NOTE: check out the more recent post on this subject.
The default poly sphere primitives in Maya have poles at the top and bottom. There is a simple technique to create a sphere with uniform distribution of triangles with no poles. This is especially useful for dynamics applications, such as with nCloth.
1. MENU "Create: Polygon Primitives: Platonic Solids"
In the options set the platonic type to "octahedron".
2. MENU "Mesh: Smooth"
Then increase the subdivision levels on the polySmoothFace node
Creating a sphere with uniform triangle size
There is also a second method to get pretty much the same topology:
1. MENU "Create: Subdiv Primitives: Sphere"
2. MENU "Modify: Convert: Subdiv to Poly"
Then on the subdivToPoly node increase the depth attribute.
Note that to create the image above, I assigned a toon line line to the spheres then on the pfxToonShape turned off profileLines and under Crease Lines turned off "Hard Creases Only", setting the crease angle min/max both to zero. This is a simple way of rendering all poly mesh edges as lines.
1. MENU "Create: Subdiv Primitives: Sphere"
2. MENU "Modify: Convert: Subdiv to Poly"
Then on the subdivToPoly node increase the depth attribute.
Note that to create the image above, I assigned a toon line line to the spheres then on the pfxToonShape turned off profileLines and under Crease Lines turned off "Hard Creases Only", setting the crease angle min/max both to zero. This is a simple way of rendering all poly mesh edges as lines.
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Posted by jacquesBroquard on 17 Feb, 2007 at 03:21 AMHi Duncan,
Thanks so much for your clever tip on how to render out poly mesh edges. A few years ago, I had to purchase a completely separate plugin just to accomplish this for a particular look a project was going for.
Best,
Jacques
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