Convert a subdivision surface to polygons

User Guide > Modeling > Subdivision Surfaces > Subdivision surface conversion >

Although you can use subdivision surfaces up to the completion of your project, you may need to convert them to polygons after you have finished modeling. For example, if you’re creating characters for a game, the game engine often requires the models to be polygons.

Maya offers two ways to convert subdivision surfaces to polygons:

Tessellating creates a polygon surface that matches the contours of the subdivision surface.
Extracting vertices creates a simpler, less dense polygon that matches the control vertices, not the contours, of the subdivision surface.

To convert to a close approximation of your subdivision surface

Select the subdivision surface and choose Modify > Convert > Subdiv to Polygons > .
Make sure Vertices is not on.
Click Convert.

If the subdivision surface you tessellate has creases, the polygon edges that result at the creases are not automatically made hard.

You can create a polygon mesh that can be converted to another subdivision surface with the same shape as the original.

Convert to a rough approximation of the subdivision surface by matching vertices

Select the subdivision surface and choose Modify > Convert > Subdiv to Polygons > .
Click Vertices and choose which level you want to use the vertices from.
Click Convert.

Notes

The Subdiv to Polygons conversion only converts the UVs at Level 0 of the subdivision surface to the converted polygon surface.