8
Edit Poly (Polygon/Element) 665
Tip:
For best results with Preserve UVs, use it
for limited polygon editing. For example, you’ll
usually have no trouble moving a polygon within
edge or face constraints. Also, it’s better to
perform one big move than several sma ller moves,
as multiple small moves can begin to distort
the mapping. However, if you need to perform
extensive geometry editing while preserving
mapping, use the
Channel Info utility (page
2–1549)
instead.
Pres er ve UVs S etti ngs—Opens the
Preserve Map
Channels dialog (page 1–1076)
,whichletsyou
specify the vertex color channels and/or texture
channels (map channels) to preserve. By default,
all vertex color channels are off (not preserved),
andalltexturechannelsareon(preserved).
Cr e ate —Lets you create polygons from isolated
vertices and border vertices. All vertices in the
objectarehighlighted.Clickthreeormoreexisting
vertices in succession to define the shape of the
new polygon. (The cursor changes to a cross when
it is over a vertex that can legally be part of the
polygon.) To finish polygon creation, double-click
the last vertex. You can also finish creating the
polygon by clicking any vertex of the new polygon
a second time. You can also create new polygons
at the Element sub-object level, and at the Object
level.
Youcanaddverticesinthismodeby
SHIFT+clicking in an empty space; these vertices
are incorporated into the polygon you’re creating.
Youcanstartcreatingpolygonsinanyviewport,
but all subsequent clicks must take place in the
same viewpor t.
Note: ThisisthesameasCreateattheObjectlevel.
Tip: For best results, click vertices in
counterclockwise order. If you use clockwise
order,thenewpolygonwillfaceawayfromyou,
andyouwon’tbeabletoseeitunlessyou’veturned
on Force 2-Sided or are using a two-sided material.
Collapse—Collapsesgroupsofcontiguousselected
polygons by welding their vertices to a vertex at the
selection center. Not available for elements.
Attach—Lets you attach another object in the s cene
to the selected Edit Poly object. Click the object
youwanttoattachtothecurrentlyselectedEdit
Poly object.
You can attach any type of geometry object,
including splines and patch objects. Attaching a
non-mesh object converts it to Edit Poly format.
For further details, see
Attach
.
Attach L ist—Lets you attach other objects in
the scene to the selected Edit Poly object. Click
to display the Attach List dialog, where you can
choose, by name, multiple objects to attach.
Detach—Detaches the selected polygons/elements
from the Edit Poly object, creating a separate
object or element. The default settings are those
most recently set in the Detach dialog, available
from the Det ach Settings button (see following).
Detached polygons leave a hole in the original
object w hen you move t hem to a new p osit ion,
unless you use the Detach As Clone option.
Detach Settings—Opens the
Detach dialog
(page 1–670)
,whereyoucansetoptionsforthe
Detach function, such as the name of the detached
object.
Cut a nd Slice group
Theseknife-liketoolsletyousubdivideapoly
selection with new edges.