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Create or select an object. > Quad menu > Transform quadrant > Convert To: sub-menu > Editable Mesh
Create or select an object. > Modify panel > Right-click the base object in the stack. > Choose Convert to: Editable Mesh.
Create or select an object. > Utilities panel > Collapse button > Collapse Selected button
Editable Mesh is not so much a modifier as it is a state. However, like the Edit Mesh modifier, it provides controls for manipulating an object as a triangular mesh object and at three sub-object levels: vertex, edge and face. For open spline objects, only vertices are available, because open splines have no faces or edges when converted to meshes.
To make a sub-object selection on a non-editable mesh object (for example, a primitive) for passing up the stack to a modifier, use the Mesh Select modifier.
Once you make a selection with Editable Mesh, you have these options:
Use the options supplied on the Edit Geometry rollout to modify the selection. Later topics discuss these options for each of the mesh components.
Pass the selection to a later modifier in the stack. You can apply one or more standard modifiers to the selection.
Use the options on the Surface Properties rollout to alter the surface characteristics of selected mesh components.
Note: Because Edit Mesh modifier functionality is almost identical to that of editable mesh objects, features described in the Editable Mesh topics also apply to objects with Edit Mesh applied, except as noted.
Note: You can exit most Editable Mesh command modes, such as Extrude, by right-clicking in the active viewport.
To produce an editable mesh object:
First select the object, and then do one of the following:
Right-click the object and choose Editable Mesh from the Convert To sub-menu in the transform quadrant.
Use the Collapse utility.
Apply a modifier to a parametric object that turns the object into a mesh object in the stack, and then collapse the stack. (For example, you can apply a Mesh Select modifier.)
Import a non-parametric object, such as that found in a .3ds file.
Converting an object to an editable mesh removes all parametric controls, including the creation parameters. For example, you can no longer increase the number of segments in a box, slice a circular primitive, or change the number of sides on a cylinder. Any modifiers you apply to an object are collapsed as well. After conversion, the only entry left on the stack is "Editable Mesh."
Maintaining an object's creation parameters:
As described in the above procedure, you can convert an existing object to an editable mesh, which replaces the creation parameters in the stack with "Editable Mesh." The creation parameters are no longer accessible or animatable. If you want to maintain the creation parameters, you can use the following modifiers:
Show End Result—Normally, if you apply a modifier such as Twist to an editable-mesh object and then return to the Editable Mesh stack entry, you cannot see the effect of the modifier on the object's geometry. But if you turn on Show End Result while in sub-object level, you can see the original sub-object selection as a yellow mesh, the final object as a white mesh, and the original editable mesh as an orange mesh.
The Selection rollout provides buttons for turning different sub-object levels on and off, working with named selections and handles, display settings, and information about selected entities.
When you first access the Modify panel with an editable mesh selected, you're at the Object level, with access to several functions available as described in Editable Mesh (Object). You can toggle the various sub-object levels, and access relevant functions by clicking the buttons at the top of the Selection rollout.
Clicking a button here is the same as selecting a sub-object type in the Modifier Stack display. Click the button again to turn it off and return to the Object selection level.
The Selection rollout also allows you to display and scale vertex or face normals
Vertex—Turns on Vertex sub-object level, which lets you select a vertex beneath the cursor; region selection selects vertices within the region.
Edge—Turns on Edge sub-object level, which lets you select a face or polygon edge beneath the cursor; region selection selects multiple edges within the region. When Edge sub-object level is on, hidden edges are displayed as dashed lines, allowing for more precise selection.
Face—Turns on Face sub-object level, which lets you select a triangular face beneath the cursor; region selection selects multiple triangular faces within the region.
Polygon—Turns on Polygon sub-object level, which lets you select all coplanar faces (defined by the value in the Planar Threshold spinner) beneath the cursor. Usually, a polygon is the area you see within the visible wire edges. Region selection selects multiple polygons within the region.
Element—Turns on Element sub-object level, which lets you select all contiguous faces in an object. Region selection lets you select multiple elements.
By Vertex—When you click a vertex, any edges or faces that use that vertex, depending on the current sub-object level, are selected. Also works with Region Select.
Note: When By Vertex is on, you can select sub-objects only by clicking a vertex, or by region.
Ignore Backfacing—When on, selection of sub-objects selects only those sub-objects whose normals are visible in the viewport. When off (the default), selection includes all sub-objects, regardless of the direction of their normals.
Note: The state of the Backface Cull setting in the Display panel does not affect sub-object selection. Thus, if Ignore Backfacing is off, you can still select sub-objects, even if you can't see them.
Ignore Visible Edges—This is enabled when the Polygon face selection method is chosen. When Ignore Visible Edges is off (the default), and you click a face, the selection will not go beyond the visible edges no matter what the setting of the Planar Thresh spinner. When this is on, face selection ignores the visible edges, using the Planar Thresh setting as a guide.
Generally, if you want to select a "facet" (a coplanar collection of faces), you set the Planar Threshold to 1.0. On the other hand, if you're trying to select a curved surface, increase the value depending on the amount of curvature.
Planar Thresh—(Planar Threshold) Specifies the threshold value that determines which faces are coplanar for Polygon face selection.
Show Normals—When on, the program displays normals in the viewports. Normals are displayed as blue lines.
Show normals is not available in Edge mode.
Scale—Specifies the size of the normals displayed in the viewport when Show is on.
Hide—Hides any selected sub-objects. Edges and entire objects cannot be hidden.
Note: The Select Invert command on the 3ds max Edit menu is useful for selecting faces to hide. Select the faces you want to focus on, choose Edit > Select Invert, then click the Hide button.
Unhide All—Restores any hidden objects to visibility. Hidden vertices can be unhidden only when in Vertex sub-object level.
Copy—Places a named selection into the copy buffer.
Paste—Pastes a named selection from the copy buffer.
For more information, see Named Selection Sets.
At the bottom of the Selection rollout is a text display giving information about the current selection. If 0 or more than one sub-object is selected, the text gives the number and type selected. If one sub-object is selected, the text gives the identification number and type of the selected item.
Note: When the current sub-object level is Polygon or Element, selection information is given in faces.
Soft Selection controls affect the action of sub-object Move, Rotate, and Scale functions. When these are on, 3ds max applies a spline curve deformation to unselected vertices surrounding the transformed selected sub-object. This provides a magnet-like effect with a sphere of influence around the transformation.
For more information, see Soft Selection Rollout.
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