Modify or transfer vertex orders

When creating a polygon object, Maya assigns vertex IDs to it automatically. You can change the vertex order using the Reorder Vertices command.

To reorder vertices

  1. Delete the history of the polygon object whose vertices you want to reorder.
  2. (Optional) Show the object's Vertex IDs by selecting it and going to Display > Polygons > Component IDs > Vertices.
  3. Select the Reorder Vertices command.
  4. Click three adjacent vertices pertaining to the first three vertices in the new vertex order you want to establish.
    Maya reorders the rest of the vertices based on the initial path you set up.
    Note: The Reorder Vertices command stays active until you switch to a different command or tool, so you can keep experimenting with new vertex orders until you achieve the order you want.
Rather than reordering vertices manually, you can transfer the vertex order from one object to another using the Transfer Vertex Order command.
Note: For the best results, make sure your two meshes are topologically similar first.

To transfer vertex orders from one mesh to another

  1. Delete the history of both objects involved in the transfer.
  2. (Optional) Show the objects' Vertex IDs by selecting them and going to Display > Polygons > Component IDs > Vertices.
  3. Select the Transfer Vertex Order command.
  4. Click three adjacent vertices on the source object.
  5. Click three adjacent vertices on the target object that pertain topologically to the three vertices you selected on the source object.

    Maya reorders the rest of the vertices to match the source object relative to the three selected base vertices.