Subject: Maya Organic and Inorganic Modeling

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Section (1 of 2):Questions

Fill in the blanks: 1 Mark Each

1. _____________ tool attaches two different polygon objects into one.

2. By changing __________ a user can increase the number of divisions in a lofted object.

3. Two NURBS objects could be combined into one by using ___________ tool.

4. The tool used to close a hole in polygon mesh is __________________.

5. _____________ is used to make holes in NURBS surface.

6. ________________is used to make holes in Polygon surface.

7. 3D polygon text could be created using ______________ option from the surface menu.

8. ______________ tool is used to create radial symmetrical NURBS objects in Maya.

9. The Normal's of a polygon object can be flipped using _____________ tool.

10. ______________ option displays the number of polygons used in the scene.

11. _________________ tool in polygons is used to make an edge sharp in polygons.

12. _________________option is used to add two edge loops on either side of the selected

edge at equal distance.

13. A selected object in Maya could be hidden using _______________ short cut key.

14. The line flow of a model is called as __________________.

15. _______________ is the shortcut key to display subdivision level 3 display in polygons.

16. NURBS is an abbreviation of _______________________.

17. CV stands for _____________________.

18. EP stands for ________________.

19. _________________ number of curves are required for Birail 2.

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 20. _________________ changes the degree of a surface to smooth.

21. The Surface directions are namely U and _________________.

22. The default degree of a curve is _________________ Cubic.

23. The two types of Knot Spacing available in Maya are _________________ and Chordlength.

24. Vertex Face Mode helps to check the _________________ topology at ease.

25. Create Polygon Tool enables creating_________________ sided polygons.

26. Split Polygon Tool is available in _________________ menu.

27. UV Texture editor is used for _________________.

28. Mirror Geometry tool enables the user to create exact _________________ of the object.

29. A _________________ is a path of polygon faces that are connected in sequence by their

shared edges.

30. The first CV looks like a _________________ box.

Choose the correct answer: 1 Mark Each

1. Which out of the following is not a Boolean option?

a. Union
b. Difference
c. Divide
d. Intersection

2. Which out of the following is not used to close a hole in polygons?

a. Fill hole
b. Combine
c. Bridge
d. Append to poly

3. Minimum number of edges needed to create a face is________________.

a. 1
b. 2
c. 3
d. 4

4. Which out of the following tool is not used for adding mode edge loops?
a. Offset edge loop tool

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 b. Insert edge loop tool
c. Split polygon tool
d. Merge vertex tool

5. Which out of the following is not an option from loft menu?

a. Auto reverse
b. Close
c. Start sweep
d. Chord length

6. Which out of the following is not a Polygon primitive?

a. Sphere
b. Ribbon
c. Helix
d. Soccer ball

7. _______________option does not belong to sculpt geometry tool.

a. Push
b. Pull
c. Shrink
d. Relax

8. What is the short cut key for grow selection?

a. Shift + >
b. ctrl + <
c. ctrl + >
d. Shift + <

9. ________________ is not a NURBS primitive.

a. Sphere
b. Pyramid
c. Cone
d. Torus

10. _______________option is used to get rounded corners for edges.

a. Fill hole tool
b. Split polygon tool
c. Bridge tool
d. Bevel tool

11. ______________ tool is used to split polygons in irregular shape.

a. Insert edge loop tool

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 b. Split polygon tool
c. Cut face tool
d. Offset edge loop tool

12. The _________________ tool is used to connect two polygon faces/edges.

a. Extrude
b. Cut face tool
c. Bridge
d. Bevel

13. The ________________ component of a polygon object could be duplicated.

a. Vertex
b. Edge
c. Face
d. Vertex face

14. A polygon object can be mirrored using____________ .

a. Mirror object
b. Mirror face
c. Mirror polygon
d. Mirror model

15. Which out of the following is not a move axis option?

a. Object
b. World
c. Normal
d. Global

16. The shortcut for subdiv proxy is ____________________.

a. ctrl + *
b. ctrl + P
c. ctrl +~
d. ctrl+s

17. Which option is used to soften Normals?

a. Soften normal
b. Soften polygons
c. Soften edge
d. Soften object

18. Duplicate option is under ________________ menu set.

a. Edit
b. Modify
c. Select
d. File

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19. Parent option is under ________________menu set.
a. Edit
b. Modify
c. Select
d. File

20. The _____________________ option is used to split a NURBS curve at selected point.
a. Detach curve
b. Split curve
c. Cut curve
d. Break curve

21. The Pencil Curve tool creates a curve with a large number of ________________.
a. data points
b. faces
c. polygons
d. Objects

22. By default, polygonal meshes display with the Smooth Mesh Preview setting by pressing
________________ key.
a. 2
b. 3
c. 4
d. 5

23. The Sculpt Geometry Tool allows manually sculpt NURBS, polygons, or subdivision surfaces
quickly with the stroke of a ________________.
a. Brush
b. Curve
c. Paint
d. Effect

24. Five different operations using the Sculpt Geometry Tool are________________, pull,
smooth, relax and erase.
a. Push
b. Drag
c. Collapse
d. Extrude

25. The Bevel feature allows chamfer or round the edges of a ________________ mesh.
a. Polygons
b. Nurbs
c. CVs
d. Edit points

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 26. Individual polygons could be created using the ________________.
a. Create polygon tool
b. Create hole tool
c. Sculpt geometry tool
d. Extrude face tool

27. The outside edges of a mesh or shell are referred to as ________________.

a. Border edges
b. Boundary edges
c. Corner edges
d. Filler edges

28. A ________________ is a path of vertices that are connected in sequence by their shared
edges.
a. Vertex loop
b. Vertex edge
c. vertex face
d. vertex fill

29. The Select Shortest Edge Path Tool lets the user easily select a path of edges between
________________ vertices on a surface mesh.
a. One
b. Two
c. Three
d. Four

30. Polygonal geometry can have different configurations or ________________ types in Maya.
a. Mesh
b. Topology
c. Geometry
d. Polygons

Answer the following questions in 5 7 sentences: 5 Marks Each

1. What are the basic stages of modeling in Maya?

2. List any 5 commonly used Edit Curve tools.

3. What are the different tools in Mesh menu?

4. How to import image references as image planes in Maya?

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 5. What are Booleans?

6. Explain different merging tools.

7. What are the options available in the Bridge tool in polygons?

8. What are the options available in the Extrude tool in polygons?

9. What are the different stages involved in NURBS modeling?

10. Explain the process of duplicating with instance in Maya.

11. What is modeling in the context of Maya?

12. Make a list of 5 Edit Mesh tools that are commonly used in polygon modeling.

13. Explain Quadrangulate and triangulate in Maya.

14. Explain Sub-division proxy.

15. List any 5 Surface tools in Maya.

16. Write a short note on Create Polygon tool.

17. Discuss Polygon Normals.

18. Explain the difference between Planar and Non-planar polygons.

19. Write a note on Trimming Nurbs Surfaces.

20. Explain the procedure of using revolve.

Answer the following questions in 10-12 sentences: 10 Marks Each

1. What are the 10 commonly used polygon tools in Maya?

2. What are the 10 commonly used NURBS tools in Maya?

3. Explain the properties of Move tool.

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4. Explain how Sculpt geometry tool is used.

5. Explain different tools to edit normal.

6. Explain different curve creating and editing tools.

7. Write a note on some of the most important modeling techniques.

8. Explain extrude and its functionality.

9. Discuss about Subdividing and edge loop modeling.

Section (2 of 2): Answer Keys

Fill in the blanks:

Question Answer
No.
1 Combine
2 Surface Spans
3 Attach surfaces
4 Fill hole
5 Trim tool
6 Make hole tool
7 Bevel plus
8 Revolve
9 Reverse
10 Poly count
11 Crease tool
12 Offset edge loop tool
13 Ctrl + H
14 topology
15 3
16 Non uniform rational B splines
17 Control vertex
18 Edit points
19 4
20 Cubic
21 V
22 3
23 Uniform
24 Quad
25 N
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26 Edit Polygons
27 Texturing
28 Symmetry
29 Loop
30 Hollow

Choose the correct answer:

Question Answer
No.
1 c
2 b
3 c
4 d
5 c
6 b
7 c
8 a
9 b
10 d
11 b
12 c
13 c
14 c
15 d
16 c
17 c
18 a
19 a
20 a
21 a
22 b
23 a
24 a
25 a
26 a
27 a
28 a
29 b
30 b
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Answer the following questions in 5 7 sentences:

1. The basic stages of modeling in Maya are:

a. Importing References
b. Blocking
c. Detailing
d. Sculpting
e. Cleanup

2. The commonly used Edit Curve tools are:

a. Attach curve
b. Detach curve
c. Intersect curve
d. Cut curve
e. Add points tool
f. Insert knot
g. Curve editing tool
h. Move seam

3. The different tools in Mesh menu are:

a. Combine
b. Separate
c. Smooth
d. Reduce
e. Sculpt geometry tool
f. Triangulate
g. Quadrangulate

4. Procedure for Importing image references as image planes in Maya is as mentioned below:

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 Select the orthographic view in which we have to
import the reference
Example: Front

Click View in panel menu and select image plane

option

Browse the correct reference image and click open

To change the position of the image, select the image

in perspective view and in channel box adjust the
Image X/Image Y/Image Z.

Finally select the reference and create a new display

layer and lock the reference

5. Booleans: combine polygon meshes to create a new shape.

a. The following briefly describes what each of the Boolean submenus performs:
Union: Combines the volume of the meshes.
Difference: Subtracts the first mesh from the second.
Intersection: Leaves only the shared volume of the meshes.
Note: Booleans are useful in both NURBS and polygons

6. Different merging tools available in Maya are:

a. Merge option ccould be used to merge vertices, edges, and faces into a single vertex
using the Merge feature. When merge vertices is used, coincident edges and their
associated UVs are also merged automatically (within a specified threshold).
o Merge vertex tool: Two vertices on the same mesh can be merged together
using the Merge Vertex Tool. Merging two vertices with this tool yields the same
result as selecting the vertices individually and using the Merge feature.
o Merge to center: Select the components to merge and click on edit mesh >
merge to center all the selected components will be merged to average position
o Collapse: The Collapse feature collapses edges on a component by component
basis and then merges the associated vertices for each collapsed edge
separately. Collapse also works on faces, but produces results that are more
predictable when using edges

7. The options available in the Bridge tool in polygons are:

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 Constructs a bridging polygon mesh (additional faces) between selected pairs of border
edges on an existing polygon mesh. The resulting bridging polygon mesh is combined with
the original polygon mesh and the edges are merged.
o Bridge type: Controls the profile shape of the bridged region.
Linear path
Smooth path
Smooth path + Curve

o Twist: Rotates the bridging mesh between the originally selected borders. The
default angle is zero. The Twist option is not available when the Bridge type is set
to linear path.
o Taper: Controls the shape of the bridged region along its width.
o Divisions: Specifies the number of equally spaced segments that get created
between the selected border edges.
o Smoothing angle Specifies whether or not the inserted edges on the bridge, as
well as the bridge borders, are automatically softened or hardened when the
operation is complete.

8. The options available in the Extrude tool in polygons are:

a. Pulls new polygons out from existing faces, edges, or vertices, with options to
transform and reshape the new polygons as they are pulled out from the selected
originals.
b. Options of extrude :
Divisions
Smoothing Angle
Offset
Thickness
Curve
Taper
Twist

9. The different stages involved in NURBS modeling are:

a. Creating curves using CV curve/EP curve tools
b. Editing those curves using edit curves tools
c. Creating surfaces using the edited curves
d. Editing the surfaces created using the EDIT NURBS options
e. Finally finishing and detailing the model using the modeling tools

10. The process of duplication an object with instance in Maya:

a. Select the object to duplicate (Polygons or NURBS)
b. Go to Edit > Duplicate special options
c. Select Instance as the Geometry type
d. Select the Offset values in Translate/Rotate/Scale
e. Choose number of copies and click apply

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11. Modeling :
a. In 3D computer graphics, 3D modeling is the process of developing a mathematical
representation of any dimensional surface of an object. The product is called a 3D
model.
b. Types of modeling in Maya are:
i. Polygon modeling
ii. NURBS Modeling
iii. Sub-Div Modeling
c. Models can be organicor inorganic.
d. Models are differentiated as High poly/Low poly depending on number of faced
used to create the model.
e. Models are also differentiated into Hyper realistic, Photo realistic, stylized and Game
models.

12. 5 commonly used edit mesh tools in Maya are:

a. Extrude
b. Bridge
c. Bevel
d. Merge vertex tool
e. Split polygon tool
f. Cut face tool
g. Chamfer vertex

13. Quadrangulate and triangulate :

a. Quadrangulate: Converts the existing polygon selection to quadrangles.
The following are the options for the Quadrangulate feature
Angle threshold
Keep face group border
Keep hard edges
Keep texture border
World space coordinates
b. Triangulate: Converts the existing polygon selection to triangles.

14. Sub division proxy :

a. Smooths the selected polygon mesh by adding polygons and keeps the original non-
smoothed mesh as a proxy. A node connection is made between the proxy and
smoothed version of the mesh so that changes to the proxy's shape or topology
update the smoothed version of the mesh.
b. Options of sub division proxy:
Mirror Behavior :
o None
o Full
o Half
Mirror Direction
Merge vertex tolerance
Subdivision proxy shader
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 Subdivision proxy transparency

15. 5 commonly used surface tools in Maya are :

a. Loft
b. Revolve
c. Bi-rail
d. Planar
e. Bevel
f. Bevel Plus
g. Boundary

16.
a. Individual polygons could be created using the Create Polygon Tool. This tool lets the
user place individual vertices in the scene view to define the shape of an individual
polygon face.
b. The user can then split or extrude the polygon face to create additional polygon
faces that are attached to the first one and build a polygon mesh in that fashion.
c. Create Polygon Tool technique can be useful when the user needs to closely match a
particular shape or outline. For example, if the user needed to model a particular 3D
logotype for an animated logo sequence or trace the outline of a 2D image using a
bitmap image imported onto an image plane as a reference.

17.
a. A normal is a theoretical line that is perpendicular to the surface of a polygon. In
Maya, normals are used to determine the orientation of a polygon face (face
normals), or how the edges of faces will visually appear in relation to each other
when shaded (vertex normals).

b. The front of a polygons face is graphically represented using a vector called the
polygons normal. A normal is a theoretical line representing the direction
perpendicular to a polygonal surface.

18.

A polygon face is planar when: All of its vertices lie in a certain plane. For example, a
triangle face is always planar, because its three points define a plane.
A polygon face is non-planar when: it has more than three vertices, and one or more of
those vertices do not lie in the same plane. When a polygon mesh is comprised of quads
or n-gons it is possible to have non-planar polygon faces.

19.
NURBS surfaces are intrinsically four-sided patches that do not allow for the creation of
holes in the same fashion as polygon surface types. The user can visually simulate
irregular shapes and holes when using NURBS by trimming the surfaces.
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 Trimming lets the user visually cut or divide a surface by using a special type of curve
called a curve-on-surface. The user can create a curve-on-surface using a variety of
techniques. When you subsequently trim the surface, the region of the surface that is
trimmed away is not actually discarded. It exists in a hidden form that does not render
or affect modeling. The user can recover the trimmed part of a surface using the Untrim
tool.

20.
Draw a curve representing the cross-section (or profile) of the surface to be created.
Select the curve and choose Surfaces > Revolve

Set the revolve options:

Choose the initial axis around which to sweep the surface

If the user only want to revolve a subsection of the curve, set Curve Range to Partial

In the toolbox, click the Show Manipulator tool to manipulate the surface

Edit the curve or the surface to get the desired shape

Answer the following questions in 10-12 sentences:

1. 10 commonly used polygon tools in Maya are :

a. Extrude
b. Smooth
c. Cut face tool
d. Split polygon tool
e. Bevel
f. Bridge
g. Merge vertex tool
h. Create polygon tool
i. Sculpt geometry tool
j. Fill hole
k. Append to polygon tool

2. 10 commonly used NURBS tools in Maya are :

a. Attach curves
b. Detach Curves
c. Rebuilt Curve
d. Add points tool
e. Insert knot
f. Project curve on surface
g. Attach surfaces
h. Detach surfaces
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 i. Insert Isoparms
j. Rebuilt Surfaces
k. Surface fillet

3. The properties in move tool are :

a. Move tool is used to translate an object in X/Y/Z axis
b. Move tool settings:
Move axis :
1. Object
Moves an object in object space coordinate system. Axis orientation
includes rotations on the object itself. If several objects are selected, each
object moves the same amount relative to its own object space coordinate
system.
2. Local
Aligns the object to the rotation of the parent object. Movement is
constrained to those axes in the local space coordinate system. The object is
aligned to the rotation of the parent object and does not include the
rotations on the object itself.
3. World
Moves in the world space coordinate system. The object is aligned to the
world space axis. This is the default.
4. Normal
Moves selected vertices or CVs in the U or V direction of the surface.
Typically you would use this option for small sets of CVs. The manipulator
indicates the surface Normal, U, and V directions.
Discrete Move: The Discrete Move setting enables the Relative option and lets
you specify the amount an object is moved in increments (determined by the
Step Size value).
Move snap Settings
Common selection settings
Soft selection short cut is B
Reflection settings

4. Sculpt geometry tool is used :

a. This tool is used to sculpt NURBS, polygons, and subdivision surfaces
b. Tool Option:
Select Push, Pull, Smooth, Relax or Erase. A letter appears within the brush stamp to
reflect the operation: Ps (Push), Pl (Pull), and Sm (Smooth), Re (Relax) or E
(Erase).
c. Max Displacement: Type the maximum possible depth or height of the brush
stroke, or use the slider to select it. (The actual displacement of the brush stroke
is based on how hard you press with the stylus and on the Opacity value.)
d. Radius: changes the size of the brush used to sculpt the geometry.
e. Reflection : Sculpts the geometry symmetrically on left and the right at the same
time
f. Reference vector
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 In the Sculpt Parameters section, select the Reference Vector. The Reference Vector
controls the direction the vertices move when you push or pull. The brush arrow
represents the reference vector.

5. The different edit normal tools in Maya are :

a. Vertex Normal Edit Tool : Lets you adjust the user-defined normal of a
vertex (or several selected vertices) using a manipulator.
b. Set Vertex Normal : Controls the positions of vertex Normal's. This affects the
appearance of shaded polygons.
c. Lock Normal's : Locks vertex Normal's. Normal's have a direct effect on the
appearance of shaded polygons. You can modify their appearance by first
unlocking, editing the Normal's, and then locking them.
d. Unlock Normal's : Unlocks vertex Normal's.
e. Average Normal's : Controls the position of the normal by averaging the
selected normal.
f. Set to Face : Select whether to unlock or lock face Normal's.
g. Reverse : Flips the Normal's
h. Conform : Unifies the direction of the surface Normal's for a selected
polygon mesh. The resulting direction of the surface Normal's will be based
on the direction that is shared by the majority of the faces on the mesh.
i. Soften Edge : Manipulates vertex Normal's to change the appearance of
shaded polygons to render with a softened appearance. Soften Edge sets the
Normal angle to 180 degrees, making all selected edges render soft.
j. Harden Edge : Manipulates vertex Normal's to change the appearance of
shaded polygons to render with a hardened appearance. Harden Edge sets
the Normal angle to 0 degrees, making all selected edges render hard.
k. Set Normal Angle : Permits to manipulate the shaded appearance of
polygons by specifying an angle value for the Normal's.

6. The different curve creating and editing tools in Maya are :

a. Curve creating tools:
CV curve tool
EP curve tool
Pencil tool
Arc tools

b. Curve editing tools

Attach curve
Detach curve
Align curve
Cut curve
Insert Knot
Offset Curve
Reverse curve direction
Add points tool
Curve editing tool
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7. The important modeling techniques are:
Box Modeling is a polygonal modeling technique in which the artist starts
with a geometric shape (cube, sphere, cylinder etc.) and then refines it until
the desired appearance is achieved.

Edge/Contour Modeling is another polygonal technique. In edge modeling

the model is essentially built piece by piece by placing loops of polygonal
faces along prominent contours, and then filling any gaps between them.

NURBS/Spline Modeling creates meshes that are comprised of smoothly

interpreted surfaces, created by "lofting" a mesh between two or more Bezier
curves (also known as splines).

Digital Sculpting creates meshes organically, using a tablet device to mold

and shape the model almost exactly like a sculptor would use rake brushes
on a real chunk of clay.

Procedural Modeling creates scenes or objects based on user definable

rules or parameters.

Image Based Modeling is a process by which transformable 3D objects

are algorithmically derived from a set of static two-dimensional images.

3D Scanning is a method of digitizing real world objects when an incredibly

high level of photo-realism is required.

8.
Extrusion is a method of adding geometry to a polygon primitive, and one of the
primary tools a modeler uses to begin shaping a mesh.

Through extrusion a modeler manipulates the 3D mesh by either collapsing a face in

upon itself (to create an indentation), or by extruding the face outward along its
surface normalthe directional vector perpendicular to the polygonal face.

Extruding a quadrilateral face creates four new polygons to bridge the gap between
its starting and ending position. Extrusion can be difficult to visualize without a
concrete example:

Consider a simple pyramid shape, with a quadrilateral (4-edged) base. A modeler

might transform this primitive pyramid into a house-like shape by selecting the base
of the pyramid and extruding it in the negative Y direction. The pyramid's base is
shifted downward, and four new vertical faces are created in the space between the

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 base and the cap. A similar example might be seen in modeling the legs of a table or
chair.

Edges can also be extruded. When extruding an edge, it is essentially duplicated

the duplicate edge can then be pulled or rotated away from the original in any
direction, with a new polygonal face automatically created connecting the two. This
is the primary means for shaping geometry in the contour modeling process.

9.
Subdivision is a way for modelers to add polygonal resolution to a model, either
uniformly or selectively. Because a polygonal model typically starts from a low-
resolution primitive with very few faces, it is almost impossible to produce a finished
model without at least some level of subdivision.

A uniform subdivision divides the entire surface of a model evenly. Uniform

subdivisions are usually completed on a linear scale, meaning every polygonal face is
subdivided into four. Uniform subdivision helps to eliminate "blockiness," and can be
used to evenly smooth the surface of a model.

Edge Loops - Resolution can also be added by selectively placing additional edge
loops. An edge loop can be added across any contiguous set of polygonal faces,
subdividing the selected faces without needlessly adding resolution to the rest of the
mesh. Edge loops are typically used to add resolution in regions of a model that
require a level of detail disproportionate to nearby geometry (the knee and elbow
joints of a character model are a prime example, as are lips and eyes).

Edge loops can also be used to prepare a surface for extrusion or uniform
subdivision. When a surface is uniformly subdivided, any hard edges are rounded
and smoothedif a subdivision is required but the modeler would like to maintain
certain hard edges, they can be maintained by placing an edge loop on either side of
the edge in question.
*****************************

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