Adding an edge (or a segment) while using the Quad Draw tool in Autodesk Maya is a fundamental operation for refining your mesh during retopology or modeling. It allows you to insert detail precisely where needed.
To add an edge in Quad Draw Maya, you press and hold the Control key and then click or drag on the existing mesh structure.
Here's a breakdown of the process and why this is useful:
Understanding Adding Edges with Quad Draw
The Quad Draw tool is primarily used for interactive retopology, allowing you to quickly create or modify polygon meshes. While you can draw new quads by placing points, you often need to add resolution to existing faces. Adding edges (segments) helps subdivide larger faces, providing more control over the mesh's shape and flow.
As noted in the reference video, to "add a segment" or "another edge... between these faces," the action is to press and hold Control.
Step-by-Step: Adding an Edge
- Activate Quad Draw: Ensure the Quad Draw tool is active. You can find it in the Modeling Toolkit.
- Select Target Mesh: Make sure the mesh you are drawing on is selected or set as the target mesh.
- Position Your Cursor: Hover your cursor over the edges of the existing mesh where you want to insert a new edge loop or segment.
- Hold Control: Press and hold down the Control (Ctrl) key on your keyboard.
- Click or Drag:
- Click: Click on an edge or across multiple edges. Quad Draw will typically insert a new edge loop (or segment) midway between the existing edges you clicked on or crossed.
- Drag (Optional): In some contexts or with specific settings, dragging while holding Control might allow for more precise placement or different edge insertion behaviors, but the primary action for adding segments is holding Control and clicking.
Practical Insights
- Automatic Placement: When you hold Control and click on an edge, Quad Draw automatically calculates where to place the new edge, usually splitting the face(s) in half along that axis.
- Edge Loops: Holding Control and clicking on an edge that is part of a loop will often attempt to complete a new edge loop if possible, making retopology faster.
- Refining Topology: This technique is crucial for adding detail to areas that need more polygons without starting from scratch.
By holding the Control key, you switch the Quad Draw tool's function from creating new faces to inserting edges into existing ones, allowing for efficient mesh refinement.
