Summary

Having worked through the stages of creating this house, you've learned a number of complex modeling operations. You've mixed the modeling techniques of modifying simple primitives and creating surfaces from curves. These methods point the way to exploring the option boxes and experimenting with creating and modifying NURBS surfaces. Here are some of the skills you learned in this chapter that you need to keep practicing:

• Curve snapping Forcing objects to track to any curve or edge in your scene.

• Trims from projections Creating projected curves on two surfaces to allow for easy trimming.

• Rebuilding surfaces When you need more detail for editing, rebuild the surface with more divisions.

• Revolving surfaces Creating a half-profile of an object and revolving it to create a lathed effect.

• Attaching surfaces Combining separately created surfaces that share edges.

• Lofting from isoparms Any edge of an existing surface can be used as a starting point to loft to other curves.

• Connecting shapes with planar surfaces If one curve surrounds another, and the two curves are co-planar, you can easily create a planar surface, ideal for capping holes.

• Adjusting curves already used to make surfaces Surfaces based on curves change when the source curve is altered , as long as history is recorded for the object.

Maya's earliest versions focused on NURBS modeling, the more versatile approach for many models because of the ease of displaying a surface and changing the level of detail. For many purposes (such as creating characters for games ), however, polygon modeling is the better method. Maya's polygon modeling capability has become as full-featured as NURBS modeling, and you'll explore polygon modeling in detail in the next chapter.