Using the PolyTools plug-ins

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On this page:

Scissors Tool     Knife     Divide Loop    Select Loop     Magnet     Tessellate 

UnTessellate      Flip Edge      Grow Selection      Select Adjacent      Search Poly

Scissors Tool

With this tool you can select edges on an object and split the vertices, so then you can separate the faces. To separate the faces, select the vertices or faces you want to move, then move them. Again, you'll get holes in your object which you might not want. If after the separation you have two objects (like in the first example in the manual), then you can easily fix the holes (if you want) by adding faces to those areas with the Add Face tool. Also, in this case you can click on the Decompose into Objects tool and then you'll get a hierarchy of the two objects (i.e. you'll get two objects which have been grouped). This way you can easily select the two different parts and manipulate them separately. 

You might also be able to fix the hole in your mesh even if you didn't separate it into two objects, depending on how the mesh is. In the following example I selected some edges on a sphere, used the Scissors tool on them, then moved these edges down. Then I used the Add Edges tool to add an edge from one end of the hole to the other (I had to move to the opposite side of  the object to see the second vertex  highlight). This actually added one face, I just had to add another one with the Add Face tool. 

Knife

You can either add edges to an object or divide an object  with this tool. To use the tool, first select your object, then click on the Knife tool. Next, click with the tool to one side of your object, and then move the cursor to the other side of the object and click. Wherever the line fell as you moved your cursor, you'll get edges added to your object. 

Right-click on the tool to open up the Options window. 

To divide your object, click on the Divide object button in the options window. If you don't enable any of the options under the Divide object heading, or if you enable New group, you will have two new, ungrouped objects after cutting your object with the knife. If you enable the Grouped option instead of New group, then after cutting the object you will have a hierarchy of two objects grouped together. If you enable Physical attributes, then the divided objects will keep the physical attributes assigned to the original object (if there were physical attributes assigned). 

Divide Loop

You can add edge loops with this tool. If you select adjacent faces and then click this tool, it will put in a new edge loop going through the middle of the selected faces. The tool does not work on faces which have more than 4 sides. 

Select Loop 

You can select edge loops or face loops very easily with this tool. To select an edge loop, select your object, select an edge, then click on the Select Loop tool. It will select all the edges of the edge loop that the initially selected edge belongs to. If you want to select a loop of faces, then select an edge, then right-click on the Select Loop tool. (See manual.)

Magnet

This is a great tool for deforming objects exactly where you want them. To use this tool:

1. Select your object and right-click on it to go into point edit mode.

2. Select a vertex or a group of vertices that you will want to move with the magnet. 

3. Click on the Magnet tool. This will bring up its control window. Make sure that the On Move button is depressed; this will let you see the deformation as you work on it. 

4. Depress the  magnet icon and start moving the selected component(s). You can change the shape and range of the deformation in real time by clicking on the different curve buttons and by adjusting the slider or entering different values in the numerical entry box. The curves let you change the shape of the deformation while the numerical entry and the slider let you change the range of the deformation (i.e. how much of the surface is being affected by the deformation). You can also change the curves yourself by dragging the handles. 

1. Select the vertices in the area that you want deformed. 

2. Click on the Magnet tool and in the control window, depress the   lock icon and the magnet icon. 

3. Select one vertex only in the middle of the area to be deformed, enable Point Move in the point edit panel and start moving the vertex. Change the curves and ranges as desired.

Tessellate

This tool is great for dealing with n-gons (polygons with more than 4 sides). With this tool, you can select the polygon, right -click on the Tessellate icon and choose if you want triangles or quads on those faces. Then click the tool's icon and it will tessellate your polygon the way you want. You might still have to put in some edges manually, but it's still a big improvement over the default tS quad divide tool, which would just triangulate the polygon. 

UnTessellate

This tool is for de-triangulating your mesh. Right-click on the tool's icon to open its options window. Here you can set the angle of the faces that will get untessellated with the tool. You can also click on the eyedropper tool, then click on a face of the mesh and this will sample the angle of the face you want to de-triangulate, so you don't have to guess. After setting the options, click the tool. 

Flip Edge

Select the edge you want flipped, then click on this tool. Right-click or click on the Object Tool to exit the tool and get your newly flipped edge. 

Grow Selection

Select a vertex, edge, or face on your object, then click this tool. You can also select a group of vertices, edges or faces. The tool selects all the surrounding vertices, edges or faces. 

Select Adjacent

Select a vertex, edge, or face on your object, then click this tool. The tool selects those vertices, edges, or faces which are right next to the component you selected, but deselects the originally selected component. You can also select a group of vertices, edges or faces.

Search Poly

This is very useful for finding problem areas in your mesh. To use it, select the object, then click on this tool. In its options panel, select what kind of polygons you want to find, then click on the Search button, and the tool will highlight the kind of polygons you are looking for if there are any. The options:

- Triangle: triangles

- Quadrilateral: quads (polygons with 4 sides)

- n corner forms: n-gons (polygons with more than 4 vertices)

- Unplane: polygons which are not flat

- Complex: I think this means n-gons which are not flat

Well, I guess that's it! I hope this was helpful. If you have any comments, corrections, or  if you can add anything, etc., please contact me at:

Sue3d@render-lab.com