Assign shaders to polygon faces

You can assign a shader to faces on a polygonal surface using the marking menu, or by painting using a Maya® Artisan brush. Use this feature to assign different shaders to faces of the same model (for example, to texture a building that is part brick and part glass).

To assign a shader to faces on a polygonal surface using the marking menu

  1. Right-click the surface and select Face from the marking menu.
  2. Select (either drag or Shift-click) the faces you want to map, then right-click and select from among the material assignment options; for example, Assign New Material or Assign Existing Material.

To assign a shader to faces on a polygonal surface using an Artisan brush

  1. In the viewport, select the object to which you want to assign the material.
  2. In the Hypershade, right-click the material swatch and select Paint Assign Shader from the marking menu.
  3. Note: You can also select Paint Assign Shader from the Outliner. Ensure that Display > Assigned Materials is enabled so that shaders assigned to each object are displayed. Right-click the material and select Paint Assign Shader from the marking menu.
  4. An artisan brush appears in your scene view. Drag your brush over the faces that you want to apply the shader to.

    Tip:

    If your artisan brush selects vertices rather than faces, right-click your surface and select Face to convert to Face mode.

For more information about Maya shaders, see Surface shading.

For more information about Artisan-based brushes, see How Artisan brush tools work.