3D Max Modeling Intro
There are basically 3 steps in order to make a 3D Max project completed. Modeling, Material, and then Rendering (Including background, lightening, and camras). And the first step is obvious, modeling. Modeling means that making a character. It can be animals, human, or even a teapot. A character in 3D Max could be anything. 3D Max provided some basic shapes that you can start with. But most objects need to be modified with complicated processes.
(The picture above shows some basic shapes of 3D Max)
So, in order to make the basic shapes (box, tube, pyramid, etc) look different, you can turn it to a "Editable' objects or add modifiers to it. When you right click on an 3D object, select "Convert To :", most of time, you will have 4 options. Editable Mesh, Editable Poly, Editable Patch, and NURBS. Editable Poly and Mesh are very alike, and they are also the most commonly way to start a model. The use of Editable Patch is rare, but for making smooth layers like musles, sometimes, it's useful. However, NURBS is a tool that is in a real bad condition for 3D Max, because that there is almost no one will chose 3D Max if you want NURBS, in that case, MAYA's NURBS are better.
Selecting a basic shape to start with is also a skill you need to manage. You don't start with a box when you want to create a basketball, you don't start with the shape pyramid when you want to make a suitcase. Using the right basic shape to start with will make your modeling easier and save some time.
Convert to these types of objects are not the only ways to modify your basic shapes. You can also add modifiers to the object such as "Noise", "FFD Box' and so for it. I'll be explaining those stuff with details later on.
The Differences between Editable Poly and Mesh
Editable Poly is the strongest modeling tool in Max. In the version of 2008, the brush tool got better, whcih you can paint just like in Mudbox or Zbrush. Sorry, but that doesn't mean using brush tool in Max is a good idea. Anyway, Editable Mesh is half of Editable Poly and half of it's own. In Editable Poly, the third level of units selecting is "Border", however, in Editable Mesh, the third one is called "Face". Just a reminder that "Face" does not equal to "Polygon".
There are many hidden edges that you can't edit or sometimes, you can't even select them. In that case, the polygons are seperated by those hidden edges are called "Face'. The polygons that are seperated by the edges that can be selected and both edited without using "Edit Tri." and "Turn" tool is called a "Polygon". It's very hard to understand sometimes. Anyway, when you create a box with a measurement "1 to 1 to 1", then convert it to Editable Mesh, after you selected the "Face" option, you will see that the one polygon can be seperated to two traingle faces. That's faces.
For "Borders" of Editable Poly, it's a selection of the empty polygons. This is more useful than "Faces" because when you delete a polygon in an accident and was not able to undo it? Well, go to "Borders' and now you can actually select the outside edge for the deleted Polygon. You can turn a box into Editable Poly and delete a polygon on purpose and try it your own. After you have selected the borders, click on the "Cap' tool, you'll see that Max actually fitted the empty space with a polygon. Now, if the space was flat, you can just leave it there. If your empty space is not flat, then you should go to edges and select "Cut" tool to cut some extra edges. Because if you don't do that, your new polygon will be full of hidden edges that you can't edit, whcih is really not that convenient.
So, this ended a brief tour of the differences of Editable Poly and Mesh. I reconmmand you to work with Editable Poly when you have a 4-edges based polygon. Use Editable Mesh when you have a 3-edges based polygon.