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Maya 2008 -Split Polygon Tool

ZBrush Usage Questions
#1

Hi.

To me, Maya and ZBrush are inseparable. I use them together daily, like bread and butter.

I am having a recurring problem with Maya 2008’s Split Polygon Tool. Some days it works fine. Some days, like today, I can’t get a new split line to ‘Take’ no matter what I do. Sometimes working one polygon at a time works, sometimes working in reverse works. Today, however: nothing. When I stitch out a new line and hit ‘Enter’ the new line vanishes. Is there any way to insure this tool works consistently? Am I missing a critical setting? I’m trying to cut a window into a wall but the Splits won’t ‘Take’. What’s up?

Thanks!

~S.~

#2

I have the same problem, just incredibly annoying

#3

When this happens, there is usually something wrong somewhere else on the mesh with the flow of geometry, so Maya can’t make sense of the direction your trying to split your poly’s. If there is nothing wrong with your poly flow try the following;

  1. delete the faces your trying to split and use the append tool to replace them. Try spliting again on the new geometry.

  2. try the “cleanup” mesh function and turn off the “four-sided geometry” option. This will get rid of any random points, or non-manifold geometry which could be confusing Maya.

I find if I do these things the split poly tool works 100% of the time. That said, it may not work for you guys.

Cheers,

Matt

#4

Thanks, Clappy!

Good tips. I also found that sometimes there are ‘Un-Welded’ vertices, 2 (or more) vertices that occupy the same space and look like a real mesh intersection but are actually 5-sided (hidden) polys or worse. This usually happens along the centerline as a result of faulty ‘Mirror’ operations.

Use the ‘Cleanup’ function to locate non-quad polys and correct them.

~S.~