Modeling Kila - Game Character Development with Maya - page 68

Subdivision Surfaces
Many developers use a technique of creating low-resolution meshes with a view
to creating a higher-resolution version using subdivision surfaces.
You first create a lower-resolution proxy model, and then go to Modify > Convert
> Polygons To Subdiv to convert it to a subdivision surface. The result is a nice,
smooth, high-resolution mesh with the added bonus that you control it via the
lower proxy model. The vertices act as control points for the higher-resolution
version.
Figure 2.30 shows a lower proxy model on the left and its higher subdivision sur-
face on the right.
FIGURE 2.30 An example of using subdivision surfaces
For more information on subdivision surfaces, look at Maya's online help by go-
ing to Help > Contents and Search and selecting Modeling Subdivision Surfaces
from the displayed help page.
Left Arm Creation
Lets begin building the left arm.
1. Load your initial file, Kila_Start.mb.
2. Create a cylinder (the first of three; you'll need two others for the left leg and the
torso). Go to Create > Polygon Primitives > Cylinder and open up the options.
3. Set the Radius to 0.1 and the Height to 1 . Set both Subdivisions Around Axis and
Subdivisions Along Height to 10 ( Figure 2.31 ) . Click the Create button.