This script replaces Maya's default operations of Combine, Separate, Extract, and Duplicate Face. This tool is similar to detachSeparate.mel 1.1 by JeffD ( https://www.creativecrash.com/maya/script/detachseparate-mel ) but with additional features.

Latest Features:

Added customizeable variables to turn on or off tool's custom naming conventions (View commented code inside the .mel file)

General Features:

Clean construction history - No more leftover groups when combining, separating, extracting, or duplicating faces
Specific naming conventions - No more mysterious "polySurface" objects
Quick hotkey implementation

Smart Combine:
Combined objects will:

be renamed SmartCombine_#
automatically center their pivots instead of defaulting to Origin
try to land inside its starting group (if any), or whichever group contained the most objects involved with the operation
not cause instanced objects to disappear
never share the same short name, even if nested inside groups
take on the name of the group, if an entire group is being combined (so a group named Gun with 25 objects will result in one mesh automatically named Gun)

Smart Separate:
Separated objects will:

retain original object's name with _Sep appended as a suffix (for instance, TestMesh would separate into TestMesh_Sep_1 and TestMesh_Sep_2) so you can still identify the origins of separated objects in the Outliner/Hypergraph
retain the original object's pivot point instead of defaulting to Origin
stay inside their groups
not cause instanced objects to disappear

Smart Extract:
Extracted objects will:

retain original object's name with _Ext appended as a suffix
retain original object's pivot point instead of defaulting to Origin
not generate a polyChipOff node on its originating mesh, but instead a deleteComponent node
will have a clear construction history and will not be linked with its originating mesh (deleting history on the extracted element will not delete history on the original mesh)
stay as one object even if selecting multiple non-contiguous elements (regular Extract would result in each element as a separate object)

Smart Duplicate Face:
Duplicated faces will:

retain original object's name with _Dup appended as a suffix
retain original object's pivot point instead of defaulting to Origin
not affect construction history whatsoever on the original mesh! This means you can duplicate faces on rigged meshes or other objects with complex history you want to retain.
not affect instanced objects
stay inside their groups

Additional Features:

Automated hotkey binding
Automated shelf button creation

Please use the Bug System to report any bugs.
Please use the Feature Requests to give me ideas.
Please use the Support Forum if you have any questions or problems.
Please rate and review in the Review section.