Template:Maya2017 Selection Masks

Selection Masks

A key to understanding maya is understanding the way maya builds the geometry. For example: A polygon exists of Vertices and Edges. Editting the components of a polygon edits shape of an object, and the form or location of the other components. In order to change the shape on an object in maya, you can also modify component-type information to alter the shape.

There are a variety of component types, such as points, isoparms, faces, hull, pivot points and handles. These components can be used to interactively modify and reshape the appearance of an object. These may be confusing, but is very usefull to understand the different type of components, and the role they play in creating objects.

When you work with NURBS you almost immediately work with curves, often these curves are on the same place of the edge-isoparms of surfaces. Thus it often occurs that you want to select a curve, and by accident select a surface. In order to prevent this, you use selection masks. First you make sure you are in object mode. Than disable either sufaces or curves, by disabling one, you prevent selecting that type by accident.

Object type selection

• Surface selection:

Disable this option if you want to prevent selecting surfaces by accident.

• Curve selection:

Disable this option if you want to prevent selecting curves by accident.

When wanting to change NURBS or NURBS curves, you can use the component mode, in which you can select parts of a curve or geometry.

Component type selection

• Control point selection:

Use control points to change the shape of the surface or curve.

• Edit points:

Use edit points to select points on a surface, to add knots or change the surface or curve.

• Isoparms:

Use isoparms to extract curves from, or the creation of geometry

• Hulls:

Use hulls to select a line or row of cv's.