Poly offers three ways to develop a model: edit its components, apply a stack of modifiers, or sculpt its surface. Choose the approach that matches the change you want, rather than rebuilding a shape for every adjustment.

Start with Enough Geometry

Primitives provide a useful starting point. Cubes and planes can have additional segments; spheres, cylinders, cones, and toruses expose the relevant resolution controls. Creation settings affect the object you are about to place, while Inspector adjusts an existing object's supported properties.

A simple mesh stays easy to understand. Add detail when the shape needs it: Subdivide is a tool you select and then apply. Selecting it alone does not change the mesh. Each accepted Apply adds geometry, and repeated subdivision eventually reaches the supported limit.

The first topology edit turns a generated shape into an editable mesh. Treat that as a shift from adjusting a generator to working on the resulting geometry.

Work with Faces, Edges, and Nodes

Choose the component posture from the selection control, then select the part you want to change. The contextual toolbar shows the operations that apply to that selection.

Move, Rotate, Scale, and Align also work on supported component selections. Align can compare the selection with its bounds, the active item, or the world origin; distribution can create even centers or gaps along an axis.

Use Merge to join selected vertices at their center, or Merge by Distance for nearby vertices within a chosen tolerance. Clean Up Mesh removes supported redundant flat regions. These are targeted operations, not a promise to repair every imported model: holes, complex overlaps, or unsuitable topology may remain unchanged with guidance.

Explore a Shape with Modifiers

Modifiers retain the starting mesh while changing the evaluated result. That makes them useful for comparing alternatives before deciding to commit.

A stack can reshape, smooth, thicken, mirror, or repeat supported geometry. Examples include Twist, Bend, Taper, Shear, Lattice, Mirror, and Array. Order matters: repeating a bent part can produce a different result from bending an already repeated arrangement.

Applying a modifier makes its result part of the mesh. Keep a modifier adjustable while you are still exploring, and apply it when the next modeling operation needs that geometry. Undo can reverse supported accepted edits within your session.

Boolean tools combine solids with Union, Difference, or Intersect. Inspect the preview before applying. The accepted result and related cutter changes form one undoable operation.

Sculpt Surface or Volume

Draw, Smooth, Grab, and Flatten reshape the existing surface. Their result depends on available geometry: a very coarse mesh cannot hold a fine crease or a small rounded detail. Subdivide when Poly's guidance indicates that more detail is needed, then use a modest brush strength and inspect from several angles.

Radius, strength, falloff, and local-X symmetry shape the stroke. Alt reverses supported brush behavior. One continuous stroke is one meaningful edit, rather than a separate History entry for every pointer movement.

Add and Excavate change solid volume. They can keep growing or removing material while held still. They need a closed mesh, are unavailable on native skin-bound meshes, and replace the existing UV layout and component selections. Their radius is measured differently from the original surface brushes, so check the preview instead of assuming a previous value gives the same footprint.

Finish major volume changes before unwrapping, painting, or rigging. Surface detailing can then build on a form whose structure is settled.

Common Questions

Why does Subdivide show settings but nothing changes?

It waits for Apply. This lets you choose a level before adding geometry.

Can I keep increasing detail indefinitely?

No. Geometry operations have limits. If the next subdivision is refused, work with the current mesh or simplify the planned detail.

Can I sculpt a rigged model with Add or Excavate?

Not when it has a native skin binding. Volume changes also replace the UV layout, which is why they belong early in the modeling process.

Will these edits survive reopening?

Supported accepted mesh edits are saved with the scene. Check save feedback after operations that also upload new geometry.

Follow Shape and Sculpt a Model for a practical sequence.