Control the collapse of the object by switching from1 low resolution and 3 high resolution which are preview modes.

Component mode to get into the structure of the object: how to understand Object Mode and Component Mode in Maya. In the Object Mode, objects are treated as a complete unit. By selecting the object and clicking the Component Mode icon, you have access to move the object’s points, lines and faces. The object components may be moved, scaled or rotated.

Bevel tool: the Bevel tool allows you to create chamfered or rounded corners on geometry. A bevel is an effect that smooths out edges and corners. True world edges are very seldom exactly sharp. 

Insert edge tool: the Insert Edge Loop Tool (in the Modeling > Mesh Tools menu) lets you select and then split the polygon faces across either a full or partial edge ring on a polygonal mesh. It is useful when you want to add detail across a large area of a polygon mesh or when you want to insert edges along a user-defined path.

An edge ring is a path of polygon edges that are connected in sequence by their shared faces. An edge loop is a path of polygon edges that are connected in sequence by their shared vertices.

Extrude tool: extrusion is our primary means of adding additional geometry to a mesh in Maya. With offset extruded faces act as different faces.

Geometry smoother: controls how Maya displays a polygon mesh in the scene. The mesh can be displayed either un-smoothed, fully smoothed, or in both modes simultaneously. The default setting is off. See Preview a smoothed mesh.

Input model history: delete the history (Maya has to calculate each history item you make in the sequance it was made. Once you start getting a bunch of them, the model can become unstable. Also, some actions, like binding and animation, can be adversely affected by some kinds of history items.)

Freeze transformation: the Freeze Transform tool sets the selected object’s position, rotation, and scale to world-relative origin ({0,0,0}) without changing any vertex positions. That means it resets the pivot location and clears all Transform values, but doesn’t change the size, shape, or location of the object in the Scene.

Create 3D surfaces using curves

Create the points for the curve; revolve the curve to create a 3D object (curve at the centre of the grid) convert it to nurbs object based upon curves.

Polygon, curves, nurbs

The difference between NURBS and Polygons is NURBS use curves and splines, whereas Polygons use flat and straight lines and vertices to create a mesh. NURBS are most commonly used in engineering models where accuracy is paramount. Polygons create solid planes and shapes by drawing lines between specific vertices.

Polygonal modelling vs Nurbs: for polygon modelling it calculates polygons, which are flat planes that comprise a 3D shape (the way that a cube is made out of 6 squares for example). NURBS calculates the mesh as splines between points, which can make curves out of a single section of geometry.

Non-Uniform Rational B-Splines (NURBS) provide a 3D modeling framework based on geometric primitives and drawn curves. You can use NURBS in two ways: Construct 3D models from NURBS primitives. Primitives are simple 3D objects created in the shape of common geometric forms such as cubes, spheres, cones, and so on.

Polygons are a type of geometry you can use to create three-dimensional models.

Nurbs to subdivision: subdivisions bridge the gap between nurbs and polygons

Smooth polygons- two ways: 1,2,3 on the keyboard preview temporary conversion, mesh smooth (full geometry smooth).

Smooth Mesh Preview lets you quickly and easily see how your polygonal mesh will appear when smoothed. You can quickly cycle between different Smooth mesh preview modes by pressing the 1, 2, or 3 keys when an object is selected. By default, meshes automatically display with Smooth Mesh Preview turned off.

Smooth Mesh Preview lets you quickly and easily see how your polygonal mesh will appear when smoothed. You can quickly cycle between different Smooth mesh preview modes by pressing the 1, 2, or 3 keys when an object is selected. 

By default, meshes automatically display with Smooth Mesh Preview turned off. When Smooth Mesh Preview is turned on, you can display the original mesh and a smoothed preview simultaneously (Cage + Smooth Mesh display mode) or the smoothed preview by itself (Smooth Mesh display mode). This mode is ideal for tweaking your mesh prior to an actual smooth mesh operation since any modifications you make to the original mesh will automatically update the smoothed preview. However, remember that Smooth Mesh Preview only changes the display of a mesh to allow you to visualize how it will appear when smoothed. The original mesh is not modified or smoothed.

Summary:

• We can create objects using curves;
• Curves have a close relationship with nurbs objects;
• Nurbs don’t match with polygons since they are very different, but there are subdivision surfaces in between which can help to convert one to the other.
• When we use polygons we end up smoothing them to match nurbs object since they are already organic objects
• A polygon can be smoothed in two ways: using a smooth preview or with a high resolution subdivision of the geometry

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Create a hard surface model, useful tools:

Lattice tool: the lattice is one of Maya’s most useful deformers. It surrounds an object with a box-like wireframe structure; this is the lattice the deformer is named for. The points of this structure can be selected and transformed, which also transforms the portion of the surface they enclose.

Delete edge vertex: when the edges of a polygonal mesh are deleted using the Delete key, the selected edges are deleted, but not the shared vertices at the ends of the edges. Use this tool if you want to delete the shared vertices associated with the deleted edges.

Merge threshold: to merge edges or faces into a single vertex. Select the vertices, or the edges or faces bordering the vertices that you want to merge to a center point. Note: You can only merge edges that are part of the same polygon mesh.

Cv curve tool: CV curves are the building blocks for Nurbs objects and surfaces. A curve is essentially a line and does not appear in your rendered image. By starting with a curve, you can build skins, revolved surfaces and lofted objects. CV is short for Control Vertices.

Curve snap: select vertex, then click and move on curve using middle mouse button. In some situations the snap to curve tool stubbornly refuses to snap to curve at all. A vertex rather snaps to its polymeshes own edges than to the curve. 

Extruding some faces of a cylinder on a curve will automatically position them on the curve and increase subdivisions.