i've used both and either way should be fine, its just that mirror geometry gives you the option to merge both pieces in one shot. i still think you should save the uv mapping for when your done modeling. in this case, you might get texture warping running down the middle of the face, if you fiddle w/ those uvs the wrong way. the black faces thing might be a bug w/ the version/OS you're using : s not sure, i dont recall that issue. maybe the more experienced guys can help. :blush: