Introduction to Maya - Modeling Fundamentals Vol 1
This course will look at the fundamentals of modeling in Maya with an emphasis on creating good topology. We'll look at what makes a good model in Maya and why objects are modeled in the way they are.
# 1 13-05-2008 , 04:00 PM
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Split Polygon tool problem

Hey, I've been doing a head-modeling tutorial for the past couple days which relies heavily on the split polygon tool. Everything was going well, and then all of a sudden it stopped working with any kind of constancy.

I've tried changing various things in the options (magnetism, edge snapping etc) but nothing seems to help. I created a simple polygon cube and tried splitting that up, which worked just fine, so there must be something screwy with my head (the one I'm modeling).

I also tried looking for hidden faces to delete, and found none.

Any suggestions? Has anyone run into this sort of thing before?

Maya version: 6.5 unlimited


Last edited by JohnMack; 13-05-2008 at 04:09 PM.
# 2 13-05-2008 , 04:21 PM
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i think you're going to have to explain what exactly is wrong a bit better or post a picture. is it only not working in one place - is it just not putting points where you want it - what's it not doing? user added image

try using clean up under edit polygons and playing with the options, especially the non manifold one. you might also want to select all your vertices and just do a merge vertices and see if that helps.

# 3 13-05-2008 , 04:25 PM
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Yeah, sorry, I should have been more specific. Most of the time when I click a line it just refuses to put a point on it. Thanks for replying. I'll try the suggestions you gave.

# 4 13-05-2008 , 04:51 PM
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yeah - sounds like you just need to try the clean up tool and make sure your vertices are connected. try selecting one where your trying to use the tool and see if you can pull it out. It also may be your normals as well. turn on borders or just your append to polly tool to see if you have some big border edges where your trying to join. if so reverse the normals on those faces. user added image

# 5 13-05-2008 , 05:55 PM
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Ah yes... I see what you mean by pulling out the vertices. Thanks (I've attached a picture of what it looks like). Think I should just start over? Or can this be fixed? How do I prevent this from happening?

I'm very new to Maya , so I don't know how to do quite a few of the things you are recommending. How do you merge vertices? And how do you turn border on and adjust 'normals'? I tried using the clean up tool, and that didn't seem to have any effect.

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# 6 13-05-2008 , 06:00 PM
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no, i think you're ok - you can keep going. user added image

clean up might not necessarily look like it has any effect. open up the options for clean up and try ticking edges with zero length, edges with zero geometry and lamina faces and the non manifold option. then see if you can still pull out a vertex. you're probably using a newer version of maya than me so merge vertices might not be in the same place. it's under edit polygons for me - do you have edit mesh perhaps?

don't worry about normals for now - but make sure you use f1 if you're not sure what something is. user added image

# 7 13-05-2008 , 06:14 PM
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Ah - sweet! I found the merge vertices (it was under edit polygons), and that totally worked. Thank you! :attn:

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