All I want to do is hide those faces....just aids me in my modeling.

I can hide objects, but can't seem to hide faces.

"Isolate select" is your friend. It's in the view panel's menu.

Ctrl+H works also then Ctrl+Shift+H to show them again. Like anything in Maya there is 10 different ways to do anything.

ctrl+h only works at the object level.

Select the faces you want to SEE and isolate them.
Viewport menu:
Show -> Isolate Selected -> View Selected

Click again to unhide everything.

<random> The great thing about Isolate Selected is that it's viewport specific, too. </random>

Thanks, it helped me out.

On a side note, I'm planning on using alpha channels to make negative space on a planer surface....uhmm, make invisible and only let texture surface visible and negative space invisible.....that kind of a thing.

Probably should start a new thread....maybe not.

[Edit]Just a Quake 3 Alpha Channel Kind of Thing[/Edit]

the the Alias bonus games tools, there is a 'hide face' option, that im pretty sure you can hotkey. Im not sure you can key isolate select, but i could be wrong.