ROOKIE in need of advice on EDGE LOOPS....can you help?

Zain_Maleek

Hello people of poly count,

I am a total noob to this so I do apologize if this question is stupid. I am trying to insert a edge loop into a peice of geometry using the multi cut tool in Maya 2016.

The pictures will help explain better. The tool creates the edge line but misses a peice. When I try to insert the missing part of the edge loop and connect it up, it won't allow me to make it. Why is this and how can it be corrected?

Thanks

Bartalon

This could be due to a few things.  The most common problems would be that polygon is an ngon, has unwelded edges or contains stacked polygons from an old extrusion.

• Ngons:  use Mesh > Cleanup to find ngons or just switch to vertex mode and make sure there are no more than 4 points touching that polygon
• Unwelded edges: switch to Object mode, then use Display > Polygons > Border Edges.  Unwelded edges will appear bold
• Stacked faces: use Mesh > Cleanup or try selecting all the verts in the affected area and using Merge Vertex on them all with a low tolerance (.01 or .001)

Zain_Maleek

Bartalon said:

This could be due to a few things.  The most common problems would be that polygon is an ngon, has unwelded edges or contains stacked polygons from an old extrusion.

• Ngons:  use Mesh > Cleanup to find ngons or just switch to vertex mode and make sure there are no more than 4 points touching that polygon
• Unwelded edges: switch to Object mode, then use Display > Polygons > Border Edges.  Unwelded edges will appear bold
• Stacked faces: use Mesh > Cleanup or try selecting all the verts in the affected area and using Merge Vertex on them all with a low tolerance (.01 or .001)

Thanks for the advice. I did the "stacked faces" you mentioned and that solved it! Thank you!

Zain_Maleek

Tidal Blast said:

Sorry, I'm not a Maya user, but I think in most 3D app such situation would occur.

1. There could be custom scripts for that in Maya to get around such situation.

2. To get around that, you could then use a cut tool to finish the job. I know that in Modo there is an option on that tool to cut through edges or you could click on the vertex where it ends and cut through on the next vertex, where the edge loop begins, depending of how and where it is located. Or just do it manually... boom boom boom. It shouldn't take much time.

3. Modify your topology to work more efficiently. There are 3 vertices on top left corner that all connects to another vertex at the bottom. That acts as a wall and prevents you from being able to create that edge loop. If you temporarily connect them to the edge at the bottom instead and maintain quad topology, you'll be able to add the edge loop that you were trying to add to your topology.

4. Maybe you might be able to find some kind of slice + plane tool that could cut through your mesh. And then delete the edges it created that you don't need. And with a selection, you could possibly isolate the parts that you want to affect, etc.



5. Else?

Thanks for your help! Great advice! Appreciate it!

The problem was solved by selectiing the vertices and applying a low tolerance merge.