Edge loop split without any plugins
 

What is the best/easiest/fastest way to do an evenly/uniform edge loop split on a complex model using the maya's standard poly tools?
I know about mj poly tools and open maya tools which has edge loop split etc. I want to use the standard toolset in maya only.

The reason that I don't want to use plugins is that I get strange behaviour in maya after a while using those plugins. Like select contiguous edges, grow/shrink selections stop working even after I reset selection constraints.

In the video tutorials, Kurt uses split poly a lot but that is too slow for my workflow.

Workflow 1)
Use split poly and setting number of magnets. Slow because
you have to orb around your model and click a lot.

Workflow 2)
Select faces using paint brush then use cut faces tool. Only
really useful if you need to cut in planes. Difficult to use for organic shapes, like adding and edge loop around an eye etc.

Workflow 3)
Select edges using paint brush then subdivide those edges. Connect using split poly tool. Event slower than only using split poly but then you don't have to fiddle around with the number of magnets to use.

I'm not sure workflow 3 is that useful...

Any other ways?

Well, for a manual solution, I think workflow 1 is it. Although to make moving around the model easier, select faces you want to work with and hide the rest. This will prevent some block of views.

[Edit] disregard this note, misread the original post: "Flaw in workflow 3, the subdivid would split each face into quadrants (assuming a level of 1), this would result in you having to delete extra edges."

Last suggestion would be to build the edge loops in from the begining, extruding edges is great for this.

Sorry, I know that wasn't the answer you were looking for.

Yeah, I was afraid of that. Using split poly is the maya way I guess. It's not to bad but adding detail or edge definitions fast is a pain though.

I like box modeling but I'll look into poly-by-poly techniques.

Workflow 3 subdivides edges so it only inserts vertices.

There is a nother option. with MJ poly tools what might be couseing you the problem afer a while is the history. MJ add's a lot of extra nodes also. They can have there uses but unfortunetly the delete history doesn't work to well with MJ used on a object. The salution would be to eather try deleteing history after the project has bean saved and reopend.. A or B you can have a little script like I have that exports the mesh only with out any extranse.. deletes the original and inports that mesh again. Its then perfictly clean, in and buy its self.

One more option would be to select the faces then use the extrude faces tool to scale the faces along flush axis... this would result in two new sets of edges, but it would allow you to build up sets loops quickly.