Edit mesh & Edit Poly

Personally I stick to edit mesh, it's just what I learnt to use first. The only real difference between the two is the toolset that's available. Edit poly has a lot more so-called time saving tools, like hinge extrude, extrude along spline etc. One other difference is that in edit poly mode you are unable to select and modify hidden edges, which is what frustrates me.

The main difference between the two is the tools.

Yeah, edit mesh is mainly for triangles, while edit poly isn't limited by the number of verts per face. But those are secondary, you can get around it in both modes..

Edit poly is better, simply because the tools it has have greater flexibility and the work flow is much improved over edit mesh.

Edit mesh is still handy for when you need to finalise your model, make sure everything is working at an edge level - remember that all games work off triangulated meshes, so when you convert it from edit poly, you could get some horrible looking faces.. Just have edge turn handy and you're set.

Edit poly, is easily the best tool for hi-poly meshes. It shits all over splines and nurbs in terms of control and usefulness.

But yeah, simply telling you the benefits they each have is pretty silly, it's much better if you go in, have a play with each, see what one works best for you. That is ultimately the most important thing.

Thanks guys, i wil have a play. But it's just that i don't havetime these days. I'am either at work, school or doing homework.

Can't wait 4 the holidaze.

I prefer edit mesh for the most part, I cant say I have a reason, I guess because this is what I learned with as well, also with edit poly sometimes you cant weld the vertices that you want to which is annoying

Edit poly all the way, unless you need to add changes to a model when you have important modifiers on your stack, skin etc.

Edit poly does nearlyeverything edit mesh can do, just differently, and it also has more tools on top of that.
The only things major differences in my opinion is that edit poly can't have non manifold extruded edges and turning triangles takes a few more step, but considering the increase of speed the other tools give you, thats reasonable to forgive.

Not many peaople working on characters here at work use edit mesh, only one I think. [:P]

But its all triangles in the end so its what you feel comfortable with, if you can model the same thing just as fast in edit mesh then more power too you, I just personally wouldn't as it is getting really dated and its alot slower once you learn edit poly.

So will learning and using edit mesh decrease your chance of getting a job?

Silly question :), to which I'll give a cliche answer.
It doesn't matter what tool you use, so long as you use it well.

Naturally, understanding different tools will give you greater flexibility, but ultimately, all it comes down to is the end result. Studios are after artists, not max/maya/etc users.

Yeah i suppose it was silly, but a good answer none the less

Sorry if I offended you in anyway :)

It's a question that gets asked alot.. I think every person on these boards has asked it at least once, not here necessarily.
(which program will get me a job, will knowing this get me a job etc)

No offense taken :)

Bullet: if your comfortable with edit mesh then thats fine, it may be a problem for some people, only because some 3Dites tend to be opinionated about what is right and wrong. [:P]

In the end like Sorcerer Bob said, its the end product that matters not the process.
I would still suggest learning edit poly but thats only because everyone I know who takes the time is converted to it because it basically is "edit mesh 2.0 Super Humdinger whoop whoop version" [:)]

Yeah it is all about the end product but i just got thrown of a bit when u said that there's only one edit mesh guy at your work.:)

..That I know of.. [:P]
The others might be hidding under the stairs wearing fur pelts and painting buffalo on the walls. Ug Ug.

Malus u are weird my friend

*slowly backs away from the computer arms semi raised*

....Hello Clarice....

I only use edit mesh.

I find edit poly quite limiting, taking away the lowest level of control from the artist. It replaces this low level control with more tools -- that's all well and good... but the tools I already use I can work with much faster and with more control in a much tighter work-flow.

To each their own [:)]

Malus needs help, the kind we don't offer at sumea.[:D]

You could be special and use both..

The speed of edit poly, and the fine tuning of edit mesh.

whatever gets the job done.

i remember my first day, first job - a guy working there comes up and asked me
'are you an edit poly or an edit mesh guy?' i just laughed.

inglis, shoulda said 'nurbs'

Which do you use Inglis? aren't you a high poly person, so you would use Nurbs wouldn't you? Inglis, Inglis are you there wasn't that the problem in the first place Moe that we were your only customers Moe.

Sorry i have this Temporary illness where everything i say turn into something out of the simpsons.

Wow Inglis, i just went to your sight and it all seemed very high poly. It also had the best muscle definition i've seen ever, the vains look so real. the phrase more real than real comes to mind. Then i went to the about me section and it says you like body building, is that where you get all that detail from? How much lag do you experiance when doing that crazy shit?

i use poly 99% of the time. i dont do much game art etc so i dont have much use for tris.
havent used nurbs for quite sometime- mostly because nurbs in max are a bit retarded. dont mind them in maya.
no i dont experience any lag working on my stuff- its subd....and a lot of the things on the site i have ramped up the smoothing just for the renders.

yeah i do bodybuilding (not at a competitive level..i just do it for myself) so i guess i have a good understanding of anatomy from that.....although some of my creations, they are a little extreme and go beyond reality in that department.

thanks bullet.