Can you build or edit meshes with Maya?

[SparkleSim]

I have Autodesk Maya and it is an amazing program, a LOT more so than Milkshape.  But I was just wondering if you can do meshes in maya as well.  You can have obj's in maya and milkshape as well, so I figured it would be ok to pass them back and forth.  If you can, is there a tutorial link anyone knows of?  Thanks in advance!

[Theraven]

You can. I use 3D max myself (has OBJ files too). I build the mesh and UV map it in 3D max, export as an OBJ file (but keep the original max file, for eventual changes), and import it to Milkshape. Maybe not the best for bodymeshes (depending on your skill level with the vertex weighting), but very good for object meshes.

If you prepare it throughly in Maya, you can use OBJ files directly, importing them to SimPE without going through Milkshape (Works with object meshes with no animation. Bodymeshes needs the skeleton, and I'm not sure about Maya plugins. Haven't looked at 3D max plugins yet, but I think there are some...). Just remember to import the base mesh as a guideline, or you'll get troubles with the size...

[BlooM]

When you want to create bodymeshes for the sims 2 you can use the smd(half life) importer/exporter for Maya(and 3DMAX)
http://mitglied.multimania.de/prallvamp/

Simpe supports this format, you find the export/import options in the plugin view window of the gmdc(mesh) file