= Polygons and meshes =

== Overview ==

Polygons are shapes constructed from a series of straight edges. These edges are defined by a series of vertices. Polygons are ideal for dealing with complex typologies that go beyond the four sided nature of meshes and NURBS surfaces.

A _mesh_ is a collection of polygons with guaranteed ordering. It is much more efficient that the equivalent polygons, and unlike most regular polygons you can convert it directly to NURBS. You can also use the [Convert surface node|Node:sop/convert] to convert mesh primitives to regular polygons when you want a nice layout of polygons in rows and columns.

Open/closed:
    A closed polygon shares its first and last vertex and is flagged internally as "closed". Only closed polygons are shaded.

Planar/non-planar:
    Planar polygons' vertices lie in the same plane in 3D space. Non-planar polygons have vertices that are not all on a single plane in 3D space.

Convex/concave:
    A polygon is convex if any vertical or horizontal axis intersects it at most twice. Concave polygons have more complex shapes with "inset" points.

== Creating polygons ==

Use the tools on the [Create shelf tab|/shelf/create] to create surfaces, and use the __Primitive type__ pop-up menu on the operation controls toolbar to set the new surface to be created from polygons.

[Image:/images/ui/opbar.png]

== Editing polygons ==

Use the tools on the [Polygon shelf tab|/shelf/polygon] to edit and reshape faces and polygonal surfaces.