To achieve highly detailed modeling effects, you can directly transform, modify, and align the geometry of objects at a sub-object level, using the Modify panel. The following table shows the different object types and their respective sub-objects.
| Object Type | Sub-Object Geometry |
|---|---|
| Mesh | Vertex, Edge, Face, Polygon, Element |
| Poly | Vertex, Edge, Border, Polygon, Element |
| Spline | Vertex, Segment, Spline |
| Patch Surface | Vertex, Edge, Patch, Element, Handle |
| NURBS Curve | Curve CV or Point, Curve |
| NURBS Surface | Surface CV or Point, Surface |
With the exception of NURBS objects, to gain access to an object's sub-objects, in most cases you must first either convert the object into an editable object, or apply any of various modifiers to the object, such as Edit Mesh/Poly/Spline/Patch or Mesh/Poly/Spline Select. The Select modifiers simply let you specify sub-objects for modification by subsequently applied modifiers. The distinctions between transforming an object into an editable object and applying an Edit modifier to it are as follows:
| Method | Advantage | Disadvantage |
|---|---|---|
| Editable object | More efficient
Can animate sub-objects |
Lose creation parameters |
| Edit/Select modifier | Keep creation parameters | Less efficient
Cannot animate sub-objects (except for limited animation with Edit Poly) |
To convert a parametric object to an editable object, see any of the following topics:
To apply an Edit modifier, see any of the following topics:
To apply a Select modifier, see the following topics: