The PolyGroup Edit tool includes a suite of operations for editing a mesh with PolyGroups. Common operations such as Extrude, Bevel, Weld, and Bridge are available. Also included are operations that only work with structured PolyGroups, such as Insert Edge Loop and edge loop selection.
Combining all these tools with PolyGroup-specific operations like Merge (groups) or Simplify By Groups creates a low polygon workflow commonly associated with Digital Content Creation (DCC) software such as 3ds Max, Blender, and Maya.
PolyGroup Edit is not available for meshes with no PolyGroup information.
Understanding PolyGroups
PolyGroups are a set of grouped triangles. You can use the groups for:
- Modeling and deformation
- Traditional box modeling
- UV layout
- Material organization
PolyGroups are automatically generated on predefined shapes in the Create category. You can also create them using the Paint PolyGroups, Generate PolyGroups, and Tri Select tools.
Before you start using PolyGroup Edit, we recommend reviewing the Understanding PolyGroups documentation to learn more about PolyGroups and how to create them.
Accessing the Tool
You can access the PolyGroup Edit tool from the following:
- The Model category in Modeling Mode. To learn more about Modeling Mode and how to access it, see Modeling Mode Overview.
- The Editing Tools tab in the Skeleton Editor. To learn more, see Skeleton Editing.
Using PolyGroup Edit
PolyGroup Edit's editing operations are grouped into three categories:
- Face Edits: Operations for editing the PolyGroup faces of a mesh.
- Shape Edits: Operations for editing the mesh as a whole.
- Edge Edits: Operations for editing the PolyGroup edge of a mesh.
Many operations have a panel of settings that open upon selection. These panels have an accept and cancel option separate from PolyGroup Edit's Tool Confirmation panel.
Element Selection
You can control which element of your mesh you want to select by using the Selection Filter.
| Element Icon | Description |
|---|---|
 |
Selects vertices of a PolyGroup. |
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Selects edges of a PolyGroup. |
 |
Selects PolyGroup faces. |
 |
Selects PolyGroup edge loops. Edge loops are paths through vertices with four attached edges. |
 |
Selects ring of PolyGroup edges. Rings are sequences of edges that lie across from each other over a face with four PolyGroup edges. |
If you cannot select elements as expected, confirm you set your PolyGroups correctly or try regenerating extra corners in the Topolgy Options section of the reference guide.
Marquee selection is available for quickly selecting the enabled element. All elements in the selection area are toggled by default, including ones you can't see. To ensure you are not selecting elements you can't see, uncheck Marquee Ignore Occlusion.
You can also use the following hotkeys to adjust your selection:
- Shift + Click to add to the current selection.
- Ctrl + Click to remove from the current selection.
While using PolyGroup Edit, you can interactively set UVs using Planar Projection. To scale the UV island, drag the cursor in and out. To learn more about creating and editing UVs, see UV Category.
To continue learning about the PolyGroup Edit properties, see the PolyGroup Edit Reference documentation and PolyGroup Edit video series.
