Creating New Faces On A Model

[EranthisAconite]

I'm new to 3ds max and I've recently started using 3ds max 8 for modeling purposes. It's been a very frustrating experience and I'm having trouble making new faces on a model that I'm editing. I understand that capping does this (to a degree) but it only applies to borders rather edges and since I'm working with symmettry, any borders that go to the middle will select the entire model.

Is there any other way where I can make the face without capping? The only other option I know of to make a new face is to extrude an edge into a new face and weld those points to the model to fill in the space but this process takes too long for a program that should have easier solutions. Also, I'm trying to turn most of the polygons back into squares so I can make cuts into them and the only way I can do this is deleteing and capping. Is there a way to merge polygons together?

[Anonymous]

I have to say I think it would have helped you out greatly to complete some modeling tutorials for the software before undertaking a modeling project. 

 I think one operation that will help you out is the Bridge command in the Edge subobject level.  Instead of using Cap to close holes, you can select just two edges, and use Bridge to insert a new polygon between those edges.  Using Bridge assigned to a hotkey, you can establish an entire surface grid fairly quickly, or fix holes or gaps in a mesh.  As you know, holding down Shift, while pulling an edge with the transform tool will create new Polygons also, but that technique isn't intended to close a gap between two edges, that's what Bridge is useful for.

Alternatively, you can also draw new polygons in Polygon subobject mode by selecting "Create"under the edit geometry rollout.  Start by left-clicking on any vertex, then another, and another, until you have a polygon, then right-click to create the face.  There are many ways to create new faces in 3dsmax, these are but a few.  At a more advanced level, you can also use the PolytDraw tools in the Graphite ribbon as a way to draw surfaces from scratch, or for retopology.  For example, the Surface PolyDraw tool will literally "paint" a grid of polygons wherever you wish in the viewport.