A cylinder in Polymodeling are triangles (2 triangles = 1 quad : sometimes Ngons) primitive like shown above
The sub divided object is just the result of the previous cylinder by the Max plugins
I had personally nothing modelised here :)
I must jut refound what are the start proprieties of a volume accepted by the Max Subdive plugin :)
Quad facetts, triangles facetts...
I had believed that the Max plugin accepted and transform the nurbs volumes ! :)