the related active and inactive color settings found in
the Smooth Mesh Preview section of Colors preferences window.
 If you turn on Smooth Mesh Preview for one or more meshes that contain 15,000
polygons each or more you are prompted with the following message: "The selected
mesh <object name> contains a large number of faces and may take a while
to smooth or run out of memory. Do you want to continue with smooth mesh
preview?". This message indicates that the interactive performance may be affected if
you proceed with using the Smooth Mesh Preview on these high polygon count
objects. There are a few ways you can modify the triggers for this warning.
If you want to set the default face limit to another value, for example: 20,000 polygons,
you can type the following in the command line:
optionVar -intValue smpSizeOfMeshForWarning 20000;
Alternatively you can disable the warning altogether by typing the following in the
command line:
optionVar -intValue smpSizeWarningDisabledForAllPolys 1;
 Vertex Color Source
Vertex Color Source
You can find the Vertex Color Source drop-down box under the Attribute Editor of a
polyShape node, under Mesh Controls.
Use this feature to color your vertices based on influence colors or based on a color set.
Current Color Set
Select this option to color your vertices based on the current color set. Add paint to
your geometry, for example, by using the Paint Vertex Color Tool and
select Current Color Set from the Vertex Color Source drop-down list to see the
vertex coloring in the scene. Select Display > Polygons > Vertices to display the
vertices to see their coloring.
Influence Colors
Select this option to color your vertices based on influence colors. After binding your
geometry to a skeleton or joint, Vertex Color Source is automatically set
to Influence Colors. Display vertices to see the vertex coloring in the scene.
Send to Mudbox
 Send objects to Mudbox

Send objects to Mudbox
You can send a variety of data, such as meshes, UVs on meshes, and materials associated
with meshes between Maya and Mudbox. You can then add paint or sculpt layers to an
object in Mudbox and send it back to Maya using the Send to Maya commands in the
Mudbox File menu.
Note
Send to Mudbox is only available in the Maya File menu if you have matching versions of
Maya and Mudbox. (Maya 2013 and Mudbox 2013 are matching versions.)
To send objects from Maya to Mudbox
1. In Maya, select the object(s) you want to send.
NoteYou can only send Polygon Primitives from Maya to Mudbox.
2. Select File > Send to Mudbox, then select from the following options:
 Send as New Scene.

Opens a new scene in Mudbox, and sends the selected objects from Maya.
 Update Current Scene.

Available only if Mudbox is running. Updates the Mudbox scene by sending the current
Maya selection. If no objects are selected, this option sends the same selection that
was previously sent.
Note
You can also click the Update button in the Maya status bar to update the current
scene.
 Add to Current Scene.

Available only if Mudbox is running. Sends the current selection to Mudbox. Any
selected objects that have already been sent are duplicated in the Mudbox scene.
3. A connection indicator displays at the bottom of the Maya interface.
4.
Note
If there is a problem matching an object during the Send to operation, an error message
appears displaying a list of unmatched objects. This message will go to the Log window in
Mudbox.
Maya sends your object(s) to Mudbox, automatically assigning any textures added to a new
object. If you are updating a scene, you must add textures manually.
 Receive objects from Mudbox
Receive objects from Mudbox
You can send objects from Mudbox to Maya using the Send to Maya options located in the
Mudbox File menu. These are objects that have either been created in Mudbox, or sent to
Mudbox from Maya. Once you have applied paint layers or sculpt layers to an object, you
can choose how you want to send those layers to Maya using the preferences associated
with the Send to Maya options.
To send objects from Mudbox to Maya, do the following:
1. In Mudbox, select the object(s) that you wish to send to Maya.
Note
If you have multiple objects in your scene, and you do not select a particular object, the
whole scene will be sent to Maya.
2. From the File menu, select Send to Maya.
3. Then select from the following options:
 Send Selected as New Scene: By default the whole scene will be sent, so use this
option if you have more than one object in a scene, and don't want to send all of the
objects to Maya.
 Update Current Scene: Use this option to add paint or sculpt layers to an object in
Maya.
Note
You can also click the Update button in the status bar to update the current scene.
 Update Textures in Current Scene: Use this option if you only want to update the
textures of an object in Maya.
 Add Selected to Current Scene. Use this option to add an additional object to an
existing Maya scene.
 Select Previously Sent Objects: If you have previously sent multiple objects at the
same time, then this option will select all of those objects. However, if you have sent
multiple objects separately, then this option will only select the most recently sent
object.
If you want to set the paint or sculpt layer preferences for an object, then
select Preferences. This will prompt the Maya Send Preferences dialog. From this
dialog, you can set the following preferences:
If you want to set paint layer preferences, select:
1. Do not send paint layers, if you do not want to send any paint layers.
2. Flatten paint layers in each channel before sending, if you want to flatten all
paint layers into a single layer.
3. Send paint layers separately, if you want to send paint layers as individual
layers.
If you want to set the sculpt layer preferences, select:
1. Flatten sculpt layers before sending, if you do not want sculpt layers to be
converted to blend shapes.
2. Export sculpt layers on current mesh level as Maya blend shapes, if you
want sculpt layers to be converted to blend shapes.
Note
There are two preferences that you can also change from the Windows menu. If you
go to Windows > Preferences and choose FBX, you can select Export Layers as
Blend shapes and Flatten Paint Layers On Export. However, changing these
preferences from the Windows menu does not automatically change the preferences
in the Maya Send Preferences dialog.
4. A connection status indicator displays in the

status bar when Mudbox and Maya are connected.
Limitations:
There are some known limitations associated with the Send To workflow between Maya and
Mudbox. You may receive one of two messages when sending objects to Mudbox:
 High-valence vertex
 UV Faces Crossing Tile Boundaries

Both of these problems can be corrected in Maya.
Do the following if the problem is High-valence vertex:
Note
This problem is often associated with spherical objects.
1. Select the object in Maya.
2. From the Windows menu, select the Attribute Editor.
3. Then select the Poly Sphere History.
4. Next, change the values in the Subdivisions Axis and Subdivisions Height fields to
15.
5. Then, from the Windows menu, select the UV Texture Editor.
6. Select the Move UV Shell tool and reduce the size of the object so that it is not
touching the borders.
Do the following if the problem is the UV Faces Crossing Tile Boundaries:
1. Then, from the Windows menu, select the UV Texture Editor.
2. Select the Move UV Shell tool and reduce the size of the object so that it is not
touching the borders.
Additionally, another limitation is that multiple materials on the same mesh are not
supported in Mudbox. So if you send an mesh with multiple materials from Maya to Mudbox,
only one of those materials will appear on the mesh in Mudbox. In fact, Mudbox will select
the material applied to the first face (ID 0) of the mesh.
Polygon modeling preferences and tips
 Polygon modeling preferences

Polygon modeling preferences
Edit preferences for polygon face selection:
When you select faces in Maya the default method is to click the dot in the center of a face
to select it. You can change this behavior so you can click anywhere on a face to select it.
To change the face selection preference
1. Choose Window > Settings/Preferences > Preferences, click the Selection category.
2. Set the Select Faces With option:
 To select faces by clicking anywhere on the face, click Whole.
 To select faces by clicking the dot in the center, click Center.
Keep Faces Together
The Keep Faces Together setting (Edit Mesh > Keep Faces Together) controls how Maya
treats the edges of adjacent faces. Turn Keep Faces Together on or off while you are
extruding, extracting, or duplicating faces to specify whether you want to retain the edges
of each face or the border edges. When this option is on, Maya automatically sets the option
in the Attribute Editor and Channel Box for Extrude, Duplicate Face, and Extract.
When Keep Faces Together is off, each edge makes a wall as it is extruded. Duplicated
faces are duplicated separately, and extracted faces are extracted separately. The faces
separate from each other and scale from their own center.
When Keep Faces Together is on, only the border edges make walls as they are extruded,
extracted, or duplicated. Faces connected by their edges create a single tube, with the
connected faces as a single roof.
Create meshes single sided
You can specify whether polygon meshes are double-sided or single-sided in Maya by
selecting Window > Settings/Preferences > Preferences and selecting the Modeling
category. Turn on Create meshes single sided if you want new polygonal meshes to be
created single-sided. The default is off.
When this is turned on, new polygonal meshes (for example, created by the polygon
primitive tools or by polygonal operations) automatically have their Render Stats >
Double Sided attribute turned off.
Convert the selection mode
You can specify whether Maya automatically converts an existing selection to the correct
component selection for an action. Select Window > Settings/Preferences > Preferences and
select the Modeling category to view the Convert component selection setting. This
setting is on by default.
Turn on Convert component selection to have Maya automatically convert an object

selection to the appropriate component selection mode if an action works only on
components.
For example, if you select a polygonal object and try to extrude faces, Maya will
automatically select all the faces on the object and proceed.
When Convert Selection is turned off, operations work at the object level. If this is not
appropriate for the operation, Maya will print the following message:
Warning: Try turning the Polygons->ToolOptions-> ConvertSelection ON.
Smart Command Settings
The Smart Command Settings modifies polygon settings based on the kind of action
being performed:
 Sets display attributes to show polygon components relevant to the action (for instance,
displaying normals or border edges).
 Sets the selection mask to objects/components appropriate for the action.
 Sets selection constraints that make sense for the action.
The Smart Command Settings is off by default and can be turned on by selecting Window
> Settings/Preferences > Preferences and selecting the Modeling category.
After performing an operation, you can reset the display settings by selecting Display >
Polygons > Reset Display. You will need to manually reset the selection mask.
 Display the polygon count in the scene view
Display the polygon count in the scene view

You can display the polygon count for the polygon objects in your scene using the Heads
Up Display. The Heads Up Display indicates the number of polygon vertices, edges,
faces, triangles, and UVs in the views without occluding your view of the objects.
Displaying the polygon count is particularly useful if your 3D scene is intended for use in an
interactive video game. Interactive video games often have limitations on the number of
polygons as a means to maintaining real-time interactivity.
To display the polygon count in the scene view
1. Select Display > Heads Up Display > Poly Count.

The Heads Up Display appears in the upper left corner of the view.
Column Shows...
Total counts for all visible polygons.
Left
Middle Counts for selected polygons.

Counts for selected components on objects that
are partly visible in the view.
Right
Changing your view can affect the counts
The Poly Count display only counts visible objects (whether they are selected or not). If you
track the view so some objects are no longer visible, they will not be included in the polygon
count.
This can be useful for games developers to get an idea of how many polygons a given view
will require.
Work with polygon meshes using Subdiv Proxy
The Subdiv Proxy feature lets you preview a smoothed version of your polygon mesh by
creating a second smoothed polygon mesh that is linked to the original unsmoothed mesh
via construction history. You can reshape and animate the original mesh (in this case
referred to as the proxy) while seeing what the smoothed version of the polygon mesh looks
like.
Unlike the preview that you get when using Smooth Mesh Preview, the subdiv proxy
version of the mesh is fully renderable and can be skinned and weighted for animation just
like any other mesh.
Subdiv Proxy feature also lets you work with polygonal meshes in a mirrored fashion. That
is, you can modify the original mesh on one half of an object, and see the changes reflected
in the opposite smoothed half of the model.
When Subdiv Proxy is turned on, the smoothed and original versions of the mesh can be
displayed simultaneously. By default, the original mesh appears partially transparent so you
can view the smoothed version underneath.
You can also create a Subdiv Proxy version of a mesh from an existing mesh that is in
Smooth Mesh Preview mode. The Subdiv Proxy will use the options that were set for the
Smooth Mesh Preview when it converts to the Subdiv Proxy, whenever this option is
turned on.
To set up a subdiv proxy
1. Select the mesh.

You must select the mesh object. (Unlike Mesh > Smooth, you cannot use Subdiv
Proxy on specific faces).
2. Select Proxy > Subdiv Proxy or press + ~.

Maya creates a copy of the mesh and smooths it. The original polygon is the proxy mesh
and the new, smooth polygon is the smooth mesh. Maya also creates a new group
containing the smooth and proxy meshes, and a new layer for each mesh.
3. As you model the proxy mesh, the smooth mesh automatically updates.
Tip
You can use Edit Mesh > Bevel on the proxy mesh to control the shape of the smooth
mesh at a corner.
Controling the visibility of the proxy and smooth mesh
 You can move the proxy mesh so it is beside the smooth mesh, letting you see both at
once. However, do not rotate the proxy mesh. Rotating the proxy mesh can change the
smooth surface in unexpected ways.
 Optionally you can set options so that Maya adds both meshes to the Layer Editor.
Click the visibility icon beside their names to quickly show or hide each mesh.
 To make either mesh partially transparent in shaded mode, assign a new material to the
mesh, open its material node in the Attribute Editor, and change the transparency
attribute.
 You can easily switch between subdiv proxy and normal polygon display mode using the
+ ~ hotkey. Depending on the current display of the polygon surface mesh, using
the hotkey either turns on or off the display of the high resolution subdiv proxy mesh.
Switching between subdiv proxy and normal polygon display modes is useful when
you’re modeling polygon surfaces and want to quickly switch between either mode to
preview your work.
Note
If the object does not switch to subdiv proxy display mode, you will need to turn on the
Toggle Subdiv Proxy option in Proxy > Subdiv Proxy > .
To crease selected edges or vertices on a subdiv proxy
1. Select Proxy > Crease Tool > .
For more information on using the Crease Tool, see Crease polygonal edges and vertices.
For a description of the options related to the Crease Tool, see Edit Mesh > Crease Tool.
You can use either the original or the smoothed mesh to edit UVs. For some UV mapping,
such as Planar Mapping, you’ll get a more accurate outline of the surface with the smooth
mesh.
To map UVs onto the smooth mesh
1. Select the shape node of the smooth mesh.
2. In the attribute editor, open the Mesh Controls section and turn on the Allow
Topology Mod attribute.
As a precaution, turn the attribute off again after you have finished editing the smooth
mesh.
Notes
 In most cases you should only edit the proxy mesh, not the smooth mesh. If you edit
the smooth mesh, further changes to the proxy mesh can interact with the edits to the
smooth mesh to produce strange surface shapes.
 The proxy mesh is part of the construction history input for the smooth mesh. All
changes to the proxy mesh can affect the smooth mesh.
 Rotating the proxy mesh can change the smooth surface in unexpected ways. Instead,
rotate the group that contains both meshes.
 You cannot use either Mesh > Combine or Mesh > Booleans operations on a proxy
mesh. These operations create new surfaces and therefore break the connection
between the proxy and smooth meshes.
If you need to use these operations, do so before using Subdiv Proxy, or when you no
longer need the proxy.
 You can keep the proxy and smooth meshes connected throughout an animation so that
you’ll have fewer components to manipulate. (You may want to turn off the visibility of
the smooth mesh layer in the Layer Editor).
 High values for the Subdivision Levels attribute can slow Maya down. Try keeping
Subdivision Levels low while modeling, increasing it just before rendering.
To do this automatically for a given object, open the Render Settings window, display
the Render Options, and add the following command to your Pre Render MEL code:
setAttr polySmoothFaceX.divisions Y;
(where X is your object’s Subdiv Proxy node number and Y is the high number of
subdivisions, the maximum being 4.)
Add the same command to your Post Render MEL code, but with Y as a low number of
subdivisions.
 The proxy mesh will render. If you don’t want it to show up in rendered images you can
hide it (using the ` hotkey), turn off Subdiv Proxy Renderable, delete it, or put it on a
hidden render layer.
Troubleshooting Subdiv Proxy
Maya will allow you to edit the subdiv proxy
Maya has safeguards to prevent you from editing the smooth mesh directly. In most cases
you should only edit the original coarse version of the proxy mesh, not the smoothed mesh
(see the Notes section above). However, in some cases you can subdivide and edit
components on a few faces, or soften or harden a few edges. In general, you should wait
until the model’s topology is finalized before editing the smooth mesh.
To disable the safeguards that prevent you from editing a smooth mesh
1. In the Layer Editor, click the R box next to the subdiv proxy to turn off the Reference
setting for the layer. (Reference keeps you from editing a layer.)
2. Select the shape node of the smooth mesh.
3. In the Attribute Editor, open the Mesh Controls section and turn on the Allow
Topology Mod attribute.
As a precaution, turn the attribute off again after you have finished editing the smooth
mesh.

Introduction To Polygonal Modeling

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Introduction To Polygonal Modeling

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Introduction To Polygonal Modeling

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Polygons are straight-sided shapes (3 or more sides), defined by three-dimensional points

Create > Polygon Primitives > Sphere >

Create > Polygon Primitives > Cube >

Create > Polygon Primitives > Cylinder >

Create > Polygon Primitives > Plane >

Create > Polygon Primitives > Torus >

When creating a prism, you can set the following options:

Create > Polygon Primitives > Pyramid >

When creating a pyramid, you can set the following options:

Number of Sides in Base

For this shape, you can set the following options:

Create > Polygon Primitives > Platonic Solids >

 Tetrahedron: four triangular faces

 Octahedron: eight triangular faces

 Dodecahedron: twelve pentagonal faces

 Icosahedron: twenty triangular faces

(The cube—the fifth platonic solid—has a separate listing in the primitives.)

Create > Polygon Primitives > Interactive Creation

Create > Polygon Primitives > Exit on Completion

Depth / Width, Depth divisions

This option does not appear in Interactive Creation.

To select a path of edges between two vertices

Mesh > Create Polygon Tool >

Limit the number of points

Keep new faces planar

Component Unselected Selected

Vertex Small purple box. Yellow.

Edge Light blue. Light orange.

Border edge Thicker line.

Face Blue dot in center. Light orange tint.

UV Medium purple box. Bright green.

Select polygon components

Set the selection type to vertices:

Set the selection type to edges:

Set the selection type to faces:

Set the selection type to UVs:

 Press on a region of the polygon mesh and select UV from the

 A face loop that fully traverses a polygonal mesh (closed loop)

 A face loop that partially traverses a polygonal mesh (open loop)

To select a face loop on a polygonal mesh

2. Select one face in the face loop you want to select.

To select a partial face loop on a polygonal mesh

2. Select one face in the face loop you want to select.

3. + double-click a non-adjacent face on the same line of longitude or latitutde.

 A vertex loop that fully traverses a polygonal mesh (closed loop)

 A vertex loop that partially traverses a polygonal mesh (open loop)

To select a vertex loop on a polygonal mesh

2. Select one vertex in the vertex loop you want to select.

3. + double-click a vertex connected to an adjacent edge in the direction you want

To select a partial vertex loop on a polygonal mesh

2. Select one vertex in the vertex loop you want to select.

3. + double-click a non-adjacent vertex on the same line of longitude or latitude.

 an edge ring that fully traverses a polygonal mesh (closed ring)

 an edge ring that partially traverses a polygonal mesh (open ring)

 a multi-directional path of edges on a polygonal mesh

To select an edge ring on a polygonal mesh

 Choose the Select Tool in the Toolbox (Hotkey: q).

7. If you want to cancel the edge selection, do one of the following:

 To cancel the selection of an edge, + on the desired edge.

 an edge loop that fully traverses a polygonal mesh

 an edge loop that partially traverses a polygonal mesh