Question! Can you disconnect and then reconnect part of a model?

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#1

That probably seems like an easy question, but bear with me.

Short version:
Can I disconnect part of a mesh and then reconnect it without destroying the UV, vertex groups, existing shape keys, poses, and armature?

Long version:
I have a model that I’ve been working on since I started learning Blender. Now she has multiple hairstyles, vertex groups, shape keys, poses, and the perfect armature and weight painting. I’m now working on her facial expressions, which I’m doing with shape keys, and perhaps bones. I am sculpting one side of her perfect face and I’m trying to mirror it so I’ll have the same sculpt work on the opposing side. Problem is, I’m realizing now that my mesh is not symmetrical. It’s close, but not perfect. So, when I go to mirror the shape key, I get an abomination. I’m wondering if I can disconnect her head from her unsymmetrical yet still somehow perfect body, make her expressions, and then put it back without a list of consequences.

#2

The short answer is yes.

The long answer is also yes, but you will probably run into consequences anyway. But you can still fix those consequences. It’s a valid technique. Blender is generally pretty good about preserving mesh data.

Another perfectly valid technique is just having separated head and body objects, since it can be a hassle to have all your eyelid vertex groups in the same list as all you finger vertex groups, etc. As long as the weight painting along the neck seam is identical between both objects, the seam won’t be visible.

P.S. you separate mesh elements with P and you join them when Ctrl + J but I’m guessing it’s not the hotkeys you’re concerned about

#3

Than you my good sir

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