Autodesk 3ds Max 2008 Help Volume 1 En Vol

User Manual: autodesk 3ds Max - 2008 - Help Volume 1 Free User Guide for Autodesk 3ds Max Software, Manual

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Help: Volume 1

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3dsMax08_Man_Help_fron.ai

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177.8 mm x 228.6 mm

Part No.:

N/A

Date:

7.5.07

Colors: 4c process

CM Y K

Autodesk®

3ds Max®

2008

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Certain materials included in this publication are reprinted with the permission of the copyright holder.

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Contents

Chapter 1 Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

What's New in Autodesk 3ds Max 2008 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

What Was New in 3ds Max 9 Extension 1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

3ds Max Documentation Set . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

About MAXScript . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

Chapter 2 Getting Started with 3ds Max . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

Project Workflow . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

Setting Up Your Scene . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

Modeling Objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

Using Materials . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

Placing Lights and Cameras . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30

Animating Your Scene . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33

Rendering Your Scene . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34

The 3ds Max Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35

Special Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38

Managing Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44

Importing, Merging, Replacing, and Externally Referencing

Scenes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46

Using the Asset Browser . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49

Startup Files and Defaults . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50

3dsmax .ini File . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51

Backing Up and Archiving Scenes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53

iii

Crash Recovery System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53

Chapter 3 Viewing and Navigating 3D Space . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55

General Viewport Concepts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56

Home Grid: Views Based on the World Coordinate Axes . . . . . . . . . 58

Understanding Views . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61

Setting Viewport Layout . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 65

Controlling Viewport Rendering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68

Controlling Display Performance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70

Using Standard View Navigation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71

Zooming, Panning, and Rotating Views . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72

Using Walkthrough Navigation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75

Navigating Camera and Light Views . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79

Adaptive Degradation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83

Grab Viewport . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85

View-Handling Commands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86

Undo View Change / Redo View Change . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87

Save Active View . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88

Restore Active View . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88

Viewport Background Dialog . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89

Select Background Image Dialog . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97

Update Background Image . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102

Reset Background Transform . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103

Show Transform Gizmo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103

Show Ghosting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104

Show Key Times . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105

Shade Selected . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107

Show Dependencies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108

Create Camera From View . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109

Add Default Lights to Scene . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111

Redraw All Views . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113

Global Viewport Rendering Setting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114

Update During Spinner Drag . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115

Diagnose Video Hardware . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115

Expert Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 116

Controlling Object Display . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117

Display Color Rollout . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117

Hide By Category Rollout . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 118

Hide Rollout . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120

Freeze Rollout . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122

Display Properties Rollout . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124

Link Display Rollout . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129

Chapter 4 Selecting Objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131

Introducing Object Selection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 132

iv | Contents

Basics of Selecting Objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 139

Selecting by Region . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 143

Using Select By Name . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 146

Using Named Selection Sets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 146

Using Selection Filters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 148

Selecting with Track View . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 150

Selecting with Schematic View . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 151

Freezing and Unfreezing Objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 152

Hiding and Unhiding Objects by Selection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 154

Hiding and Unhiding Objects by Category . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 156

Isolate Selection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 159

Introduction to Sub-Object Selection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 160

Selection Commands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 165

Select Object . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 167

Select From Scene . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 168

Selection Floater . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 171

Selection Region Flyout . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 174

Selection Filter List . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 176

Filter Combinations Dialog . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 177

Named Selection Sets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 179

Named Selection Sets Dialog . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 181

Edit Named Selections Dialog . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 186

Select All . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 189

Select None . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 189

Select Invert . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 190

Select Similar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 190

Select By . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 191

Select By Color . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 191

Select By Name (Edit Menu) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 191

Select By Layer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 192

Region Selection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 192

Selection Region . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 192

Rectangular Selection Region . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 192

Circular Selection Region . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 193

Fence Selection Region . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 194

Lasso Selection Region . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 195

Paint Selection Region . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 196

Region . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 197

Select Region Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 198

Select Region Crossing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 200

Window/Crossing Selection Toggle . . . . . . . . . . . . . 201

Edit Commands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 202

Undo/Redo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 202

Hold/Fetch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 204

Delete . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 205

Groups and Assemblies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 205

Contents | v

Using Groups . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 206

Using Assemblies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 209

Character Assembly . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 217

Group Commands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 221

Group . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 222

Open Group . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 223

Close Group . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 223

Ungroup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 224

Explode Group . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 225

Detach Group . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 225

Attach Group . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 226

Assembly Commands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 226

Assemble . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 227

Open Assembly . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 231

Close Assembly . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 232

Disassemble . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 233

Explode Assembly . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 233

Detach Assembly . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 234

Attach Assembly . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 234

Assembly Head Helper Objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 234

Assembly Head Helper Object . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 234

Luminaire Helper Object . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 235

Character Assembly Commands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 237

Create Character . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 238

Destroy Character . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 242

Lock/Unlock Character . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 242

Insert Character . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 243

Save Character . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 243

Skin Pose Commands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 244

Chapter 5 Object Properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 245

Object Properties Dialog Panels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 245

General Panel (Object Properties Dialog) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 245

Advanced Lighting Panel (Object Properties Dialog) . . . . . . . 256

mental ray Panel (Object Properties Dialog) . . . . . . . . . . . 262

User Defined Panel (Object Properties Dialog) . . . . . . . . . . 264

Rename Objects Tool . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 266

Custom Attributes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 267

Parameter Collector . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 285

Parameter Collector Menu Bar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 294

Notes Dialog (Parameter Collector) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 297

Expression Techniques . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 299

Trigonometric Functions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 309

Vectors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 312

vi | Contents

Chapter 6 Creating Geometry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 317

Basics of Creating and Modifying Objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 317

Using the Create Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 319

Identifying the Basic Building Blocks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 321

Creating an Object . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 323

Assigning Colors to Objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 327

Object Color Dialog . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 327

Color Selector Dialog . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 331

Color Clipboard Utility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 337

Adjusting Normals and Smoothing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 339

Viewing and Changing Normals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 340

Viewing and Changing Smoothing . . . . . . . . . . . . . 343

Geometric Primitives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 345

Creating Primitives from the Keyboard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 346

Standard Primitives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 348

Box Primitive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 350

Cone Primitive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 353

Sphere Primitive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 356

GeoSphere Primitive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 361

Cylinder Primitive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 364

Tube Primitive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 367

Torus Primitive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 370

Pyramid Primitive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 374

Teapot Primitive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 377

Plane Primitive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 380

Extended Primitives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 383

Hedra Extended Primitive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 385

Torus Knot Extended Primitive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 389

ChamferBox Extended Primitive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 393

ChamferCyl Extended Primitive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 396

OilTank Extended Primitive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 399

Capsule Extended Primitive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 402

Spindle Extended Primitive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 405

L-Ext Extended Primitive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 409

Gengon Extended Primitive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 411

C-Ext Extended Primitive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 414

RingWave Extended Primitive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 417

Prism Extended Primitive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 423

Hose Extended Primitive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 425

Architectural Objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 432

AEC Extended Objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 433

Working with AEC Design Elements . . . . . . . . . . . . 433

Foliage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 439

Railing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 447

Wall . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 456

Editing Wall Objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 466

Contents | vii

Stairs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 471

L-Type Stair . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 473

Spiral Stair . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 480

Straight Stair . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 488

U-Type Stair . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 495

Doors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 502

Pivot Door . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 510

Sliding Door . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 512

BiFold Door . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 514

Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 516

Awning Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 523

Casement Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 526

Fixed Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 528

Pivoted Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 530

Projected Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 532

Sliding Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 534

Shapes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 536

Shape Check Utility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 541

Splines and Extended Splines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 542

Line Spline . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 551

Rectangle Spline . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 555

Circle Spline . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 557

Ellipse Spline . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 559

Arc Spline . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 560

Donut Spline . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 564

NGon Spline . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 565

Star Spline . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 567

Text Spline . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 569

Helix Spline . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 574

Section Spline . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 576

Extended Splines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 580

WRectangle Spline . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 580

Channel Spline . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 583

Angle Spline . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 585

Tee Spline . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 587

Wide Flange Spline . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 588

Editable Spline . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 590

Editable Spline (Object) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 602

Editable Spline (Vertex) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 606

Editable Spline (Segment) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 618

Editable Spline (Spline) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 627

Compound Objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 638

Morph Compound Object . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 639

Scatter Compound Object . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 647

Conform Compound Object . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 660

Connect Compound Object . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 668

viii | Contents

BlobMesh Compound Object . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 674

ShapeMerge Compound Object . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 681

Boolean Compound Object . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 686

Material Attach Options Dialog . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 701

Terrain Compound Object . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 703

Loft Compound Object . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 715

Creation Method Rollout . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 718

Surface Parameters Rollout . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 719

Path Parameters Rollout . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 724

Skin Parameters Rollout . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 727

Deformations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 744

Deform Scale . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 745

Deform Twist . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 747

Deform Teeter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 749

Deform Bevel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 752

Deform Fit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 754

Deformation Dialog . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 756

Path Commands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 763

Shape Commands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 764

Compare Dialog . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 765

Mesher Compound Object . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 767

ProBoolean/ProCutter Compound Objects . . . . . . . . . . . . 772

ProBoolean Compound Object . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 774

ProCutter Compound Object . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 792

Quad Meshing and Smoothing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 799

Dynamics Objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 810

Damper Dynamics Object . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 811

Spring Dynamics Object . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 820

Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 829

Bones System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 831

Using Objects as Bones . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 843

Bone Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 845

Bone Tools Rollouts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 845

Ring Array System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 853

Chapter 7 Moving, Rotating, and Scaling Objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . 859

Axis Tripod and World Axis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 860

Using Transforms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 862

Using Transform Gizmos . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 865

Transform Type-In . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 874

Animating Transforms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 877

Transform Managers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 879

Specifying a Reference Coordinate System . . . . . . . . . . . . 881

Choosing a Transform Center . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 882

Using the Axis Constraints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 884

Reset Transform Utility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 886

Contents | ix

Transform Commands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 887

Select and Move . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 888

Select and Rotate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 889

Select and Scale . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 891

Select and Uniform Scale . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 892

Select and Non-Uniform Scale . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 893

Select and Squash . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 894

Transform Coordinates and Coordinate Center . . . . . . . . . . . . . 896

Reference Coordinate System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 896

Use Center Flyout . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 904

Use Pivot Point Center . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 905

Use Selection Center . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 907

Use Transform Coordinate Center . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 908

Transform Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 909

Array Flyout . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 911

Mirror Selected Objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 911

Array . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 915

Snapshot . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 921

Spacing Tool . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 925

Clone and Align Tool . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 933

Align Flyout . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 938

Align . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 938

Quick Align . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 944

Normal Align . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 945

Place Highlight . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 948

Align Camera . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 950

Align to View . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 951

Chapter 8 Creating Copies and Arrays . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 953

Overview of Copies, Instances, and References . . . . . . . . . . . . . 955

Techniques for Cloning Objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 958

Clone . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 965

Clone Options Dialog . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 965

Using Shift+Clone . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 968

Cloning with Shift+Move . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 970

Cloning with Shift+Rotate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 972

Cloning with Shift+Scale . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 975

Animating Shift+Rotate and Shift+Scale . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 977

Cloning Objects Over Time with Snapshot . . . . . . . . . . . . 979

Arraying Objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 981

Using the Array Dialog . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 983

Creating Linear Arrays . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 989

Creating Circular and Spiral Arrays . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 993

Mirroring Objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 996

Using the Spacing Tool . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 998

x | Contents

Chapter 9 Modifiers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1001

Transforms, Modifiers, and Object Data Flow . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1004

List of Available Modifiers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1011

Using Modifiers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1015

Using the Modify Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1016

Using the Modifier Stack . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1020

Editing the Stack . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1023

Edit Modifiers and Editable Objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1027

Modifying at the Sub-Object Level . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1029

Using the Stack at the Sub-Object Level . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1032

Modifying Multiple Objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1034

How Instanced Modifiers Work . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1040

World-Space Modifiers (WSMs) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1043

Camera Map Modifier (World Space) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1043

Displace Mesh Modifier (World Space) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1045

Displace NURBS Modifier (World Space) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1047

Hair And Fur Modifier . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1049

Selection Rollout (Hair and Fur) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1059

Tools Rollout (Hair and Fur) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1061

Styling Rollout (Hair and Fur) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1070

Quad Menu for Hair Styling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1082

General Parameters Rollout (Hair and Fur) . . . . . . . . 1084

Material Parameters Rollout (Hair and Fur) . . . . . . . . 1091

mr Parameters Rollout (Hair and Fur) . . . . . . . . . . . 1098

Frizz Parameters Rollout (Hair and Fur) . . . . . . . . . . 1099

Kink Parameters Rollout (Hair and Fur) . . . . . . . . . . 1104

Multi Strand Parameters Rollout (Hair and Fur) . . . . . . 1107

Dynamics Rollout (Hair and Fur) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1109

Display Rollout (Hair and Fur) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1116

LS Colors Modifier (World Space) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1118

MapScaler Modifier (World Space) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1120

PatchDeform Modifier (World Space) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1123

PathDeform Modifier (World Space) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1123

Point Cache Modifier (World Space) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1129

Subdivide Modifier (World Space) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1129

Surface Mapper Modifier (World Space) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1129

SurfDeform Modifier (World Space) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1132

Object-Space Modifiers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1132

Affect Region Modifier . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1133

Attribute Holder Modifier . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1136

Bend Modifier . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1139

Bevel Modifier . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1142

Bevel Profile Modifier . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1150

Camera Map Modifier (Object Space) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1154

Cap Holes Modifier . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1159

Cloth and Garment Maker Modifiers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1162

Contents | xi

Cloth Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1163

Cloth Modifier . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1178

Object Properties Dialog (Cloth) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1219

Garment Maker Modifier . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1228

Troubleshooting and Error Codes in Garment Maker . . . 1258

CrossSection Modifier . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1259

Delete Mesh Modifier . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1266

Delete Patch Modifier . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1267

Delete Spline Modifier . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1269

Disp Approx Modifier . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1270

Displace Modifier . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1274

Edit Mesh Modifier . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1283

Edit Normals Modifier . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1284

Edit Patch Modifier . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1290

Edit Poly Modifier . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1293

Selection Rollout (Edit Poly Modifier) . . . . . . . . . . . 1307

Edit Poly (Object) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1319

Edit Poly (Vertex) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1321

Edit Poly (Edge) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1330

Edit Poly (Border) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1343

Edit Poly (Polygon/Element) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1350

Edit Geometry Rollout (Edit Poly Modifier) . . . . . . . . 1363

Align Geometry Dialog . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1375

Detach Dialog . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1375

Edit Spline Modifier . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1376

Extrude Modifier . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1377

Face Extrude Modifier . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1381

FFD (Free-Form Deformation) Modifiers . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1383

FFD (Box/Cylinder) Modifiers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1389

FFD (Free-Form Deformation) Select Modifier . . . . . . . . . . 1395

Fillet/Chamfer Modifier . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1396

Flex Modifier . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1400

Spring Option Dialog . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1418

HSDS Modifier . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1420

Adaptive Subdivision Dialog . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1428

Lathe Modifier . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1430

Lattice Modifier . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1435

Linked XForm Modifier . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1440

LS Mesh Modifier . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1442

MapScaler Modifier (Object Space) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1443

Material Modifier . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1445

MaterialByElement Modifier . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1448

Melt Modifier . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1451

Mesh Select Modifier . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1455

MeshSmooth Modifier . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1460

Mirror Modifier . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1471

xii | Contents

Morpher Modifier . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1473

MultiRes Modifier . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1493

Noise Modifier . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1501

Normal Modifier . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1509

Normalize Spline Modifier . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1511

NSurf Sel Modifier . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1513

Optimize Modifier . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1515

Patch Select Modifier . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1520

PatchDeform Modifier . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1525

PathDeform Modifier . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1528

Point Cache Modifier . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1533

Poly Select Modifier . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1541

Preserve Modifier . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1550

Projection Modifier . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1556

Selection Rollout (Projection Modifier) . . . . . . . . . . 1558

Reference Geometry Rollout (Projection Modifier) . . . . 1560

Cage Rollout (Projection Modifier) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1563

Selection Check Rollout (Projection Modifier) . . . . . . . 1567

Projection Rollout (Projection Modifier) . . . . . . . . . . 1568

Project Mapping Rollout (Projection Modifier) . . . . . . 1570

Projection Holder Modifier . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1574

Push Modifier . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1574

Relax Modifier . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1575

Renderable Spline Modifier . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1580

Ripple Modifier . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1583

Select By Channel Modifier . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1587

Shell Modifier . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1588

Skew Modifier . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1596

Skin Modifier . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1600

Load Envelopes Dialog (Skin Modifier) . . . . . . . . . . 1624

Weight Tool Dialog . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1627

Weight Table (Skin Modifier) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1633

Skin Morph Modifier . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1636

Skin Wrap Modifier . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1648

Skin Wrap Patch Modifier . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1657

Slice Modifier . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1658

Smooth Modifier . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1665

Spherify Modifier . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1668

Spline IK Control Modifier . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1670

Spline Select Modifier . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1673

Squeeze Modifier . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1676

STL Check Modifier . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1678

Stretch Modifier . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1681

Subdivide Modifier . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1688

Substitute Modifier . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1691

Surface Modifier . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1695

Contents | xiii

SurfDeform Modifier . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1707

Sweep Modifier . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1709

Pick Shape Dialog . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1728

Extract Shape Dialog . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1730

Merge File (Sweep Modifier) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1731

Symmetry Modifier . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1735

Taper Modifier . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1739

Tessellate Modifier . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1743

Trim/Extend Modifier . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1746

TurboSmooth Modifier . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1750

Turn To Mesh Modifier . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1756

Turn To Patch Modifier . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1758

Turn To Poly Modifier . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1761

Twist Modifier . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1765

Unwrap UVW Modifier . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1769

Edit UVWs Dialog . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1788

Edit UVWs Dialog Menu Bar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1799

Unwrap UVW Shortcuts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1807

UVW Editor Dialogs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1821

UVW Map Modifier . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1849

UVW Mapping Add Modifier . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1871

UVW Mapping Clear Modifier . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1871

UVW Mapping Paste Modifier . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1872

UVW XForm Modifier . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1872

Vertex Weld Modifier . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1874

VertexPaint Modifier . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1876

VertexPaint Paintbox . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1886

Adjust Color Dialog (VertexPaint Modifier) . . . . . . . . 1900

Color Palette (VertexPaint Modifier) . . . . . . . . . . . . 1902

Painter Options Dialog . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1907

Volume Select Modifier . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1910

Wave Modifier . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1918

XForm Modifier . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1922

Chapter 10 Surface Modeling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1925

Subdivision Surfaces . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1926

Soft Selection Rollout . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1926

Collapse Utility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1931

Editable Patch Surface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1934

Selection Rollout (Editable Patch) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1940

Editable Patch (Object) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1944

Editable Patch (Vertex) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1947

Editable Patch (Handle) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1954

Editable Patch (Edge) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1956

Editable Patch (Patch) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1959

Editable Patch (Element) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1965

xiv | Contents

Geometry Rollout (Patch) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1968

Patch Grids . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1982

Quad Patch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1984

Tri Patch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1987

Editable Mesh Surface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1990

Working with Mesh Sub-Objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1993

Selection Rollout (Editable Mesh) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1995

Editable Mesh (Object) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1998

Editable Mesh (Vertex) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2001

Editable Mesh (Edge) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2007

Editable Mesh (Face/Polygon/Element) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2014

Edit Geometry Rollout (Mesh) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2018

Attach Options Dialog . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2031

Cut and Slice . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2033

Editable Poly Surface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2038

Selection Rollout (Polymesh) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2043

Editable Poly (Object) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2053

Editable Poly (Vertex) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2055

Editable Poly (Edge) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2066

Editable Poly (Border) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2085

Editable Poly (Polygon/Element) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2091

Edit Geometry Rollout (Polymesh) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2105

Subdivision Surface Rollout (Polymesh) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2118

Subdivision Displacement Rollout (Polymesh) . . . . . . . . . 2123

Paint Deformation Rollout . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2125

Editable Poly Settings Dialogs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2129

Bevel Polygons Dialog . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2129

Bridge Borders/Polygons Dialog . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2131

Bridge Edges Dialog . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2133

Chamfer Vertices/Edges/Borders Dialog . . . . . . . . . . 2136

Connect Edges Dialog . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2137

Extrude Polygons Along Spline Dialog . . . . . . . . . . . 2139

Extrude Polygons Dialog . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2141

Extrude Vertices/Edges Dialog . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2142

Hinge Polygons From Edge Dialog . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2143

Inset Polygons Dialog . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2144

MeshSmooth Selection Dialog . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2145

Preserve Map Channels Dialog . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2146

Relax Dialog . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2148

Tessellate Selection Dialog . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2149

Weld Vertices/Edges Dialog . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2150

NURBS Modeling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2152

NURBS Models: Objects and Sub-Objects . . . . . . . . . . . . 2153

Creating NURBS Models . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2154

Working with NURBS Models . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2155

Surface Trimming . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2156

Contents | xv

Modifying NURBS Models and Creating Sub-Objects . . . 2159

Quad Menu for NURBS Objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2160

Using the NURBS Toolbox to Create Sub-Objects . . . . . 2162

Sub-Object Selection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2164

CV Sub-Objects and Point Sub-Objects . . . . . . . . . . 2165

Dependent Sub-Objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2169

Rigid Surfaces . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2172

NURBS and Modifiers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2172

NURBS and Animation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2175

NURBS Concepts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2176

NURBS Tips and Techniques . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2180

NURBS Surfaces . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2190

Point Surface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2192

CV Surface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2195

NURBS Curves . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2199

Point Curve . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2201

CV Curve . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2208

Creating NURBS Curve and Surface Objects . . . . . . . . . . . 2216

Creating Independent Surfaces from NURBS Curve

Objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2216

Creating NURBS Curves from Splines . . . . . . . . . . . 2216

Creating NURBS Surfaces from Geometric Primitives . . . 2218

Nonrelational NURBS Surfaces . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2219

Display Controls for NURBS Models . . . . . . . . . . . . 2221

Display Line Parameters for NURBS Surfaces . . . . . . . 2224

Creating and Editing NURBS Sub-Objects . . . . . . . . . . . . 2225

Attaching and Importing 3ds Max Objects . . . . . . . . 2225

Common Sub-Object Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2229

Editing Point Sub-Objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2231

Editing Curve CV Sub-Objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2238

Editing Surface CV Sub-Objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2244

Editing Curve Sub-Objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2252

Editing Surface Sub-Objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2264

Soft Selection Rollout (NURBS) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2275

Material Properties Rollout . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2278

Creating Curve Sub-Objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2283

Creating Surface Sub-Objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2337

Creating and Editing Point Sub-Objects . . . . . . . . . . 2428

NURBS Editing Dialogs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2442

Curve and Surface Approximation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2468

Curve Approximation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2468

Surface Approximation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2469

Advanced Surface Approximation Dialog . . . . . . . . . 2478

Surface Approximation Utility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2480

Tools for Low-Polygon Modeling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2492

Show Statistics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2493

xvi | Contents

Level of Detail Utility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2494

Chapter 11 Precision and Drawing Aids . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2501

Tools for Precision . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2502

Helpers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2503

Using Units . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2504

Using Grids . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2506

Using the Home Grid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2507

Using Grid Objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2510

Viewing Grid Objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2511

AutoGrid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2513

Aligning Objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2516

Aligning Normals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2520

Setting Standard Snaps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2521

Setting Snap Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2523

Measuring Distances . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2526

Measure Distance Tool . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2529

Select And Manipulate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2529

Standard Helper Objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2530

Dummy Helper . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2531

Expose Transform Helper . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2532

Grid Helper . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2538

Point Helper . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2544

Tape Helper . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2546

Protractor Helper . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2549

Compass Helper . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2551

Manipulator Helper Objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2552

Cone Angle Manipulator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2552

Plane Angle Manipulator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2556

Slider Manipulator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2559

Grid Commands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2564

Show Home Grid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2564

Activate Home Grid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2565

Activate Grid Object . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2566

Align Grid to View . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2566

Snap Commands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2567

2D Snap, 2.5D Snap, 3D Snap . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2568

Angle Snap Toggle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2570

Percent Snap Toggle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2571

Spinner Snap Toggle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2572

Ortho Snapping Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2573

Polar Snapping Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2575

Grid and Snap Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2577

Snap Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2578

Snap Override . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2585

Snap Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2587

Contents | xvii

Home Grid Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2592

User Grids Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2595

Drawing Aid Utilities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2596

Measure Utility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2597

Rescale World Units Utility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2599

Chapter 12 Space Warps and Particle Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2603

Space Warp Objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2603

Bind to Space Warp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2609

Forces . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2609

Push Space Warp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2609

Motor Space Warp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2614

Vortex Space Warp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2619

Drag Space Warp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2624

PBomb Space Warp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2629

Path Follow Space Warp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2635

Gravity Space Warp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2639

Wind Space Warp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2642

Displace Space Warp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2645

Deflectors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2650

POmniFlect Space Warp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2650

PDynaFlect Space Warp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2656

SOmniFlect Space Warp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2661

SDynaFlect Space Warp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2663

UOmniFlect Space Warp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2664

UDynaFlect Space Warp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2666

SDeflector Space Warp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2669

UDeflector Space Warp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2672

Deflector Space Warp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2675

Geometric/Deformable . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2678

FFD(Box) Space Warp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2678

FFD(Cyl) Space Warp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2685

Wave Space Warp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2695

Ripple Space Warp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2699

Conform Space Warp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2703

Bomb Space Warp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2707

Modifier-Based Space Warps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2711

Introduction to Particle Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2713

Particle Flow . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2713

How Particle Flow Works . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2714

Particle Flow User Interface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2730

Actions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2758

Non-Event-Driven Particle Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2923

Particle System Usage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2926

Spray Particle System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2938

Snow Particle System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2942

xviii | Contents

Super Spray Particle System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2947

Blizzard Particle System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2951

PCloud Particle System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2956

PArray Particle System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2964

Chapter 13 Animation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3001

Animation Concepts and Methods . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3002

Animation Concepts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3003

Using Auto Key Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3007

Using Set Key Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3010

Spinner Right-Click Menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3014

Viewing and Copying Transform Keys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3016

Controlling Time . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3019

Setting Time Segments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3021

Moving Through Time . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3023

Choosing a Frame Rate and Playback Speed . . . . . . . . . . . 3024

Working with Controllers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3025

Understanding Controllers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3027

Changing Controller Properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3029

Assigning Controllers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3031

Specifying Default Controllers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3034

General-Purpose Controllers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3035

Special-Purpose Controllers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3037

Explicit Axis Keys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3038

Float Controllers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3039

Controlling Transforms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3040

Controlling Position . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3041

Controlling Rotation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3042

Controlling Colors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3043

Morph Controllers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3044

Motion Panel Commands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3045

Trajectories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3045

PRS Parameters Rollout . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3050

Key Info (Basic) Rollout/Dialog . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3052

Tangent Types . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3054

Key Info (Advanced) Rollout/Dialog . . . . . . . . . . . . 3056

Animation Controllers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3058

Audio Controller . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3060

Barycentric Morph Controller . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3061

Bezier Controllers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3063

Block Controller . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3066

Boolean Controller . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3072

Color RGB Controller (Point3 XYZ Controller) . . . . . . . . . 3074

Euler XYZ Rotation Controller . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3076

Expression Controller . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3079

Expression Controller Techniques . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3086

Contents | xix

Layer Controller . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3087

Animation Layers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3089

Layer Properties Dialog . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3104

Create New Animation Layer Dialog . . . . . . . . . . . . 3105

Limit Controller . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3106

Linear Controller . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3118

List Controller . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3119

Local Euler XYZ Rotation Controller . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3123

Look At Controller . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3124

Master Point Controller . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3126

Motion Capture Controller . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3128

Noise Controller . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3139

On/Off Controller . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3142

Position XYZ Controller . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3144

PRS Controller . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3145

Reaction Controllers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3147

Reaction Manager Dialog . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3153

Using Manipulators with Reaction Controllers . . . . . . 3169

Scale XYZ Controller . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3171

Script Controller . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3173

Smooth Rotation Controller . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3178

Spring Controller . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3178

TCB Controllers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3183

Transform Script Controller . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3186

Waveform Controller . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3190

XRef Controller . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3194

Controller Subdialogs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3198

Audio Controller Dialog . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3198

Attach Controls Dialog (Block Controller) . . . . . . . . . 3201

Barycentric Morph Controller Key Info Dialog . . . . . . 3203

Block Parameters Dialog (Block Controller) . . . . . . . . 3204

Master Block Parameters Dialog (Block Controller) . . . . 3205

Master Track Key Info Dialog (Master Point

Controller) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3207

Slave Parameters Dialog (Block Controller) . . . . . . . . 3209

Track View Pick Dialog (Block Controller) . . . . . . . . . 3211

Animation Constraints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3212

Attachment Constraint . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3213

Surface Constraint . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3218

Path Constraint . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3222

Position Constraint . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3228

Link Constraint . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3233

LookAt Constraint . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3237

Orientation Constraint . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3244

Wire Parameters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3247

Parameter Wiring Dialog . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3249

xx | Contents

Hierarchies and Kinematics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3255

Hierarchies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3256

Linking Strategy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3260

Linking and Unlinking Objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3267

Adjusting Pivots . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3270

Viewing and Selecting Hierarchies . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3275

Animating with Forward Kinematics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3279

Using Dummy Objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3288

Animating Links . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3290

Adjusting Object Transforms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3293

Locking Object Transforms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3294

Animating Attachment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3295

Changing Link Inheritance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3296

Link Inheritance (Selected) Utility . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3297

Inverse Kinematics (IK) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3299

IK Terminology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3302

Inverse Kinematics Methods . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3305

Joint Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3390

Hierarchy Panel Commands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3397

Pivot . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3398

IK . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3409

Link Info . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3424

Track View . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3426

Working with Track View . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3431

Track View Workspace . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3433

Curve Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3441

Dope Sheet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3442

Time Ruler . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3446

Track View Shortcuts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3447

Track View Hierarchy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3454

Hierarchy Right-Click Menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3461

Properties (Track View Hierarchy) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3466

Sound Options Dialog . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3468

Track View Menu Bar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3470

Modes Menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3470

Controller Menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3471

Tracks Menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3475

Keys Menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3475

Curves Menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3477

Time Menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3478

Options Menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3479

Display Menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3485

View Menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3488

Utilities Menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3489

Track View Quad Menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3492

Track View Toolbars . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3495

Contents | xxi

Curve Editor Toolbars . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3495

Dope Sheet Toolbars . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3500

Controller Toolbar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3505

Ranges: Dope Sheet Toolbar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3506

Extras: Dope Sheet Toolbar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3507

Filters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3507

Filters Dialog (Track View) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3508

Copy Controller . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3513

Paste Controller . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3514

Assign Controller . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3515

Delete Controller . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3520

Ignore Animation Range . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3520

Respect Animation Range . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3521

Make Controller Unique . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3522

Parameter Curve Out-of-Range Types . . . . . . . . . . . 3523

Add Note Track . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3526

Remove Note Track . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3528

Editing Keys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3529

Edit Keys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3529

Snap Frames . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3530

Lock Selection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3532

Align to Cursor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3532

Add Visibility Track . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3533

Move Keys (Dope Sheet) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3536

Slide Keys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3536

Scale Keys - Time . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3538

Add Keys (Dope Sheet) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3539

Properties (Track View Key Window) . . . . . . . . . . . 3541

Track View Utilities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3542

Randomize Keys Utility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3543

Create Out of Range Keys Utility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3544

Select Keys By Time Utility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3547

Euler Filter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3548

Current Value Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3549

Edit Time . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3551

Select Time . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3552

Delete Time . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3553

Cut Time . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3554

Copy Time . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3555

Paste Time . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3555

Reverse Time . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3557

Insert Time . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3558

Scale Time . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3559

Exclude Left End Point . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3560

Exclude Right End Point . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3561

Reduce Keys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3562

xxii | Contents

Edit Ranges . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3564

Position Ranges . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3565

Recouple Ranges . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3566

Editing Tracks: Copying, Pasting, and Handling Instances and

References . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3567

Copying and Pasting Items . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3567

Copying and Pasting Objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3570

Making Instance and Reference Controllers and Objects

Unique . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3571

Curve Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3572

Move Keys (Curve Editor) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3575

Scale Keys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3576

Scale Values . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3577

Add Keys (Curve Editor) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3578

Draw Curves . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3579

Show Tangents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3580

Lock Tangents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3582

Apply Ease Curve / Apply Multiplier Curve . . . . . . . . 3583

Remove Ease/Multiplier Curve . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3584

On/Off (Curves) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3585

Ease Curve Out-of-Range Types . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3585

Multiplier Curve Out-of-Range Types . . . . . . . . . . . 3587

Freeze Non-Selected Curves . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3589

Status Bar/View Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3590

Zoom Selected Object . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3591

Select By Name (Track View) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3592

Track Sets List . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3594

Track Sets Editor Dialog . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3596

Key Time Display . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3601

Value Display . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3602

Show Selected Key Statistics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3603

Pan (Track View) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3603

Zoom Horizontal Extents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3604

Zoom Value Extents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3605

Zoom Track View Key Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3606

Zoom Region (Track View) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3607

Managing Track View Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3608

New Track View . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3608

Delete Track View . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3609

Delete Track View Dialog . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3609

Saved Track Views . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3610

Track View Customization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3611

Track View Toolbar Right-Click Menu . . . . . . . . . . . 3618

Motion Mixer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3620

Using the Motion Mixer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3621

Adding Tracks to the Mixer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3626

Contents | xxiii

Importing Clips to the Mixer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3630

Working with Clips in the Mixer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3635

Filtering Mixer Tracks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3637

Adjusting Clip Timing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3644

Working with Transitions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3646

Adjusting Track Weight . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3652

Adding Time Warps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3655

Adjusting Biped Balance in the Mixer . . . . . . . . . . . 3659

Exporting Animation to the Biped . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3663

Using the Reservoir . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3667

Motion Mixer Interface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3671

Motion Mixer Menus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3672

Motion Mixer Dialogs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3681

Motion Mixer Toolbar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3698

Trackgroup Filter Dialog (Biped Object) . . . . . . . . . . 3702

Trackgroup Filter Dialog (Non-Biped Object) . . . . . . . 3704

Motion Mixer Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3706

Reservoir . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3710

Mixer Preferences Dialog . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3714

Mixer Rollout . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3717

Animation Utilities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3718

Follow/Bank Utility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3719

Motion Capture Utility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3721

MACUtilities Utility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3740

Camera Tracker Utility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3742

Requirements for Camera Tracking . . . . . . . . . . . . 3748

Camera Tracker: Movie Rollout . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3748

Camera Tracker: Movie Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3750

Camera Tracker: Motion Trackers Rollout . . . . . . . . . 3753

Camera Tracker: Movie Stepper Rollout . . . . . . . . . . 3758

Camera Tracker: Error Thresholds Rollout . . . . . . . . . 3760

Camera Tracker: Batch Track Rollout . . . . . . . . . . . . 3761

Camera Tracker: Position Data Rollout . . . . . . . . . . . 3764

Camera Tracker: Match Move Rollout . . . . . . . . . . . 3765

Camera Tracker: Move Smoothing Rollout . . . . . . . . 3768

Camera Tracker: Object Pinning Rollout . . . . . . . . . . 3770

Camera Tracker: Troubleshooting . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3774

Dynamics Utility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3775

Edit Object Dialog . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3790

Edit Object List Dialog . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3796

Skin Utilities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3798

Chapter 14 reactor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3803

Introducing Dynamics Simulation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3811

Special Features in reactor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3819

reactor Helpers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3830

xxiv | Contents

Rigid Bodies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3832

Rigid Body Basics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3833

Rigid Body Properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3834

Compound Rigid Bodies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3843

Rigid Body Collection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3845

Constraints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3848

Constraint Concepts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3849

Simple Constraints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3853

Cooperative Constraints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3867

reactor Objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3922

Plane . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3922

Motor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3924

Toy Car . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3926

Fracture . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3933

Fracture Tips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3940

Storing and Accessing Collisions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3942

Deformable Bodies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3947

Cloth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3949

Cloth Modifier . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3950

Cloth Collection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3957

Soft Bodies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3960

Soft Body Modifier . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3961

FFD Soft Bodies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3966

Soft Body Collection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3969

Rope . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3971

Rope Modifier . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3972

Rope Collection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3977

Deforming Meshes (Skin) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3980

Deforming Mesh Collection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3981

Constraining Deformable Bodies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3983

Fixing Vertices in World Space . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3986

Keyframing Vertices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3987

Attaching Vertices to a Rigid Body . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3989

Attaching Vertices to Deforming Meshes (Skin) . . . . . . 3991

Soft Selection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3993

Water Simulation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3996

Water Space Warp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3997

Rendering Water . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3999

Wind . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4001

The reactor Utility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4005

Preview & Animation Rollout . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4007

Havok 1 World/Havok 3 World Rollout . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4009

Collisions Rollout . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4013

Display Rollout . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4015

reactor Utilities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4018

Properties Rollout . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4021

Contents | xxv

The Real-Time Preview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4021

Scripts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4026

Frequently Asked Questions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4033

Troubleshooting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4037

Chapter 15 character studio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4049

What is character studio? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4050

What You Should Know to Use character studio . . . . . . . . . . . . 4051

Understanding Biped . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4052

Understanding Physique . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4054

Understanding Track Editing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4057

Understanding the Workbench . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4058

Understanding Motion Flow . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4059

Understanding Crowds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4061

Understanding character studio Workflow . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4063

Biped . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4069

Creating a Biped . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4073

Understanding Biped Anatomy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4075

Changing Initial Biped Anatomy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4077

Naming the Biped . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4077

Posing the Biped . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4079

Scaling Links . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4088

Rubber-Banding Arms and Legs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4090

Biped Display Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4093

Deleting a Biped . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4093

Linking Character Body Parts to the Biped . . . . . . . . . . . 4094

Saving and Loading FIG Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4096

Footstep Animation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4098

Creating Footsteps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4105

Editing Footstep Motion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4120

Footstep and Freeform Animation . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4148

Freeform Animation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4154

Creating Freeform Animation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4158

Freeform and IK . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4181

Editing Freeform Animation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4202

Working with Biped Animation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4215

Working with Euler Curves on Biped Animation . . . . . 4215

Working with XRef Bipeds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4219

Loading, Saving, and Displaying Biped Motion . . . . . . . . . 4220

Working with Biped Motion Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4220

Loading and Saving BIP Animation . . . . . . . . . . . . 4222

Importing and Exporting Animation Data . . . . . . . . . 4224

Motion Mapping: Retargeting Biped Motion . . . . . . . 4224

Merging and Cloning a Character . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4226

Combining BIP Motions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4229

Loading and Saving STP Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4230

xxvi | Contents

Using Motion-Capture Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4231

Correcting Posture . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4232

Copying and Pasting Tracks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4233

Repositioning the Biped . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4235

Previewing Biped Motion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4238

In Place Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4240

Trajectory Display . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4241

Display Preferences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4243

Biped User Interface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4245

Motion Panel (Biped) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4246

Center of Mass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4247

Motion Panel Rollouts (Biped) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4250

Track View (Biped) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4379

Biped Color-coded Keys and Trajectories . . . . . . . . . 4385

Biped Shortcuts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4389

Working with the Workbench . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4394

Navigating the Workbench . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4397

Selecting Workbench Tracks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4399

Analyzing Curves . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4400

Fixing Curves . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4401

Animation Workbench . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4401

Select Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4407

Analyze Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4410

Fix Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4416

Filters Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4421

Working with Motion Flow . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4426

Placing Motions on the Motion Flow Graph . . . . . . . 4427

Creating Transitions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4431

Creating a Motion Flow Script . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4436

Saving, Loading, and Appending Motion Flow

Graphs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4439

Customizing Transitions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4444

Creating Random Motion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4447

Unifying Motion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4452

Sharing Motion Flow . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4455

Setting Up Paths for Motion Flow Files . . . . . . . . . . 4461

Motion Flow Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4464

Motion Flow Rollout . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4467

Motion Flow Graph Dialog . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4468

Motion Flow Scripts Group . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4473

Transition Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4477

Create Random Motion Dialog . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4484

Shared Motion Flow Dialog . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4486

Transition Optimization Dialog . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4490

Clip Properties Dialog . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4491

Working with Motion-Capture Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4493

Contents | xxvii

Importing Motion-Capture Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4495

Filtering Motion-Capture and Marker Data . . . . . . . . 4496

Sliding Footsteps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4500

Prop Bone . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4502

Motion Capture Rollout . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4503

Motion Capture Conversion Parameters Dialog . . . . . . 4511

Motion Capture Batch File Conversion Dialog . . . . . . 4520

Marker Display Dialog . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4520

Physique . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4522

Using Physique . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4524

Creating a Skin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4524

Using Physique with a Biped . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4533

Using Physique with 3ds Max Bones . . . . . . . . . . . . 4535

Using Physique with 3ds Max Objects . . . . . . . . . . . 4540

Applying and Initializing Physique . . . . . . . . . . . . 4544

Previewing Motion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4545

Envelopes and Vertex Assignments . . . . . . . . . . . . 4547

Bulges . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4566

Tendons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4571

Saving and Loading Physique Data . . . . . . . . . . . . 4574

Reinitializing Physique Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4574

Working with an Initial Pose . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4576

Improving Interactive Performance . . . . . . . . . . . . 4577

Scaling a Character . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4579

Facial Animation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4579

Physique and Modifiers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4586

Physique User Interface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4589

Physique Rollout . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4590

Physique Level of Detail Rollout . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4594

Floating Bones Rollout . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4597

Physique Shortcuts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4598

Physique Dialogs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4600

Physique Modifier Sub-Object Levels . . . . . . . . . . . 4635

Crowd Animation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4680

Creating a Crowd System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4681

Creating Crowd Helpers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4686

Adjusting Delegate Parameters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4691

Assigning Behaviors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4691

Directing Delegates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4696

Obstacle Avoidance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4699

Changing Delegate Orientation and Speed . . . . . . . . . . . 4704

Solving the Simulation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4705

Linking Objects to Delegates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4706

Cognitive Controllers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4708

Using Motion Synthesis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4712

Biped Crowds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4712

xxviii | Contents

Non-Biped Crowds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4724

Crowd Animation User Interface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4729

Crowd Shortcuts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4730

Delegate Helper Object . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4730

Crowd Helper Object . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4738

Vector Field Space Warp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4837

Motion Synthesis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4845

File Formats and Index of Procedures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4876

character studio File Formats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4876

Procedures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4877

Chapter 16 Lights and Cameras . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4889

Lights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4890

Name and Color Rollout (Lights) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4892

Using Lights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4894

Working with Lights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4895

Properties of Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4898

Lighting in 3ds Max . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4904

Guidelines for Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4906

Positioning Light Objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4910

Previewing Shadows in Viewports . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4911

Animating Lights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4916

Light Include/Exclude Tool . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4917

Light Lister . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4920

Standard Lights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4925

Target Spotlight . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4927

Free Spotlight . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4930

Target Directional Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4932

Free Directional Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4935

Omni Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4938

Skylight . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4940

mr Area Omni Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4945

mr Area Spotlight . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4948

Photometric Lights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4951

Photometric Lights: Preset Lights . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4953

Target Point Light (Photometric) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4955

Free Point Light (Photometric) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4958

Target Linear Light (Photometric) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4960

Free Linear Light (Photometric) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4963

Target Area Light (Photometric) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4964

Free Area Light (Photometric) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4967

IES Sun Light (Photometric) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4969

IES Sky Light (Photometric) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4973

mental ray Sun & Sky . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4977

mr Sky Portal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4999

Using Photometric Lights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5007

Contents | xxix

Sunlight and Daylight Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5024

Geographic Location Dialog . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5033

Common Lighting Rollouts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5035

General Lighting Parameters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5035

Exclude/Include Dialog . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5043

Shadow Parameters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5046

Spotlight Parameters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5051

Advanced Effects Rollout . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5055

mental ray Indirect Illumination Rollout (for Lights) . . . 5060

mental ray Light Shader Rollout . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5063

Additional Rollouts for Standard Lights . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5065

Intensity/Color/Attenuation Parameters . . . . . . . . . . 5065

Directional Parameters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5069

Atmospheres and Effects for Lights . . . . . . . . . . . . 5072

Add Atmosphere or Effect Dialog . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5074

Hair Light Attr(ibutes) Rollout . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5076

Additional Rollouts for Photometric Lights . . . . . . . . . . . 5077

Intensity/Color/Distribution Rollout . . . . . . . . . . . 5077

Linear Light Parameters Rollout . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5081

Area Light Parameters Rollout . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5081

Area Light Sampling Rollout . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5082

Web Parameters Rollout . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5083

Rollouts for Specific Shadow Types . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5085

Advanced Ray-Traced Parameters Rollout . . . . . . . . . 5085

Area Shadows Rollout . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5089

mental ray Shadow Map Rollout . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5095

Optimizations Rollout . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5097

Ray-Traced Shadow Parameters Rollout . . . . . . . . . . 5100

Shadow Map Parameters Rollout . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5102

Cameras . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5106

Free Camera . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5116

Target Camera . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5118

Using Cameras . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5120

Characteristics of Cameras . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5120

Common Camera Parameters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5123

Using Transforms to Aim a Camera . . . . . . . . . . . . 5134

Using Clipping Planes to Exclude Geometry . . . . . . . 5135

Using the Horizon to Match Perspective . . . . . . . . . . 5136

Animating Cameras . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5138

Multi-Pass Rendering Effects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5140

Depth of Field Parameter (mental ray Renderer) . . . . . . 5142

Multi-Pass Depth of Field Parameters for Cameras . . . . 5143

Multi-Pass Motion Blur Parameters for Cameras . . . . . . 5147

Camera Match Utility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5152

Camera Match Helper Objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5157

Two-Point Perspective . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5160

xxx | Contents

Camera Correction Modifier . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5160

Chapter 17 Material Editor, Materials, and Maps . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5163

Designing Materials . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5164

Sample Slots and Material Name . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5166

Material Type . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5168

Shading Type . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5169

Material Components . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5171

Lights and Shading . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5172

Choosing Colors for Realism . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5174

Using Maps to Enhance a Material . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5178

Applying a Material to an Object . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5182

Mapping Coordinates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5183

Saving a Material . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5184

Material XML Exporter Utility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5185

UVW Remove Utility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5188

Material Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5188

Material/Map Browser . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5194

Copying and Pasting: Right-Click Menu for Materials, Maps,

Bitmaps, and Colors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5205

Sample Slots . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5208

Sample Slot Right-Click Menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5212

Dragging and Dropping Maps and Materials . . . . . . . 5214

Drag and Drop Sub-Object Material Assignment . . . . . 5216

Creating a Custom Sample Object . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5218

Material Editor Tools . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5221

Material Editor Menu Bar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5225

Reflectance and Transmittance Display . . . . . . . . . . 5228

Sample Type . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5232

Propagate Materials to Instances . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5232

Backlight . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5233

Sample Slot Background . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5233

Sample UV Tiling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5234

Video Color Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5236

Make Preview, Play Preview, Save Preview . . . . . . . . . 5237

Material Editor Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5239

Select By Material . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5244

Get Material . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5245

Put Material to Scene . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5247

Assign Material to Selection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5248

Reset Map/Mtl to Default Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5249

Make Material Copy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5250

Make Unique (Material Editor) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5250

Put to Library . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5252

Material ID Channel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5252

Material ID Channel Flyout . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5254

Contents | xxxi

Show Standard/Hardware Map in Viewport . . . . . . . . 5254

Show End Result . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5260

Go to Parent . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5260

Go Forward to Sibling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5261

Material/Map Navigator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5261

Pick Material From Object (Eyedropper) . . . . . . . . . 5264

Name Field (Materials and Maps) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5264

Type Button (Materials and Maps) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5265

Animating Materials . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5265

Creating and Playing Animated Material Previews . . . . 5266

Synchronizing an Animated Bitmap with the Scene . . . 5267

Material Editor Subdialogs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5269

Copy (Instance) Map Dialog . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5269

Copy or Swap Colors Dialog . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5270

Create Material Preview Dialog . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5270

Duplicate Name Dialog (Material Library) . . . . . . . . . 5272

Merge Dialog (Material Library) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5274

Merge Material Library Dialog . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5275

Put to Library Dialog . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5276

Render Map Dialog . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5277

Replace Map Dialog . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5280

Replace Material Dialog . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5280

Update Scene Materials Dialog . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5281

Types of Materials . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5283

SuperSampling Rollout . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5285

mental ray Connection Rollout . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5289

DirectX Manager Rollout . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5297

Standard Material . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5298

Shader Basic Parameters Rollout . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5301

Understanding Shaders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5303

Basic Parameters Rollout (Standard Material) . . . . . . . 5310

Extended Parameters Rollout (Standard Material) . . . . . 5312

Maps Rollout (Standard Material) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5318

Dynamics Properties Rollout . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5327

Basic Material Shaders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5328

Basic Parameters for Standard Materials . . . . . . . . . . 5341

Specular Highlight Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5353

Mapping Standard Material Components . . . . . . . . . 5362

Raytrace Material . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5394

Raytrace Basic Parameters Rollout . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5397

Raytrace Extended Parameters Rollout . . . . . . . . . . . 5406

Raytracer Controls Rollout . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5411

Raytrace Maps Rollout . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5414

Raytrace Dynamics Properties Rollout . . . . . . . . . . . 5421

Raytracing Acceleration Parameters Dialog . . . . . . . . 5423

Raytrace Exclude/Include Dialog . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5424

xxxii | Contents

Raytrace Antialiaser Dialog: Fast Adaptive Antialiaser . . . 5427

Raytrace Antialiaser Dialog: Multiresolution Adaptive

Antialiaser . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5429

Architectural Material . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5431

Templates Rollout . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5432

Physical Qualities Rollout . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5434

Special Effects Rollout . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5438

Advanced Lighting Override Rollout . . . . . . . . . . . . 5441

Cutout Mapping . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5446

mental ray Materials . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5448

mental ray Material . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5449

Arch & Design Material (mental ray) . . . . . . . . . . . . 5458

Car Paint Material/Shader (mental ray) . . . . . . . . . . 5521

DGS Material (mental ray) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5529

Glass Material (mental ray) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5533

Subsurface Scattering (SSS) Materials . . . . . . . . . . . . 5536

Matte/Shadow Material . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5538

Compound Materials . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5544

Blend Material . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5546

Composite Material . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5549

Double-Sided Material . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5551

Morpher Material . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5554

Multi/Sub-Object Material . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5558

Shellac Material . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5565

Top/Bottom Material . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5567

Shell Material . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5570

Advanced Lighting Override Material . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5572

Lightscape Material . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5579

Ink 'n Paint Material . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5580

DirectX 9 Shader Material . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5596

DirectX Viewport Shaders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5598

LightMap Shader Rollout . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5598

Metal Bump Shader Rollout . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5599

XRef Material . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5603

Types of Maps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5605

Real-World Mapping . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5609

Output Rollout . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5612

Missing Map Coordinates Dialog . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5618

2D Maps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5619

Coordinates Rollout (2D) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5620

Noise Rollout (2D) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5631

Bitmap 2D Map . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5633

Select Bitmap Image File Dialog . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5642

Checker Map . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5646

Combustion Map . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5649

Gradient Map . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5673

Contents | xxxiii

Gradient Ramp Map . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5678

Flag Properties Dialog . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5684

Swirl Map . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5686

Tiles Map . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5689

3D Maps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5698

Coordinates Rollout (3D) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5699

Cellular Map . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5700

Dent Map . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5707

Falloff Map . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5715

Marble Map . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5721

Noise Map . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5724

Particle Age Map . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5727

Particle MBlur Map . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5729

Perlin Marble Map . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5731

Planet Map . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5734

Smoke Map . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5736

Speckle Map . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5739

Splat Map . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5740

Stucco Map . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5742

Waves Map . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5745

Wood Map . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5747

Compositor Maps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5756

Composite Map . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5756

Mask Map . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5759

Mix Map . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5760

RGB Multiply Map . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5764

Color Modifier Maps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5766

Output Map . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5767

RGB Tint Map . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5769

Vertex Color Map . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5770

Reflection and Refraction Maps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5773

Flat Mirror Map . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5773

Raytrace Map . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5779

Reflect/Refract Map . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5791

Thin Wall Refraction Map . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5798

mental ray Shaders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5801

Custom Shaders for 3ds Max . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5804

mental images Shader Libraries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5805

Shaders in the LumeTools Collection . . . . . . . . . . . 5807

Connect Parameter to Shader Dialog (mental ray) . . . . 5808

3ds Max Custom Shaders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5810

Normal Bump Map . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5844

Camera Map Per Pixel Map . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5846

Material, Mapping, and Vertex Color Utilities . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5849

Assign Vertex Colors Utility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5849

Channel Info Utility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5858

xxxiv | Contents

Clean MultiMaterial Utility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5864

Instance Duplicate Maps Utility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5869

Chapter 18 Rendering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5877

Render Scene Dialog . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5878

Rendered Frame Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5885

Render Output File Dialog . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5892

Rendering Commands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5897

Render Scene . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5898

Render Type . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5900

Render Bounding Box/Selected Dialog . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5907

Quick Render Flyout . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5908

Quick Render (Production) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5909

Quick Render (ActiveShade) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5909

ActiveShade . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5910

ActiveShade Floater . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5917

ActiveShade Viewport . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5918

ActiveShade Commands (Quad Menu) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5919

Preset Rendering Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5922

Show Last Rendering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5924

Render Last . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5924

Print Size Wizard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5925

Common Rendering Parameters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5929

Common Panel (Render Scene Dialog) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5929

Common Parameters Rollout (Render Scene Dialog) . . . . . . 5929

Configure Preset Dialog . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5938

Email Notifications Rollout . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5939

Scripts Rollout (Render Scene Dialog) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5941

Assign Renderer Rollout . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5943

Choose Renderer Dialog . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5944

Renderers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5946

Renderer Panel (Render Scene Dialog) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5946

Default Scanline Renderer Rollout . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5949

Advanced Lighting Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5962

Raytracer Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6030

Using Multi-Pass Rendering Effects . . . . . . . . . . . . 6036

mental ray Renderer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6039

Rendering with the mental ray Renderer . . . . . . . . . 6042

Getting Good Results with mental ray Rendering . . . . . 6044

3ds Max Materials in mental ray Renderings . . . . . . . 6048

Enhancements to Standard Features . . . . . . . . . . . . 6050

Processing Panel (mental ray Renderer) . . . . . . . . . . 6053

mental ray Messages Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6054

mental ray Concepts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6056

mental ray Renderer Rollouts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6083

VUE File Renderer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6143

Contents | xxxv

Rendering Elements Separately . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6144

Render Elements Panel and Rollout . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6144

Render Elements Dialog . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6157

Render Element Output File Dialog . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6158

Blend Element Parameters Rollout . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6162

Hair and Fur Render Element . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6163

Lighting Texture Element Rollout . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6163

Matte Texture Element Rollout . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6164

Velocity Element Parameters Rollout . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6165

Z Element Parameters Rollout . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6167

Diffuse Texture Element Rollout . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6168

Render to Texture . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6169

Baked Texture Elements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6174

Target Map Slot Assignments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6181

Creating and Using Normal Bump Maps . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6182

Troubleshooting Normal Bump Maps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6184

Render to Texture Dialog . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6195

Render to Texture: General Settings Rollout . . . . . . . . 6197

Render to Texture: Objects to Bake Rollout . . . . . . . . 6199

Render to Texture: Output Rollout . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6204

Render to Texture: Baked Material Rollout . . . . . . . . . 6208

Render to Texture: Automatic Mapping Rollout . . . . . . 6211

Render to Texture: Add Texture Elements Dialog . . . . . 6213

Render to Texture: Projection Options Dialog . . . . . . . 6214

Rendering Previews . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6220

Make Preview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6220

View Preview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6224

Rename Preview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6224

Panorama Exporter Utility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6225

Panorama Exporter Render Setup Dialog . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6226

Panorama Exporter Viewer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6229

Network Rendering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6231

Basic Procedures for Network Rendering . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6233

How Network Rendering Works . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6246

Starting Network Rendering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6248

Troubleshooting Guide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6253

System Setup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6259

Checking Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6259

Setting Up for Network Rendering . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6261

Setting Up TCP/IP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6261

Configuring TCP/IP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6264

Creating a Special User Account . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6270

Setting Up Rendering Software . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6272

Setting Up Directories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6273

Sharing a Directory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6275

Mounting a Directory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6276

xxxvi | Contents

Using Configure User Paths . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6277

Network Job Assignment Dialog . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6279

Job Dependencies Dialog . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6289

Notifications Dialog . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6291

Strips Setup Dialog . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6293

Advanced Settings Dialog . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6296

Manager and Server . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6300

Initial Setup for Manager and Server Programs . . . . . . 6300

Installing Network Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6302

Logging Properties Dialog . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6304

The backburner.xml File . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6307

Network Rendering Manager . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6308

Network Rendering Server . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6315

Queue Monitor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6321

The Queue Monitor Application . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6321

Module Info Report Dialog . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6332

Queue Monitor: Job Settings Dialog . . . . . . . . . . . . 6334

Viewing Jobs and Servers with the Queue Monitor . . . . 6339

Job Report Dialog . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6340

Job Archives Dialog . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6342

Activating and Deactivating Jobs in the Queue . . . . . . 6343

Activating and Deactivating Servers in the Queue . . . . . 6344

Managing Jobs in the Queue . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6345

Week Schedule Dialog . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6345

Batch Rendering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6347

Quick Start Batch Rendering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6348

Using Backburner for Batch Rendering . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6349

Batch Rendering - Batch Render Dialog . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6352

Batch Render Tool - Batch Render Warning Dialog . . . . . . . 6359

Command-Line Rendering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6361

Command-Line Rendering Switches . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6365

Backburner Command Line Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6378

Chapter 19 Effects and Environments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6379

Environment and Effects Dialog . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6380

Rendering Effects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6381

Rendering Effects Command . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6382

Effects Panel and Rollout . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6383

Merging Effects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6385

Hair and Fur Render Effect . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6386

Lens Effects Rendering Effects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6391

Glow Lens Effect . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6397

Ring Lens Effect . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6404

Ray Lens Effect . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6414

Auto Secondary Lens Effect . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6421

Manual Secondary Lens Effect . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6429

Contents | xxxvii

Star Lens Effect . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6436

Streak Lens Effect . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6443

Lens Effects Dialogs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6450

Blur Rendering Effect . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6461

Brightness and Contrast Rendering Effect . . . . . . . . . . . . 6470

Color Balance Rendering Effect . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6472

File Output Rendering Effect . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6473

Film Grain Rendering Effect . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6476

Motion Blur Rendering Effect . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6478

Depth of Field Rendering Effect . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6480

Environment and Atmosphere Effects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6484

Environment Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6486

Fire Environment Effect . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6493

Fog Environment Effect . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6506

Volume Fog Environment Effect . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6512

Volume Light Environment Effect . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6520

Exposure Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6531

Automatic Exposure Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6534

Linear Exposure Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6537

Logarithmic Exposure Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6540

mr Photographic Exposure Control . . . . . . . . . . . . 6544

Pseudo Color Exposure Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6552

Lighting Data Exporter Utility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6559

Atmospheric Apparatus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6560

Add Atmosphere Dialog . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6560

BoxGizmo Helper . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6561

CylGizmo Helper . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6564

SphereGizmo Helper . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6567

Chapter 20 Video Post . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6571

Video Post Queue . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6573

Video Post Status Bar / View Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6575

Troubleshooting Video Post . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6577

Useful Video Post Procedures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6580

Video Post Toolbar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6596

New Sequence . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6596

Open Sequence . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6597

Save Sequence . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6598

Edit Current Event . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6598

Delete Current Event . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6599

Swap Events . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6600

Execute Sequence . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6601

Configure Presets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6603

Edit Range Bar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6604

Align Selected Left . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6605

Align Selected Right . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6606

xxxviii | Contents

Make Selected Same Size . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6606

Abut Selected . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6607

Add Scene Event . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6607

Add Image Input Event . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6613

Image Input Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6617

Add Image Filter Event . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6620

Add Image Layer Event . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6623

Add Image Output Event . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6627

Add External Event . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6630

Add Loop Event . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6633

Filter Events . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6636

Contrast Filter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6636

Fade Filter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6637

Image Alpha Filter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6638

Lens Effects Filters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6639

Negative Filter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6640

Pseudo Alpha Filter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6641

Simple Wipe Filter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6642

Starfield Filter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6643

Lens Effects Filters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6647

Animating Lens Effects Properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6647

Lens Effects Flare Filter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6648

Lens Effects Focus Filter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6670

Lens Effects Glow Filter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6673

Lens Effects Highlight Filter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6685

Lens Effects Gradients . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6699

Layer Events . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6707

Alpha Compositor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6707

Cross Fade Compositor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6708

Pseudo Alpha Compositor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6709

Simple Additive Compositor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6710

Simple Wipe Compositor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6711

Chapter 21 Managing Scenes and Projects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6713

File-Handling Commands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6715

New . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6716

Reset . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6717

Open . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6718

Open from Vault . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6721

Open Recent . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6723

Save . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6723

Save As . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6724

Save Copy As . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6726

Save Selected . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6727

Set Project Folder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6728

External References (XRefs) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6729

Contents | xxxix

XRef Objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6732

XRef Objects Dialog . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6737

XRef Record List Right-Click Menu . . . . . . . . . . . . 6747

XRef Entities List Right-Click Menu . . . . . . . . . . . . 6750

XRef Merge Dialog . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6752

XRef Scene . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6755

XRef Scenes Dialog . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6763

XRef Object Rollout . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6769

Proxy Object Rollout . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6770

Missing XRef Paths Dialog . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6772

File Link . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6772

Working with Drawing Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6774

File Link Tips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6777

Interpreting Layer Data from AutoCAD, AutoCAD

Architecture, and Revit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6782

Scale Synchronization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6783

File Link Manager Utility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6783

Working with AutoCAD, AutoCAD Architecture, and Revit

Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6817

Instanced Objects, Elements, Blocks and Styles . . . . . . 6842

Merge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6854

Merge File Dialog . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6858

Merge Animation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6859

Replace . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6866

Saving and Loading Animation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6870

Load Animation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6873

Save Animation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6876

Map Animation Dialog . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6879

Motion Mapping Parameters Rollout . . . . . . . . . . . 6882

Map Track to Track Rollout . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6885

Retargeting Rollout . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6886

Import . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6892

Export . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6894

Export Selected . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6895

Asset Tracking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6896

Asset Tracking Dialog . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6897

Global Settings and Defaults for Bitmap Proxies

Dialog . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6912

Prompts Dialog . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6914

Asset Tracking Dialog Icons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6916

Archive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6918

Summary Info . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6919

File Properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6920

View Image File . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6923

Exit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6926

Missing External Files Dialog . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6926

xl | Contents

File-Handling Utilities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6928

Asset Browser Utility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6928

Bitmap/Photometric Path Editor Utility . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6938

MAX File Finder Utility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6939

Resource Collector Utility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6942

Fix Ambient Utility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6944

Bitmap Pager Statistics Dialog . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6947

Asset Browser Subdialogs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6948

Preferences Dialog (Asset Browser) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6948

Internet Download Dialog . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6950

Favorite Location Dialog . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6952

Bitmap Path Editor Subdialogs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6953

Bitmap / Photometric Path Editor Dialog . . . . . . . . . 6953

Resource Information Dialog . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6955

Internet Access . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6956

i-drop Indicator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6957

Geometry File Formats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6958

Importing Geometry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6960

Working with MAX Files from Autodesk VIZ . . . . . . . . . . 6961

VIZ Render (DRF) Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6964

Working with DRF Files in 3ds Max . . . . . . . . . . . . 6967

3D Studio Mesh (3DS, PRJ) Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6969

Importing 3DS Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6969

Importing PRJ Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6971

Exporting to 3DS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6972

Importing SHP Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6974

Importing Adobe Illustrator 88 Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6975

Exporting to Adobe Illustrator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6976

Exporting to ASCII . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6977

AutoCAD (DWG) Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6979

Importing AutoCAD Drawing Files . . . . . . . . . . . . 6979

DWG/DXF Import: Geometry Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . 6984

DWG/DXF Import: Layers Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6993

DWG/DXF Import: Spline Rendering Panel . . . . . . . . 6995

Legacy AutoCAD Import . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6998

Exporting AutoCAD DWG Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7003

AutoCAD Interchange (DXF) Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7006

Importing DXF Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7006

Exporting to DXF Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7006

Autodesk Inventor Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7008

Importing Autodesk Inventor Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7008

DWF Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7013

Exporting 3D DWF Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7013

FBX Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7019

IGES Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7020

Overview of IGES in 3ds Max . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7020

Contents | xli

IGES Log Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7022

Importing IGES Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7023

IGES to 3ds Max Import Table . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7025

Exporting IGES Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7027

3ds Max to IGES Export Table . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7028

JSR-184 Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7030

JSR-184 Object Parameters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7033

JSR-184 Texture Tool . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7038

JSR-184 Log Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7040

JSR-184 Standalone Player . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7042

LandXML (XML, DEM) Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7044

Importing LandXML/DEM Models . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7044

LandXML/DEM Model Import Dialog . . . . . . . . . . . 7046

Exporting Lightscape Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7048

Importing Lightscape Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7050

Lightscape Materials Utility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7051

Motion Analysis Files (HTR/HTR2, TRC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7054

Importing HTR/HTR2 Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7054

Importing TRC Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7056

Exporting HTR/HTR2 Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7058

Exporting to Shockwave 3D . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7061

Shockwave 3D Scene Export Options Dialog . . . . . . . 7062

Shockwave 3D Export Preview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7069

Shockwave 3D File Analysis Window . . . . . . . . . . . 7071

Stereolithography (STL) Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7073

Importing STL Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7073

Exporting to STL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7076

Wavefront (OBJ, MTL) Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7077

Exporting Wavefront Material (MTL) Files . . . . . . . . . 7078

Exporting Wavefront Object (OBJ) Files . . . . . . . . . . 7079

VRML Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7082

Importing VRML Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7082

Exporting to VRML97 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7083

VRML97 Export . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7089

Image File Formats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7116

AVI Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7118

BMP Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7120

CIN (Kodak Cineon) Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7120

CWS (Combustion Workspace) Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7121

DDS Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7122

EPS and PS (Encapsulated PostScript) Files . . . . . . . . . . . . 7124

GIF Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7126

HDRI Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7126

IFL Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7131

Image File List Control Dialog . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7134

IFL Manager Utility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7136

xlii | Contents

IMSQ Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7138

JPEG Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7139

MOV (QuickTime Movie) Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7140

MPEG Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7140

OpenEXR Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7141

Saving OpenEXR Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7142

Opening OpenEXR Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7147

PIC Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7151

PNG Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7152

PSD Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7153

RLA Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7156

RPF Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7159

RGB (SGI Image) Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7161

TGA (Targa) Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7162

TIFF Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7164

YUV Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7166

RAM Player . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7166

RAM Player Configuration Dialog . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7170

Scene Explorer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7171

Using Scene Explorer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7173

Scene Explorer Menus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7178

Scene Explorer Toolbars . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7179

Manage Scene Explorer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7182

Advanced Search Dialog . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7183

Scene States . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7185

Manage Scene States Dialog . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7188

Schematic View . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7193

Using Schematic View . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7197

Schematic View Menus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7201

Schematic View List Views . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7205

Schematic View Preferences Dialog . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7207

Schematic View Toolbars . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7213

Schematic View Display Floater . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7217

Schematic View Commands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7219

New Schematic View . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7219

Delete Schematic View . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7220

Saved Schematic Views . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7220

Schematic View Selection Right-Click Menu . . . . . . . 7220

Using Layers to Organize a Scene . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7224

Layer Manager . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7227

Layer Properties Dialog . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7237

Layer List . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7245

Create New Layer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7246

Add Selection to Current Layer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7247

Select Objects in Current Layer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7247

Set Current Layer to Selection's Layer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7247

Contents | xliii

Chapter 22 Utilities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7249

List of Available Utilities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7249

Chapter 23 User Interface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7251

Additional Keyboard Commands . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7251

Toggling Dialogs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7253

Starting 3ds Max from the Command Line . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7254

Menu Bar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7257

File Menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7259

Edit Menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7260

Tools Menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7260

Group Menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7262

Views Menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7262

Create Menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7263

Modifiers Menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7270

reactor Menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7275

Animation Menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7275

Graph Editors Menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7278

Rendering Menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7278

Customize Menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7279

MAXScript Interface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7280

Help Menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7281

Toolbars . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7283

Main Toolbar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7284

Axis Constraints Toolbar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7288

Layers Toolbar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7289

reactor Toolbar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7290

Extras Toolbar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7290

Render Shortcuts Toolbar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7291

Snaps Toolbar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7292

Animation Layers Toolbar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7293

Brush Presets Toolbar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7293

Brush Preset Manager . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7296

Right-Click Menu for Scripted Toolbar Buttons . . . . . . . . . 7300

Quad Menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7300

Additional Quad Menus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7304

Animation Quad Menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7306

Status Bar Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7308

Prompt Line . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7309

MAXScript Mini Listener . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7309

Status Line . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7312

Time Slider . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7312

Track Bar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7315

Selection Lock Toggle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7324

Coordinate Display . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7325

xliv | Contents

Grid Setting Display . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7327

Time Tag . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7328

Add Time Tag Dialog . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7329

Edit Time Tag Dialog . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7331

Communication Center . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7333

Using Communication Center . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7335

Configuring Communication Center . . . . . . . . . . . 7336

Refreshing the Content . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7341

Receive New Information Notifications . . . . . . . . . . 7342

Animation and Time Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7342

Auto Key Animation Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7344

Set Key Animation Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7347

Default In/Out Tangents For New Keys . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7351

Go To Start . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7354

Previous Frame/Key . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7355

Play/Stop . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7355

Next Frame/Key . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7357

Go To End . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7357

Current Frame (Go To Frame) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7358

Key Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7358

Time Configuration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7359

Viewport Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7366

Viewport Right-Click Menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7370

Viewport Navigation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7378

Controls Available in All Viewports . . . . . . . . . . . . 7381

Walkthrough Controls for Perspective and Camera

Viewports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7383

Perspective and Orthographic Viewport Controls . . . . . 7384

Camera Viewport Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7397

Light Viewport Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7407

Command Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7422

Object Name and Wireframe Color . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7423

Create Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7423

Modify Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7425

Modifier Stack Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7427

Modifier Stack Right-Click Menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7440

Make Unique . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7446

Modifier Sets Menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7449

Configure Modifier Sets Dialog . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7450

Hierarchy Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7453

Motion Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7455

Assign Controller Rollout . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7456

Display Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7457

Display Floater . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7458

Utilities Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7463

Utilities Dialog . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7465

Contents | xlv

Configure Button Sets Dialog . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7465

MAXScript Interface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7468

New Script . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7468

Open Script . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7469

Run Script . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7469

MAXScript Listener . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7469

Macro Recorder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7470

Visual MAXScript Utility (See MAXScript Reference) . . . . . . 7471

MAXScript Debugger Dialog . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7472

Running Scripts from the Command Line . . . . . . . . . . . . 7472

Chapter 24 Customizing the User Interface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7475

Useful Customization Techniques . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7475

Customize Display Right-Click Menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7479

Show UI . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7480

Lock UI Layout . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7481

Plug-In Manager . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7482

Custom UI and Defaults Switcher . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7483

Market-Specific Defaults . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7486

COM/DCOM Server Control Utility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7488

Customize User Interface Dialog . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7489

Keyboard Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7489

Toolbars Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7492

Quads Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7496

Menus Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7501

Colors Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7505

Advanced Quad Menu Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7507

Edit Button Appearance Dialog . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7511

Saving and Loading Custom User Interfaces . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7513

Load Custom UI Scheme . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7515

Save Custom UI Scheme . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7516

Revert to Startup Layout . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7519

Configure Paths . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7519

Configure User Paths . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7520

Configure System Paths . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7523

File I/O Path Configuration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7524

External Path Configuration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7526

XRefs Path Configuration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7529

System Paths . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7531

3rd Party Plug-Ins Path Configuration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7532

Network Plug-In Configuration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7533

Preferences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7534

General Preferences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7536

File Preferences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7541

Viewport Preferences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7545

Gamma and LUT Preferences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7550

xlvi | Contents

Rendering Preferences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7560

Animation Preferences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7564

Inverse Kinematics Preferences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7568

Gizmos Preferences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7570

MAXScript Preferences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7574

Radiosity Preferences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7578

mental ray Preferences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7579

Graphics Driver Setup Dialog . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7582

Configure Driver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7585

Configure Software Display Driver Dialog . . . . . . . . . 7586

Configure OpenGL Dialog . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7588

Direct3D Driver Setup Dialog . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7592

Configure Direct3D Dialog . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7594

MIDI Time Slider Control Setup Dialog . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7600

Units Setup Dialog . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7601

System Unit Setup Dialog . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7605

File Load: Units Mismatch Dialog . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7608

Viewport Configuration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7610

Rendering Method . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7611

Viewport Layout . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7617

Safe Frames . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7618

Adaptive Degradation Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7622

Regions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7626

Statistics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7628

Lighting and Shadows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7630

Strokes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7631

Defining Strokes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7634

Reviewing and Editing Strokes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7638

Stroke Preferences Dialog . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7640

Strokes Utility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7643

Chapter 25 Keyboard Shortcuts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7645

Keyboard Shortcut Override Toggle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7646

Chapter 26 Using the 3ds Max Help . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7647

Finding Information Fast . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7648

Using the HTML Help Viewer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7650

Searching for Help Topics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7652

Favorites Tab . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7657

HTML Help Viewer Toolbar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7658

HTML Help Viewer Right-Click Menus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7659

Keyboard Shortcuts in the Help Viewer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7659

Chapter 27 Troubleshooting 3ds Max . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7663

Contents | xlvii

Handling File Corruptions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7663

Fixing Boolean Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7667

Performance Issues While Running 3ds Max . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7677

Problems Caused by Unit Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7681

User Interface Problems and Recovery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7683

Video Driver and Display Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7690

Glossary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7697

2-Sided (Double Sided) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7697

2D Map . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7698

3D DWF . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7698

3D Map . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7698

3DS and PRJ Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7698

Action . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7701

Active Link . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7701

Active Time Segment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7702

Active/Inactive Footsteps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7702

ActiveShade Initialize and Update . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7703

Adapt Locks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7704

Adaptation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7704

Adaptive Degradation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7704

Additive Opacity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7705

Adjust Talent Pose . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7707

Affine Transformation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7707

Airborne Period . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7707

Aliasing/Antialiasing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7708

Alpha Channel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7709

Ambient Color . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7710

Ambient Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7710

Animated Texture . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7711

Animation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7711

Animation Controllers / Transform Controllers . . . . . . . . . . . . 7712

Animation Layers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7713

Applied IK . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7713

Area Lights (mental ray Renderer) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7713

Area Shadows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7717

Aspect Ratio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7718

Attachments (IK) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7719

Attenuation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7719

AutoGrid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7720

Avoid Behavior . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7721

Avoidance Behavior . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7721

Axonometric View . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7722

B-Spline . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7722

Balance Factor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7723

Balance Track . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7723

xlviii | Contents

Ballistic Gait . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7723

Ballistic Tension . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7723

Barycentric Coordinates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7724

Behaviors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7724

Bend Links . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7725

Bezier Curve . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7726

BioVision Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7726

BIP Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7727

Biped . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7727

Biped Dynamics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7727

Biped Playback . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7728

Birth Event . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7728

Bitmap . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7730

Blend Object . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7731

Block Reference . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7731

Block/Style Parent . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7732

Blur / Blur Offset . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7732

Body Space . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7733

Boolean Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7734

Bound Vertex . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7735

Bounding Box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7736

Bulge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7736

Bulge Angle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7737

BVH Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7737

By Layer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7737

Center of Mass (COM) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7737

Chamfer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7738

character studio Marker Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7738

CIBSE Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7739

Clip Controller . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7739

Clipping Planes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7739

Codec . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7740

Cognitive Controller . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7740

Composite . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7741

Compound Materials . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7742

Constrained Point . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7743

Contact Object . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7743

Containers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7743

Continuity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7743

Continuity Level . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7744

Control Lattice . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7745

Control Point . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7745

Control Vertex (CV) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7746

Controller . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7746

Convex Hull Property . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7747

Cool . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7747

Contents | xlix

Coordinate Space . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7747

CPY Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7748

Creation Parameters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7748

Cross Section . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7748

Crowd . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7748

Crowd System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7749

CSM Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7749

Curve View . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7749

CV . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7750

CV Curve . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7751

CV Surface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7752

Deformable Envelope . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7752

Deformation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7753

Deformation Spline . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7753

Degree . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7755

Delegates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7755

Dependent . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7755

Dependent (NURBS) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7756

Depot . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7756

Description Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7757

Diagonal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7757

Diffuse Color . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7759

Dithering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7760

Dock and Float . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7761

Double Support Period . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7761

Dummy Object . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7761

DWG Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7762

DXF Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7762

Dynaflector . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7763

Dynamics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7763

Dynamics Blend . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7763

Ease Curve . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7764

Edge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7765

Editable Mesh . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7765

Editable Poly . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7765

Element . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7766

Emitter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7766

End Effector . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7767

Envelopes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7767

Environment Map . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7768

Event . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7770

Event Display . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7772

Event Level . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7773

Extents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7773

Face/Polygon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7774

Faceted . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7774

l | Contents

FFD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7775

FGM File . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7775

Field of View . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7776

Fields . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7777

Figure Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7778

Fillet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7779

Filter Color / Filter Opacity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7780

Filtering (Antialiasing) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7781

Filtering (Character Animation) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7781

Final Gathering (mental ray Renderer) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7782

First Vertex . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7785

Flat Mirror . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7786

Flow . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7787

Fluorescence . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7788

Flyout . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7789

Follow Object . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7789

Foot States . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7790

Footstep Animation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7790

Footsteps Method . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7790

Forward Kinematics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7791

Forward Kinematics (Bipeds) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7791

Frame Rate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7791

Freeform Animation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7792

Freeform Method . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7792

Freeze/Unfreeze . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7793

Function Curve . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7794

Fusing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7794

FX File . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7794

G-Buffer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7795

Gait Pattern . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7797

Gait Type . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7797

Gamma Correction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7798

Geometric Primitives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7799

Gizmo/Center . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7800

Global Event . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7801

Global Motion Clip Controller . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7803

Glossiness and Specular Level Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7803

GravAccel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7804

Gravity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7804

Grid Object . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7805

Head Object . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7806

Helper Object . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7806

Hide/Unhide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7806

Hierarchical Linkage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7806

Home Grid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7808

Horizon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7809

Contents | li

Hot . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7810

Hotspot/Falloff . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7811

IGES (Initial Graphics Exchange Specification) . . . . . . . . . . . . 7812

IK Blend . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7812

IK Goal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7812

IK Solution . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7813

Illuminance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7813

Image Motion Blur . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7814

In Place Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7816

Independent . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7816

Influence . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7816

Initial Pose . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7817

Initialize . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7817

Inputs: Event . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7817

Instance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7818

Instance (Motion Mixer) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7819

Interactive Renderer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7820

Interpolation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7820

Inverse Kinematics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7820

Inverse Kinematics (Biped) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7821

Iso Line . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7822

Isometric View . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7823

Keyframe Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7823

Keyframes/Keys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7824

Kinematic Chain . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7825

Knot . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7825

Launch Script . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7825

Layer Track . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7825

Layers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7826

Layers (Biped) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7826

Layout Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7826

Lift . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7827

Light Map . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7827

Linked Geometry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7828

Links . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7829

Listener Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7829

Local Coordinate System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7830

Local Event . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7831

Lofting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7831

Log File (mental ray Renderer) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7832

Look At Object . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7832

LTLI Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7833

Luminance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7833

Luminous Flux . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7833

Luminous Intensity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7833

LZF Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7833

lii | Contents

LZG Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7834

LZH Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7834

LZO Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7834

LZV Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7834

Map Bias . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7835

Map Channel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7836

Mapped Material . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7837

Mapping Coordinates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7838

Maps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7840

Marker Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7841

Marker Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7841

Markers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7841

Master Motion Clip Controller . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7841

Match Frame . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7841

Material ID . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7842

Material/Map Hierarchy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7844

Materials . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7845

Matte Object . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7846

MAXScript . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7847

Mesh . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7847

Metaballs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7847

MFE Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7848

MI Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7848

Mirroring . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7848

Mix . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7848

MIX Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7849

Mixdown . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7849

MNM Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7849

Modal/Modeless . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7849

Modifier Stack . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7850

Modifiers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7852

Morphing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7853

Motion Blending . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7853

Motion Blur . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7854

Motion Capture . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7855

Motion Clip . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7855

Motion Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7856

Motion Flow . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7856

Motion Flow Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7856

Motion Flow Scripts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7856

Motion Mixer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7856

Motion Synthesis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7857

MSP (MAXScript Package) Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7858

Multiplicity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7858

Multiplier . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7859

Multiplier Curve . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7860

Contents | liii

N Links . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7860

Network Manager . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7861

Network Rendering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7861

Network Rendering Server . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7862

Newton . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7862

Node . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7862

Normal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7863

NTSC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7863

NURBS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7864

NURBS Curve . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7864

NURBS Model . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7865

NURBS Surface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7865

Object . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7866

Object Instance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7866

Object Motion Blur . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7867

Object Space . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7868

Object Space (Biped) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7869

Obstacle-Avoidance Behavior . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7869

Object-Space Modifiers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7870

Omnidirectional Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7870

Omniflector . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7871

Opacity Falloff . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7872

Operand . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7873

Operator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7873

Operator Icon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7874

Optical Markers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7875

Orientation Behavior . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7875

Origin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7876

Orthographic View . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7877

Out-of-Range Types . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7878

Outputs: Source / Test . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7879

Overshoot . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7881

PAL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7882

Parameter Space . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7882

Parameters Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7882

Parameter/Parametric . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7884

Parent Particle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7885

Particle Diagram . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7885

Particle Level . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7886

Particle System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7887

Particle System (Particle Flow) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7887

PASS File . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7887

Patch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7888

Patch-Based Objects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7888

Path . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7888

Path Follow Behavior . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7890

liv | Contents

Period . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7890

Perspective View . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7891

Phases of Leg Motion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7892

Photometry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7892

Photon Map . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7894

PHY Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7894

Physique . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7895

Pivot Point . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7895

Pixel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7896

Plant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7896

Plug-Ins . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7896

PMAP File . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7897

Point . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7897

Point Curve . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7898

Point Surface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7899

Poses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7899

Positional Markers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7899

Posture . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7900

Precedence . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7900

Premultiplied Alpha . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7900

Procedural Maps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7901

Projector Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7903

Prop Bone . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7904

Quadtree . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7904

Queue Monitor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7905

Radiosity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7905

Radiosity Solution . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7905

Ray-Trace Acceleration (mental ray Renderer) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7905

Ray-Trace Bias . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7906

Ray-Traced Shadows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7907

RAYHOSTS File . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7907

Real Time . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7908

Red, Green, Blue / Hue, Saturation, Value . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7908

Reference . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7910

Reference Object . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7910

Refine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7910

Reinitialize . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7911

Repel Behavior . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7911

Reservoir . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7911

Resolution . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7911

Rotoscoping . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7912

Rubber-Band Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7912

RVT Link . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7913

Sample Range . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7913

Sampling (mental ray Renderer) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7914

Scale Stride . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7918

Contents | lv

Scanline Renderer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7918

Scene Extents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7919

Scene Motion Blur . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7919

Schematic View . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7921

Script . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7921

Script Editor Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7921

Scripted Behavior . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7922

Scripted Utility Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7922

Scripts (Motion Flow) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7922

Scripting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7922

Seed Value . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7922

Seek Behavior . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7923

Segment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7923

Self-Illumination . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7924

Shaders (mental ray Renderer) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7925

Shaders (Standard Materials) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7925

Shadow Maps (Light Objects) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7927

Shadow Map (mental ray Renderer) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7928

Shapes and Splines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7929

SHP Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7931

Skylight . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7931

Sliding Footstep . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7932

Smoothing Groups . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7932

SMPTE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7933

Space Warp Behavior . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7933

Space Warps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7934

Spawn Particles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7934

Specular Color . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7935

Speed Vary Behavior . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7936

Splice . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7936

Spline . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7937

Spline Dynamics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7937

Startup Script . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7938

Sub-Object . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7939

Sub-Object Level . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7940

Subtractive Opacity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7941

Sunlight . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7942

Super Black . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7942

Supersampling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7942

Support Period . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7943

Surface Arrive Behavior . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7943

Surface Follow Behavior . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7943

Synthesis, Synthesize . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7943

Talent Figure Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7944

Tangents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7944

TCB (Biped) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7944

lvi | Contents

TCB (Tension, Continuity, Bias) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7945

Tendons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7946

Tension, Continuity, Bias (Biped) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7946

Terrain . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7947

Test . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7948

Texel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7948

Ticks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7948

Tile/Mirror . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7949

Topology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7950

Topology-Dependent Modifier . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7951

Touch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7951

Track . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7951

Track View . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7952

Trackgroup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7952

Track View Hierarchy Icons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7952

Tracks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7954

Trajectory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7955

Trajectory (Biped) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7956

Transform Gizmo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7956

Transforms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7958

Transition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7958

Transition Track . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7959

Translucency . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7959

Truecolor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7960

Twist Links . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7960

Universal Naming Convention (UNC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7961

UVW Coordinates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7962

Vector Field . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7963

Vector Field Space Warp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7963

Vectors and Vector Handles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7964

Velocity Interpolation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7965

Vertex . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7965

Video Safe Frame . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7965

Viewport (Interactive) Renderer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7966

VIZBlock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7967

VPX Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7967

VUE File . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7967

Walking Gait . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7970

Wall Repel Behavior . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7970

Wall Seek Behavior . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7970

Wander Behavior . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7971

Weight Curve . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7971

Wire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7971

Wireframe Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7973

Workbench . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7974

Workflow . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7974

Contents | lvii

World Coordinate System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7975

World Space . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7976

World Space (Biped) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7977

World-Space Modifiers (WSM) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7977

xref (AutoCAD External Reference) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7977

XRef (3ds Max Externally Referenced File) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7978

ZT File . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7978

Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7979

lviii | Contents

Introduction

What's New in Autodesk 3ds Max 2008

Autodesk 3ds Max 2008 software dramatically improves artist productivity by

streamlining the process of working with complex scenes. This is achieved

through performance improvements areas such as viewport interaction,

interactive transformation, and material assignment, as well as through the

addition of new, artist-friendly UI and scene-management features.

This release also marks the launch of new tools that deliver interactive previewing

of shadows, the 3ds Max sun/sky environment, and Arch & Design material

settings. In addition, Autodesk 3ds Max 2008 delivers enhanced support for

complex pipelines and workflows: The new, integrated ProEditor makes it easier

to use MAXScript to extend and customize the software, and enhanced DWG

file-linking and data support strengthen interoperability with applications such

as AutoCAD® 2008 and Revit® 2008 software products. Finally, character

animation is enhanced by numerous Biped improvements, including new ways

of layering character motion and exporting it to game engines, as well as tools

that give animators new levels of flexibility with regard to their Biped rigs.

NOTE This topic doesn't comprehensively list all the changes in 3ds Max. As you

proceed through the documentation, keep an eye out for the icon, which

designates a new feature. You can also use the index in this reference to identify

topics that contain information about new features in the program. For topics that

describe new program features, check the index entry "new feature". For changes

in existing features, check the index entry "changed feature".

Following is a list of major new features with brief descriptions and links to the

relevant reference topic:

New Feature Movies

For introductory movies to the new features in Autodesk 3ds Max 2008, click

the following links:

■Modeling

■Viewport Rendering

■mental ray® rendering

■Data Scene Management

■Animation

NOTE When you click a link, the movie opens in a Web browser. You will need

to click once to activate the window and then, to watch the movie, click the Play

button.

General Improvements

■Enhanced Point Cache Support Improved file I/O capabilities let you

move Point Cache on page 1533 files seamlessly between 3ds Max and

Autodesk Maya software.

■Enhanced FBX Support The integrated FBX translator now includes

improved support for animation, mesh, material and lighting data.

■Enhanced Selection Performance Optimizations and new viewport

technology make the selecting of hundreds and thousands of objects more

than 10 times faster, boosting user productivity, particularly for those

working with large data sets.

■Improved Transform Performance Transforming 5,000 or more objects

in Autodesk 3ds Max 2008 is up to 60 times faster, thanks to optimizations

and new viewport technology.

■General Performance Improvements Optimizations and new viewport

technology make grouping and cloning operations, as well as array

functions, perform significantly faster.

■Windows Vista Support Autodesk 3ds Max 2008 now supports the latest

Microsoft operating system release, giving you more OS options.

■DirectX 10 Support A new integrated DirectX 10 driver lets game

developers view shaders that access the Microsoft latest DirectX library.

2 | Chapter 1 Introduction

Autodesk 3ds Max 2008 is the only 3D animation package that ships with

an integrated DirectX 10 driver, along with a driver for DirectX 9.

■Customer Involvement Program This new, optional Autodesk program

on page 7281 enables you to help shape the future development of the

product. This feature lets you automatically provide valuable information

to Autodesk regarding frequently used workflows. It does not, however,

extract sensitive information from your files.

Materials and Mapping

■Improved Material Assignment Material assignment in Autodesk 3ds

Max 2008 is now up to 10 times faster for scenes with 10,000 nodes, or

more, significantly improving the productivity of those working with large,

object-intensive scenes.

■Multiple UVW Unwrap Users can now perform an Unwrap on page 1769

operation on the texture coordinates of multiple objects simultaneously.

This makes it significantly easier to organize the mapping of multiple

objects with one texture. For example, in the case of a car model comprising

various parts, all the parts can be quickly be mapped with the same texture,

with suitable UVW mapping for each part.

■Auto-reset for Projection Modifier The Projection modifier on page 1556

now performs an auto-reset of the cage, preventing shrink-wrap behavior

that can lead to inaccurate results.

Viewport Rendering

■Adaptive Degradation The integration of new technology into the

software's adaptive degradation system on page 7622 improves interactive

performance by automatically simplifying scene display to meet a

user-defined target frame rate. You specify how the software adjusts the

scene display, including whether small objects are hidden, distant objects

have less detail, etc., and 3ds Max calculates how best to achieve it. When

combined with the new Direct3D mesh caching that groups objects by

materials, the result is that a scene containing tens of thousands of objects

can be just as interactive as one with 10 objects.

NOTE This functionality supplants the legacy Object Display Culling command

and utility, which have therefore been removed from the program.

What's New in Autodesk 3ds Max 2008 | 3

■Graphics Processing Unit (GPU)-based shadow support The viewports

now support real-time shadows on page 4911 , including self-shadowing and

up to 64 lights simultaneously. All standard lights are supported along

with a simple UI to choose which lights are on. Users can choose between

high-quality per-pixel shadowing and fast shadowing (i.e., good and best

modes).

■Sun/Sky Viewport Preview The mental ray Sun & Sky system lets you

create an accurate depiction of the sun and the sky at a specific time and

location. With this release, architectural and design visualization

professionals working with the Sun & Sky system can now interactively

preview their settings in the viewports prior to rendering. Reflections are

derived from the Sun & Sky system and automatically mapped onto the

surface of shiny objects. For a detailed procedure, see this procedure on

page 4983 .

■Hardware-based Material Rendering in Viewports Architectural and

design visualization professionals can now get immediate feedback on

common mental ray Arch &Design and Standard materials settings,

allowing them to achieve their desired look by way of a fast, efficient,

iterative process. For details, see Show Standard/Hardware Map in Viewport

on page 5254 .

Rendering

■Ambient Occlusion Enhancements (Architectural & Design Material)

The Arch & Design material for mental ray now delivers greater physical

accuracy in the light-occluded areas near objects so that the coloring of

nearby objects can affect the occlusion, resulting in more accurate,

true-to-life rendered images. See Use Color From Other Materials on page

5479 .

■Self-Illumination (Architectural & Design Material) Also new for the Arch

& Design material is the ability to produce a realistic self-illumination

effect, with the added option of acting as a light source when using Final

Gather. See Self Illumination (Glow) rollout on page 5473 .

■Sky Portal For mental ray users, the new mr Sky Portal on page 4999 area

light simplifies the process of illuminating indoor scenes with outdoor

lighting. You can now create an object that defines precisely where external

light enters the indoor scene, via skylights, windows, open doors, etc.

Using this technique dramatically reduces render times and improves image

quality for these lighting situations. HDRI-based lighting effects are also

supported.

4 | Chapter 1 Introduction

■Photographic Exposure UI The new mr Photographic Exposure Control

on page 6544 with its camera-based interface for managing exposure settings

(tone mapping) greatly simplifies the process of achieving a photographic

rendering effect with physically accurate lighting. You can define the film

speed, shutter speed, etc., as with a real camera.

■Glare Shader The new mental ray Glare shader on page 5825 creates a

realistic halo around very bright areas in the rendered image.

■Support for DDS Floating-Point Formats When rendering to DirectDraw

Surface (DDS) format on page 7122 , you can now choose for the 64-bit and

128-bit floating-point options.

■Output Path Dialog Box Improvements Autodesk 3ds Max 2008

streamlines the render output workflow. The Setup button on the Render

Output File dialog is now enabled as soon as you enter a file name and

type, so changing settings for the file format no longer requires closing

the dialog box, reopening it and changing the file type.

■Presets for RTT Autodesk 3ds Max 2008 now lets game artists define

presets on page 6201 to use with Render to Texture, making this popular

mapping workflow feature even more flexible than in previous versions.

Scene and Project Management

■Scene Explorer Autodesk 3ds Max 2008 delivers Scene Explorer on page

7171 , a powerful tool that provides a hierarchical view of scene data and

fast scene analysis and editing tools that facilitate working with even the

most complex, object-heavy scenes. Scene Explorer, which takes the form

of a modeless dialog, gives artists the ability to sort, filter, and search a

scene by any object type or property (including metadata), with stackable

filtering, sorting, and searching criteria.

You can save and store multiple explorer instances and link, unlink,

rename, hide, freeze, and delete objects, regardless of what objects are

currently selected in the scene. Users can also configure columns to display

and edit any object property, and because this feature is scriptable and

SDK extendable, callbacks can be used to add custom column definitions.

The legacy Select Objects dialog has been replaced by Select From Scene

on page 168 , a modal, read-only version of Scene Explorer.

■Memory Management Optimization Significantly improved memory

management enables the import of large and complex scenes with multiple

objects, in significantly less time.

What's New in Autodesk 3ds Max 2008 | 5

■Normals Management DWG scenes imported from Revit 2008 products

now maintain their original normal positioning: greater data fidelity

equaling improved user-productivity.

■Material Assignment and Naming DWG scenes imported from Revit

2008 now maintain the correct material assignment. Materials also maintain

their original names.

■Sun/Sky Import Geographic location (including time of day and time

zone) as well as sun and sky parameters are now imported along with DWG

files. This streamlines workflows in which this data plays a role.

■UV Coordinate Enhancements DWG UV import is now more complete

thanks to added support for Box, spherical and cylindrical mapping as well

as support for mirror texture tiling.

General Animation Improvements

■Improved Skin Load Weights Dialog The Skin Load Weights dialog box

is now resizable.

■New Default for Bones/IK Goals Bones and IK goals now default to a size

of two inches. The size of subsequent objects defaults to the last value set

by the user - saving set up time.

■Improved Controller Assignment The Controllers menu now allows users

to assign controllers to multiple selected objects simultaneously.

■Edit Trajectories CUI Item A new custom UI shortcut for edit trajectories

streamlines workflows for those using a custom UI.

Character Animation Improvements

■Layers as Assets Autodesk 3ds Max 2008 now enables Biped users to save

and load Biped layers as BIP files on page 4333 , so you can isolate character

motion and save each layer as its own asset for export into a game. You

can use MAXScript to customize Biped layer export.

■Xtras You can now extend biped characters with the new Xtras feature

on page 4349 . This tool, an FK chain attachable anywhere and parentable

to any Biped object, lets animators create and animate extraneous Biped

features such as wings, or additional facial bones, and save these as BIP

files. Like other BIP files, Xtras animation is supported in Mixer and Motion

Flow as well as Copy, Paste, and Layers.

6 | Chapter 1 Introduction

■Head Relocation Biped users can now move a character's head away

from its neck on page 4340 , which helps in fitting the biped to its character

mesh.

Modeling Improvements

■Hotkeys as Temporary Overrides Existing modeling hotkeys can now

be made to act as temporary overrides, called press/release on page 2039

keyboard shortcuts, enabling modelers to quickly move back and forth

between modes using hotkeys.

■Working Pivot You can now override an object’s own pivot with a global,

“working” pivot on page 3402 in order to simplify the rotating of objects

without affecting the original pivot. This helps modelers quickly pick

arbitrary points around which to rotate.

■Sub-object Previewing The ability to preview on page 2051 sub-objects

on page 1318 streamlines the modeling workflow: Not only does it enable

you to preview and select sub-objects in one fluid motion, but it also gives

you an intuitive, natural way to switch among sub-object levels in the

viewport.

■Constrain to Normal This new on page ? operation on page ? lets

you transform sub-object geometry along the normals of selections: the

result is a localized geometry push-and-pull operation.

Scripting Improvements

■MAXScript ProEditor Autodesk 3ds Max 2008 marks the debut of the

new MAXScript ProEditor. This new, intelligent interface for working with

MAXScript includes multilevel undo functionality; fast, high-quality code

colorization; rapid opening of large documents; line-number display;

regular expressions in search/replace; folding of sections of the script;

support for user-customization, and many other features.

■AVG_DLX The integration of the publicly available avg_dlx MAXScript

extension into 3ds Max reduces dependency on third-party tools while

exposing more than 100 new methods, properties, and classes to 3ds Max.

These include methods for accessing registry, the clipboard, and IK

properties on transform controllers, as well as for combining bitmaps, and

more.

What's New in Autodesk 3ds Max 2008 | 7

See also:

■What Was New in 3ds Max 9 Extension 1 on page 8

What Was New in 3ds Max 9 Extension 1

This topic is intended primarily for non-subscribers who are coming to

Autodesk 3ds Max 2008 from a version of the software earlier than the most

recent release prior to this one: 3ds Max 9 Extension 1. It covers new features

as of that subscriber-only version, which was released in the fall of 2006. Note

that these features are not indicated by the icon or the “new feature”

index entry in the body of this document.

Following is a list of major new features as of 3ds Max 9 Extension 1, with

brief descriptions and links to the relevant reference topics:

General Improvements

■Core performance enhancements help maximize your productivity and

accelerate your creative workflow. For example, enjoy greater viewport

interactivity when working with dense meshes.

■Also useful for interactivity is the viewport statistics on page 2493 feature,

which displays in the viewport information about the current rate and

number of polys, faces, edges, and vertices, both for the entire scene and

for the current selection. The display updates in real time.

■The Hidden Line rendering method on page 7611 improves visual feedback

by simplifying wireframe viewport display.

■You can set any viewport to display the Track View interface.

■The Sample function in the Color Selector dialog on page 331 lets you

grab colors from anywhere on the screen.

■Parameter wiring on page 3249 is made easier with the dialog's new ability

to list only nodes that are selected in the scene.

■You can search the drop-down Modifier list on the Modify panel for a

particular modifier more easily by typing a sequence of characters, not just

single characters. For details, see To apply a modifier to an object:Select

the object.Do one of the following:Choose a modifier from th... on page

8 | Chapter 1 Introduction

Rendering Improvements

■Getting a rendered image into a bitmap editor is a snap with the Rendered

Frame Window's on page 5885 new Copy Bitmap function.

■When rendering an Ambient Occlusion element with Render To Texture,

you can choose whether or not to exclude the low-res object in a Projection

modifier from the Ambient Occlusion pass. See this note on page 6179 .

Scene and Project Management

■The Configure User Paths on page 7520 dialog lets you set individual paths

to be absolute or relative to the current project folder.

■Many enhancements have been made to XRefs on page 6729 . You can

reference all aspects of systems, including geometry and materials. You

can also reference controllers on page 3194 and can maintain dependencies

between XRef items. The XRef system’s dependency handling lets you

preview object relationships in both merge and XRef operations, providing

more control over how external objects are used.

■3ds Max supports multiple materials per object in DWG files exported as

ACIS solids from Revit Architecture/Structure/MEP 2008 and later, as well

as solid primitives created in AutoCAD Architecture 2008 (formerly ADT)

and later. See Support of Multiple Materials on Imported ACIS Solids on

page 6980 .

■DWF Export on page 7013 supports named camera views, so you can choose

different views by name in the Autodesk Design Review program.

■Reloading XRef items on page 6739 works correctly even when an object in

the source scene has been renamed, or deleted and then re-created with

the same name.

■The Select Similar on page 190 command lets you select all items in an

imported or linked DWG file with the same style(s) on page 6850 , as defined

in AutoCAD Architecture. Select Similar also supports 3ds Max-native

objects with similar characteristics.

■Thanks to a revamped interface, the DWG Import on page 6984 toolset for

geometry is significantly easier to use.

What Was New in 3ds Max 9 Extension 1 | 9

Animation Improvements

■If you enable animation layers for an object that has animation loaded in

the Motion Mixer, 3ds Max can automatically create new map files on

page 3101 for you.

■New Biped quadrants on the quad menu provide quick access to many

commonly used Biped tools. Just select any biped part and then right-click

the biped.

■You can assign the same type of controller or constraint to several different

objects at once. Just select the objects and then choose the controller or

constraint from the Animation menu.

■Visualizing and editing biped IK animation is easier thanks to color-coded

keys and trajectories in the viewports, and color-coded keys on the track

bar. Trajectories use gradients to depict transitions between FK and IK

periods. See Biped Color-coded Keys and Trajectories on page 4385 .

■You can view and edit controller properties simply by double-clicking the

controller label anywhere it appears.

■The Euler Filter utility on page 3548 in Track View can automatically correct

rotation anomalies caused by gimbal flipping.

■Track View filtering options on page 3508 let you show or hide global tracks,

display only animated tracks with full hierarchies, and assign filters to

hotkeys and other custom UI elements.

■Switch pivot points on biped hands and feet faster and more easily with

the new Pivot Selection Dialog on page 4296 feature.

■Remapping an XAF animation file when loading it onto an object whose

animation layers status has changed is easier thanks to the new Load Into

Active Layer switch on page 6874 .

■Animate an effect such as a curling finger with ease with Use Pivot Point

Center's on page 905 new support for accumulated rotation of linked objects

such as bones.

■New CUI shortcuts for selecting hierarchy siblings on page 3277 make it

easier to navigate a character hierarchy when setting up animation.

■Zooming in Track View now focuses in on the current mouse position,

rather than the center of the view.

10 | Chapter 1 Introduction

Modeling Improvements

■Users of normal bump mapping can take advantage of export/import

functionality available on the Projection modifier > Cage rollout on page

1563 . You can convert the cage into standard geometry of the same type

and topology as the cage and modified object, which you can edit using

standard methods and then use to define a new shape for the cage. This

provides access to the full range of mesh-editing tools available in 3ds Max

for shaping the cage to your precise requirements.

■Automatically round off chamfered edges on page 2136 of poly meshes with

the Segments parameter.

3ds Max Documentation Set

The documentation set for 3ds Max® comprises online material only.

■Autodesk 3ds Max 2008 Installation Guide: Contains complete installation

, configuration, and troubleshooting instructions, including system

requirements. Also includes information on uninstalling and maintaining

the software, as well as descriptions of the full install documentation set.

■Autodesk 3ds Max 2008 Readme (3ds_Max_Readme.rtf): Contains the

latest information about 3ds Max. You can access this file by clicking View

Readme in the Autodesk 3ds Max 2008 Installation Wizard.

■Autodesk 3ds Max 2008 Help: This document covers fundamental concepts

and strategies for using the product, as well as details about the features

of 3ds Max.

Access the reference by choosing Help > 3ds Max Help.

■Autodesk 3ds Max 2008 Tutorials: Contains tutorial information and

detailed procedures to walk you through increasingly complex operations.

This is the best source for learning 3ds Max.

Access the tutorials by choosing Help > Tutorials.

NOTE All the sample files required to do the tutorials are found on DVD 1 of

2: Software, Documentation, Videos, & Tutorials. None of these files are

installed automatically.

■MAXScript Reference: Describes the MAXScript scripting language on

page 14 . Check out the “Learning MAXScript” chapter there if you're new

to MAXScript.

3ds Max Documentation Set | 11

Access the MAXScript Reference by choosing Help > MAXScript Reference.

■Additional mental ray® Help File: Documentation from mental images®

is available from Help menu > Additional Help. There, you'll find the mental

ray Reference, comprising the mental ray Manual, mental ray Shader Reference,

and LumeTools Collection.

NOTE The Autodesk 3ds Max 2008 Help documents all other mental ray

components available in the 3ds Max user interface. This includes

documentation for lights for mental ray and specific shadow types, controls

for adding mental ray shaders to lights and cameras, mental ray materials,

custom shaders for 3ds Max, and the mental ray renderer controls.

■Additional Backburner Files: Procedures for using Backburner from inside

3ds Max are documented in this Autodesk 3ds Max Help File. For further

information on using and configuring Backburner, refer to the additional

Backburner documentation available from Start menu > Programs >

Autodesk 3ds Max 2008 [32- or 64-bit] > Help. The two documents related

to Autodesk Backburner are called:

■Backburner 2007.1 Installation Guide

■Backburner 2007.1 User’s Guide

NOTE For information on installing Autodesk Backburner see the Autodesk 3ds

Max 2008 Installation Guide.

How to Print from the Online Documentation Files

If your computer is connected to a printer, you can print single help topics

or entire chapters.

To print a topic or chapter, highlight the topic or chapter title and click the

Print button at the top of the help display. A dialog appears.

12 | Chapter 1 Introduction

Choose to print only the selected topic, or to print all topics in that chapter.

After you make your selection, another dialog appears where you can choose

your printer and other options.

The tabs available at the top of the dialog depend on the selected printer.

Choose options for the print job, and click OK to begin printing.

3ds Max Documentation Set | 13

How to Contact Us

We are also interested in hearing your views about 3ds Max. We’d like to hear

ways you think we can improve our program, features you’re interested in, as

well as your views on the documentation set.

Please send us email about the documentation set at:

me.documentation@autodesk.com

About MAXScript

MAXScript is the built-in scripting language for 3ds Max. It provides users

with the ability to:

■Script all aspects of 3ds Max use, such as modeling, animation, materials,

rendering, and so on.

■Control 3ds Max interactively through a command-line shell window.

■Package scripts within custom utility panel rollouts or modeless windows,

giving them a standard 3ds Max user interface.

■Build custom import/export tools using the built-in file I/O.

■Write procedural controllers that can access the entire state of the scene.

Build batch-processing tools, such as batch-rendering scripts.

■Set up live interfaces to external system using OLE Automation.

The MAXScript language is specifically designed to complement 3ds Max. It

is object-oriented, and has several special features and constructs that mirror

high-level concepts in the 3ds Max user interface. These include

coordinate-system contexts, an animation mode with automatic keyframing,

and access to scene objects using hierarchical path names that match the 3ds

Max object hierarchy.

The syntax is simple enough for non-programmers to use, with minimal

punctuation and formatting rules.

Visual MAXScript

Visual MAXScript is a powerful addition to MAXScript, making the MAXScript

feature easier to learn and use. With Visual MAXScript, you can quickly create

UI elements and layouts for scripting.

14 | Chapter 1 Introduction

For detailed information about Visual MAXScript, open the MAXScript

Reference, available from Help menu > MAXScript Reference.

See also:

■MAXScript Interface on page 7280

Procedures

To access MAXScript, do one of the following:

1On the menu bar, choose MAXScript. The MAXScript menu appears.

2Choose Utilities panel > MAXScript.

From here, you can either write new scripts, edit or run existing scripts,

open the MAXScript Listener, or use the Macro Recorder.

To access the MAXScript Listener, you can also right-click in the Mini

Listener and choose Open Listener Window from the right-click menu.

For detailed information about the MAXScript utility, open the MAXScript

Reference, available from Help menu > MAXScript Reference.

About MAXScript | 15

Getting Started with 3ds

Max

You use 3ds Max to quickly create professional-quality 3D models, photorealistic still images,

and film-quality animation on your PC.

Image by Michael McCarthy

Before using this reference material, we highly recommend you get to know 3ds Max firsthand

by following the included tutorials. You can access the tutorials using the Help menu >

Tutorials command.

This section presents these brief topics designed to help you quickly start using 3ds Max.

■Project Workflow on page 19

■Working with AutoCAD, AutoCAD Architecture, and Revit Files on page 6817

■Setting Up Your Scene on page 25

■Modeling Objects on page 26

■Using Materials on page 27

■Placing Lights and Cameras on page 30

■Animating Your Scene on page 33

■Rendering Your Scene on page 34

The 3ds Max Window on page 35

■Special Controls on page 38

■Quad Menu on page 7300

■Customize Display Right-Click Menu on page 7479

Managing Files on page 44

■VIZ Render (DRF) Files on page 6964

■Importing, Merging, and Replacing Scenes on page 46

■Using the Browser on page 49

■Startup Files and Defaults on page 50

■3dsmax.ini File on page 51

■3dsviz.ini File on page 51

■vizr.ini File on page 51

■Backing Up and Archiving Scenes on page 53

■Crash Recovery System on page 53

18 | Chapter 2 Getting Started with 3ds Max

Project Workflow

Once you've installed 3ds Max (see the Installation Guide included with your

software package), you open it from the Start menu, or use any other Windows

method. The figure below shows the application window with a scene file

loaded.

Main program window

NOTE If you open 3ds Max from a Command Prompt window or batch file, you

can add command-line switches. See Starting 3ds Max from the Command Line

on page 7254 .

NOTE 3ds Max is a single-document application, meaning you can work on only

one scene at a time. However, you can open more than one copy of 3ds Max and

open a different scene in each copy. Opening additional copies of 3ds Max requires

a lot of RAM. For the best performance, you should plan to open one copy and

work on one scene at a time.

Opening multiple copies of 3ds Max is not supported in Windows ME.

Project Workflow | 19

Modeling Objects

You model and animate objects in the viewports, whose layout is configurable.

You can start with a variety of 3D geometric primitives. You can also use 2D

shapes as the basis for lofted or extruded objects. You can convert objects to

a variety of editable surface types, which you can then model further by pulling

vertices and using other tools.

Another modeling tool is to apply modifiers to objects. Modifiers can change

object geometry. Bend and Twist are examples of modifiers.

Modeling, editing, and animation tools are available in the command panels

and toolbar. See Modeling Objects on page 26 . Also, you can learn a good

deal about modeling from the tutorials available from Help menu > Tutorials.

20 | Chapter 2 Getting Started with 3ds Max

Material Design

You design materials using the Material Editor, which appears in its own

window. You use the Material Editor to create realistic materials by defining

hierarchies of surface characteristics. The surface characteristics can represent

static materials, or be animated. See Material Editor on page 5188 . Tutorials

especially helpful for learning about materials include "Overview of Creating

a Scene: Still Life" and "Using Materials."

Project Workflow | 21

Lights and Cameras

You create lights with various properties to illuminate your scene. The lights

can cast shadows, project images, and create volumetric effects for atmospheric

lighting. Physically-based lights let you use real-world lighting data in your

scenes and Radiosity on page 5976 provides incredibly accurate light simulation

in renderings. See Lights on page 4890 . You can learn more about lighting by

following the Introduction to Lighting tutorial.

The cameras you create have real-world controls for lens length, field of view,

and motion control such as truck, dolly, and pan. See Cameras on page 5106 .

22 | Chapter 2 Getting Started with 3ds Max

Animation

You can begin animating your scene at any time by turning on the Auto Key

button. Turn the button off to return to modeling. You can also perform

animated modeling effects by animating the parameters of objects in your

scene. You can learn more about animating in the Animating Your Scene

topic on page 33 and from most of the tutorials.

When the Auto Key button is on, 3ds Max automatically records the

movement, rotation, and scale changes you make, not as changes to a static

scene, but as keys on certain frames that represent time. You can also animate

many parameters to make lights and cameras change over time, and preview

your animation directly in the 3ds Max viewports.

You use Track View on page 3426 to control animation. Track View is a floating

window where you edit animation keys, set up animation controllers, or edit

motion curves for your animated effects. The Lip Sync tutorial covers Track

View usage.

Project Workflow | 23

Rendering

Rendering adds color and shading to your scene. The renderers available with

3ds Max include features such as selective ray tracing, analytical antialiasing,

motion blur, volumetric lighting, and environmental effects. See Rendering

Your Scene on page 34 . The tutorials can help you learn about rendering.

When you use the default scanline renderer, a radiosity solution on page 5976

can provide accurate light simulation in renderings, including the ambient

lighting that results from reflected light. When you use the mental ray renderer,

a comparable effect is provided by global illumination on page 6072 .

If your workstation is part of a network, network rendering can distribute

rendering jobs over multiple workstations. See Network Rendering on page

6231 .

With Video Post on page 6571 , you can also composite the scene with

animations stored on disk.

A Typical Project Workflow

These topics explain the basic procedures for creating scenes:

Setting Up Your Scene on page 25

24 | Chapter 2 Getting Started with 3ds Max

Modeling Objects on page 26

Using Materials on page 27

Placing Lights and Cameras on page 30

Animating Your Scene on page 33

Rendering Your Scene on page 34

Setting Up Your Scene

You start with a new unnamed scene when you open the program. You can

also start a new scene at any time by choosing New or Reset from the File

menu.

Choosing a Unit Display

You choose a system of unit display on the Units Setup dialog on page 7601 .

Choose from Metric, Standard US, and Generic methods, or design a custom

measuring system. You can switch between different systems of unit display

at any time.

NOTE For best results, use consistent units when you are going to:

■Merge scenes and objects on page 6854 .

■Use XRef objects on page 6732 or XRef scenes on page 6755 .

Setting the System Unit

The System Unit setting, in the Units Setup dialog on page 7601 , determines

how 3ds Max relates to distance information you input to your scene. The

setting also determines the range for round-off error. Consider changing the

system unit value only when you model very large or very small scenes.

Setting Grid Spacing

Set spacing for the visible grid in the Grid And Snap Settings dialog > Home

Grid panel on page 2592 . You can change grid spacing at any time.

See Precision and Drawing Aids on page 2501 for information about the system

unit, unit display, and grid spacing.

Setting Up Your Scene | 25

Setting the Viewport Display

Viewport layout options

The default four viewports in 3ds Max represent an efficient and popular

screen layout. Set options in the Viewport Configuration dialog on page 7610

to change viewport layout and display properties.

See Viewing and Navigating 3D Space on page 55 for more information.

Saving Scenes

Save your scene frequently to protect yourself from mistakes and loss of work.

See Backing Up and Archiving Scenes on page 53 .

Modeling Objects

1. Modify panel

2. Create panel

3. Object categories

You model objects in your scene by creating standard objects, such as 3D

geometry and 2D shapes, and then applying modifiers to those objects. The

program includes a wide range of standard objects and modifiers.

26 | Chapter 2 Getting Started with 3ds Max

Creating Objects

You create objects by clicking an object category and type on the Create panel

and then clicking or dragging in a viewport to define the object's creation

parameters. The program organizes the Create panel into these basic categories:

Geometry, Shapes, Lights, Cameras, Helpers, Space Warps, and Systems. Each

category contains multiple subcategories from which you can choose.

You can also create objects from the Create menu by choosing an object

category and type and then clicking or dragging in a viewport to define the

object's creation parameters. The program organizes the Create menu into

these basic categories: Standard Primitives, Extended Primitives, AEC Objects,

Compound, Particles, Patch Grids, NURBS, Dynamics, Shapes, Lights, Cameras,

Helpers, Space Warps, and Systems.

See Basics of Creating and Modifying Objects on page 317 .

Selecting and Positioning Objects

You select objects by clicking or dragging a region around them. You can also

select objects by name or other properties such as color or object category.

After selecting objects, you position them in your scene using the transform

tools Move, Rotate, and Scale. Use alignment tools to precisely position objects.

See Selecting Objects on page 131 , Moving, Rotating, and Scaling Objects on

page 859 , and Precision and Drawing Aids on page 2501 .

Modifying Objects

You sculpt and edit objects into their final form by applying modifiers from

the Modify panel. The modifiers you apply to an object are stored in a stack.

You can go back at any time and change the effect of the modifier, or remove

it from the object.

See Basics of Creating and Modifying Objects on page 317 .

Using Materials

You use the Material Editor to design materials and maps to control the

appearance of object surfaces. Maps can also be used to control the appearance

of environmental effects such as lighting, fog, and the background.

Using Materials | 27

A variety of materials in the Material Editor's sample slots

28 | Chapter 2 Getting Started with 3ds Max

House on left uses the default standard material.

House on right uses a compound material.

Basic Material Properties

You set basic material properties to control such surface characteristics as

default color, shininess, and level of opacity. You can create realistic,

single-color materials using just the basic properties.

Using Maps

You extend the realism of materials by applying maps to control surface

properties such as texture, bumpiness, opacity, and reflection. Most of the

basic properties can be enhanced with a map. Any image file, such as one you

might create in a paint program, can be used as a map, or you can choose

procedural maps that create patterns based on parameters you set.

The program also includes a raytrace material and map for creating accurate

reflections and refraction.

Using Materials | 29

Viewing Materials in the Scene

You can view the effect of materials on objects in a shaded viewport, but the

display is just an approximation of the final effect. Render your scene to view

materials accurately.

See Designing Materials on page 5164 .

Placing Lights and Cameras

You place lights and cameras to complete your scene in much the same way

lights and cameras are placed on a movie set prior to filming.

Lights and cameras placed to compose a scene

30 | Chapter 2 Getting Started with 3ds Max

The resulting scene

Default Lighting

Default lighting evenly illuminates the entire scene. Such lighting is useful

while modeling, but it is not especially artistic or realistic.

Placing Lights

You create and place lights from the Lights category of the Create panel or

menu when you are ready to get more specific about the lighting in your

scene.

The program includes the following standard light types: omni, spot, and

directional lights. You can set a light to any color and even animate the color

to simulate dimming or color-shifting lights. All of these lights can cast

shadows, project maps, and use volumetric effects.

See Guidelines for Lighting on page 4906 .

Placing Lights and Cameras | 31

Photometric Lights

Photometric lights on page 4951 provide you with the ability to work more

accurately and intuitively using real-world lighting units (lumens and candelas).

Photometric lights also support industry-standard photometric file formats (

IES on page 5017 , CIBSE on page 7739 , LTLI on page 7833 ) so that you can model

the characteristics of real-world manufactured luminaires, or even drag

ready-to-use luminaires from the Web. Used in conjunction with the 3ds Max

radiosity solution on page 5976 , photometric lights let you evaluate more

accurately (both physically and quantitatively) the lighting performance of

your scene.

Photometric lights are available from the Create panel > Lights drop-down

list.

Daylight System

The Daylight system on page 5024 combines sunlight on page 7942 and skylight

on page 7931 to create a unified system that follows the geographically correct

angle and movement of the sun over the earth at a given location. You can

choose location, date, time, and compass orientation. You can also animate

the date and time. This system is suitable for shadow studies of proposed and

existing structures.

Viewing Lighting Effects in the Scene

When you place lights in a scene, the default lighting turns off and the scene

is illuminated only by the lights you create. The illumination you see in a

viewport is just an approximation of the true lighting. Render your scene to

view lighting accurately.

TIP If the Daylight system appears to wash out the scene, try using the Logarithmic

exposure control on page 6540 .

Placing Cameras

You create and place cameras from the Cameras category of the Create panel.

Cameras define viewpoints for rendering, and you can animate cameras to

produce cinematic effects such as dollies and truck shots.

You can also create a camera automatically from a Perspective viewport by

using the Create Camera from View command on page 109 found on the

Views menu. Just adjust your Perspective viewport until you like it, and then

choose Views > Create Camera From View. 3ds Max creates a camera and

32 | Chapter 2 Getting Started with 3ds Max

replaces the Perspective viewport with a Camera viewport showing the same

perspective.

See Common Camera Parameters on page 5123 .

Animating Your Scene

You can animate almost anything in your scene. Click the Auto Key button

to enable automatic animation creation, drag the time slider, and make changes

in your scene to create animated effects.

Controlling Time

The program starts each new scene with 100 frames for animation. Frames

are a way of measuring time, and you move through time by dragging the

time slider on page 7312 . You can also open the Time Configuration dialog on

page 7359 to set the number of frames used by your scene and the speed at

which the frames are displayed.

Animating Transforms and Parameters

While the Auto Key button is on, the program creates an animation key on

page 7824 whenever you transform an object or change a parameter. To animate

a parameter over a range of frames, specify the values at the first and last

frames of the range. The program calculates the values for all of the frames in

between.

See Animation Concepts and Methods on page 3002 .

Editing Animation

You edit your animation by opening the Track View window or by changing

options on the Motion panel. Track View is like a spreadsheet that displays

animation keys along a time line. You edit the animation by changing the

keys.

Track View has two modes. You can display the animation as a series of

function curves that graphically show how a value changes over time in the

Curve Editor mode. Alternatively, you can display your animation as a

sequence of keys or ranges on a grid in the Dope Sheet mode.

Animating Your Scene | 33

See Track View on page 3426 .

Rendering Your Scene

Rendering "fills in" geometry with color, shadow, lighting effects, and so on.

Use the rendering features to define an environment and to produce the final

output from your scene.

Defining Environments and Backgrounds

Rarely do you want to render your scene against the default background color.

Open the Environment And Effects dialog > Environment panel on page 6486

to define a background for your scene, or to set up effects such as fog.

Setting Rendering Options

To set the size and quality of your final output, you can choose from many

options on the Render Scene dialog on page 5878 . You have full control over

professional grade film and video properties as well as effects such as reflection,

antialiasing, shadow properties, and motion blur.

34 | Chapter 2 Getting Started with 3ds Max

Rendering Images and Animation

You render a single image by setting the renderer to render a single frame of

your animation. You specify what type of image file to produce and where

the program stores the file.

Rendering an animation is the same as rendering a single image except that

you set the renderer to render a sequence of frames. You can choose to render

an animation to multiple single frame files or to popular animation formats

such as AVI or MOV.

See Render Scene Dialog on page 5878 .

The 3ds Max Window

1. Menu bar

2. Window/Crossing selection toggle

3. Snap tools

4. Command panels

5. Object categories

The 3ds Max Window | 35

6. Rollout

7. Active viewport

8. Viewport navigation controls

9. Animation playback controls

10. Animation keying controls

11. Absolute/Relative coordinate toggle and coordinate display

12. Prompt line and status bar

13. MAXScript mini-listener

14. Track bar

15. Time slider

16. Main toolbar

Most of the main window is occupied by the viewports, where you view and

work with your scene. The remaining areas of the window hold controls and

show status information.

One of the most important aspects of using 3ds Max is its versatility. Many

program functions are available from multiple user-interface elements. For

example, you can open Track View for animation control from the Main

toolbar as well as the Graph Editors menu, but the easiest way to get to a

specific object's track in Track View is to right-click the object, and then choose

Track View Selected from the quad menu.

You can customize the user interface in a variety of ways: by adding keyboard

shortcuts, moving toolbars and command panels around, creating new toolbars

and tool buttons, and even recording scripts into toolbar buttons.

MAXScript lets you create and use custom commands in the built-in scripting

language. For more information, access the MAXScript Reference from the

Help menu.

Menu Bar

A standard Windows menu bar with typical File on page 7259 , Edit on page

7260 , and Help on page 7281 menus. Special menus include:

■Tools on page 7260 contains duplicates of many of the Main toolbar

commands.

■Tools on page 7260 contains many important program functions, including

precision functions.

■Group on page 7262 contains commands for managing combined objects.

36 | Chapter 2 Getting Started with 3ds Max

■Views on page 7262 contains commands for setting up and controlling the

viewports.

■Create on page 7263 contains commands for creating objects.

■Modifiers on page 7270 contains commands for modifying objects.

■Animation on page 7275 contains commands for animating and constraining

objects, plus commands such as Bone Tools for setting up animated

characters.

■Graph Editors on page 7278 provides graphical access to editing objects and

animation: Track View lets you open and manage animation tracks in

Track View on page 3426 windows, and Schematic View on page 7197 gives

you an alternate way to work with the objects in your scene and navigate

to them.

■Rendering on page 7278 contains commands for rendering, Video Post,

radiosity, on page 5976 and the environment.

■Rendering on page 7278 contains commands for rendering, using radiosity

on page 5976 , and changing the environment.

■Customize on page 7279 gives you access to controls that let you customize

the user interface.

■MAXScript on page 7280 has commands for working with MAXScript, the

built-in scripting language.

For more information about the 3ds Max menus, see Menu Bar on page 7257 .

Time Controls

The Auto Key button on page 3007 turns on animation mode. The other controls

navigate through time and play back an animation.

Command Panel

This collection of six panels provides handy access to most of the modeling

and animation commands.

You can "tear off" the command panel and place it anywhere you like.

By default, the command panel is docked at the right of your screen. You can

access a menu that lets you float on page 7761 or dismiss the command panel

by right-clicking just above it. If it is not displayed, or you want to change its

The 3ds Max Window | 37

location and docking or floating status, right-click in a blank area of any

toolbar, and choose from the shortcut menu.

■Create on page 7423 holds all object creation tools.

■Modify on page 7425 holds modifiers and editing tools.

■Hierarchy on page 7453 holds linking and inverse kinematics parameters.

■Motion on page 7455 holds animation controllers and trajectories.

■Display on page 7457 holds object display controls.

■Utilities on page 7463 holds miscellaneous utilities.

Status Bar and Prompt Line

These two lines display prompts and information about your scene and the

active command. They also contain system toggles controlling selections,

precision, and display properties. See Status Bar Controls on page 7308 .

Viewports

You can display from one to four viewports. These can show multiple views

of the same geometry, as well as the Track View, Schematic View, and other

informational displays . See Viewports on page 7366 .

Viewport Navigation Buttons

The button cluster at the lower-right corner of the main window contains

controls for zooming, panning, and navigating within the viewports. See

Viewport Controls on page 7366 .

Special Controls

3ds Max uses some special user interface controls, which are described in this

topic.

■Right-click menus on page 39

■Flyouts on page 39

■Rollouts on page 40

■Scrolling panels and toolbars on page 40

38 | Chapter 2 Getting Started with 3ds Max

■Spinners on page 41

■Numerical Expression Evaluator on page 41

■Entering numbers on page 42

■Controls and color on page 42

■Undoing actions on page 43

Right-Click Menus

The program uses several different types of right-click menus.

For object editing and ActiveShade control on page 5919 , you use the quad

menu on page 7300 . Commands on the quad menu vary depending on the

kind of object you are editing and the mode you are in.

Right-clicking a viewport label displays the viewport right-click menu on page

7370 , which lets you change viewport display settings, choose which view

appears in the viewport, and so on.

Also, the command panel and the Material Editor have right-click menus that

let you manage rollouts and navigate the panel quickly. And most other

windows, including Schematic View and Track View, have right-click menus

that provide fast access to commonly used functions.

Flyouts

1. Flyout arrow

2. Flyout buttons

A flyout on page 7789 is similar to a menu, except that its items are buttons.

A flyout button is indicated by a small arrow in the lower-right corner. To

display the flyout, click and hold the button for a moment, then choose a

button by dragging the cursor to it and then releasing the mouse button.

Special Controls | 39

NOTE You can define customized text annotations for flyouts by editing the

maxstart.cui file. See Customize Menu on page 7279 .

Rollouts

Rollouts are areas in the command panels and dialogs that you can expand

(roll out) or collapse (roll in) to manage screen space. In the illustration above,

the Keyboard entry rollout is collapsed, as indicated by the + sign, and the

Parameters rollout is expanded, as indicated by the − sign.

To open and close a rollout:

■Click the rollout title bar to toggle between expanded and collapsed.

To move a rollout:

■You can move a rollout in the expanded or collapsed state. To move the

rollout, drag the rollout title bar to another location on the command

panel or dialog. As you drag, a semi-transparent image of the rollout title

bar follows the mouse cursor. When the mouse is positioned over or near

a qualifying position for the rollout, a blue, horizontal line appears at the

position where the rollout will drop when you release the mouse button.

Scrolling Panels and Toolbars

Sometimes a command panel or dialog is not large enough to display all of

its rollouts. In this case, a pan ("hand") cursor appears over the inactive parts

of the panel. You can scroll command panels and dialogs vertically, and you

can scroll a toolbar along its major axis.

To scroll a panel:

1Place the pointer over an empty area of a panel to display the pan cursor.

2When the pointer icon changes to a hand, drag the panel up or down.

A thin scroll bar also appears on the right side of the scrolling panel. You

can use the pointer to drag the scroll bar as well.

40 | Chapter 2 Getting Started with 3ds Max

To scroll a toolbar:

You can scroll a toolbar only when some tool buttons are not visible. This

typically occurs when the program window is smaller than full screen.

1First, follow either of the procedures below:

■Place the pointer over an empty area of a toolbar to display the pan

cursor.

■Place the pointer over any part of a toolbar, then press and hold the

middle mouse button.

2When the pointer icon changes to a hand, drag the toolbar horizontally.

Spinners

A spinner is a mouse-based control for numeric fields. You can click or drag

the spinner arrows to change the value in the field.

To change a value using a spinner, do any of the following:

1Click the spinner's up arrow to increment the value; click the down arrow

to decrement the value. Click and hold for continuous change.

2Drag upward to increase the value, or drag downward to decrease it.

3Press Ctrl while you drag to increase the rate at which the value changes.

4Press Alt while you drag to decrease the rate at which the value changes.

5Right-click a spinner to reset the field to its minimum value.

Numerical Expression Evaluator

While a numeric field is active, you can display a calculator called the

Numerical Expression Evaluator. To display the calculator, press Ctrl+N.

Special Controls | 41

The expression you enter is evaluated, and its result is displayed in the Result

field. Click Paste to replace the field value with the result of the calculation.

Click Cancel to exit the Expression Evaluator.

The expressions you can enter are described in Expression Techniques on

page 299 . You can't use variables in the Expression Evaluator, but you can

enter the constants pi (circular ratio), e (natural logarithm base), and TPS (ticks

per second). These constants are case-sensitive: the Expression Evaluator does

not recognize PI, E, or tps.

You can also enter a vector expression or an Expression Controller function

call, but the result of the expression or function must be a scalar value.

Otherwise, the Expression Evaluator won't evaluate it.

Entering Numbers

You can change a numeric value by a relative offset by highlighting the

contents of a numeric field (not in the Numerical Expression Evaluator) and

typing R or r followed by the offset amount.

For example, a Radius field shows 70 and you highlight it:

■If you enter R30, 30 is added to the radius and the value changes to 100.

■If you enter R-30, 30 is subtracted from the radius and the value changes

to 40.

Controls and Color

The user interface uses color cues to remind you what state the program is in.

NOTE You can customize most of these colors by using the Colors panel on page

7505 of the Customize User Interface dialog on page 7489 .

■Red for animation: The Auto Key button, the time slider background, and

the border of the active viewport turn red when you are in Animate mode.

42 | Chapter 2 Getting Started with 3ds Max

■Yellow for modal function buttons: When you turn on a button that puts

you in a generic creation or editing mode, the button turns yellow.

■Yellow for special action modes: When you turn on a button that alters

the normal behavior of other functions, the button is highlighted in yellow.

Common examples of this behavior include sub-object selection and

locking your current selection set.

You can exit a functional mode by clicking another modal button. Other exit

methods supported by some buttons include right-clicking in a viewport, or

clicking the modal button a second time.

Undoing Actions

You can easily undo changes you make to your scene and your viewports.

There are separate Undo buffers for both the scene objects and each viewport.

Use the toolbar Undo and Redo buttons on page 202 or the Edit menu > Undo

and Redo commands to reverse the effects of most scene operations. You can

also use Ctrl+Z for Undo and Ctrl+Y for Redo. Most things you do in the

program can be undone.

Use the Views menu > Undo and Redo commands on page 87 to reverse the

effects of most viewport operations, such as zooming and panning. You can

also use Shift+Z for Undo View Change and Shift+Y for Redo View Change.

You can also undo actions by using the Hold and Fetch commands on the

Edit menu. Choose Edit menu > Hold to save a copy of your scene in a

temporary file. Then choose Edit menu > Fetch to discard your current scene

and revert to the held scene at any time.

Special Controls | 43

Managing Files

File-management dialogs

3ds Max supports many types of files for working with plug-ins, image maps,

models from other programs, rendering images and animations, and of course

saving and opening your scene files.

File dialogs (such as Open, Save, Save As) uniformly remember the previous

path you used, and default to that location.

Configuring File Paths

The locations that 3ds Max searches to locate all file types are specified on

the Customize menu > Configure Paths dialogs on page 7519 .

44 | Chapter 2 Getting Started with 3ds Max

You can choose to open and save files in any path location. The Configure

Paths dialog contains four panels for the general categories of support files.

Setting General File Paths

The File I/O panel on page 7524 contains paths for most of the standard support

files. You can specify one path for each of file types 3ds Max uses.

Setting Plug-In File Paths

Many features of 3ds Max are implemented as plug-ins. This means you can

change and extend 3ds Max functionality by adding new plug-ins from

Autodesk Media and Entertainment or from third-party developers.

You tell 3ds Max where to find additional plug-in files by adding path entries

on the 3rd Party Plug-Ins panel on page 7532 . If you place all of your plug-ins

in a single directory, plug-in file management can become messy. That's why

the program supports multiple entries on the 3rd Party Plug-Ins panel.

Setting Bitmap, FX, and Download File Paths

The External Files panel on page 7526 contains multiple path entries that the

program searches for image files on page 7116 , downloaded files (via i-drop

Managing Files | 45

on page 6957 ), and FX files on page 7794 . Image files are used for many purposes,

such as material and map definition, light projections, and environment

effects.

Setting XRefs File Paths

The XRefs panel on page 7529 contains multiple path entries that the program

uses to search for externally referenced files. These are used for sharing files

in a workgroup situation.

Importing, Merging, Replacing, and Externally

Referencing Scenes

Gear model imported to become part of another scene

46 | Chapter 2 Getting Started with 3ds Max

You can realize great productivity gains when you reuse work by combining

geometry from scenes or other programs. 3ds Max supports this technique

with the Import, Merge, and Replace commands. You can also share scenes

and objects with others working on the same project using XRef functionality.

Importing Geometry from Other Programs

Use File menu > Import on page 6892 to bring objects from other programs

into a scene. The types of files that you can import are listed in the Files Of

Type list in the Select File To Import dialog.

Depending on the file type you choose, you might have options available for

that import plug-in.

Merging Scenes Together

Importing, Merging, Replacing, and Externally Referencing Scenes | 47

Pipe and ashtray models merged into one scene

Use Merge on page 6854 to combine multiple scenes into a single large scene.

When you merge a file, you can select which objects to merge. If objects being

merged have the same name as objects in your scene, you have the option to

rename or skip over the merged objects.

Merging Animation into Scenes

Use Merge Animation on page 6859 to merge the animation from one scene

into another with the same (or similar) geometry.

Replacing Scene Objects

Use Replace on page 6866 to replace objects in your scene with objects in

another scene that have duplicate names. Replace is useful when you want to

set up and animate your scene with simplified objects, and then replace the

simple objects with detailed objects before rendering.

The Replace dialog looks and functions the same as Merge, except that it lists

only objects that have the same name as objects in your current scene.

48 | Chapter 2 Getting Started with 3ds Max

Using External References

Use XRef Objects on page 6732 and XRef Scenes on page 6755 to use objects

and scene setups in your scene that are actually referenced from external MAX

files. These functions allow sharing files with others in your workgroup, with

options for updating and protecting external files.

Using the Asset Browser

Left: Dragging geometry into the scene

Right: Dragging a bitmap onto the geometry

The Asset Browser provides access from your desktop to design content on

the World Wide Web. From within 3ds Max you can browse the Internet for

texture samples and product models. This includes bitmap textures (BMP,

JPG, GIF, TIF, and TGA) and geometry files (MAX, 3DS, and so on).

You can drag these samples and models into your scene for immediate

visualization and presentation. You can snap geometry into predefined

locations, or drag and drop them interactively in your scene.

Using the Asset Browser | 49

You can also use the Asset Browser to browse thumbnail displays of bitmap

textures and geometry files on your hard disk or shared network drives. Then

you can either view them or drag and drop them into your scene or into valid

map buttons or slots.

NOTE The thumbnail display of a geometry file is a bitmap representation of a

view of the geometry. Since the thumbnail display is not a vector-based

representation, you can't rotate it or perform zooms on it.

You can drag and drop most graphic images that are embedded in a Web page

into your scene. The exception is images or regions of a Web page that are

tagged as hyperlinks or other HTML controls (such as when a bitmap is tagged

as a button).

IMPORTANT Downloaded content might be subject to use restrictions or the

license of the site owner. You are responsible for obtaining all content license

rights.

For complete details, see Asset Browser on page 6928 .

Startup Files and Defaults

When you start 3ds Max, several auxiliary files load, setting things like program

defaults and UI layout. You can even create a scene, named maxstart.max ,

that automatically loads when you start or reset the program. In some cases,

the program updates files when you change settings and when you quit the

program.

NOTE 3ds Max comes with several different market-specific defaults on page 7486

. These set different program defaults on startup, based on the type of files you

expect to work on most often. You can load the preset defaults that come with

3ds Max, or you can create your own.

In general, you don't need to work directly with the auxiliary files, but it's

good to know about them. Among the auxiliary files the program uses are:

■3dsmax.ini on page 51 : This file gets updated when you start and exit

3ds Max, as well as when you change most Preferences settings. It contains

values relating to program defaults, including the graphics driver, directories

used to access external files such as sounds and images, preset render sizes,

dialog positions, snap settings, and other preferences and default settings.

If you edit this file, be sure to make a copy first, so you can return to the

original if anything goes wrong.

50 | Chapter 2 Getting Started with 3ds Max

NOTE Many program defaults are set in currentdefaults.ini , found within the

\defaults directory. For more information on this file, see Market-Specific

Defaults on page 7486 .

■maxstart.max : At startup and when you reset the program, 3ds Max looks

for this file in the MaxStart folder specified in Configure User Paths > File

I/O panel on page 7524 , and if found, loads it. This allows you to specify

the default state of the workspace whenever you start or reset the program.

For example, if you always use a ground plane, you can make it the default

setup by creating one, and then saving it as maxstart.max .

If you save a different file over maxstart.max , you can return to program

defaults by deleting the maxstart.max file, and then resetting the program

■maxstart.cui : This is the default custom user interface file. You can load

and save CUI files, and set the program to use a different default CUI file.

See Customize Menu on page 7279 .

■plugin.ini: This file contains directory paths for plug-ins. Most other paths

are kept in the program INI file, but plugin.ini is maintained as a separate

file because third-party plug-ins often add entries to the list at installation.

NOTE It is possible to use multiple plug-in configuration files by nesting

additional paths in your plugin.ini file. This can be very useful for allowing an

entire network of users to share one plugin.ini file, making the system easier to

maintain for the network administrator. For more information, see Network

Plug-In Configuration on page 7533 .

■startup.ms: A MAXScript file that automatically executes at startup time.

For more information, see Startup Script on page 7938 .

■splash.bmp: To substitute a custom splash screen (startup screen) for the

default image, copy any Windows Bitmap (.bmp) file into the program root

directory and rename it splash.bmp. The program will thereafter use this

image at startup.

3dsmax .ini File

The file 3ds Max uses to store settings between sessions is named 3dsmax.ini .

By default, you can find it in the location indicated by the MaxData setting

on the Configure System Paths dialog on page 7523 .

3dsmax .ini File | 51

You can make changes to 3ds Max startup conditions by editing the 3dsmax.ini

file in a text editor such as Notepad. If you do edit the file, be sure to maintain

the structure and syntax of the original file.

TIP If you encounter unusual and unexplained user-interface problems using 3ds

Max, try deleting the 3dsmax.ini file and restarting. 3ds Max writes a new INI file

to replace the deleted one. Often this fixes problems related to the state of the

user interface.

NOTE Startup scene conditions are defined by the maxstart.max file. To save a

particular startup condition, such as a Plane object representing the ground, create

a scene file with the condition present and then save it as maxstart.max . 3ds Max

automatically opens this file when you start 3ds Max.

The 3dsmax.ini file includes the following categories of settings:

[Directories] Defines the default paths for various file operations.

[Performance] Controls that speed up viewport performance.

[PlugInKeys] Turns on or off the keyboard shortcuts for plug-ins.

[Renderer] Controls for rendering alpha and filter backgrounds.

[RenderPresets] Defines the paths for Rendering Preset files.

[BitmapDirs] Defines the default map paths for bitmaps used by materials.

[Modstack] Controls modifier stack button sets and icon display.

[WindowState] Settings for software display, OpenGL, or Direct3D drivers.

[CustomMenus] Defines path for the .mnu file.

[CustomColors] Defines the path for the .clr file.

[KeyboardFile] Defines the path for the .kbd file.

[Material Editor] Material Editor settings.

[ObjectSnapSettings] Settings associated with snaps.

[CommandPanel] Sets number of columns, and controls rollout display in

multiple columns.

52 | Chapter 2 Getting Started with 3ds Max

Backing Up and Archiving Scenes

You should regularly back up and archive your work. One convenient method

is to save incremental copies of your scenes. This method creates a history of

your work process.

Saving Incremental Files

If you turn on the Increment On Save option on the Files panel on page 7541

of the Preferences dialog, the current scene is renamed by appending a

two-digit number to the end of the file and incrementing the number each

time you save. For example, if you open a file named myfile.max and then save

it, the saved file is named myfile01.max. Each time you save the file its name

is incremented, producing the files myfile02.max, myfile03.max, and so on.

You can also use Save As on page 6724 to increment the file name manually

with a two-digit number by clicking the increment button (+) on the Save As

dialog.

Using Auto Backup

You can automatically save backup files at regular intervals by setting the

Auto Backup options on page 7544 on the Preferences dialog (see File Preferences

on page 7541 ). The backup files are named AutoBackupN.max, where N is a

number from 1 to 99, and stored, by default, in the \autoback folder. You can

load a backup file like any other scene file.

Archiving a Scene

3ds Max scenes can make use of many different files. When you want to

exchange scenes with other users or store scenes for archival purposes, you

often need to save more than just the scene file.

Use the File menu > Archive command on page 6918 to pass the scene file and

any bitmap files used in the scene to an archiving program compatible with

PKZIP® software.

Crash Recovery System

If 3ds Max encounters an unexpected crash, it attempts to recover and save

the file currently in memory. This is fairly reliable, but it does not always work:

the recovered scene could be damaged during the crash.

Backing Up and Archiving Scenes | 53

The recovered file is stored in the configured Auto Backup path. It is saved as

"<filename>_recover.max " in this path. It is also placed in the INI file as the

most recently used file in the File menu. This makes it easy to return to the

file, if you choose to do so.

The crash recovery system identifies when something in an object's modifier

stack is corrupt. In these cases, the corrupt object is replaced with a red dummy

object to maintain the object's position and any linked object hierarchy.

NOTE We recommend that you not rely on this file-recovery mechanism as an

alternative to good data backup practices:

■Save your work frequently.

■Take advantage of automatic incremental file naming: Go to Customize

menu > Preferences > Files panel on page 7541 > File Handling group, and

turn on Increment On Save.

■Use File menu > Save As, and click the Increment button (+) to save

incremental copies of work in progress.

■If you are forgetful about saving, use the Auto Backup feature. Go to

Customize menu > Preferences > Files tab > Auto Backup group, and turn

on Enable.

54 | Chapter 2 Getting Started with 3ds Max

Viewing and Navigating

3D Space

Everything in 3ds Max is located in a three-dimensional world. You have a variety of options

for viewing this enormous stage-like space, from the tiniest details to the full extent of your

scene.

Using the view options discussed in this section you move from one view to another, as your

work and imagination require. You can fill your screen with a single, large viewport, or set

multiple viewports to track various aspects of your scene. For exact positioning, flat drawing

views are available, as are 3D perspective on page 7891 and axonometric views on page 7722 .

You navigate 3D space by adjusting the position, rotation and magnification of your views.

You have full control over how objects are rendered and displayed on the screen.

You can also use the Grab Viewport command on page 85 to create snapshots of your work

as you go.

This section presents these brief topics designed to help you quickly start learning how to

organize viewports and navigate through 3D space:

General Viewport Concepts on page 56

Home Grid: Views Based on the World Coordinate Axes on page 58

Understanding Views on page 61

Setting Viewport Layout on page 65

Controlling Viewport Rendering on page 68

Controlling Display Performance on page 70

Using Standard View Navigation on page 71

Zooming, Panning, and Rotating Views on page 72

Navigating Camera and Light Views on page 79

Grab Viewport on page 85

For details about viewport commands, see Viewport Controls on page 7366 .

General Viewport Concepts

The 3ds Max main window, with a docked toolbar and viewport layout displaying

multiple views.

Viewports are openings into the three-dimensional space of your scene, like

windows looking into an enclosed garden or atrium. But viewports are more

than passive observation points. While creating a scene, you can use them as

dynamic and flexible tools to understand the 3D relationships among objects.

At times you might want to look at your scene through a large, undivided

viewport, giving you a "picture-window" view of the world you’re creating.

Often you use multiple viewports, each set to a different orientation.

If you want to move an object horizontally in the world space, you might do

this in a top viewport, looking directly down on the object as you move it. At

the same time, you could be watching a shaded perspective viewport to see

56 | Chapter 3 Viewing and Navigating 3D Space

when the object you’re moving slides behind another. Using the two windows

together, you can get exactly the position and alignment you want.

You also have pan and zoom features available in either view, as well as grid

alignment. With a few mouse clicks or keystrokes, you can reach any level of

detail you need for the next step in your work.

Another way to use viewports is to place a camera in your scene and set a

viewport to look through its lens. When you move the camera, the viewport

tracks the change. You can do the same thing with spotlights.

In addition to geometry, viewports can display other views such as Track View

and Schematic View, which display the structure of the scene and the

animation. Viewports can be extended to display other tools such as the

MAXScript Listener and the Asset Browser. For interactive rendering, the

viewport can display the ActiveShade window.

Active Viewport

One viewport, marked with a highlighted border, is always active. The active

viewport is where commands and other actions take effect. Only one viewport

can be in the active state at a time. If other viewports are visible, they are set

for observation only; unless disabled, they simultaneously track actions taken

in the active viewport.

Saving the Active Viewport

You can save the view in any active viewport and later restore it with the

Views menu's Save Active View on page 88 and Restore Active View on page

88 commands. One view can be saved for each of the following view types:

Top, Bottom, Left, Right, Front, Back, User, Perspective.

For example, while in the Front view, you choose Save Active Front View, and

then zoom and pan that view. You then activate the Top viewport, choose

Save Active Top View, and then click Zoom Extents. You return to the Front

view, and choose Restore Active Front View to return to its original zoom and

pan. At any time, you can activate the Top viewport, and then choose Restore

Active Top View to restore its saved view.

General Viewport Concepts | 57

Home Grid:Views Based on the World

Coordinate Axes

The grid you see in each viewport represents one of three planes that intersect

at right angles to one another at a common point called the origin. Intersection

occurs along three lines (the world coordinate axes: X, Y, and Z) familiar from

geometry as the basis of the Cartesian coordinate system.

Home Grid

Using the home grid to position houses

The three planes based on the world coordinate axes are called the home grid;

this is the basic reference system of the 3D world.

To simplify the positioning of objects, only one plane of the home grid is

visible in each viewport. The figure shows all three planes as they would appear

if you could see them in a single perspective viewport.

58 | Chapter 3 Viewing and Navigating 3D Space

Axes, Planes, and Views

Home grid axes and planes

Two axes define each plane of the home grid. In the default Perspective

viewport, you are looking across the XY plane (ground plane), with the X axis

running left-to-right, and the Y axis running front-to-back. The third axis, Z,

runs vertically through this plane at the origin.

Home Grid:Views Based on the World Coordinate Axes | 59

Home Grid and Grid Objects

Above: Inactive grid object in a scene

Below: Activated grid object

The home grid is aligned with the world coordinate axes. You can turn it on

and off for any viewport, but you can’t change its orientation.

For flexibility, the home grid is supplemented by grid objects: independent

grids you can place anywhere, at any angle, aligned with any object or surface.

They function as "construction planes" you can use once and discard or save

for reuse. See Precision and Drawing Aids on page 2501 .

60 | Chapter 3 Viewing and Navigating 3D Space

AutoGrid

The AutoGrid feature lets you create and activate temporary grid objects on

the fly. This lets you create geometry off the face of any object by first creating

the temporary grid, then the object. You also have the option to make the

temporary grids permanent. See AutoGrid on page 2513 .

Understanding Views

There are two types of views visible in viewports:

■Axonometric views on page 7722 show the scene without perspective. All

lines in the model are parallel to one another. The Top, Front, Left, and

User viewports are axonometric views.

Axonometric view of a scene

Understanding Views | 61

■Perspective views on page 7891 show the scene with lines that converge at

the horizon. The Perspective and Camera viewports are examples of

perspective views.

Perspective view of the same model

Perspective views most closely resemble human vision, where objects appear

to recede into the distance, creating a sense of depth and space. Axonometric

views provide an undistorted view of the scene for accurate scaling and

placement. A common workflow is to use axonometric views to create the

scene, then use a perspective view to render the final output.

Axonometric Views

There are two types of axonometric views you can use in viewports:

orthographic and rotated.

An orthographic view on page 7877 is a straight-on view of the scene, such as

the view shown in the Top, Front, and Left viewports. You can set a viewport

to a specific orthographic view using the viewport right-click menu on page

7370 or keyboard shortcuts on page 7645 . For example, to set an active viewport

to Left view, press L.

62 | Chapter 3 Viewing and Navigating 3D Space

You can also rotate an orthographic view to see the scene from an angle while

retaining parallel projection. This type of view is represented by a User

viewport.

Perspective Views

A perspective viewport, labeled Perspective, is one of the startup viewports in

3ds Max. You can change any active viewport to this "eye-like" point of view

by pressing P.

Camera View

Once you create a camera object in your scene, you can change the active

viewport to a camera view by pressing C and then selecting from a list of

cameras in your scene. You can also create a camera view directly from a

perspective viewport, using the Create Camera from View on page 109

command.

A camera viewport tracks the view through the lens of the selected camera.

As you move the camera (or target) in another viewport, you see the scene

move accordingly. This is the advantage of the Camera view over the

Perspective view, which can't be animated over time.

If you turn on Orthographic Projection on a camera’s Parameters rollout, that

camera produces an axonometric view like a User view. See Cameras on page

5106 .

Understanding Views | 63

The viewport on the right is seen through a camera in the scene.

Two and Three-Point Perspective and the Camera Correction Modifier

By default, camera views use three-point perspective, in which vertical lines

appear to converge with height (in traditional photography this is known as

keystoning). The Camera Correction modifier on page 5160 applies two-point

perspective to a camera view. In two-point perspective, vertical lines remain

vertical. A similar effect can be attained by putting a Skew modifier on a

camera.

Light View

Light view works much like a targeted camera view. You first create a spotlight

or directional light and then set the active viewport to that spotlight. The

easiest way is to press the keyboard shortcut $. See Lights on page 4890 .

64 | Chapter 3 Viewing and Navigating 3D Space

The viewport on the right looks through the lens of a spotlight in the scene.

Setting Viewport Layout

3ds Max defaults to a two-over-two arrangement of viewports. Thirteen other

layouts are possible, but the maximum number of viewports on the screen

remains four.

Using the Layout panel on page 7617 of the Viewport Configuration dialog,

you can pick from the different layouts and customize the viewports in each.

Your viewport configuration is saved with your work.

Setting Viewport Layout | 65

Resizing the Viewport

After choosing a layout you can resize the viewports so they have different

proportions by moving the splitter bars that separate the viewports. This is

only available when multiple viewports are displayed.

Resized viewport

66 | Chapter 3 Viewing and Navigating 3D Space

Changing the View Type

As you work, you can quickly change the view in any viewport. For example,

you can switch from front view to back view. You can use either of two

methods: menu or keyboard shortcut.

■Right-click the label of the viewport you want to change and click Views.

Then, click the view type that you want.

■Click the viewport you want to change, and then press one of the keyboard

shortcuts in the following table.

View typeKey

Top viewT

Bottom viewB

Front viewF

Left viewL

Camera view. If your scene has only one

camera, or you select a camera before using

this keyboard shortcut, that camera supplies

the view. If your scene has more than one

camera, and none are selected, a list of

cameras appears.

Perspective view. Retains viewing angle of

previous view.

User (axonometric) view. Retains viewing

angle of previous view. Allows use of on

page 7392 .

Right view. Use viewport right-click menu.none

Shape view. Use viewport right-click menu.

Automatically aligns view to the extents of

a selected shape and its local XY axes.

none

Setting Viewport Layout | 67

See also:

■Viewport Layout on page 7617

■Camera Viewport Controls on page 7397

■Spotlight Parameters on page 5051

■Precision and Drawing Aids on page 2501

■Track View on page 3426

Controlling Viewport Rendering

Box display, wireframe display, and smooth shading

You can choose from multiple options to display your scene. You can display

objects as simple boxes, or render them with smooth shading and texture

mapping. If you want, you can choose a different display method for each

viewport.

68 | Chapter 3 Viewing and Navigating 3D Space

TIP If you want to display individual objects as wireframe, you can use Wireframe

materials. If you want individual objects to display as boxes, you can select the

object and choose Display as Box on the Display properties rollout on the display

panel.

Using Viewport Rendering Controls

Viewport rendering options are found on the Rendering Method panel on

page 7611 of the Viewport Configuration dialog. Using this panel you choose

a rendering level and any options associated with that level. You can then

choose whether to apply those settings to the active viewport or all viewports,

or to all but the active viewport.

The rendering level you choose is determined by your need for realistic display,

accuracy, and speed. For example, Box Mode display is much faster than

Smooth Shading with Highlights. The more realistic the rendering level, the

slower the display speed.

After choosing a rendering level, you can set rendering options. Different

options are available for different rendering levels.

You can also use ActiveShade on page 5918 in a viewport. This feature helps

you quickly preview changes you make to lighting and materials.

Viewport rendering has no effect on final renderings produced by clicking

Render Scene.

Rendering Methods and Display Speed

The rendering methods not only affect the quality of your view display, they

can also have a profound effect on display performance. Using higher quality

rendering levels and realistic options slows display performance.

After setting a rendering method, you can choose additional options that

adjust display performance. One of these controls, Adaptive Degradation,

speeds up display performance when you use realistic rendering levels.

TIP If your scene mysteriously disappears and only displays as boxes when you

rotate your viewport, you have pressed the “o” key on the keyboard, and

unintentionally turned on Adaptive Degradation.

See Rendering Method on page 7611 .

Controlling Viewport Rendering | 69

Controlling Display Performance

3ds Max contains controls to help you adjust display performance: the balance

between quality and time in displaying objects.

Depending on your needs, you might give up some display speed to work at

higher levels of rendering quality, or you might choose to maximize display

speed by using Wireframe or Bounding Box display. Which method you choose

depends on your preferences and the requirements of your work.

Display Performance Controls

You use display performance controls to determine how objects are rendered

and displayed.

Viewport Preferences

The Customize > Preferences dialog's Viewports panel contains options for

fine-tuning the performance of the viewport display software. See Viewport

Preferences on page 7545 .

How Objects Are Displayed

To see and modify an object's display properties, right-click the object, select

Properties, and go to the Display Properties group box; see Object Properties

on page 245 . These options affect display performance much the same way as

viewport rendering options. For example, turning on Vertex Ticks for an object

with a lot of vertices will slow performance.

NOTE Display Properties are only available when the By Object/By Layer toggle

is set to By Object.

To see and modify how objects are displayed, you can use layers on page 7224

. You can then quickly control the visibility and editability of similar objects

from the quad menu.

Which Objects Are Displayed

One way to increase display speed is not to display something. You can use

the Hide and Freeze functions on the Display panel, quad menu, Layer

Manager on page 7227 , and Scene Explorer on page 7171 to change the display

state of objects in your scene. The Hide and Freeze features also affect final

70 | Chapter 3 Viewing and Navigating 3D Space

Rendering and Video Post output. See Hide Rollout on page 120 and Freeze

Rollout on page 122 .

Setting Adaptive Degradation

Adaptive Degradation dynamically adjusts viewport rendering levels to

maintain a desired level of display speed. You have direct control over how

much "degradation" occurs and when it occurs.

The active levels determine which rendering levels 3ds Max falls back to when

it cannot maintain the desired display speed. You can choose as many levels

as you want but you are advised to choose only one or two levels for each

type of degradation.

See Adaptive Degradation on page 7704 .

Using Standard View Navigation

To navigate through your scene, use the view navigation buttons located at

the lower-right corner of the program window. All view types, except Camera

and Light views, use a standard set of view navigation buttons.

The standard navigation

controls

Button Operation

Clicking standard view navigation buttons produces one of two results:

■Executes the command and returns to your previous action.

■Activates a view navigation mode.

You can tell that you are in a navigation mode because the button remains

highlighted (orange background). This mode remains active until you

right-click or choose another command.

While in a navigation mode, you can activate other viewports of the same

type, without exiting the mode, by clicking in any viewport. See Viewport

Controls on page 7366 .

Using Standard View Navigation | 71

Undoing Standard View Navigation Commands

Use the Undo View Change and Redo View Change commands on page 87

on the Views menu to reset standard view navigation commands without

affecting other viewports or the geometry in your scene. These commands are

also found in the menu displayed when you right-click a viewport label. Or

you can use the keyboard shortcuts: Shift+Z for Undo View Change and Shift+Y

for Redo View Change.

Views menu > Undo View Change and Views menu > Redo View Change are

different from Undo and Redo commands on the Edit menu and main toolbar.

3ds Max maintains separate Undo/Redo buffers for scene editing and for each

viewport.

The View Change Undo/Redo buffer stores your last 20 view navigation

commands for each viewport. You can step back through the Undo View/Redo

View buffer until you have undone all of the stored view-navigation

commands.

Zooming, Panning, and Rotating Views

Before and after zooming a viewport

Before and after rotating a viewport

72 | Chapter 3 Viewing and Navigating 3D Space

When you click one of the view navigation buttons, you can change these

basic view properties:

View magnification Controls zooming in and out.

View position Controls panning in any direction.

View rotation Controls rotating in any direction

Zooming a View

Click Zoom on page 7385 or Zoom All on page 7386 and drag in a

viewport to change the view magnification. Zoom changes only the active

view, while Zoom All simultaneously changes all non-camera views.

If a perspective view is active, you can also click Field of View (FOV)

on page 7389 . The effect of changing FOV is similar to changing the lens on a

camera. As FOV gets larger you see more of your scene and perspective becomes

distorted, similar to using a wide-angle lens. As FOV gets smaller you see less

of your scene and the perspective flattens, similar to using a telephoto lens.

WARNING Be cautious using extreme Field of View settings. These can produce

unexpected results.

Zooming a Region

Click on page 7392 to drag a rectangular region within the active

viewport and magnify that region to fill the viewport. Zoom Region is available

for all standard views.

In a perspective viewport, Zoom Region mode is available from the

Field of View flyout on page 7389 .

Zooming, Panning, and Rotating Views | 73

Zooming to Extents

Click the Zoom Extents or Zoom Extents All flyout buttons to

change the magnification and position of your view to display the extents of

objects in your scene. Your view is centered on the objects and the

magnification changed so the objects fill the viewport.

■ The Zoom Extents, Zoom Extents Selected buttons on page 7381 zoom

the active viewport to the extents of all visible or selected objects in the

scene.

■ The Zoom Extents All, Zoom Extents All Selected buttons on page

7381 zoom all viewports to the extents of all objects or the current selection.

Panning a View

Click Pan View on page 7393 and drag in a viewport to move your view

parallel to the viewport plane. You can also pan a viewport by dragging with

the middle mouse button held down while any tool is active.

Rotating a View

Click Arc Rotate, Arc Rotate on Selection, or Arc Rotate Sub-Object on

page 7395 to rotate your view around the view center, the selection, or the

current sub-object selection respectively. When you rotate an orthogonal view,

such as a Top view, it is converted to a User view.

With Arc Rotate, if objects are near the edges of the viewport they might rotate

out of view.

With Arc Rotate Selected, selected objects remain at the same position

in the viewport while the view rotates around them. If no objects are selected,

the function reverts to the standard Arc Rotate.

With Arc Rotate Sub-Object, selected sub-objects or objects remain at

the same position in the viewport while the view rotates around them.

74 | Chapter 3 Viewing and Navigating 3D Space

NOTE You can rotate a view by holding down the Alt key while you drag in a

viewport using middle-button. This uses the current Arc Rotate mode, whether or

not the Arc Rotate button is active. You can also activate Arc Rotate by pressing

Ctrl+R.

Using Walkthrough Navigation

Walkthrough navigation lets you move through a viewport by pressing a set

of shortcut keys, including the arrow keys, much as you can navigate a 3D

world in many video games.

When you enter the walkthrough navigation mode, the cursor changes to a

hollow circle that shows a directional arrow while you are pressing one of the

directional keys (forward, back, left, or right).

This feature is available for perspective and camera viewports. It is not available

for orthographic views or for spotlight viewports.

Animating a Walkthrough

When you use walkthrough navigation in a Camera viewport, you can animate

the camera walkthrough using either Auto Key on page 7344 or Set Key on

page 3010 . In either case, to get an animated camera you have to change the

frame number manually (the easiest way is to use the Time Slider on page

7312 ), and in the case of Set Key, you have to change the frame number and

click Set Keys.

TIP Select the camera before you animate it. If the camera isn't selected, its keys

won't appear in the Track Bar on page 7315 .

Procedures

To begin using walkthrough navigation, do one of the following:

1Press the Up Arrow key.

2 Click the Walk Through button on page 7383 to turn it on.

This button is found on the Pan/Truck And Walkthrough flyout on page

7383 .

Using Walkthrough Navigation | 75

To stop using walkthrough navigation, do one of the following:

1Right-click.

2Activate a different viewport.

3Change the active viewport to a different type.

4Turn on a different viewport navigation tool (such as Zoom or Pan).

5Turn on Select Object or one of the transform tools.

NOTE You do not exit walkthrough mode when you select an object or change

the viewport shading type (between shaded and wireframe, for example).

Interface

The Walk Through button is the only graphical element of the interface to

walkthrough navigation. The other features are provided by mouse actions or

by keyboard shortcuts. The following table shows the keyboard actions:

ShortcutCommand

QAccelerate Toggle

S, Down ArrowBack

ZDecelerate Toggle

Decrease Rotation Sensitivity

[Decrease Step Size

C, Shift+Down ArrowDown

W, Up ArrowForward

Increase Rotation Sensitivity

]Increase Step Size

76 | Chapter 3 Viewing and Navigating 3D Space

ShortcutCommand

Invert Vertical Rotation Toggle

A, Left ArrowLeft

Shift+SpacebarLevel

Lock Horizontal Rotation

SpacebarLock Vertical Rotation

Alt+[Reset Step Size

D, Right ArrowRight

E, Shift+Up ArrowUp

If nothing appears in the Shortcut column, no default key is assigned to this

command. You can set custom keystrokes using the Keyboard panel on page

7489 of the Customize User Interface dialog.

Forward, Backward, and Sideways Movement

For movement, you can use either the arrow keys, or letters at the left of the

keyboard pad.

TIP When you are in a Perspective viewport, you can use Undo View Change and

Redo View Change (Shift+Z, Shift+Y) to undo or redo your navigation. However,

when you are in a Camera viewport, walkthrough animation transforms the camera

object, so you must use Edit > Undo and Edit > Redo (Ctrl+Z and Ctrl+Y).

Holding down any of these keys causes the motion to be continuous.

Forward W or the Up Arrow. Moves the camera or the viewpoint forward.

NOTE If you are not already in walkthrough navigation mode, pressing Up Arrow

enters it.

Back S or Down Arrow. Moves the camera or the viewpoint backward.

Using Walkthrough Navigation | 77

When you are in a camera viewport, Forward and Back are equivalent to

dollying in or out.

Left A or Left Arrow. Moves the camera or the viewpoint to the left.

Right D or Right Arrow. Moves the camera or the viewpoint to the right.

When you are in a camera viewport, Left and Right are equivalent to trucking

left or right.

Up E or Shift+Up Arrow. Moves the camera or the viewpoint up.

Down C or Shift+Down Arrow. Moves the camera or the viewpoint down.

Acceleration and Deceleration

Accelerate Toggle and Decelerate Toggle Pressing Accelerate (Q) causes

motion to be quicker. Pressing Decelerate (Z) causes movement to be slower.

These controls are toggles: pressing the key a second time restores the default

motion rate (and pressing the alternate key turns off the first). They are

especially useful when you are navigating by holding down keys.

The acceleration and deceleration toggles are independent of the step size.

Adjusting Step Size

Increase Step Size and Decrease Step Size Pressing Increase Step Size (])

increases the motion increments when you move the camera or viewpoint.

Pressing Decrease Step Size ([) reduces them. You can press either of these

shortcuts repeatedly, to increase the effect. Changing the step size is apparent

when you navigate either by single clicks, or by holding down keys. Step size

changes are useful for adjusting movement to the scale of the scene. They are

saved with the MAX file.

Reset Step Size Pressing Reset Step Size (Alt+[) restores the step size to its

default value.

The step size is independent of acceleration or deceleration.

Rotation (Tilting)

Tilt View Click+drag to tilt the camera or viewpoint.

When you are in a camera viewport, Tilt View is equivalent to panning the

camera.

Increase Rotation Sensitivity and Decrease Rotation Sensitivity Pressing

Increase Rotation Sensitivity (no default key) increases the motion increments

78 | Chapter 3 Viewing and Navigating 3D Space

when you use Tilt View. Pressing Decrease Rotation Sensitivity (no default

key) decreases them. You can press either of these shortcuts repeatedly, to

increase the effect. They are useful for adjusting movement to the scale of the

scene. They are saved with the MAX file.

Lock Horizontal Rotation Pressing Lock Horizontal Rotation (no default key)

locks the horizontal axis, so the camera or viewpoint tilts only vertically.

Lock Vertical Rotation Pressing Lock Vertical Rotation (Spacebar) locks the

vertical axis, so the camera or viewpoint tilts only horizontally.

Invert Vertical Rotation Toggle Pressing Invert Vertical Rotation (no default

key) inverts the tilt direction when you drag the mouse. When this toggle is

off, dragging up causes scene objects to descend in the view, and dragging

down causes them to rise (this is like tilting a physical camera). When this

toggle is on, objects in the view move in the same direction you are dragging

the mouse.

Level Pressing Level (Shift+Spacebar) removes any tilt or roll the camera or

viewpoint might have, making the view both level and vertical.

Navigating Camera and Light Views

The camera navigation

buttons

The Camera and Light view navigation buttons are the same with a few

exceptions. The buttons are visible when a viewport with a Camera or Light

view is active. The Camera and Light view navigation buttons do more than

adjust your view. They transform and change the parameters of the associated

camera or light object.

Light views treat the light (spotlight or directional light) as if it were a camera.

The light falloff is treated the same as the camera field of view.

Keep in mind the following:

■Using the Camera and Light viewport navigation buttons is the same as

moving or rotating the camera or Light, or changing their base parameters.

Navigating Camera and Light Views | 79

■Changes made with Camera or Light view navigation buttons can be

animated the same as other object changes.

Zooming a Camera or Light View

Zooming a camera

You zoom a camera view by clicking FOV on page 7389 and then dragging

in the Camera viewport.

The field of view defines the width of your view as an angle with its apex at

eye level and the ends at the sides of the view. The effect of changing FOV is

exactly like changing the lens on a camera. As the FOV gets larger you see

more of your scene and the perspective becomes distorted, similar to using a

wide-angle lens. As the FOV gets smaller you see less of your scene and the

perspective flattens, similar to using a telephoto lens. See Cameras on page

5106 .

Click Light Hotspot on page 7411 for a light viewport to achieve the

same effect as zooming.

80 | Chapter 3 Viewing and Navigating 3D Space

The hotspot is the inner of the two circles or rectangles visible in a light

viewport. Objects inside the hotspot are illuminated with the full intensity of

the light. Objects between the hotspot and falloff are illuminated with

decreasing intensity as objects approach the falloff boundary. See Using Lights

on page 4894 .

Moving a Camera or Light View

You move a camera or light view by clicking one of the following buttons and

dragging in the camera or light viewport.

■Dolly on page 7398 moves the camera or light along its line of sight.

■Truck on page 7403 moves the camera or light and its target parallel

to the view plane.

■Pan on page 7404 moves the target in a circle around the camera or

light. This button is a flyout that shares the same location with Orbit.

■Orbit on page 7404 moves the camera or light in a circle around the

target. The effect is similar to Arc Rotate for non-camera viewports.

Navigating Camera and Light Views | 81

Rolling a Camera or Light View

Rolling a camera

Click Roll on page 7401 , and drag in a camera or a light viewport to rotate

the camera or light about its line of sight. The line of sight is defined as the

line drawn from the camera or light to its target. The line of sight is also the

same as the camera’s or the light's local Z axis.

82 | Chapter 3 Viewing and Navigating 3D Space

Changing Camera Perspective

Changing perspective

Click Perspective on page 7400 , and drag in a camera viewport to change

the Field of View (FOV) and dolly the camera simultaneously. The effect is to

change the amount of perspective flare while maintaining the composition

of the view.

Adaptive Degradation

status bar > Adaptive Degradation button

Views menu > Adaptive Degradation

Keyboard > O (the letter O)

Adaptive degradation can improve viewport performance when you transform

geometry, change the view, or play back an animation. It does so by decreasing

the visual fidelity of certain objects temporarily; for example, by drawing

Adaptive Degradation | 83

larger objects or those closer to the camera as bounding boxes instead of

wireframes. Without adaptive degradation, the geometry is displayed as usual,

even if that slows down viewport display and animation playback. Animation

playback might drop frames if the graphics card cannot display the animation

in real time.

Turn on adaptive degradation if you have large models you need to navigate

around and if you are finding performance sluggish.

The Adaptive Degradation button on the status bar has three states:

■Off: No degradation occurs.

■On: Degradation can occur under the specified conditions. This is

the default setting.

■Active: Degradation is being applied currently.

You can change the display options and set other adaptive degradation

parameters, on the Viewport Configuration dialog (Customize menu > Viewport

Configuration > Adaptive Degradation panel on page 7622 ). Also, you can

toggle adaptive degradation for individual objects with the Object Properties

> Never Degrade setting on page 252 .

Procedures

To toggle adaptive degradation, do one of the following:

■Choose Views menu > Adaptive Degradation.

■Press O (the letter O).

To change the level of adaptive degradation in the viewports:

1Right-click the viewport label and choose Configure, or choose Customize

> Viewport Configuration.

2On the Viewport Configuration dialog, open the Adaptive Degradation

panel and adjust the settings.

84 | Chapter 3 Viewing and Navigating 3D Space

Grab Viewport

Tools menu > Grab Viewport

Grab Viewport creates a snapshot of the active viewport in the Rendered

Frame Window on page 5885 , where you can save it as an Image file on page

7116 .

Procedures

To create a snapshot of a viewport:

1Activate the viewport you want to capture.

2Choose Tools menu > Grab Viewport.

A dialog appears that allows you to add a label to your snapshot.

3Enter a label for your snapshot, if desired.

The label appears in the lower-right corner of the image as you enter it

into the dialog.

4Click Grab.

The Rendered Frame Window opens to display a snapshot of your

viewport.

5Use the controls in the Rendered Frame Window to save your image.

Interface

Label Enter text here to add a label to your screenshot. The text you enter

is displayed in the lower-right corner of your screenshot.

Grab Opens the Rendered Frame Window with a snapshot of the active

viewport.

Cancel Cancels the Grab Viewport command.

Grab Viewport | 85

View-Handling Commands

Menu bar > Views menu

These viewport-handling commands are provided on the default main menu:

Views Menu on page 7262

Undo View Change / Redo View Change on page 87

Save Active View on page 88

Restore Active View on page 88

Grid Commands on page 2564

Viewport Background on page 89

Select Background Image Dialog on page 97

Update Background Image on page 102

Reset Background Transform on page 103

Show Transform Gizmo on page 103

Show Ghosting on page 104

Show Key Times on page 105

Shade Selected on page 107

Show Dependencies on page 108

Create Camera From View on page 109

Add Default Lights to Scene on page 111

Redraw All Views on page 113

Global Viewport Rendering Setting on page 114

Update During Spinner Drag on page 115

Adaptive Degradation on page 83

Diagnose Video Hardware on page 115

Expert Mode on page 116

See also:

■Viewing and Navigating 3D Space on page 55

86 | Chapter 3 Viewing and Navigating 3D Space

■Views Menu on page 7262

■Quad Menu on page 7300

Undo View Change / Redo View Change

Views menu > Undo View Change or Redo View Change

Keyboard > Shift+Z (Undo) or Shift+Y (Redo)

Undo View Change cancels the last change made to the current viewport.

Redo View Change cancels the last Undo in the current viewport.

These commands act like Undo and Redo on the main toolbar and Edit menu,

but operate on a different list of events. They affect changes made to the

viewport, rather than changes made to objects in the viewport.

Use Undo View Change and Redo View Change when you have inadvertently

made a view unusable by zooming in too close, or rotating the wrong way.

You can keep stepping back until a useful view appears. The keyboard shortcuts

are handy for multiple commands.

You can also access Undo View Change and Redo View Change of view changes

by right-clicking the viewport label and choosing Undo View or Redo View.

The last change made in that viewport will be indicated (for example, "Undo

View Zoom"). Each viewport has its own independent undo/redo stack.

Camera and Spotlight viewports use object-based Undo and Redo, because

the viewport change is actually a change to the camera or spotlight object. In

these viewports, use Edit > Undo (Ctrl+Z) or Edit > Redo ( Ctrl+Y ).

Interface

Undo View Change Cancels viewport changes. The name of the change

you're undoing is displayed in the View menu beside the command.

Undo is useful when you are working with a background image in the viewport.

You can zoom into the geometry to adjust it, then use Undo Viewport Zoom

to restore the original alignment of the geometry with the background.

Redo View Change Cancels the previous Undo View Change. The name of

the change you're redoing appears in the View menu beside the command.

Undo View Change / Redo View Change | 87

Save Active View

Views menu > Save Active View (the name of the active viewport is part of

the command)

Save Active View stores the active view to an internal buffer. If you have framed

a shot in any view other than a camera, use Save Active View to preserve the

viewport’s appearance. The saved active view is saved with the scene file. Once

saved, you can retrieve it using Restore Active View on page 88 .

The viewport that will be restored is displayed in the menu item (for example,

"Save Active Perspective View"). You can save and restore up to eight different

views (Top, Bottom, Left, Right, Front, Back, User, Perspective).

Viewport changes that are saved include viewport type, zoom and rotations,

and field-of-view (FOV).

The options available on the viewport right-click menu on page 7370 , such as

Show Safe Frame and Viewport Clipping, are not saved. If these settings are

important to the view, make a note of what they are so you can reset them

after restoring the view.

Procedures

To save an active view:

1Activate the viewport with the view you want to save.

2Choose Views menu > Save Active View. The view is now saved and can

be recalled using Restore Active View.

Restore Active View

Views menu > Restore Active View (the name of the active viewport is part of

the command.)

Restore Active View displays the view previously stored with Save Active View

on page 88 .

The viewport to be restored is displayed in the menu item (for example,

"Restore Active Perspective View").

The active view is restored if the same viewport and layout are active.

88 | Chapter 3 Viewing and Navigating 3D Space

If an active view won’t restore with this command, check the following:

■Be sure the viewport is active.

■Make sure the layout is the same as before. Use Viewport Configuration

(right-click any viewport label and choose Configure) and choose Layout.

■If the layout and active viewport are the same, be sure Viewport Clipping

on the Viewport Right-Click Menu on page 7370 is set the same as it was

when the viewport was saved.

Procedures

To restore a saved view:

1Activate the viewport where you saved the view.

2Choose Views menu > Restore Active View. This option is available only

in a viewport with a saved view.

3The viewport returns to the saved view.

If you're not sure whether a viewport has a saved view, check the Views

menu. Restore Active View is unavailable unless a view is saved in the

active viewport.

Viewport Background Dialog

Views menu > Viewport Background > Viewport Background dialog

Keyboard > Alt+B

The Viewport Background dialog controls display of an image or animation

as the background for one or all viewports.You can use this for modeling, for

example, by placing front, top or side view sketches in the corresponding

viewports. Or use Viewport background to match 3D elements with digitized

camera footage, or for rotoscoping on page 7912 .

You select the image or animation to display in the active viewport, set the

frame synchronization between the animated image file and the current scene,

and turn the assigned image on and off. These changes do not affect the

rendered scene.

To place an image in the background of the rendered scene, use the

Environment And Effects dialog > Environment panel on page 6484 , accessed

from the Rendering menu.

Viewport Background Dialog | 89

NOTE When safe frames are displayed in a viewport, and the Aspect Ratio options

are set to either Match Viewport or Match Rendering Output, the assigned viewport

background image is confined to the Live area of the safe frames and will correctly

match the rendered background bitmap.

TIP If you are using a viewport driver with hardware acceleration (OpenGL or

Direct3D), the viewport background might not appear. If this happens, choose

Customize > Preferences. In the Viewports preferences on page 7545 , click Configure

Driver. Then in the Configure OpenGL dialog on page 7588 or the Configure

Direct3D dialog on page 7594 , go to the Background Texture Size group and turn

on Match Bitmap Size As Closely As Possible ( do not change the numeric setting).

Click OK in both dialogs to accept your change.

See also:

■Select Background Image Dialog on page 97

■Update Background Image on page 102

■Reset Background Transform on page 103

Procedures

To assign an image to one or all viewports:

1Activate the viewport that is to display the background image.

2Choose Views menu > Viewport Background or press Alt+B.

This opens the Viewport Background dialog.

3In the Background Source group, click the Files button.

This opens the Select Background Image dialog.

4Use the dialog to open the image or animation to use.

5To display the image in all viewports, choose All Views in the Apply

Source And Display To group.

6Click OK.

90 | Chapter 3 Viewing and Navigating 3D Space

The image is displayed in a single viewport or all viewports.

To update the image or map in the viewport:

Because of the time it takes to render the image or map in the viewport, the

map is not automatically updated when you alter the bitmap or assign a new

bitmap.

■Choose Views menu > Update Background Image.

The revised image or map is displayed in the viewport.

To display the environment map in a viewport:

1In the Environment dialog, assign an environment map. (See the

procedure “To choose an environment map.” on page 6486 )

2In the Environment dialog > Background group, be sure Use Map is turned

on (the default).

3Activate the viewport where you want the map displayed.

4Choose Views menu > Background Image.

5In the Viewport Background dialog > Background Source group, turn on

Use Environment Background.

6Click OK.

The map is displayed in the viewport.

To display an animated background:

1Assign an animation file (AVI, MOV, or IFL file) as the viewport

background.

2Turn on Animate Background.

3Choose Customize > Preferences. On the Viewports panel, turn on Update

Background While Playing.

Now the background plays when you click Play, or when you drag the

time slider.

TIP If you follow these steps and the background still doesn't appear to

animate, open the Time Configuration dialog on page 7359 and in the Playback

group, turn off Real Time.

Viewport Background Dialog | 91

To use the environment map with animation controls:

This procedure is useful if you’ve assigned an animated environment map

and want access to the animation controls on the Viewport Background dialog.

1In the Viewport Background dialog > Background Source group, turn off

Use Environment Background.

2In the same group, click File.

3Choose the same map you’re using as the environment map.

4Set parameters in the Animation Synchronization group.

5Click OK.

The environment map appears in the viewport. The image is renderable.

To match the viewport background with the rendered background:

1Activate the viewport to render.

2Right-click the viewport label and choose Show Safe Frame.

This turns on Safe Frames on page 7618 in the viewport.

NOTE You can also use Views menu > Configure > Safe Frame tab. In the

Application group, turn on Show Safe Frames In Active View.

3In the Material Editor, create a material that contains the bitmap for your

rendered background.

4At the bitmap level of the Material Editor, on the Coordinates rollout,

choose Environ.

The Mapping control is automatically set to Screen. This is the only

mapping type that works for this purpose.

5On the main menu, choose Rendering > Environment.

6Drag the map from the Material Editor > Maps rollout to the Environment

Map button on the Environment dialog. Click OK on the Instance (Copy)

Map dialog.

7In the Viewport Background dialog > Background Source group, click

Files to assign the same bitmap.

8In the Aspect Ratio group, turn on either Match Viewport or Match

Rendering Output. Click OK.

92 | Chapter 3 Viewing and Navigating 3D Space

9Render the viewport.

The background displayed in the rendered scene should exactly match

the background displayed in the Live area of the safe frames.

NOTE When you use the Match Bitmap option, the bitmap reverts to its

original aspect ratio and does not match the rendered scene, unless you're

rendering to the same aspect ratio.

To remove a background image:

1Activate the viewport in which the background image is visible.

2On the Views menu, choose Viewport Background.

Notice the name and path of the background file is displayed in the

Current field in the Background Source group

3In the Background Source group, click Devices.

4On the Select Image Input Device dialog, choose No I/O Handlers from

the drop-down list, then click OK.

5On the Bitmap Manager Error dialog, click OK.

The current field no longer displays the background file name. Instead

No I/O Handler is listed in the Current field.

6Click OK to close the Viewport Background dialog.

Next time you open up the Viewport Background dialog, no file name

will be displayed in the Current field.

TIP This technique will work only on systems that don't have any other Image

Input Devices installed.

Viewport Background Dialog | 93

Interface

Background Source group

Options let you select the background image, either from a bitmap image file

on page 7730 , a video file, or from a device such as a video recorder.

Files Displays the Select Background Image dialog on page 97 , which lets

you select a file or sequence of files for your background.

94 | Chapter 3 Viewing and Navigating 3D Space

Devices Displays the Select Image Input Device dialog. This lets you use a

background from a digital device. (No device is supported by the default 3ds

Max installation.)

Use Environment Background Lets you display in the viewports the map

you've assigned as your environment background. If no environment map

has been assigned in the Environment dialog, or Use Map in that dialog is off,

then the Use Environment Background check box is not available.

Animation Synchronization group

Controls how sequences of images (for example, from IFL on page 7131 , AVI

on page 7118 , or MOV on page 7140 files) are synchronized to the viewport for

rotoscoping on page 7912 .

Use Frame The first field sets the first frame of the incoming sequence that

you want to use, and the second field sets the last one.

Step Sets the interval between the frames you want to use. For example, if

this spinner is set to 7, 3ds Max uses every seventh frame.

Start At Specifies the frame number at which you want the first input frame

to appear. What happens in the viewport before the start frame depends on

the option you choose for "Start Processing," below.

Sync Start To Frame Determines which frame from your incoming sequence

is displayed at the Start At frame. For example, you could have a 30-frame IFL

sequence that starts in your scene at frame 10, but you could use the 5th frame

from the IFL on frame 10 by setting Sync Start to 5.

Start Processing group

Determines what happens in the viewport background before the start frame.

Blank Before Start Makes the viewport background blank before the start

frame.

Hold Before Start Specifies that the viewport background will contain the

start frame.

End Processing group

Determines what happens in the viewport background after the last input

frame.

Blank After End Makes the viewport background blank after the last input

frame.

Viewport Background Dialog | 95

Hold After End Specifies that the viewport background will contain the last

input frame until the last frame in the animation.

Loop After End Specifies that the viewport background will loop from the

end frame back to the start frame, ad infinitum.

Aspect Ratio group

Controls the proportions of the viewport background by matching it to the

bitmap, rendering output, or to the viewport itself.

Match Viewport Changes the aspect ratio on page 7718 of the image to match

the aspect ratio of the viewport.

Match Bitmap Locks the aspect ratio of the image to the native aspect ratio

of the bitmap.

Match Rendering Output Changes the aspect ratio of the image to match

the aspect ratio of the currently chosen rendering output device.

NOTE When the Match Bitmap or Match Rendering Output option is chosen, 3ds

Max centers the image and clears the edges of the viewport to the background

color.

Display Background

Turns on display of the background image or animation in the viewport.

Lock Zoom/Pan

Locks the background to the geometry during zoom and pan operations in

orthographic or user viewports. When you Zoom or Pan the viewport, the

background zooms and pans along with it. When Lock Zoom/Pan is turned

off, the background stays where it is, and the geometry moves independently

of it. Use Match Bitmap or Match Rendering Output to enable Lock Zoom/Pan.

This control is disabled if you choose Match Viewport.

Keyboard shortcut: Ctrl+Alt+B

WARNING If you zoom in too far, you can exceed the limit of virtual memory,

and crash 3ds Max. When you perform a zoom that requires more than 16

megabytes of virtual memory, an alert asks if you want to display the background

during the zoom. Choose No to perform the zoom and turn off the background.

Choose Yes to zoom with the background image. Your machine might run out of

memory as a result.

96 | Chapter 3 Viewing and Navigating 3D Space

Animate Background

Turns on animation of the background. Shows the appropriate frame of the

background video in the scene.

Apply Source And Display To group

All Views Assigns the background image to all viewports.

Active Only Assigns the background image to only the active viewport.

Viewport

The name of the currently active viewport appears in a list to the left of the

OK and Cancel buttons. This reminds you which viewport you're working

with and lets you change the active viewport by selecting its name from the

list.

NOTE When you use different images for different viewports, the settings for each

viewport are stored separately. Each time you display the Viewport Background

dialog, the settings of the currently active viewport are displayed. If you switch

the viewport using the list, the settings remain the same. This is useful for copying

settings from one viewport to another.

Select Background Image Dialog

Views menu > Viewport Background > Background Source group > Files >

Select Background Image dialog

Select Background Image Dialog | 97

UFO model rendered against a background

The Select Background Image dialog allows you to choose a file or sequence

of files for a viewport background.

You can also convert a set of sequentially numbered files to an Image File

List (IFL) on page 7131 . This is the same process used by the IFL Manager Utility

on page 7136 .

Procedures

To select a background image for a viewport:

1Activate the viewport where you want the image.

2Choose Views menu > Viewport Background.

3Under Background Source in the dialog that displays, click Files.

4In the Look In field, navigate to the directory containing the file you

want to use for the background.

NOTE The Select Background Image File dialog uses the last location where

a bitmap was chosen, rather than the default bitmap path defined on the

Configure User Paths dialog on page 7520 .

98 | Chapter 3 Viewing and Navigating 3D Space

5Highlight the file name in the file list window.

6Click Open to select the image and close the dialog.

7Click OK to close the Viewport Background dialog and display the

background image.

To select a set of still images as a viewport background:

1Activate the viewport where you want the image.

2Choose Views menu > Viewport Background.

3Under Background Source, click Files.

4In the Look In field, navigate to the directory containing the sequence

of files.

The files must be sequentially numbered (for example, image01.bmp,

image02.bmp, image03.bmp).

TIP If necessary, change Files Of Type to match the file extension of the

sequence, or choose All Formats.

5Turn on Sequence, and choose the name of the first sequential file (for

example, image01.bmp).

TIP Click the Setup button to display the Image File List Control dialog on

page 7134 .

6In the Image File List Control dialog, use the Browse button to set the

Target Path to a directory on your hard disk. Do not set this path to a

CD-ROM drive, because you cannot save the file there.

7Choose the options you want, and then click OK.

The Image File List (IFL) file is saved to the target directory.

Select Background Image Dialog | 99

Interface

History Displays a list of the directories most recently searched.

Look In Opens a navigation window to move to other directories or drives.

Up One Level Move up a level in the directory structure.

Create New Folder Lets you create a new folder while in this dialog.

List Displays the contents of a directory by file name.

100 | Chapter 3 Viewing and Navigating 3D Space

Details Displays the contents of a directory including all the file details.

List Window When Details is on, the contents of the directory are displayed

with Name, Size, Type, Date Modified, and Attributes. You can sort the files

by clicking the label of each parameter.

File Name Displays the name of the file selected in the list.

Files of Type Displays all the file types that can be displayed. This serves as

a filter for the list.

Open Selects the highlighted file and closes the dialog.

Cancel Cancels the selection and closes the dialog.

Devices Lets you select a background image from a digital device. (No device

is supported by the default 3ds Max installation.)

Setup Displays the Image File List Control dialog on page 7134 to create an

IFL file. Available only when Sequence is on and there are sequentially

numbered files in the displayed directory.

Info Displays expanded information about the file, such as frame rate,

compression quality, file size, and resolution. The information here is

dependent on the type of information that is saved with the file type.

View Displays the file at its actual resolution. If the file is a movie, the Media

Player is opened to play the file.

Gamma group

Selects the type of gamma to be used for the selected file. Available only when

Enable Gamma Selection is turned on in the Gamma panel on page 7550 .

Use Image’s Own Gamma Uses the gamma of the incoming bitmap.

Use System Default Gamma Ignores the image’s own gamma and uses the

system default gamma instead, as set in the Gamma panel on page 7550 .

Override Defines a new gamma for the bitmap that is neither the image’s

own, nor the system default.

Sequence Creates an "Image File List" to your specifications. Each selected

image is checked to see if a valid IFL sequence can be created. If the selected

image doesn’t yield a list, this option is still available, but doesn’t do anything.

Preview Displays the image as a thumbnail in the Image Window.

Select Background Image Dialog | 101

Image Window Displays a thumbnail of the selected file if Preview is on.

Statistics Displays the resolution, color depth, file type and number of frames

of the selected file.

Location Displays the full path for the file. With this information at the

bottom of the dialog, you always know exactly where you are.

Update Background Image

Views menu > Update Background Image (available only when a viewport

background is displayed)

This command updates the background image displayed in the active viewport.

If the active viewport is not displaying a background image, this command

is unavailable.

Use this command to update the background for changes that are not updated

automatically, such as the following:

■Reassigning the map, or changing any parameters affecting the map in

the Materials Editor, the Environment dialog, or the Viewport Background

dialog.

■Changing the rendering resolution and aspect ratio.

The following changes update the viewport background image

automatically:

■Changing the camera view.

■Undo (for views).

■Undo (for objects).

■Assigning a different view type.

■Toggling Safe Frames display on or off.

■Changing the rendering parameters.

■Moving the time slider when the viewport contains an animated

background image.

NOTE Viewports can use the current Environment Map (set on the Environment

panel on page 6486 of the Environment and Effects dialog) as the background

image.

102 | Chapter 3 Viewing and Navigating 3D Space

Procedures

To update the background image displayed in a viewport:

1Activate a viewport that contains a background image.

2Choose Views menu > Update Background Image.

Reset Background Transform

Views menu > Reset Background Transform (available only when a viewport

background image is displayed and Lock Zoom/Pan is turned on)

Reset Background Transform rescales and recenters the current background

to fit an orthographic or user viewport. Use this command when you want to

reset the background to the new position of your geometry. See Procedure for

detailed requirements.

Procedures

To reset the background to fit the viewport:

1Activate an orthographic or user viewport that has a background image.

2Press Alt+B.

3Turn on either Match Bitmap or Match Rendering Output, and then turn

on Lock Zoom/Pan.

4Click OK.

5Choose Views menu > Reset Background Transform.

The background image readjusts in the viewport.

Show Transform Gizmo

Views menu > Show Transform Gizmo

Keyboard > X

Show Transform Gizmo toggles the display of the Transform gizmo axis tripod

on page 860 for all viewports when objects are selected and a transform is

active.

Reset Background Transform | 103

Additional controls for the Transform gizmo are found on the Gizmo

Preferences settings on page 7570 .

When the Transform gizmo is turned off, Show Transform Gizmo controls

the display of the axis tripod on selected objects.

The state of Transform gizmo is saved in 3dsmax.ini , so it's maintained

between scenes and sessions.

The related entries in the 3dsmax.ini file are:

■INI: Transformgizmo=1 (for Transform Gizmo visibility, controlled by

Preferences)

■INI: ShowAxisIcon=1 (for Axis Icon visibility, controlled in Views menu)

The visibility of the Axis tripod overrides the visibility of the Transform Gizmo.

If you turn off the Transform Gizmo in Preferences, the Axis tripod remains

on the selected object. If you then turn off the Show Transform Gizmo in the

Views menu, it actually turns off the Axis tripod. When the Axis tripod is

disabled, the Transform Gizmo is also hidden.

TIP The converse is not true. If the transform gizmo is turned off, turning on the

axis tripod visibility does not display the transform gizmo.

Procedures

To scale the transform gizmo, do one of the following:

1Press – (hyphen) to shrink the Transform gizmo.

2Press = (equal sign) to enlarge the Transform gizmo.

Show Ghosting

Views menu > Show Ghosting

Ghosting is a method of displaying wireframe "ghost copies" of an animated

object at a number of frames before or after the current frame. Use it to analyze

and adjust your animation. Ghosts that overlap indicate slower motion; ghosts

that are spread further apart show faster motion.

When this command is active, ghosting is displayed for selected objects in

the scene. Only currently selected objects display the ghosting.

104 | Chapter 3 Viewing and Navigating 3D Space

Ghosting helps to visualize animation.

To change Ghosting parameters choose Customize > Preferences. On the

Viewport panel of the Preferences dialog you can determine the number of

ghosting frames, whether to ghost before or after the current frame, or both,

and you can also show frame numbers with the ghosts.

Procedures

To show wireframe ghost copies of an animated object:

■Choose Views menu > Show Ghosting.

Show Key Times

Select an object with animation. > Views menu > Show Key Times

Key Times shows the frame numbers along a displayed animation trajectory

on page 3045 . Key times correspond to the settings in Time Configuration on

page 7359 for Frames or SMPTE on page 7933 . By default, key times are shown

as frame numbers.

Show Key Times | 105

Procedures

To display trajectory time values in the viewport:

1Select an object with animation.

2 On the Display panel > Display Properties rollout, turn on

Trajectory.

TIP If the rollout controls are unavailable, right-click the object in the active

viewport, choose Properties, and in the Display Properties group, click By

Layer to change to By Object. This will make the Trajectory option become

available.

3Choose Views menu > Show Key Times.

The time values are displayed as white numbers along the trajectory.

They remain displayed in red when the animated object is deselected.

Keyframes with frame number shown on a trajectory.

106 | Chapter 3 Viewing and Navigating 3D Space

Shade Selected

Select an object to be shaded. > Views menu > Shade Selected

Shade Selected shades only the selected objects in the scene when the viewport

is set to Wireframe or Other. When Smooth + Highlights is on, all objects are

shaded whether they are selected or not.

Shade Selected lets you work with a wireframe scene and shade only the

selected objects when you want to visualize them more clearly. All other

objects in the scene will appear in wireframe.

Selected objects shaded in a wireframe viewport.

Procedures

To shade only selected objects in a scene:

1Choose Views menu > Shade Selected.

2Right-click the viewport label and choose Wireframe.

3Select the object.

Shade Selected | 107

Only the selected object is shaded.

Show Dependencies

Views menu > Show Dependencies

While you are using the Modify panel, this command toggles viewport

highlighting of objects dependent on the currently selected object.

When Show Dependencies is on and the Modify panel is active, any object

that is dependent upon the currently selected object in any way appears

magenta. This includes instances on page 7818 , references on page 7910 , and

shared modifiers on page 7852 . Default=off.

You can also see similar dependencies in Schematic View on page 7193 .

Procedures

To show dependencies between objects:

1Select an object with an instanced modifier on page 1040 .

108 | Chapter 3 Viewing and Navigating 3D Space

2On the Modify panel, choose the instanced modifier in the

modifier stack.

3Choose Views menu > Show Dependencies

Other objects with instances of the same modifier appear in a different

color.

Example: To use Show Dependencies when animating with Linked XForm:

1Select the sub-object geometry you want to animate, and apply a Linked

XForm modifier on page 1440 .

2On the Parameters rollout, click Pick Control Object.

3Click an object to be the control object. Choose a dummy object if you

want to keep the control hidden in final rendering.

4The chosen object is now linked as parent to the sub-object selection and

its name is listed on the Parameters rollout.

5Choose Views menu > Show Dependencies to make the link visible when

the control object is selected.

6Use any of the transforms to animate the control object.

The selection is animated in parallel with the control object.

Create Camera From View

Activate a Perspective viewport. > Views menu > Create Camera From View

Activate a Perspective viewport. > Create menu > Cameras > Create Camera

From View

Activate a Perspective viewport. > Keyboard > Ctrl+C

Create Camera From View | 109

Create Camera From View creates a Target camera on page 5118 whose field

of view matches an active Perspective viewport. At the same time, it changes

the viewport to a Camera viewport on page 7397 for the new camera object,

and makes the new camera the current selection.

Alternatively, if the scene already contains a camera and the camera is selected,

then Create Camera From View does not create a new camera from the view.

Instead, it simply matches the selected camera to the active, Perspective

viewport. This functionality was adopted from the Match Camera to View

command, which is now available only as an assignable main user interface

shortcut (see Keyboard Shortcuts on page 7645 ).

NOTE Create Camera From View is available only when a Perspective viewport is

active.

To create a camera from a view, assuming any existing cameras are unselected:

1Activate a Perspective viewport.

2If necessary, adjust the viewport using Pan, Zoom and Arc Rotate until

you have a view you like.

110 | Chapter 3 Viewing and Navigating 3D Space

3Leaving the viewport active, on the Views menu choose Create Camera

From View or press Ctrl+C.

3ds Max creates a new camera, matching its view to that of the Perspective

viewport, and then switches the Perspective viewport to a Camera

viewport, showing the view from the new camera.

Add Default Lights to Scene

Right-click a viewport label. > Configure > Viewport Configuration dialog >

Rendering Method tab > Rendering Options group > Turn on Default Lighting

and choose 2 Lights (to activate the Add Default Lights To Scene menu item)

> Views menu > Add Default Lights To Scene

This command displays the Add Default Lights To Scene dialog, which provides

options that let you convert the default scene lighting into actual light objects

on page 4890 .

The default lighting for viewports consists of a key light, positioned in front

and to the left of the scene, which behaves as an omni light on page 4938 . .

This command is unavailable unless you use the Viewport Configuration

dialog on page 7610 to configure the active viewport to use two lights . When

viewports use two lights, and you invoke this command, the lights are added

to the scene as omni lights. You can add either the key light, the fill light, or

both.

Add Default Lights to Scene | 111

Two default lights are placed opposite to each other.

A, the key light is in front of the object, on the upper left side, while B, the fill light is

behind on the lower right side.

You can add either the key light, the fill light, or both. The omni light objects

have the names DefaultKeyLight and DefaultFillLight.

If you have already added one or both default lights, a warning prompts you

to rename or delete the previous default light object before you add another.

Procedures

To add the default lights as objects:

1Right-click a viewport label, and click Configure.

2On the Viewport Configuration dialog > Rendering Method tab, in the

Rendering Options group, turn on Default Lighting and choose 2 Lights.

Click OK to close the dialog.

3Choose Views menu > Add Default Lights To Scene.

4On the Add Default Lights To Scene dialog, choose Key Light, Fill Light,

or both.

112 | Chapter 3 Viewing and Navigating 3D Space

5 Activate the Top viewport, and on the status bar, click Zoom

Extents.

The lights are now visible in the viewport.

Interface

Add Default Key Light When on, adds the default key light to the scene.

The key light is in front of the scene and to the left. The key light becomes

an omni light on page 4938 with the name, DefaultKeyLight. Default=on.

Add Default Fill Light When on, adds the default fill light to the scene. The

fill light is behind the scene and to the right. The fill light becomes an omni

light on page 4938 with the name, DefaultFillLight. Default=on.

Distance Scaling Affects how far the lights are placed from the origin (0,0,0).

The default value leaves the scene's lighting unchanged. Larger values move

the lights farther away, dimming the scene, and smaller values move them

closer, brightening the scene. Default=1.0. Range=0.0 to 1000.0.

Redraw All Views

Views menu > Redraw All Views

Keyboard > ` (accent grave)

Redraw All Views | 113

Redraw All Views refreshes the display in all viewports. When you move,

rotate, scale, or otherwise manipulate geometry, the viewports may display

the scene with some irregularities, or with objects or parts of objects missing.

Use Redraw All Views to redisplay your scene with all lines and shading

restored.

Global Viewport Rendering Setting

Views menu > Global Viewport Rendering Setting > Standard Display

Views menu > Global Viewport Rendering Setting > Standard Display with

Maps

Views menu > Global Viewport Rendering Setting > Hardware Display

Views menu > Global Viewport Rendering Setting > Hardware Display with

Maps

These commands turn on and off display of all maps in the viewports, using

software or hardware rendering. Software rendering applies to all maps and

materials, but tends to be less accurate. Hardware rendering is highly accurate,

showing highlights very close to the way they render, but applies primarily

to the Arch & Design material on page 5458 , although it also supports the

Standard material on page 5298 .

NOTE Hardware viewport rendering is not available on computers with older

graphics systems. Also, hardware viewport rendering is supported only by the

Direct3D display driver on page 7594 .

NOTE These commands do not apply to XRef materials on page 5603 , including

materials from XRef objects on page 6732 and XRef scenes on page 6755 .

See also:

■Show Standard/Hardware Map in Viewport on page 5254

Interface

Standard Display Uses the legacy software shader, which works on a per-face

basis, and turns off viewport display of all maps at the material level. This

applies only to materials used in the scene.

Standard Display with Maps Uses the legacy software shader, which works

on a per-face basis, and turns on viewport display of all maps.

114 | Chapter 3 Viewing and Navigating 3D Space

Hardware Display Uses the hardware viewport shader, which works on a

per-pixel basis, and turns off viewport display of all maps at the material level.

The hardware shader applies only to the Standard on page 5298 and Arch &

Design on page 5458 materials; when it’s active, 3ds Max still uses the software

shader to display all other materials.

Hardware Display with Maps Uses the hardware viewport shader, which

works on a per-pixel basis, and turns on viewport display of all maps at the

material level.

This switch applies only to the Standard on page 5298 and Arch & Design on

page 5458 materials; when it’s active, 3ds Max still uses the software shader to

display all other materials. Also, it doesn’t affect viewport display of maps for

materials other than those two.

Update During Spinner Drag

Views menu > Update During Spinner Drag

When Update During Spinner Drag is on, dragging a spinner (such as a Radius

spinner for a sphere) updates the effects in real time in the viewports.

Default=on.

When Update During Spinner Drag is off, the effect is updated after the drag,

when you release the mouse. Use this option when you're adjusting

processor-intensive controls.

Diagnose Video Hardware

Views menu > Diagnose Video Hardware

This command runs a MAXScript script that displays information about your

system’s graphic display configuration. This can be useful for telling you

whether some interactive viewport features such as shadows on page 4911 are

supported.

Update During Spinner Drag | 115

Expert Mode

Views menu > Expert Mode

Keyboard > Ctrl+X

When Expert mode is on, the title bar, toolbar, command panel, status bar,

and all of the viewport navigation buttons are removed from the display,

leaving only the menu bar, time slider, and viewports. Use Expert mode when

you need to view your composition alone without the rest of the interface.

With the ability to customize the user interface in 3ds Max, you can create

your own versions of Expert mode by hiding whatever you want item-by-item.

Expert mode is only a quick way to hide everything that can be hidden at

once.

You can assign keyboard shortcuts to hide and unhide the command panel,

toolbars, and so on and then use these while in Expert mode. You can also

use the quad menu to access tools quickly in Expert mode as well.

Procedures

To turn on Expert mode, do one of the following:

■Choose Views menu > Expert Mode.

■Press Ctrl+X.

116 | Chapter 3 Viewing and Navigating 3D Space

To turn off Expert mode and return to full display, do one of the following:

■Click the Cancel Expert Mode button to the right of the time slider.

■Press Ctrl+X.

■Choose Views menu > Expert Mode.

Controlling Object Display

You use the Display panel, layers on page 7224 , and Scene Explorer on page

7171 to control how objects are displayed in viewports, and to hide or freeze

objects. This section covers usage of the Display panel controls.

TIP You can also use the Isolate Selection command on page 159 to hide

everything except your selection set.

Display Color Rollout on page 117

Hide By Category Rollout on page 118

Hide Rollout on page 120

Freeze Rollout on page 122

Display Properties Rollout on page 124

Link Display Rollout on page 129

See also:

■Object Display Properties on page 249

Display Color Rollout

Display panel > Display Color rollout

The Display Color rollout specifies whether 3ds Max displays objects using

their object colors or their diffuse material colors on page 7759 , when the

objects have their display properties on page 245 set to By Object. If the display

properties of an object is set to By Layer, the layer color will be used for the

display. You can choose one method for wireframe display and a different

Controlling Object Display | 117

one for shaded display. In each shading mode you can specify whether the

material or the object color is used.

As a default, all new objects have their display properties set to By Layer. The

default can be changed in Customize > Preferences > Preferences dialog >

General panel > Layer Defaults group. If you turn off Default To By Layer For

New Nodes, all new objects created in 3ds Max will display in the viewports

based on the settings in the Display Color rollout. You can switch individual

objects between By Object and By Layer by setting the Display Properties in

the Object Properties dialog on page 245 , accessible by right-clicking any

selected object.

If the object color box displays black and white rectangles, this indicates that

the object has its display properties set to By Layer.

Interface

Wireframe Controls the color of objects when the viewport is in wireframe

display mode.

Object Color Displays the wireframes in object color.

Material Color Displays the wireframes using the material color.

Shaded Controls the color of the object when the viewport is in any shaded

display mode.

Object Color Displays the shaded objects using the object color.

Material Color Displays the shaded objects using the material color.

Hide By Category Rollout

Display panel > Hide By Category rollout

118 | Chapter 3 Viewing and Navigating 3D Space

The Hide By Category rollout toggles the display of objects by category (objects,

cameras, lights, and so on).

By default, 3ds Max displays all objects in the scene. Objects hidden by category

aren’t evaluated in the scene, so hiding objects by category improves

performance.

You can use any of the default display filters provided, or add new display

filters for fast selection of objects to hide.

Interface

Turn on the check boxes to hide objects of that category. You can use the All,

None, and Invert buttons to quickly change the settings of the check boxes.

The Display Filter box gives you finer control in creating categories to hide.

Click the Add button to display a list of display filters. Hold down the Ctrl key

and click the filter name to select whatever category you'd like to hide.

Geometry Hides all geometry in the scene.

Shapes Hides all shapes in the scene.

Lights Hides all lights in the scene.

Cameras Hides all cameras in the scene.

Helpers Hides all helpers in the scene.

Hide By Category Rollout | 119

Space Warps Hides all space warps in the scene.

Particle Systems Hides all particle systems in the scene.

Bone Objects Hides all bones in the scene.

Bones Hides all bones in the scene.

IK Chain Hides all IK chains in the scene.

Point Hides all points in the scene.

All Hides everything in the scene.

None Unhides everything in the scene

Invert Hides everything that is visible and unhides everything currently

hidden.

Add Adds a display filter category to the list.

Remove Removes a display filter category.

None Deselects all highlighted display filters in the list.

Hide Rollout

Display panel > Hide rollout

The Hide rollout provides controls that let you hide and unhide individual

objects by selecting them, regardless of their category.

You can also hide and unhide objects using the Display Floater on page 7458 .

See also:

■Hide By Category Rollout on page 118

120 | Chapter 3 Viewing and Navigating 3D Space

Interface

Hide Selected Hides the selected objects.

Hide Unselected Hides all visible objects except the selected ones. Use this

to hide all objects except the one you're working on. Objects hidden by

category aren’t affected.

Hide by Name Displays a dialog you use to hide objects you choose from a

list. See Select From Scene on page 168 , which describes nearly identical

controls.

Hide by Hit Hides any object you click in the viewport. If you hold the Ctrl

key while selecting an object, that object and all of its children are hidden.

To exit Hide by Hit mode, right-click, press Esc, or select a different function.

This mode is automatically turned off if you hide all objects in the scene.

Unhide All Unhides all hidden objects. The unhide buttons are available

only when you have specifically hidden one or more objects. They won't

unhide objects hidden by category.

NOTE If you click Unhide All in a scene with hidden layers, a dialog will pop up

prompting you to unhide all layers. You cannot unhide an object on a hidden

layer.

Hide Rollout | 121

Unhide by Name Displays a dialog you use to unhide objects you choose

from a list. See Select From Scene on page 168 , which describes nearly

identical controls.

NOTE If you select an object on a hidden layer, a dialog will pop up prompting

you to unhide the object's layer. You cannot unhide an object on a hidden layer.

Hide Frozen Objects Hides any frozen objects. Turn it off to display hidden

frozen objects.

Freeze Rollout

Display panel > Freeze rollout

The Freeze rollout provides controls that let you freeze or unfreeze on page

7793 individual objects by selecting them, regardless of their category.

Frozen objects remain on the screen, but you can't select, transform, or modify

them. By default, frozen objects turn dark gray. Frozen lights and cameras,

and their associated viewports, continue to work as they normally do.

You can choose to have frozen objects retain their usual color or texture in

viewports. Use the Show Frozen In Gray toggle in the Object Properties dialog

on page 245 .

122 | Chapter 3 Viewing and Navigating 3D Space

Interface

Freeze Selected Freezes the selected object(s).

Freeze Unselected Freezes all visible objects except the selected ones. Use

this to quickly freeze all the objects except the one you're working on.

Freeze by Name Displays a dialog that lets you choose objects to freeze from

a list. See Select From Scene on page 168 , which describes nearly identical

controls.

Freeze by Hit Freezes any object you click in a viewport. If you press Ctrl

while selecting an object, that object and all of its children are frozen. To exit

Freeze by Hit mode, right-click, press Esc, or select a different function. This

mode is automatically turned off if you freeze all objects in the scene.

Unfreeze All Unfreezes all frozen objects.

NOTE If you click Unfreeze All in a scene with frozen layers, a dialog opens

prompting you to unfreeze all layers. You cannot unfreeze an object on a frozen

layer.

Unfreeze by Name Displays a dialog that lets you choose objects to unfreeze

from a list. See Select From Scene on page 168 , which describes nearly

identical controls.

Freeze Rollout | 123

NOTE If you unfreeze by name an object on a frozen layer, a dialog opens

prompting you to unfreeze the object's layer. You cannot unfreeze an object on

a frozen layer.

Unfreeze by Hit Unfreezes any object you click in the viewport. If you press

Ctrl while selecting an object, that object and all of its children are unfrozen.

If you select an object on a frozen layer, a dialog will pop up prompting you

to unfreeze the object's layer. You cannot unfreeze an object on a frozen layer.

Display Properties Rollout

Display panel > Display Properties rollout

The Display Properties rollout provides controls for altering the display of

selected objects.

See also:

■Link Display Rollout on page 129

Procedures

To display trajectories using the Display panel:

1Select one or more animated objects.

2Right-click the selection, and choose Properties.

3In the Display properties group, click By Layer to change it to By Object,

and then click OK.

4Expand the Display Properties rollout in the Display panel.

5Turn on Trajectory.

By default, object trajectories appear with the following properties:

■The trajectory curve is drawn in red.

■Frame increments display as white dots on the curve.

■Position keys display as red boxes surrounding the appropriate frame

dot on the curve. The boxes are white when the object is selected.

■If Views > Show Key Times is turned on, the keyframe numbers are

displayed along side the keys on the trajectory.

124 | Chapter 3 Viewing and Navigating 3D Space

Trajectories can also be displayed through Object Properties. Right-click

any object and choose Properties, then in the Display properties group

change By Layer to By Object. Turn on Trajectories when it becomes

available in the Display Properties group.

You can change the colors for these items on the Colors panel on page

7505 of the Customize User Interface dialog.

You can also use object properties to display trajectories: right-click any object

and choose Properties, then turn on Trajectory.

Interface

The first three options reduce the displayed geometric complexity of selected

objects in a scene, resulting in faster response time because the computer has

less to calculate. These options are also available in the Display Properties

group of the Object Properties dialog > General panel on page 245 and the

Display floater on page 7458 .

Display as Box Toggles the display of selected objects, including 3D objects

and 2D shapes, as bounding boxes on page 7736 . Produces minimum geometric

complexity.

Particle systems appear as bounding boxes when adaptive degradation takes

effect. Because particle systems naturally exist in world space, their bounding

box is always oriented parallel to the world planes.

Display Properties Rollout | 125

Backface Cull Toggles the display of faces, edges, and vertices with normals

on page 7863 pointing away from the point of view. When off, all entities are

visible. Default=off.

Edges Only Toggles the display of hidden edges and polygon diagonals on

page 7757 . When on, only outside edges appear. When off, all mesh geometry

appears. Applies to Wireframe viewport display mode, as well as other modes

with Edged Faces turned on.

126 | Chapter 3 Viewing and Navigating 3D Space

Vertex Ticks Displays the vertices in the selected geometry as tick marks.

If the current selection has no displayed tick marks, the check box is clear. If

some of the vertices in the current selection display tick marks, the check box

contains a gray X. If all vertices in the current selection display tick marks,

the check box contains a black X.

Trajectory Toggles trajectory on page 7955 display for the selected object so

its trajectory is visible in viewports.

Display Properties Rollout | 127

See-Through Makes the object or selection translucent in viewports. This

setting has no effect on rendering: it simply lets you see what’s behind or

inside an object in a crowded scene, and is especially useful in adjusting the

position of objects behind or inside the See-Through object. This is very handy

when you have objects within other objects in your scene.

This option is also available from Object Properties dialog on page 245 and

the Tools > Display Floater on page 7458 .

You can customize the color of see-through objects by using the Colors panel

on page 7505 of the Customize > Customize User Interface dialog on page 7489

Keyboard shortcut (default): Alt+X

Ignore Extents When turned on, the object is ignored when you use the

display control Zoom Extents. Use this on distant lights.

Show Frozen in Gray When on, the object turns gray in viewports when

you freeze it. When off, viewports display the object with its usual color or

texture even when it is frozen. Default=on.

128 | Chapter 3 Viewing and Navigating 3D Space

Never Degrade When on, the object is not subject to adaptive

degradation on page 7704 .

Vertex Colors Displays the effect of assigned vertex colors. You assign vertex

colors using the Assign Vertex Color utility, or the VertexPaint modifier. Once

vertex colors have been assigned they can also be edited in the Vertex

Properties rollout in the editable mesh or editable poly in vertex or face

sub-object level.

The Shaded button determines whether the object with the assigned vertex

colors appears shaded in the viewport. When this button is off, the colors are

unshaded and appear in their pure RGB values, looking a little like

self-illuminated materials. When the Shaded button is on, the colors appear

like any other assigned color in the viewports.

Link Display Rollout

Display panel > Link Display rollout

The Link Display rollout provides controls that alter the display of hierarchical

linkages on page 7806 .

Interface

Link Display Rollout | 129

Display Links Displays a wireframe representation of any hierarchical links

affecting the selected object.

NOTE Display Links must be turned on in order to see Joint Limits on a inverse

kinematics chain.

Link Replaces Object Replaces the selected object with the wireframe

representation of the hierarchical link. This option offers another way to

reduce the geometric complexity of selected objects in a scene. See also Display

Properties rollout on page 124 .

The Draw Links As Lines option on the Viewports panel on page 7545 of the

Preference Settings dialog further reduces the display of links to a single line.

130 | Chapter 3 Viewing and Navigating 3D Space

Selecting Objects

In most cases, before you can perform an action on an object or objects in your scene, you

must first select them. Thus, the act of selection is an essential part of the modeling and

animation process.

3ds Max provides you with a variety of selection tools, which are covered in this chapter.

Besides the basic techniques of selecting single and multiple objects using mouse and keyboard,

the topics here discuss the use of named selection sets and other features that help you manage

object selection, such as hiding and freezing objects and layers. Also included is an introduction

to sub-object selection, essential to working with an object’s underlying geometry.

Lastly, a technique for grouping objects is presented. Grouping lets you create more permanent

selections that have many of the characteristics of independent objects.

This section presents the following topics:

Introducing Object Selection on page 132

Basics of Selecting Objects on page 139

Selecting by Region on page 143

Using Select By Name on page 146

Using Named Selection Sets on page 146

Using Selection Filters on page 148

Selecting with Track View on page 150

Selecting with Schematic View on page 151

Freezing and Unfreezing Objects on page 152

Hiding and Unhiding Objects by Selection on page 154

Hiding and Unhiding Objects by Category on page 156

Isolate Selection on page 159

Introduction to Sub-Object Selection on page 160

Using Assemblies on page 209

131

Using Groups on page 206

Introducing Object Selection

3ds Max is an object-oriented program. This means that each object in the

3D scene carries instructions that tell the program what you can do with it.

These instructions vary with the type of object.

Because each object can respond to a different set of commands, you apply

commands by first selecting the object and then selecting the command. This

is known as a noun-verb interface, because you first select the object (the

noun) and then select the command (the verb).

Identifying the Selection Interface

In the user interface, selection commands or functions appear in the following

areas:

■Main toolbar

■Edit menu

■Quad menu (while objects are selected)

■Tools menu

■Track View

■Display panel

■Schematic View

The buttons on the main toolbar provide a direct means of selection. The

Select From Scene dialog on page 168 is easy to use, while the Edit menu

provides more general selection commands, plus methods of selecting objects

by property. Perhaps the most powerful selection tool is Scene Explorer on

page 7171 , which lets you select objects by various methods, and also edit object

hierarchies and properties. Track View and Schematic View let you select

objects from a hierarchical list.

132 | Chapter 4 Selecting Objects

Selecting From the Quad Menu

The quickest way to select an object is from the Transform quadrant of the

quad menu, where you can easily switch among the Move, Rotate, Scale, and

Select modes. Choose any of these and click the object you want to select in

the viewport.

Selecting by Name

Another quick way to select an object is to use the keyboard shortcut for the

Select By Name command. Press H on the keyboard to open the Select From

Scene dialog on page 168 and then select the object by name from the list.

This is a foolproof way to ensure you select the correct object when the scene

contains many overlapping objects.

Selection Buttons

Another way to select an object is to click one of these buttons, and then click

the object.

Select Object

Select by Name

Select And Move

Select And Rotate

Select And Scale

Select And Manipulate

The main toolbar has several selection-mode buttons. When any of the

selection buttons is active, the program is in a state where you can select

objects by clicking them.

Of the selection buttons, you use Select Object when you want selection only.

The remaining buttons let you both select and transform or manipulate your

Introducing Object Selection | 133

selection. Use transforms to move, rotate, and scale your selection. See Moving,

Rotating, and Scaling Objects on page 859 and Select and Manipulate on page

2529 .

134 | Chapter 4 Selecting Objects

Crossing Versus Window Selection

Above: Window selection selects the trash can and bench, but not the streetlight.

Introducing Object Selection | 135

Below: Crossing selection selects all three: trash can, bench, and streetlight.

One way to select multiple objects simultaneously is to drag a region,

such as a rectangle, around them. The Window/Crossing toggle, available

from the main toolbar, switches between Window and Crossing modes when

you select by region. In Window mode, you select only the objects within the

selection. In Crossing mode, you select all objects within the region, plus any

objects crossing the boundaries of the region.

Edit Menu Commands

The Edit menu contains selection commands that operate globally on your

objects.

Edit menu selection commands include:

Select All on page 189

Select None on page 189

Select Invert on page 190

Select Similar on page 190

Select By > Color on page 191

Select By > Name on page 191 (also a toolbar button)

Select By > Layer on page 192

Selection Region > Rectangular Region on page 192

Selection Region > Circular Region on page 193

Selection Region > Fence Region on page 194

Selection Region > Lasso Region on page 195

Selection Region > Paint Selection Region on page 196

Selection Region > Window on page 198 (also a toolbar button)

Selection Region > Crossing on page 200 (also a toolbar button)

Edit Named Selection Sets on page 181

Tools Menu Commands

The Tools menu provides the Scene Explorer commands as well as access to

modeless on page 7849 selection dialogs or "floaters." You can place them

136 | Chapter 4 Selecting Objects

anywhere on the screen, or minimize them by right-clicking the title bar and

choosing Minimize:

■New Scene Explorer (and related commands) See Scene Explorer on

page 137 .

■Display Floater Provides options for hiding and freezing selections as

well as some display options. See Display Floater on page 7458 .

■Layer Manager This modeless dialog lets you select objects individually

and by layer, and change display properties such as Hide and Freeze. See

Layer Manager on page 7227 .

Scene Explorer

Scene Explorer on page 7171 gives you a modeless dialog for selecting and

linking objects as well as changing object properties such as the name and

display characteristics. You can manipulate hierarchical relationships via

drag-and-drop techniques, and use various search methods including a

powerful Boolean editor to fine-tune your selection. You can also edit properties

for multiple objects at once simply by selecting them and then changing one

of them.

Track/Schematic View Selection

Track View on page 3426 is primarily designed as an animation tool, but you

can also use its Hierarchy List window as an alternative method of selecting

objects by name and hierarchy. This works in both the Curve Editor and Dope

Sheet modes of Track View.

Schematic View on page 7193 is specifically designed to let you navigate your

scene efficiently, presenting a hierarchical view and letting you select objects

and their properties by name.

Introducing Object Selection | 137

Display Panel Selection

The Display panel provides options for hiding and freezing objects. These

techniques exclude objects from other selection methods, and are useful in

simplifying complex scenes. Frozen objects are still visible, but hidden objects

are not.

138 | Chapter 4 Selecting Objects

Basics of Selecting Objects

Bed selected in wireframe

Basics of Selecting Objects | 139

Bed selected in smooth and shaded view

The most basic selection techniques use either the mouse, or the mouse in

conjunction with a keystroke.

Procedures

To select an object in the viewport:

1Click one of the selection buttons on the toolbar: Select Object, Select

And Move, Select And Rotate, Select And Scale, or Select And Manipulate.

Alternatively, right-click in a viewport to open the quad menu, and from

the Transform menu choose Move, Rotate, Scale, or Select.

2In any viewport, move the cursor over the object you want to select.

The cursor changes to a small cross when it’s positioned over an object

that can be selected.

The valid selection zones of an object depend on the type of object and

the display mode in the viewport. In shaded mode, any visible surface

of an object is valid. In wireframe mode, any edge or segment of an object

is valid, including hidden lines.

140 | Chapter 4 Selecting Objects

3While the cursor displays the selection cross, click to select the object

(and to deselect any previously selected object).

A selected wireframe object turns white. A selected shaded object displays

white brackets at the corners of its bounding box.

To select all objects do one of the following:

■Choose Edit menu > Select All.

This selects all objects in your scene.

■On the keyboard press Ctrl+A.

To invert the current selection do one of the following:

■Choose Edit menu > Select Invert.

This reverses the current selection pattern. For example, assume you begin

with five objects in your scene, and two of them are selected. After choosing

Invert, the two are deselected, and the remaining objects are selected.

■On the keyboard press Ctrl+I.

To extend or reduce a selection:

■Hold down Ctrl while you click to make selections.

This toggles the selection state of the objects you select. Use this method

to select or deselect objects. For example, if you have two objects selected

and Ctrl+click to select a third, the third object is added to the selection.

If you now Ctrl+click any of the three selected objects, that object is

deselected.

TIP You can also hold down Alt while you click to remove objects from

selections.

To lock a selection:

1Select an object.

2 Click the Selection Lock Toggle on page 7324 on the status bar to

turn on locked selection mode.

While your selection is locked, you can drag the mouse anywhere on the

screen without losing the selection. The cursor displays the current

selection icon. When you want to deselect or alter your selection, click

Basics of Selecting Objects | 141

the Lock button again to turn off locked selection mode. The keyboard

toggle for locked selection mode is Spacebar.

To deselect an object, do any of the following:

■Hold down the Alt key, and either click an object, or drag a region around

the object to deselect it.

■Hold down the Ctrl key and click to deselect a selected object. This is a

toggle; it also selects non-selected objects.

■To deselect all objects in the scene, choose Edit menu > Select None, or

click an empty area of a viewport anywhere outside the current selection.

142 | Chapter 4 Selecting Objects

Selecting by Region

Top Left: Selecting face sub-objects with a rectangular region

Top Right: Selecting vertex sub-objects with a circular region

Center: Selecting face sub-objects with a painted region

Bottom Left: Selecting edge sub-objects with a fence region

Bottom Right: Selecting edge sub-objects with a lasso region

The region-selection tools let you use the mouse to select one or more objects

by defining an outline or area.

Region Selection

By default, when you drag the mouse a rectangular region is created. When

you release the mouse all objects within and touched by the region are selected.

Selecting by Region | 143

The remainder of this topic describes how you can change each of these

settings.

NOTE If you hold down Ctrl while specifying a region, the affected objects are

added to the current selection. Conversely, if you hold down Alt while specifying

a region, the affected objects are removed from the current selection.

Setting Region Type

The type of region you define when you drag the mouse is set by the Region

flyout button to the right of the Select By Name button. You can use any of

five types of region selection:

■Rectangular Region Dragging the mouse selects a rectangular region. See

Rectangular Selection Region on page 192 .

■Circular Region Dragging the mouse selects a circular region. See Circular

Selection Region on page 193 .

■Fence Region Draw an irregular selection-region outline by alternating

between moving the mouse and clicking (begin with a drag). See Fence

Selection Region on page 194 .

■Lasso Region Dragging the mouse outlines an irregular selection region.

See Lasso Selection Region on page 195 .

■Paint Region Drag the mouse over objects or sub-objects to be included

in the selection. See Paint Selection Region on page 196

144 | Chapter 4 Selecting Objects

Setting Region Inclusion

This option lets you specify whether to include objects touched by the region

border. It applies to all region methods.

Choose Edit menu > Region to display a submenu of the following two items.

Only one can be active at a time. The option is also available on the main

toolbar.

■Window Selects only objects that are completely within the region. See

Select Region Window on page 198 .

■Crossing Selects all objects that are within the region and crossing the

boundaries of the region. This is the default region. See Select Region

Crossing on page 200 .

The Window/Crossing toggle on page 201 on the main toolbar also switches

between these two modes.

You can set up a preference to switch automatically between Window and

crossing based on the direction of your cursor movement. See Auto

Window/Crossing by Direction on page 7539 in General Preferences.

Procedures

To make a region selection using defaults:

1 Click Select Object on page 167 .

2Drag the mouse to define a region.

A rubber-band rectangle appears.

3Release the mouse button to select all objects within or touching the

region.

The selected objects turn white.

You can also use the Select and Transform buttons on the main toolbar to

select by region. You must start defining the region over an unselectable area

of the viewport. Otherwise, you’ll transform the object beneath your mouse

when you begin to drag.

Selecting by Region | 145

Using Select By Name

The Select By Name command opens the Select From Scene dialog, which lets

you select objects by their assigned names without having to click in the

viewports.

Procedures

To select objects by name:

1Do one of the following:

■ On the main toolbar, click Select By Name.

■Choose Edit menu > Select By > Name.

■Press H.

The Select From Scene dialog opens. By default, this dialog lists all

objects in the scene. Any selected objects are highlighted in the list.

2Choose one or more objects in the list. To select multiple objects, drag

vertically in the list or use Ctrl to add to the selection.

3Click Select to make the selection.

The dialog closes and the objects are selected.

4Alternatively, to select a single object and close the dialog at the same

time, double-click the object name.

For more information, see Select From Scene on page 168 .

Using Named Selection Sets

You can assign a name to the current selection, and then later reselect those

objects by choosing their selection name from a list.

Named Selection Sets

146 | Chapter 4 Selecting Objects

You can also edit the contents of named sets from the Named Selection

Sets dialog on page 181 .

Editing Named Selections

As you model and create a scene, you’re likely to rearrange the objects making

up your named selection sets. If you do, you’ll need to edit the contents of

those sets.

Procedures

To assign a name to a selection set:

1Select one or more objects or sub-objects using any combination of

selection methods.

2Click in the Named Selection field on the main toolbar.

3Enter a name for your set. The name can contain any standard ASCII

characters, including letters, numerals, symbols, punctuation, and spaces.

NOTE Names are case-sensitive.

4Press Enter to complete the selection set.

You can now select another combination of objects or sub-objects and repeat

the process to create another named selection set.

To retrieve a named selection set:

1In the Named Selection field, click the arrow.

NOTE If you're working with a sub-object selection set, you must be at the

same level at which you created the selection set (for example, editable mesh

> vertex) for it to appear on the list.

2On the list, click a name.

Using Named Selection Sets | 147

To edit named selection sets:

■ On the main toolbar, click Named Selection Sets to display the

Named Selection Sets dialog.

Using Selection Filters

You can use the Selection Filter list on the main toolbar to deactivate selection

for all but a specific category of object. By default, all categories can be selected,

but you can set the Selection Filter so that only one category, such as lights,

can be selected. You can also create combinations of filters to add to the list.

For greater ease of use while working with animations, you can choose filters

that let you select only Bones, objects in IK chains, or Points.

Using Combos

The Combos feature allows you to combine two or more categories into a

single filter category.

Procedures

To use the selection filter:

■Click the Selection Filter arrow and click a category from the Selection

Filter list.

148 | Chapter 4 Selecting Objects

Selection is now limited to objects defined in this category. The category

remains in effect until you change it.

The following categories are available:

All All categories can be selected. This is the default setting.

Geometry Only geometric objects can be selected. This includes meshes,

patches, and other kinds of objects not specifically included in this list.

Shapes Only shapes can be selected.

Lights Only lights (and their targets) can be selected.

Cameras Only cameras (and their targets) can be selected.

Helpers Only helper objects can be selected.

Warps Only space warps can be selected.

Combos Displays a Filter Combinations dialog on page 177 that lets you

create custom filters.

Bone Only bones objects can be selected.

IK Chain Only objects in IK chains can be selected.

Point Only point objects can be selected.

To create a combination category:

1From the drop-down list, choose Combos to display the Filter

Combinations dialog on page 177 .

All single categories are listed.

2Select the categories you want to combine.

3Click Add.

The combination appears in a list to the right, abbreviated by the first

letter of each category. Click OK.

For example, if you selected Geometry, Lights, and Cameras, the Combo

would be named GLC. This name appears below Combo on the drop-down

list. For more information, see Selection Filters List on page 176 .

Using Selection Filters | 149

Selecting with Track View

Track View provides sophisticated methods to edit your animation tracks. In

addition, its Hierarchy list displays all objects in the scene by name and

hierarchy. Using Track View, you can select any object in the scene by clicking

its object icon in the Hierarchy list.

Procedures

You can use Track View selection functionality in both the Curve Editor on

page 3441 and the Dope Sheet on page 3442 . This procedure illustrates usage of

the Curve Editor; the same methods work in the Dope Sheet.

150 | Chapter 4 Selecting Objects

To open Track View and display and select objects:

1 On the main toolbar, click Curve Editor (Open).

2Click any cube icon in the list to select the named object.

You can make the following kinds of selections:

■Select several adjacent objects in the list. Click the first object, hold down

Shift, and click another object elsewhere in the list.

■Modify the selection by pressing Ctrl while clicking. Ctrl lets you toggle

individual items on and off without deselecting others in the list.

■Select an object and all its descendants. Press and hold Alt, right-click the

object's cube icon (keep the right mouse button held down), and choose

Select Children from the menu.

You can open a Track View window for the sole purpose of selecting objects

by name. Shrink the window until only a portion of the Hierarchy appears,

and then move the window to a convenient area on your screen.

Selecting with Schematic View

Schematic view is a window that displays the objects in your scene in a

hierarchical view. It gives you an alternate way to select and choose the objects

in your scene and navigate to them.

When the Modify panel is open, double-clicking an object modifier in

Schematic view navigates the modifier stack to that modifier for quick access

to its parameters.

Procedures

To open Schematic View and display and select objects:

1 Click Open Schematic View on the main toolbar.

2Click the rectangle containing the name of your object.

Selecting with Schematic View | 151

You can select any number of objects in Schematic View using standard

methods, including dragging a region. For more information, see Using

Schematic View on page 7197 .

Freezing and Unfreezing Objects

You can freeze any selection of objects in your scene. By default, frozen objects,

whether wireframe or rendered, turn a dark gray. They remain visible, but

can’t be selected, and therefore can’t be directly transformed or modified.

Freezing lets you protect objects from accidental editing and speeds up redraws.

Above: No layers frozen

Below: Trash can and streetlight are frozen, and displayed in gray

You can choose to have frozen objects retain their usual color or texture in

viewports. Use the Object Properties dialog > General panel > Display Properties

> Show Frozen In Gray toggle on page 252 .

152 | Chapter 4 Selecting Objects

Frozen objects are similar to hidden objects. Linked, instanced, and referenced

objects behave when frozen just as they would if unfrozen. Frozen lights and

cameras and any associated viewports continue to work as they normally do.

For more information, see Freeze Rollout on page 122 .

Freezing Objects

You can freeze one or more selected objects. This is the usual method to put

objects "on hold."

You can also freeze all objects that are not selected. This method lets you keep

only the selected object active, useful in a cluttered scene, for example, where

you want to be sure no other objects are affected.

IMPORTANT Objects on a frozen layer cannot be unfrozen. If you try to unfreeze

an object on a frozen layer (with Unfreeze All or Unfreeze By Name), you are

prompted ( by default on page 7541 ) to unfreeze the object's layer.

Procedures

To access Freeze options, select one or more objects and then do one of the

following:

■Open a scene explorer on page 7171 and use the check boxes in the Frozen

column to freeze and unfreeze objects.

■ Open the Display panel and then expand the Freeze rollout.

■Choose Tools menu > Display Floater. This modeless dialog has the same

options as the Freeze rollout. It also contains Hide options.

■Access the Object Properties dialog on page 245 from either the right-click

(quad) menu or the Edit menu. Turn on Hide and/or Freeze.

■In the Layer Manager, click in the Freeze column to freeze/unfreeze each

layer in the list.

■Right-click in the active viewport and choose a Freeze or Unfreeze command

from the quad menu > Display quadrant.

Freezing and Unfreezing Objects | 153

Hiding and Unhiding Objects by Selection

You can hide any selection of individual objects in your scene. They disappear

from view, making it easier to select remaining objects. Hiding objects also

speeds up redraws. You can then unhide all objects at once or by individual

object name. You can also filter the list contents by category, so only hidden

objects of a certain type are listed.

NOTE Hiding a light source doesn't alter its effect; it still illuminates the scene.

Original scene

Scene with bed hidden

154 | Chapter 4 Selecting Objects

Hiding objects is similar to freezing objects. Linked, instanced, and referenced

objects behave when hidden just as they would if unhidden. Hidden lights

and cameras and any associated viewports continue to work normally.

For more information, see Hide Rollout on page 120 .

Hiding Objects

Hiding objects is similar to freezing objects. See Freezing and Unfreezing

Objects on page 152 . You can hide one or more selected objects. You can also

hide all objects that are not selected.

Another option is to hide objects by category. See Hiding and Unhiding

Objects by Category on page 156 .

Unhiding Objects

You can unhide objects in either of two ways:

■Use Unhide All to unhide all objects at the same time.

■Use All On to display all objects at the same time.

■Use Unhide By Name to unhide object selectively. When you click Unhide

By Name, the same dialog is displayed as for hiding, now called Unhide

Objects.

The Unhide buttons are unavailable when no object in the scene is hidden.

Objects that were first hidden by selection and then hidden by category do

not reappear. Although they are unhidden at the selection level, they are still

hidden at the category level. For details, see Hiding and Unhiding Objects by

Category on page 156 .

IMPORTANT Objects on a hidden layer cannot be unhidden. If you try to unhide

an object on a hidden layer (with Unhide All or Unhide By Name), you are

prompted ( by default on page 7541 ) to unhide the object's layer.

Procedures

To access Hide options, do one of the following:

■Open a scene explorer on page 7171 and use the check boxes in the Hidden

column to hide and unhide objects.

■Open the Layer Manager on page 7227 .

Hiding and Unhiding Objects by Selection | 155

In the Layer Manager, you can easily hide groups of objects or layers.

■ Open the Display panel. Click Hide, if necessary, to expand the

rollout.

■Choose Tools menu > Display Floater. This modeless dialog has the same

options as the Hide rollout. It also contains Freeze options.

■Access the Object Properties dialog on page 245 from either the right-click

(quad) menu or the Edit menu. Turn on Hide, Freeze, or both. If the button

is unavailable because By Layer is turned on, click By Layer to change it

to By Object.

■Right-click in the active viewport and choose a Hide or Unhide command

from the quad menu > Display quadrant.

Hiding and Unhiding Objects by Category

You can hide objects by category, the basic types of objects. For example, you

can hide all lights in your scene at one time, or all shapes, or any combination

of categories. By hiding all categories, your scene appears empty. Hidden

objects, while not displayed, continue to exist as part of the geometry of your

scene but cannot be selected.

156 | Chapter 4 Selecting Objects

Above: All objects displayed

Below: Lights and shapes are hidden

Hiding and Unhiding Objects by Category | 157

Hiding Geometry and Particle Systems

Geometry and particle systems have separate categories, even though particle

systems are also geometry.

■Selecting Geometry hides all geometry in the scene, including particle

systems. The option for particle systems becomes unavailable.

■Selecting Particle Systems hides only these objects, leaving the other

geometry unaffected.

Effects of Hiding by Category

■If you create an object in a category that is hidden, the software turns off

hiding for that category and unhides the objects within the category.

■Unhiding by category has no effect on objects hidden with the controls

on the Hide rollout (see Hiding and Unhiding Objects by Selection on

page 154 ). These objects remain hidden. You need to use the controls on

that rollout to unhide them.

■Unhiding by category has no effect on objects that are on a layer that is

turned off. These objects remain invisible. You need to turn on their layer

to display them.

■Unhiding by selection does not return a hidden object to the scene if the

category of the object is hidden. The Unhide All and Unhide By Name

controls continue to work, but the effect is not seen until the category is

cleared.

■Lights hidden by category continue to shine. Views through cameras and

targeted lights are still active.

■Linked, instanced, and referenced objects behave when hidden just as they

would if visible.

Procedures

To hide a category of objects:

1 Open the Display panel.

2Click Hide by Category, if necessary, to expand the rollout. By default,

all categories are off (unhidden) on this rollout.

158 | Chapter 4 Selecting Objects

3Choose the category you want to hide. All objects of that category

disappear from your scene as soon as you make the choice.

The same Hide By Category options appear on the Object Level panel of the

Display Floater (Tools menu > Display Floater).

To unhide a category of objects:

■Deselect the category.

All objects in the category reappear, unless some have been hidden by

selection. See “Effects of Hiding by Category”.

Isolate Selection

Tools menu > Isolate Selection

Right-click to open the quad menu. > Display (upper-right) quadrant > Isolate

Selection

Keyboard > Alt + Q

The Isolate Selection tool lets you edit a single object or selection set of objects

while hiding the rest of the scene on a temporary basis. This guards against

selecting other objects while working on a single selection. It allows you to

focus on the objects you need to see, without the visual distraction of the

surroundings. It also reduces the performance overhead that can come from

displaying other objects in the viewports.

When you turn on Isolate Selection, the active viewport (Perspective and

axonometric on page 7722 only) performs the Zoom Extents on page 7381 action

on the isolated objects. When you exit Isolate Selection mode, Perspective

viewports return to the previous zoom level, but axonometric viewports do

not.

When an isolated selection includes multiple objects, you can select a subset

of these, and choose Isolate Selection once again. This isolates the subset.

However, clicking Exit Isolation unhides the entire scene. You can’t “step

back” through individual levels of isolation.

NOTE Isolate Selection works only at the object level. You can’t choose it while

at the sub-object level. If you go to a sub-object level while working with an isolated

object, you can click Exit Isolation, but you can’t isolate sub-objects.

Isolate Selection | 159

Interface

While the Isolate tool is active, a dialog labeled Warning: Isolated Selection

appears.

Exit Isolation Mode Click to end isolation, close the dialog, and unhide the

rest of the scene.

The views are restored to what they showed before you chose Isolate Selection.

Introduction to Sub-Object Selection

This is a general introduction to sub-object selection. For specific information,

see Editable Mesh on page 1990 , Editable Patch on page 1934 , Editable Poly on

page 2038 , and Editable Spline on page 590 ; for a discussion of NURBS sub-object

selection, see Sub-Object Selection on page 2164 .

When you model an object, often you edit a portion of its underlying

geometry, such as a set of its faces or vertices. Or when you are working with

a model, you may want to apply mapping coordinates to a portion of its

underlying geometry. Use the methods described in this topic to make

sub-object selections.

160 | Chapter 4 Selecting Objects

Left: A selection of face sub-objects

Middle: A selection of edge sub-objects

Right: A selection of vertex sub-objects

You can access sub-object geometry through a variety of methods. The most

common technique is to convert an object into "editable" geometry such as

a mesh, spline, patch, NURBS, or poly object. These object types let you select

and edit geometry at the sub-object level.

If you have a primitive object and want to retain control of its creation

parameters, you can apply a modifier such as Edit Mesh on page 1283 , Edit

Poly on page 1293 , Edit Spline on page 1376 , Edit Patch on page 1290 , or Mesh

Select on page 1455 .

The Line Spline on page 551 and NURBS curves and surfaces are the exception:

you can edit their sub-objects as soon as you create these kinds of objects.

You choose a sub-object level in the stack display. Click the plus sign

that appears next to the name of an object that has sub-objects. This expands

the hierarchy, showing the available sub-object levels. Click a level to choose

it. The name of the sub-object level highlights in yellow, and the icon for that

Introduction to Sub-Object Selection | 161

sub-object level appears to the right of both its name and the name of the

top-level object.

Stack display shows the sub-object hierarchy, letting

you choose a sub-object level.

Editing at the Sub-Object Level

When you edit an object at the sub-object level, you can select only

components at that level, such as vertex, edge, face sub-objects, and so on.

You can’t deselect the current object, nor can you select other objects. To

leave sub-object editing and return to object-level editing, click the top-level

name of the object in the modifier stack, or click the highlighted sub-object

level.

162 | Chapter 4 Selecting Objects

Click the top-level object name to exit sub-object

editing.

TIP You can also access sub-object levels from the buttons at the top of the

Selection rollout on the Modify panel.

Procedures

To make a sub-object selection:

These methods assume the object has sub-object levels. If the object has no

sub-object levels (for example, a primitive such as a sphere), the + icon is not

present. In that case, you need to collapse the object or apply an Edit modifier

before you can edit its sub-object geometry.

1Select the object you want to edit.

2If the object doesn’t already have sub-object levels, apply an Edit ...

modifier such as Edit Mesh.

3 Open the Modify panel.

4 On the modifier stack display, click the + icon to expand the object's

hierarchy.

Introduction to Sub-Object Selection | 163

5On the stack display, click a sub-object level such as Vertex, Edge, or Face.

TIP For some kinds of objects, such as editable meshes, shaded viewports

don't display sub-object selections. If this is the case, right-click the viewport

label and choose Wireframe or Edged Faces view.

TIP For a detailed selection, you might want to zoom in on the object.

6Click one of the toolbar selection buttons, and then use the same selection

methods you’d use on objects to select the sub-object components. Or

from the quad menu > Transform quadrant, choose one of the selection

methods and select the sub-object components.

There are two alternative ways to go to a sub-object level:

■ Select the object and go to the Modify panel. Then right-click the

object, and use the quad menu > Tools 1 (upper-left) quadrant > Sub-objects

submenu.

■ Choose the selection level using buttons on the Modify panel's

Selection rollout, if one is present for the type of object you're editing.

TIP Once you're at a sub-object level, the Insert key cycles through the levels of

other kinds of sub-objects.

To exit a sub-object level, do one of the following:

■In the stack display, click the highlighted sub-object name or the top-level

name of the object.

■If the object has a Selection rollout, click the button of the active sub-object

level to turn it off.

■Right-click the object, and then in the Tools 1 (upper-left) quadrant of the

quad menu, choose Top-level.

■Access a different command panel. This turns off sub-object editing.

164 | Chapter 4 Selecting Objects

If you think you’ve turned off sub-object editing but top-level object selection

is still not restored, it might be due to the following reasons:

■ Your selection is locked. Click the Lock Selection Set button on the

prompt line to turn it off.

■You’ve set the Selection Filter on page 148 on the main toolbar to a specific

category of object, so you can’t select any of the other categories. To fix

this, select All in the Selection Filter list.

Selection Commands

Selection commands appear on the quad menu, on the main toolbar, on the

Edit menu, and on the status bar.

The simplest method of selection is to turn on Select Object mode on page

167 , and then click an object in a viewport (or drag to surround the object).

While the method is simple, it is not effective for selecting multiple objects,

especially in a crowded scene. Other tools let you select objects by name, filter

out the kinds of objects you want to select, and to create named selection sets

you can select repeatedly.

See also:

■Introducing Object Selection on page 132

■Basics of Selecting Objects on page 139

■Isolate Selection on page 159

■Scene Explorer on page 7171

■Select From Scene on page 168

Selection Commands on the Main Toolbar

The following selection commands appear by default on the Main toolbar.

Select Object on page 167

Select From Scene on page 168

Rectangular Selection Region on page 192

Selection Commands | 165

Circular Selection Region on page 193

Fence Selection Region on page 194

Lasso Selection Region on page 195

Paint Selection Region on page 196

Selection Filter List on page 176

Window/Crossing Selection Toggle on page 201

Named Selection Sets on page 179

The Window/Crossing toggle determines how the region selection options

(on the toolbars) behave.

Selection Commands on the Edit Menu

The Edit menu contains selection commands that operate globally on your

objects.

Edit menu selection commands include:

Select All on page 189

Select None on page 189

Select Invert on page 190

Select Similar on page 190

Select By > Color on page 191

Select By > Name on page 191 (also a toolbar button)

Select By > Layer on page 192

Selection Region > Rectangular Region on page 192

Selection Region > Circular Region on page 193

Selection Region > Fence Region on page 194

Selection Region > Lasso Region on page 195

Selection Region > Paint Selection Region on page 196

Selection Region > Window on page 198 (also a toolbar button)

Selection Region > Crossing on page 200 (also a toolbar button)

Edit Named Selection Sets on page 181

166 | Chapter 4 Selecting Objects

Selection Command on the Status Bar

The Selection Lock Toggle on page 7324 is located on the status bar. Locking

a selection is useful when you are doing a lot of editing on a selection, and

don't want to select something else by mistake.

Select Object

Main toolbar > Select Object

Right-click to open quad menu. > Transform quadrant > Select

Select Object lets you select an objects and sub-objects for manipulation.

Object selection is affected by several other controls:

■The active Selection Region type: Rectangular on page 192 , Circular on

page 193 , Fence on page 194 , Lasso on page 195 , or Paint on page 196 .

■The active selection filter on page 176 (All, Geometry, Shapes, Lights, and

so forth).

■The state of the crossing selection tool (which determines whether

completely surrounded objects or surrounded and crossing objects are

selected).

You can also select objects by name with the Select From Scene dialog Select

From Scene on page 168 list; press the H key to access the dialog.

A number of objects selected together is called a selection set on page 146 .

You can name selection sets in the Named Selection Sets field on the main

toolbar and then recall them for later use.

NOTE The Smart Select command activates the Select Object function and, with

repeated invocations, cycles through the available Selection Region methods. By

default, Smart Select is assigned to the Q key; you can use Customize User Interface

on page 7489 to assign it to a different keyboard shortcut, a menu, etc.

Procedures

To add or remove individual objects from a selection set:

1Hold down the Ctrl key and select the objects to add or remove.

Select Object | 167

2Hold down the Alt key and select objects to remove from the current

selection set.

NOTE Adding and removing objects doesn't change a named selection set.

To toggle the selected/deselected state of multiple objects in the selection

set:

■Hold down the Shift key and drag to region-select the objects to toggle.

To select objects and move, rotate, or scale them:

■ Use the Select And Move, Select And Rotate, or Select And

Scale tools, available from the main toolbar and the quad menu > Transform

quadrant.

When you rotate a selection set, the pivot of rotation depends on which

option is selected on the Use Center flyout on page 904 on the toolbar.

These tools are restricted to a specific axis or plane, which you can choose

from the Axis Constraints toolbar on page 7288 or specify with the

transform gizmo on page 865 .

Select From Scene

main toolbar > Select By Name

Keyboard > H

Edit menu > Select By > Name

168 | Chapter 4 Selecting Objects

This dialog, named Select From Scene or Select Objects in most contexts, lets

you select or designate objects by choosing them from a list of all objects

currently in the scene. Select From Scene is a modal on page 7849 , read-only

version of Scene Explorer on page 7171 ; you can’t use it to change object

properties such as name and color. Other differences between Select From

Scene and Scene Explorer include:

■No hierarchy manipulation; you can’t link or unlink objects

■Hidden and frozen objects don’t appear in the list.

■Because the dialog is modal, you must close it before continuing.

■To select an object and close the dialog, double-click the object’s list entry.

■All toggle settings such as Select Dependents, Display > Children, and the

Display buttons persist. That means they survive Reset operations and even

quitting and restarting the software. This also applies to the position and

size of the dialog. To return all dialog settings to their defaults, delete

[program folder]\plugcfg\DefaultModalSceneExplorer.ini.

Select From Scene | 169

NOTE The Select From Scene dialog name and functionality are context dependent.

When a transform such as Select And Move is active, the dialog lets you choose

from all objects in the scene. But when certain modes are active, the choices in

the dialog are more limited. For example, when Select and Link on page 3268 is

active, the dialog is entitled Select Parent, and shows linkable objects but not the

child object already selected. Similarly, if Group > Attach is active, the dialog is

named Attach To Group and lists groups but not solitary objects.

TIP If you prefer to use the legacy Select Objects dialog instead of Select From

Scene, it’s available as an option. Open the CurrentDefaults.ini file (see

Market-Specific Defaults on page 7486 ), find the [Scene Explorer] section, and

change SelectByNameUsesSceneExplorer setting. If set to 1, then Select By Name

and related commands use the Select From Scene dialog. If set to 0, thenSelect

By Name and related commands use the legacy Select Objects dialog. The latter’s

functionality is essentially the same as the Selection Floater on page 171 , except

that it’s modal, not modeless.

See also:

■Selection Floater on page 171

Procedures

To select objects by name:

1Do one of the following:

■ Click the Select By Name button on the main toolbar.

■Choose Edit menu > Select By > Name.

■Press H.

The Select From Scene dialog opens. By default, it lists all objects in

the scene, displaying any hierarchies as collapsible branches. Currently

selected objects are highlighted in the list.

2Choose one or more objects in the list by doing one of the following:

■To select a single object and close the dialog, double-click the object

name.

■Drag, or click and then Shift+click to select a contiguous range of

objects and Ctrl+click to select noncontiguous objects.

170 | Chapter 4 Selecting Objects

■In the field above the list, type a search phrase. As you type, all

matches for the current phrase are highlighted in the list. To highlight

only objects whose case matches the search phrase exactly, turn on

Find Case Sensitive (from the Select menu) .

NOTE In some cases, such as when linking objects, you can select only one

object.

3Click Select.

The selection is made as the dialog closes.

To highlight a single item from among multiple highlighted items:

Clicking one list item among several highlighted items does not unhlighlight

the rest. When several items are highlighted, but you want to highlight only

one of them, do either of the following:

■If any items are not highlighted, click one of them to remove highlighting

from the rest, and then highlight the one you want.

■ If all items are highlighted, the preceding method isn’t practical.

In that case, on the upper toolbar click Select None, and then highlight

the one you want.

Selection Floater

[Available only as a CUI action]

This modeless dialog lets you select objects in the scene. You can keep the

dialog open while you work in your scene, making it easier to select objects.

IMPORTANT The Selection Floater command is available only as a Customize

User Interface on page 7489 action; to use it you must first add it explicitly to the

user interface.

See also:

■Scene Explorer on page 7171

Selection Floater | 171

Interface

[select objects field] Enter a name to highlight objects in the list whose

names begin with the text you specify.

Find Case Sensitive When on, the select objects field above the list is

case-sensitive. For example, if the list contains objects named apple and Apple

and Find Case Sensitive is on, typing “a” will highlight only the apple entry.

Also, sorts the list so uppercase names come before lowercase.

[objects list] Lists objects according to the current Sort and List Types choices.

Does not display hidden and frozen objects.

172 | Chapter 4 Selecting Objects

To highlight an object name in the list, click with the mouse. To highlight

multiple object names, drag, or click and then Ctrl+click or Shift+click, or use

the search field above the list. To select highlighted objects, click the Select

button.

Alternatively, you can highlight and select a single object in the list by

double-clicking its name.

After selecting objects, the dialog remains open until you close it explicitly.

All/None/Invert These buttons alter the pattern of selection in the list

window.

Influences When you highlight an object in the list window and then click

the Influences button, the selected object's influences on page 7816 are

highlighted as well.

Display Subtree Displays each item in the list so that its hierarchical branch

on page 7806 is included (for example, Thigh/Shin/Foot ). Hierarchical branches

are indented.

Display Influences When this is on and you select an item in the list window,

all of its influences are shown in blue. If you want to highlight these influences,

click Influences.

Select Subtree When this is on and you select an item in the list window,

all of its hierarchical children are selected as well.

Select Dependents When this is on and you select an item in the list window,

all of its dependent on page 7755 objects are selected as well.Dependents include

instances, references, and objects sharing a common modifier (the same objects

that appear green when Show Dependencies is on in the View menu).

When both Select Subtree and Select Dependents are on, the subtree of any

newly selected node is first selected, and then the dependents are selected. In

other words, dependents of the subtree are selected, but not the subtrees of

all dependents.

Sort group

Lets you choose the sort order of the items displayed in the list. This option

is unavailable when Display Subtree is on; in that case, sorting is always

alphabetical.

■Alphabetical Sorts from numeric characters at the top, then A to Z at the

bottom. When Find Case Sensitive is on, all upper-case names come before

lower-case names.

Selection Floater | 173

■By Type Sorts by category, using the same order as the check boxes in

the List Types group.

■By Color Sorts by object wireframe color. The sorting order is arbitrary;

the value of this option is that objects of the same color are grouped

together.

■By Size Sorts based on the number of faces in each object. The object

with the least number of faces is listed first, followed by objects with

successively greater number of faces.

List Types group

Determines the types of objects to display in the list.

All/None/Invert These buttons alter the pattern of activation of the List

Types options.

Selection Sets group

Lists any named selection sets on page 179 that you have defined in the scene.

When you choose a selection set from the drop-down list, 3ds Max highlights

its component objects in the main list.

Selection Region Flyout

Main toolbar > Selection Region flyout

174 | Chapter 4 Selecting Objects

Selection

Region

flyout

The Selection Region flyout provides access to five methods you can use to

select objects by region. Clicking the Selection Region button displays a flyout

containing the Rectangle on page 192 , Circular on page 193 , Fence on page

194 , Lasso on page 195 , and Paint on page 196 Selection Region buttons.

For the first four methods, you can select either objects that are completely

within the selection region (window method), or objects that are within or

touched by the selection shape (crossing method). Toggle between the window

and crossing selection methods by using the Window/Crossing Selection

button on page 200 on the main toolbar.

NOTE If you hold down Ctrl while specifying a region, the affected objects are

added to the current selection. Conversely, if you hold down Alt while specifying

a region, the affected objects are removed from the current selection.

NOTE The Smart Select command activates the Select Object on page 167 function

and, with repeated invocations, cycles through the available Selection Region

methods. By default, Smart Select is assigned to the Q key; you can use Customize

User Interface on page 7489 to assign it to a different keyboard shortcut, a menu,

etc.

Selection Region Flyout | 175

Procedures

To select using a region (general method):

1Choose a Selection Region method from the flyout.

2Drag in a viewport, then release the mouse. The first location you click

is one corner of the rectangle, and where you release the mouse is the

opposite corner.

IMPORTANT If you're using Select Object on page 167 , you can start

dragging anywhere to select a region: on an object or off. However, if you're

using one of the transform tools, such as Select and Move on page 888 ,

start the drag operation away from an object; that is, in an empty part of the

viewport. Otherwise, if you start dragging on an object, most likely the

software will assume you intend to select where you click and will begin the

transform operation immediately.

To cancel the selection, right-click before you release the mouse.

Selection Filter List

Main toolbar > Selection Filter

The Selection Filter list lets you restrict to specific types and combinations of

objects that can be selected by the selection tools. For example, if you choose

Cameras, you can select only cameras with the selection tools. Other objects

do not respond. When you need to select objects of a certain type, this is

useful as a quick method of freezing all other objects.

176 | Chapter 4 Selecting Objects

Use the drop-down list to select a single filter. Choose Combos from the

drop-down list to use multiple filters from the Filter Combinations dialog on

page 177 .

Filter Combinations Dialog

Main toolbar > Selection Filter list > Combos > Filter Combinations dialog

Use the Filter Combinations dialog to create your own custom combinations

of categories to add to the Selection Filters list on page 176 .

You can also add specific types of objects, or Class IDs, to the list. For example,

you can set a filter that lets you select only Sphere primitives.

Procedures

To create a combination filter:

1Open the Selection Filter list and choose Combos.

The Filter Combinations dialog appears.

2Turn on one or more of the check boxes in the Create Combination

group.

3Click the Add button.

The specified combination appears in the Current Combinations list to

the right as a combination of the first letters of each selected category.

4Click OK.

The new combo item appears at the bottom of the Select Filter list.

Combos are stored in the 3dsmax.ini on page 51 file, so they remain in

effect for all scenes through all sessions.

To delete a combination filter:

1Open the Selection Filter list and choose Combos.

The Filter Combinations dialog appears.

2Choose one or more of the combos in the Current Combinations list.

3Click the Delete button.

4Click OK.

Filter Combinations Dialog | 177

Interface

178 | Chapter 4 Selecting Objects

Create Combination group

Geometry, Shapes, Lights, Cameras, Helpers, Space Warps Choose the

category or categories you want included in the combination.

Add After choosing the categories to include in a combination, click this

button to place the categories, labeled with the categories' initials, in the

Current Combinations list, as well as at the bottom of the Selection Filter list.

Current Combinations group

Current Combinations list Lists current combinations. To delete one or more

combinations, choose them, and then click Delete.

Delete After choosing one or more combinations in the Current

Combinations list, click this button to delete them.

All Class ID group

Class ID list Lists all the available categories that can be added to custom

filters for display and selection. Highlight a category to add, then click Add.

Add After choosing a class to include in the filter list, click this button to

place the class in the Current Class ID Filter list, as well as at the bottom of

the Selection Filter list.

Current Class ID Filter group

Class ID list Lists current classes to filter. To delete a class, choose it, and

then click Delete.

Delete After choosing a class in the Current Class ID Filter list, click this

button to delete the class.

Named Selection Sets

Main toolbar > Named Selection Sets

Named Selection Sets | 179

The Named Selection Sets list allows you to name a selection set and recall

the selection for later use. It supports selection sets both at the object level

and at sub-object levels. You edit named object-level selection sets with the

Named Selections Sets dialog on page 181 and sub-object level sets with the

Edit Named Selections dialog on page 186 .

A named selection set is removed from the list if all of its objects have been

deleted from the scene, or if all of its objects have been removed from the

named set in the Named Selections Sets dialog.

Selection set names are case sensitive at both the object level and at sub-object

levels.

You can transfer sub-object named selections from one level in the stack to

another. The Copy and Paste buttons let you copy named selections from one

modifier to another.

While at a specific sub-object level, such as Vertex, you can make selections

and name those selections in the Named Selection Sets field of the toolbar.

The named sets are specific to both the selection level and the level on the

stack.

Keep in mind the following restrictions:

■You can transfer named selections only between the same type of sub-object

level. In other words, you can transfer named selections from vertex

sub-object to another vertex sub-object, but you can't transfer it to face or

edge sub-object level.

■You must transfer the selection between modifiers that handle like

geometry. You can copy and paste between an editable mesh and a mesh

select modifier, but you can't copy and paste between a mesh select modifier

and an editable spline.

■You can copy and paste between two modifiers in two different objects,

as long as you're at the same level and both modifiers handle the same

type of geometry.

■If you change the topology of a mesh after creating a named selection

(such as deleting some vertices), the named selections will probably no

longer select the same geometry.

Procedures

To create a named selection set:

1Select the objects you want to be in a set.

180 | Chapter 4 Selecting Objects

2Type the name of the set in the Named Selection Set field and press Enter.

3Whenever you want to access the selection, choose its name from the

Named Selection Sets list.

To select a named selection set, do one of the following:

1To select a single item, click it in the list.

2To select more than one item in the list, select one, and then select others

while holding down the Ctrl key.

3To deselect single items after you've selected multiple items, hold down

the Alt key.

Named Selection Sets Dialog

Edit menu > Edit Named Selections

Main toolbar > Named Selection Sets

The Named Selection Sets dialog, available from the Edit menu, is a modeless

dialog on page 7849 that lets you create named selection sets or select objects

to add to (or remove from) a selection set, directly from the viewport. The

dialog also lets you organize your current named selection sets, browse their

members, delete or create new sets, or identify which named selection sets a

particular object belongs to.

NOTE This dialog applies to objects only. For editing sub-object named selection

sets, see Edit Named Selections Dialog on page 186 .

See also:

■Named Selection Sets on page 179

■Using Named Selection Sets on page 146

■Edit Named Selections Dialog on page 186

Named Selection Sets | 181

Procedures

To create a named selection:

1In the viewport, select the objects you want to gather as a selection set.

2 Click the toolbar Named Selection Sets button or choose Edit >

Edit Named Selections.

3 On the Named Selection Sets dialog, click Create New Set.

4Enter a name for the new selection set.

To add objects to a named selection set:

1 Click the toolbar Named Selection Sets button or choose Edit >

Edit Named Selections.

2Choose the named selection set in the dialog.

3Select one or more objects in the viewport.

4 In the dialog, click Add Selected Objects.

To remove objects from a named selection set:

1 Click the toolbar Named Selection Sets button or choose Edit >

Edit Named Selections.

2Choose the named selection set in the dialog.

3In the viewport, select the objects you want to remove.

4 In the dialog, click Subtract Selected Objects.

182 | Chapter 4 Selecting Objects

Note: You can also remove objects by selecting them in the Named

Selection Sets dialog, then clicking Remove or pressing Delete.

To move an object from one set to another:

1 Click the toolbar Named Selection Sets button or choose Edit >

Edit Named Selections.

2In the Named Selection Sets dialog, expand the selection sets.

3Drag an object from one set to another.

The object is moved into the second set. If you use Ctrl+drag, the object

will be copied into the second set.

TIP You can also copy the contents of an entire set into another, by dragging

them into the desired selection set.

To select objects in a set:

1Highlight the set in the Named Selection Sets dialog.

2 Click Select Objects In Set to select all of the objects in the

highlighted set.

Named Selection Sets | 183

Interface

In the Named Selection Sets dialog, all of the current named selection sets are

displayed. By clicking the plus (+) or minus (-) icon, you can expand or collapse

(respectively) the object list for each set.

The buttons along the top of the dialog let you create or delete sets, add or

remove objects from a set, select objects (independently or as a selection set),

and see which named selection set(s) a particular object belongs to.

Create New Set Creates a new selection set, including any currently

selected objects as members.

NOTE If no objects are selected, an empty set is created.

184 | Chapter 4 Selecting Objects

Remove Removes the selected object or selection set.

NOTE Deleting an object or its selection set does not delete the object; it only

destroys the named set.

Add Selected Objects Adds the currently selected objects to the selected

named selection set.

Subtract Selected Objects Removes currently selected objects from

the selected named selection set.

Select Objects in Set Selects all members of the current named

selection.

Select Objects by Name Opens the Select Objects dialog on page 168

, where you can select a group of objects. The selected objects can then be

added to or removed from any named selection set.

Highlight Selected Objects Highlights all of the named selection sets

that contain the current scene selection.

Status Bar Displays the current named

selection set, as well as what’s currently selected in the scene. If more than

one object is selected, the number of selected objects is displayed.

Right-click menu

Additional commands are available when you right-click in the Named

Selection Sets dialog.

Rename Lets you rename the selected set or object.

TIP You can rename objects or sets by pressing F2.

Cut Removes the selected object or set and stores it in a buffer for reuse with

the Paste command, similar to the Cut command in Windows.

Named Selection Sets | 185

TIP You can cut an object or set by pressing Ctrl+X.

Copy Copies the selected object or set and stores it in a buffer for reuse with

the Paste command, similar to the Copy command in Windows.

TIP You can copy an object or set by pressing Ctrl+C.

Paste Adds a Cut or Copied object or set into another set.

TIP You can paste an object or set by pressing Ctrl+V.

Collapse All Collapses all expanded selection sets.

Expand All Expands all collapsed selection sets.

Create New Set Creates a new selection set, including any currently selected

objects as members.

Remove Removes the selected object or selection set.

Add Selected Objects Adds currently selected objects to the selected named

selection set.

Subtract Selected Objects Removes currently selected objects from the

selected named selection set.

Select Objects in Set Selects all members of the current named selection.

Select Objects by Name Opens the Select Objects dialog on page 168 , and

adds all objects selected there to the current named selection set.

Highlight Selected Objects Highlights all of the named selection sets that

contain the current scene selection.

Find Next Toggles through selection sets containing the selected object,

when used in collaboration with the Highlight Selected Objects command.

TIP You can use Ctrl+G to toggle through the sets.

Edit Named Selections Dialog

Make a sub-object selection. > Edit menu > Edit Named Selections

Make a sub-object selection. > Main toolbar > Named Selection Sets

Edit Named Selections displays the Edit Named Selections dialog, letting you

manage named selection sets of sub-objects on page 160 . Unlike the Named

186 | Chapter 4 Selecting Objects

Selection Sets dialog on page 181 , which applies to objects only, it is a modal

dialog, which means that you must close it in order to work in other areas of

3ds Max. Also, you can work only with existing named sub-object selections;

you cannot use the dialog to create new selections.

Procedures

To edit named sub-object selections:

1At a sub-object level, create one or more named selection sets on page

179 .

2 Click the toolbar Named Selection Sets button or choose Edit >

Edit Named Selections.

The Edit Named Selections dialog opens, listing all named selection sets

for the current sub-object level.

3Use the dialog controls to edit the named selection sets.

Named Selection Sets | 187

Interface

The dialog window lists all named selections at the current sub-object level.

The buttons beneath the windows let you delete, merge, and edit the listed

items. Use standard mouse-plus-keyboard methods (using Ctrl or Shift) to

highlight list items and designate them for subsequent operations.

188 | Chapter 4 Selecting Objects

To rename a set, click it in the list, and then edit its name in the one-line

window immediately below the list.

Combine Merges all objects from the highlighted selection sets into a single,

new selection set. Select two or more selection sets, and then click Combine

and enter a new name for the selection set. Use Delete to delete the original

sets.

Delete Deletes all highlighted items from the Named Selections window.

This affects only selection sets, not the sub-objects they refer to.

Subtract (A-B) Removes the sub-objects contained in one selection set from

another. Select one item in the Named Selections window, and then select

the other. The top highlighted item in the window is operand A, and the

bottom is operand B (regardless of the order of their selection). Click Subtract

(A-B) to subtract the sub-objects in the bottom item from those in the top

item. There must be some overlap between the two selection sets for this

command to have any effect.

Subtract (B-A) Subtracts the sub-objects in the top selected item from those

in the bottom item.

Intersection Creates a selection set that consists only of sub-objects that all

highlighted selection sets have in common. Highlight two or more items in

the Named Selections window, and then click Intersection. In the dialog that

appears, enter a new set name and click OK.

Select All

Edit menu > Select All

Keyboard > Ctrl+A

This command selects all objects in the scene matching the current selection

filter type on page 176 on the main toolbar.

Select None

Edit menu > Select None

Keyboard > Ctrl+D

This command deselects all objects in the scene conforming to the current

selection filter type on page 176 on the main toolbar.

Select All | 189

Select Invert

Edit menu > Select Invert

Keyboard > Ctrl+I

This command inverts the current selection set. All objects not currently

selected are selected, and all objects currently selected are deselected, respecting

the current selection filter type on page 176 on the main toolbar.

Select Similar

Edit menu > Select Similar

Select one or more objects. > Right-click > quad menu > Transform quadrant

> Select Similar

Select Similar automatically selects all items that are “similar” to the current

selection. The specific functionality depends on the objects’ source:

■Selects all items imported in the DWG format in the selected object's or

objects' layer that have the same style(s) on page 6850 or categories as

defined in AutoCAD Architecture (formerly known as ADT, or Architectural

Desktop), or the same families or types as defined in Revit. For example,

if you've imported or linked to a DWG file that contains walls in several

different styles, such as CMU-8, Concrete-8, and Stud-4, you could select

all CMU-8 wall segments in the same layer by selecting one and then

invoking Select Similar.

If you start by selecting multiple objects with different styles, Select Similar

will select all objects with those styles.

■This command also applies to objects native to 3ds Max. It selects all objects

of the same type, with the same material (or with no material), and on the

same layer as the current selection. This includes primitives and editable

object types. For example, if you add some boxes and cylinders, select one

of the cylinders, and then invoke Select Similar, all of the cylinders will

be selected, but not the boxes. If you then convert all of the objects to

Editable Poly format and repeat the test, all of the objects will be selected.

If you then apply a material to one of the objects or move it to a different

layer, it’s no longer “similar” to the rest and won’t be selected by Select

Similar.

190 | Chapter 4 Selecting Objects

Select By

Edit menu > Select By

The Select By submenu on the Edit menu provides commands for selecting

objects in the scene by color, name, and other characteristics. It also gives

quick access to the various Region selection options.

Select By Color on page 191

Select By Name (Edit Menu) on page 191

Select By Layer on page 192

Select By Color

Edit menu > Select By > Color

Select By Color lets you select all objects having the same color as the selected

object. Selection is made by wireframe color (see Object Color Dialog on page

327 ), rather than by any materials associated with the objects.

After you choose this command, click any object in the scene to determine

the color for the selection set.

TIP To select objects by material, use Schematic View on page 7197 .

Select By Name (Edit Menu)

Edit menu > Select By > Name

Keyboard > H

Select By Name lets you select objects by choosing them from a list of all

objects in the scene.

For a full description of the Select By Name function, see Select From Scene

on page 168 .

TIP To select objects by material, use Select By Material on page 5244 .

Select By | 191

Select By Layer

Edit menu > Select By > Select By Layer

Select By Layer lets you select all objects in one or more layers by picking them

from a list of all layers in the scene. Choosing this command opens the Select

By Layer dialog; use standard methods to highlight one or more layers, and

then click OK. The dialog closes, and all objects in the highlighted layer or

layers are selected.

Region Selection

Selection Region

Edit Menu > Selection Region

The Selection Region submenu on the Edit menu provides quick access to the

various Region selection on page 143 options.

Rectangular Selection Region on page 192

Circular Selection Region on page 193

Fence Selection Region on page 194

Lasso Selection Region on page 195

Paint Selection Region on page 196

Window on page 198

Crossing on page 200

Rectangular Selection Region

main toolbar > Rectangular Selection Region (Selection Region flyout)

Edit menu > Selection Region > Rectangular Region

The Rectangular Selection Region option, available from the Selection Region

flyout on page 174 and the Edit menu, provides one of five methods you can

192 | Chapter 4 Selecting Objects

use to select objects by region. The other methods are Circular on page 193 ,

Fence on page 194 , Lasso on page 195 , and Paint on page 196 .

You can use Rectangular to select either objects that are completely within

the selection region (window method), or objects that are either within or

touched by the selection shape (crossing method). Toggle between the window

and crossing selection methods by using the Window/Crossing Selection

button on page 200 on the main toolbar.

NOTE If you hold down Ctrl while specifying a region, the affected objects are

added to the current selection. Conversely, if you hold down Alt while specifying

a region, the affected objects are removed from the current selection.

Procedures

To select using a rectangle:

1 Click the Rectangular Selection Region button.

2Drag in a viewport, then release the mouse. The first location you click

is one corner of the rectangle, and where you release the mouse is the

opposite corner.

To cancel the selection, right-click before you release the mouse.

Circular Selection Region

main toolbar > Circular Selection Region (Selection Region flyout)

Edit menu > Selection Region > Circular Region

The Circular Selection Region option, available from the Selection Region

flyout on page 174 and the Edit menu, provides one of five methods you can

use to select objects by region. The other methods are Rectangular on page

192 , Fence on page 194 , Lasso on page 195 , and Paint on page 196 .

You can use Circular to select either objects that are completely within the

selection region (window method), or objects that are either within or touched

by the selection shape (crossing method). Toggle between the window and

crossing selection methods by using the Crossing Selection button on page

200 on the main toolbar.

Region Selection | 193

NOTE If you hold down Ctrl while specifying a region, the affected objects are

added to the current selection. Conversely, if you hold down Alt while specifying

a region, the affected objects are removed from the current selection.

Procedures

To select using a circle:

1 Click the Circular Selection Region button.

2Drag in a viewport, then release the mouse. The first location you click

is the center of the circle, where you release the mouse defines the circle's

radius.

To cancel the selection, right-click before you release the mouse.

Fence Selection Region

main toolbar > Fence Selection Region (Selection Region flyout)

Edit menu > Select By > Fence Region

The Fence Selection Region option, available from the Selection Region flyout

on page 174 and the Edit menu, provides one of five methods you can use to

select objects by region. The other methods are Rectangular on page 192 ,

Circular on page 193 , Lasso on page 195 , and Paint on page 196 .

You can use Fence to select either objects that are completely within the

selection region (window method), or objects that are either within or touched

by the selection shape (crossing method). Toggle between the window and

crossing selection methods by using the Window/Crossing button on page

201 on the main toolbar.

NOTE If you hold down Ctrl while specifying a region, the affected objects are

added to the current selection. Conversely, if you hold down Alt while specifying

a region, the affected objects are removed from the current selection.

194 | Chapter 4 Selecting Objects

Procedures

To select using a fence:

1 Click the Fence Selection Region button.

2Drag to draw the first segment of a polygon, then release the mouse

button.

A "rubber-band line" is now attached to the cursor, anchored at the point

of release.

3Move the mouse and click to define the next segment of the fence. You

can make as many steps as you want.

4To complete the fence, either click the first point, or double-click.

A pair of cross hairs appears when you're near enough to click the first

point. This creates a closed fence.

Double-clicking creates an open fence, which can select objects only by

the crossing method.

To cancel the selection, right-click before you release the mouse.

Lasso Selection Region

main toolbar > Lasso Selection Region (Selection Region flyout)

Edit menu > Selection Region > Lasso Region

The Lasso Selection method lets you select multiple objects within a complex

or irregular region with a single mouse action.

The Lasso Selection Region option, available from the Selection Region flyout

on page 174 and the Edit menu, provides one of five methods you can use to

select objects by region. The other methods are Rectangular on page 192 ,

Circular on page 193 , Fence on page 194 , and Paint on page 196 .

You can use Lasso to select either objects that are completely within the

selection region (window method), or objects that are either within or touched

by the selection shape (crossing method). Toggle between the window and

crossing selection methods by using the Window/Crossing button on page

201 on the main toolbar.

Region Selection | 195

NOTE If you hold down Ctrl while specifying a region, the affected objects are

added to the current selection. Conversely, if you hold down Alt while specifying

a region, the affected objects are removed from the current selection.

Procedures

To select using a lasso:

1 Click the Lasso Selection Region button.

2Drag to draw a shape around the object(s) that should be selected, then

release the mouse button.

NOTE To cancel the selection, right-click before you release the mouse.

Paint Selection Region

main toolbar > Paint Selection Region (Selection Region flyout)

Edit menu > Selection Region > Paint Region

The Paint Selection method lets you select multiple objects or sub-objects by

dragging the mouse over them. To change the brush size, right-click the Paint

Selection Region button, and then, on the Preference Settings dialog > General

tab > Scene Selection group, change the Paint Selection Brush Size value on

page 7540 .

If you hold down Ctrl while specifying a region, the affected objects are added

to the current selection. Conversely, if you hold down Alt while specifying a

region, the affected objects are removed from the current selection.

TIP You can also create custom tools for changing the brush size; choose Customize

menu > Customize User Interface and set keyboard shortcuts or other user interface

items for the actions Paint Selection Size Up and Paint Selection Size Down.

196 | Chapter 4 Selecting Objects

NOTE Paint Selection Region respects the Window/Crossing selection toggle on

page 201 setting. If the toggle is set to Select Region Window on page 198 and

the brush is smaller than an object or sub-object to be selected, you won't be able

to select the item. To resolve this, enlarge the brush or choose Select Region

Crossing on page 200 .

NOTE With editable poly on page 2038 and Edit Poly on page 1293 objects, you

can also paint soft selections on page 1930 and deformation on page 2043 .

The Paint Selection Region button, available from the Selection Region flyout

on page 174 , provides one of five methods you can use to select objects by

region. The other methods are Rectangular on page 192 , Circular on page 193

, Lasso on page 195 , and Fence on page 194 .

Procedures

To select by painting a region:

1 Choose Paint Selection Region from the flyout.

2Drag over the object(s) to select, then release the mouse button. As you

drag, a circle showing the brush radius appears attached to the mouse.

NOTE To cancel the selection, right-click before you release the mouse.

3To change the brush size, right-click the Paint Selection Region button,

and then, on the Preference Settings dialog > General tab > Scene Selection

group, change the Paint Selection Brush Size value on page 7540 .

You can also set keyboard shortcuts for changing the brush size. To do

so, use the Paint Selection Size Up and Paint Selection Size Down action

items. See Keyboard Panel on page 7489 .

Region

Edit menu > Region

main toolbar > Window Selection or Crossing Selection

Region Selection | 197

When dragging the mouse to select one or more objects, the Region options

let you switch between selecting objects within, or crossed by, a window region

that you draw with the mouse. Choose the appropriate Selection Region

submenu command, or use the Window/Crossing Selection Toggle on page

201 on the main toolbar.

You can automatically switch between Window and Crossing Region Selection

based on cursor movement direction. To set this up, choose Customize >

Preferences and on the General tab in the Scene Selection group turn on Auto

Window/Crossing Selection by Direction.

See also:

■Select Region Window on page 198

■Select Region Crossing on page 200

Select Region Window

Edit menu > Selection Region > Window

main toolbar > Window/Crossing Selection

198 | Chapter 4 Selecting Objects

Select Region Window selects only those objects completely inside the window: the

trash can and bench.

Select Region Window selects objects within a selection region on page 174 .

After you choose this command, draw a selection region around any objects

in the scene. Only those objects that are entirely inside the region boundary

are selected.

Procedures

To select objects within a selection region:

1Do one of the following:

■Choose Edit > Selection Region > Window.

■Click the Window/Crossing Selection Toggle on page 201 to display

the Window icon.

2On the main toolbar, click the Selection Region flyout on page 174 and

choose a method: Rectangular, Circular, Fence, or Lasso Selection region.

Region Selection | 199

NOTE This setting also applies to Paint Selection Region, but in this case the

boundary is that of the brush, not the region. In other words, when painting

a selection region, the brush must completely encompass an object or

sub-object to select it.

3Drag to specify the region and select the objects.

Select Region Crossing

Edit menu > Region > Crossing

main toolbar > Crossing Selection

Select Region Crossing selects objects within the window and also objects it crosses:

the trash can, bench, and streetlight.

Select Region Crossing selects objects within and crossed by a selection region

on page 174 boundary.

200 | Chapter 4 Selecting Objects

After you choose this command, draw a selection region around or crossing

objects in the scene. Objects within the region boundary as well as those that

intersect the boundary are selected.

Procedures

To select objects within and crossed by a selection region:

1Do one of the following:

■Choose Edit > Selection Region > Crossing.

■Click the Window/Crossing Selection Toggle on page 201 to display

the Crossing icon.

2From the main toolbar, click the Selection Region flyout on page 174

and choose a method: Rectangular, Circular, Fence or Lasso Selection

region.

NOTE This setting also applies to Paint Selection Region, but in this case the

boundary is that of the brush, not the region. In other words, when painting

a region in Crossing mode, the brush selects every object or sub-object it

touches or encompasses.

3Drag to specify the region and select the objects.

Window/Crossing Selection Toggle

main toolbar > Crossing Selection or Window Selection from the

Window/Crossing toggle

Edit menu > Region > Window or Crossing

The Window/Crossing Selection toggle switches between window and crossing

modes when you select by region.

■In Window mode on page 198 , you select only the objects or

sub-objectswithin the selection.

■In Crossing mode on page 200 , you select all objects or sub-objects within

the region, plus any objects or sub-objects crossing the boundaries of the

region.

Region Selection | 201

TIP If you're making sub-object selections of faces and you select more faces than

you want, make sure you're in Window mode.

The Selection Region flyout on page 174 on the toolbar allows you to create

different-shaped boundaries.

3ds Max automatically saves the Window/Crossing setting in the 3dsmax.ini

on page 51 file.

Edit Commands

These commands on the Edit menu on page 7260 are for basic edit

manipulations of selections.

Undo and Redo work as in standard Windows applications. These commands

are available on the default main toolbar as well. 3ds Max also provides a

history of commands. Right-clicking the Undo or Redo buttons displays a list

of commands you can undo or redo. Not all operations are reversible using

Undo.

NOTE Viewport changes such as panning and zooming have a separate Undo

and Redo. See View-Handling Commands on page 86 .

The Hold and Fetch command pair serves as an alternative to Undo and Redo.

Hold saves the current state of the scene. After using Hold, you can restore

that state at a later point by using Fetch. Sometimes, when you are about to

perform a risky operation, an alert prompts you to first use Hold.

3ds Max does not have the Cut or Paste functions found in many Windows

applications. The Delete command simply removes the selection from the

scene.

Undo/Redo on page 202

Hold/Fetch on page 204

Delete on page 205

Undo/Redo

Edit menu > Undo or Redo

202 | Chapter 4 Selecting Objects

Main toolbar > Undo or Redo

Keyboard > Ctrl+Z (Undo) or Ctrl+Y (Redo)

The Undo command reverses the last operation, including selection actions

and those performed on selected objects. Redo reverses the last Undo operation.

Some actions cannot be undone: for example, applying the Collapse utility

or Reset Transform utility, or saving a file, which overwrites the previous

version. When you know something cannot be undone, use Hold on page

204 first. Then if you want to undo it, use Fetch. Hold and Fetch are also

commands on the Edit menu on page 7260 .

Afer you perform an action that is undoable, the Undo command on the Edit

menu shows the name of the function to be undone. After you undo an action,

the Redo command Edit menu shows the name of the function you can redo.

Undo and Redo are also available as buttons on the main toolbar. You can

right-click the Undo or Redo button to display a box that lists the last

operations performed. You can highlight and reverse any number of these

operations in sequence with the respective Undo or Redo command. By default,

there are 20 levels of Undo. You can change the number of levels with the

Customize > Preferences > General tab on page 7536 > Scene Undo group.

Undo/Redo and Object Creation

When you create an object, the Create operation is recorded by 3ds Max and

displayed next to the activated Undo command in the Edit menu. If you undo

the Create operation, the Create operation appears next to the activated Redo

command in the Edit menu. The Undo and Redo commands in the Edit menu

are unavailable when no valid operation was performed or recorded.

Procedures

To undo the most recent action:

Do one of the following:

■ Click Undo..

■Choose Edit menu > Undo.

■Press Ctrl+Z.

Undo/Redo | 203

To undo several actions:

1 Right-click Undo.

2From the list, select the level where you want to return. You must choose

a continuous selection; you can’t skip over items in the list.

3Click the Undo button.

To exit the list without performing an action, click the Cancel button,

or click somewhere outside of the list.

To redo an action, do one of the following:

1 Click Redo.

2Edit menu > Redo.

3Press Ctrl+Y .

To redo several actions:

1 Right-click Redo.

2From the list, click the action to return to.

Your selection must be continuous: you can't skip over any items in the

list.

3Click the Redo button.

To exit the list without performing an action, click the Cancel button or

click somewhere outside of the list.

Hold/Fetch

Edit menu > Hold or Fetch

Hold saves the scene and its settings to a disk-based buffer. Fetch restores the

contents of the buffer stored by the previous Hold command. The information

stored includes geometry, lights, cameras, the viewport configuration, and

selection sets.

204 | Chapter 4 Selecting Objects

Use Hold before you perform an operation that might not work as expected,

that is new or unfamiliar to you, or that cannot be undone. If the results aren't

as expected, you can use Fetch to return to the point where you chose Hold.

TIP Also use Save or Save As before you perform an operation that cannot be

undone: for example, applying the Reset Transform utility.

If you experience an unexpected end of operation or crash after you perform

Hold, you can retrieve your scene from the buffer with the Fetch command

after you restart 3ds Max.

Additional Details

■The Hold buffer is a temporary file ( maxhold.mx) in the directory specified

by the AutoBackup path on the Configure User Paths dialog > File I/O

panel on page 7524 .

■Fetch also deletes all operations recorded in the Undo and Redo History

lists.

Delete

Make a selection. > Edit menu > Delete

Make a selection. > Keyboard > Delete

The Delete command deletes the current selection from the model.

The Undo command on page 202 can restore the deleted selection to the

model. (The Undo command is also available as a button on the main toolbar.)

Groups and Assemblies

You use groups and assemblies in 3ds Max to combine arbitrary sets of scene

entities into a single, non-hierarchical object that you can then manipulate

as one. Grouping works with all objects, while assemblies are best used for

light fixtures and characters.

For more information about groups, see Using Groups on page 206 and Group

Commands on page 221 .

For more information about assemblies, see Using Assemblies on page 209

and Assembly Commands on page 226

Delete | 205

For more information about character assemblies, see Character Assembly on

page 217 and Character Assembly Commands on page 237

Using Groups

Object on the right is a group and treated as a single entity.

Grouping lets you combine two or more objects into a single grouped object.

The grouped object is given a name, and then treated much like any other

object.

Group names are similar to object names, except that they’re carried by the

group object. In lists like the one in the Selection Floater on page 171 , group

names appear in square brackets. For example: [Group01]. In Scene Explorer

on page 7171 and related dialogs, the square brackets enclose the group object

icon instead.

The commands to manage groups are on the default Group menu on page

7262 .

206 | Chapter 4 Selecting Objects

General Features of Groups

Once you group objects, you can treat them as a single object in your scene.

You can click any object in the group to select the group object.

When you create a group, all of its member objects are rigidly linked to an

invisible dummy object. The group object uses the pivot point and the local

transform coordinate system of this dummy object.

Groups can be nested. That is, groups can contain other groups, up to any

level.

Transforming and Modifying a Group

You can transform or modify a group as if it were a single object, and you can

animate the transforms and the modifiers.

When you apply a modifier to the group, this applies an instance of the

modifier to each object in the group. A grouped object retains its modifier

instance, even if you later remove it from the group.

When you apply a transform to the group, on the other hand, this applies

only to the group as a whole. More precisely, 3ds Max applies transforms to

the dummy object that represents the group.

You can transform and animate individual objects within a group

independently from the group itself. However, when you transform the group

itself, the transform affects all grouped objects equally. The group transform

is uniformly added to objects that have independent motions. An analogy is

a cage of birds, each flying around on its own, while the cage itself is being

moved. In the case of groups, the "cage" (the dummy object) expands to

surround all objects in the group, wherever the objects’ independent transforms

take them.

Accessing Objects in a Group

You can open and close groups to access the individual objects contained in

them without dissolving the group. These commands maintain the integrity

of the group.

■Open on page 223 : Temporarily opens the group so that you can access its

member objects. While a group is open, you can treat the objects (or nested

groups) as individuals. You can transform them, apply modifiers, and

access their modifier stacks.

Using Groups | 207

■Close on page 223 : Restores the group when you’re finished working with

the individual objects.

Dissolving Groups

You can permanently dissolve groups by either ungrouping or exploding them.

Both commands dissolve groups, but to different levels.

■Ungroup on page 224 : Goes one level deep in the group hierarchy. It

separates the current group into its component objects (or groups), and

deletes the group dummy object.

■Explode on page 225 : Similar to Ungroup, but dissolves all nested groups

as well, leaving independent objects.

When you Ungroup or Explode a group, the objects within the group lose all

group transforms not on the current frame. However, objects retain any

individual animation.

To transform or modify the objects within a group, you must first remove

them from the group, either temporarily or permanently. The Open command

lets you do this.

Comparing Groups with Other Selection Methods

Compared to the other methods you can use to combine objects in 3ds Max,

grouping is more permanent than selection sets, but less permanent than

attaching objects.

■Selection sets on page 139 : Form a temporary collection of objects to which

you apply the current commands. As soon as you select another object,

the selection set is gone.

■Named selection sets on page 146 : Let you reselect the same pattern of

objects, but the positional relationship between those objects (their

transforms) might be different each time you recall the named set.

■Grouped objects: Maintain their positional relationships unless you open

the group and rearrange them. A group also keeps its identity as an

individual object.

Each object in a group retains its modifier stack, including its base

parameters. At any time, you can open the group to edit an object, and

then close the group to restore the group identity.

208 | Chapter 4 Selecting Objects

■Attached objects (see Editable Mesh (Object) on page 1998 ): Attached objects

form a single object. The modifier stacks of the original objects are lost,

including their base parameters. You can regain the form of the original

objects by detaching them, but they become plain meshes.

■Assemblies on page 209 are useful for creating combinations of geometry

and light objects that act as lighting fixtures.

Using Assemblies

Object on the right is an assembly and is treated as a single entity.

Assemblies are useful for creating combinations of geometry and light objects

that act as lighting fixtures; you use them to represent the housing of a lamp

and its light source or sources. You can use assemblies to represent lighting

fixtures such as simple desk lamps, lighting strips, track systems, wall sconces

with fluorescent or incandescent lights, chandelier systems, line voltage cable

systems, and so on.

When you create light assemblies, first you create your objects and build a

hierarchy, then set joint parameters and assign inverse kinematics (IK) on

Using Assemblies | 209

page 3299 . As a final step, you assemble the object hierarchy. The lights you

use in the assembly have light-multiplier and filter color controls. You wire

on page 3247 the Dimmer and Filter Color parameters of the Luminaire helper

object to the parameters of the light sources that are members of the light

assembly.

NOTE In order to wire the Luminaire controls to the light parameters, you must

first open on page 231 the assembly; then, after wiring, you close on page 232

it.

You can use IK to point a luminaire’s beam by simply moving the light’s target object.

Assemblies and Groups

Assembly functionality is a superset of grouping on page 206 . Like grouping,

creating an assembly lets you combine two or more objects and treat them as

a single object. The assembled object is given a name, and then treated much

like any other object.

The main difference with assemblies is that, when you assemble on page 227

the member objects, you specify a head object on page 234 : a Luminaire

helper object on page 235 . The head object acts as a front end for the assembly,

and its parameters appear in the Modify panel when the assembly is selected.

You can use these parameters to control the light sources in the assembly via

parameter wiring on page 3247 . You can create other types of head objects with

MAXScript; for further information, open the MAXScript Reference, available

from the Help menu, and look in Creating MAXScript Tools > Scripted Plug-ins

> Scripted Helper Plug-ins.

210 | Chapter 4 Selecting Objects

Assembly names are similar to object names, except that they’re carried by

the assembly. In lists like the one in the Selection Floater on page 171 , assembly

names appear in square brackets; for example: [Assembly01]. In Scene Explorer

on page 7171 and related dialogs, the square brackets enclose the assembly

object icon instead.

TIP After you've created one fixture and assembled the parts, use instancing on

page 7818 to copy on page 953 the fixture, and then distribute them in your scene.

That way, if you change the attributes for a light source in an assembly, the change

will be reflected in all the instanced light sources. For example, in the early design

stages, you might use shadow maps, but later you might want to switch to

advanced ray-trace shadows for greater accuracy in rendering. Using instancing

makes it easier to change such settings globally.

General Features of Assemblies

Once you assemble objects , you can treat them as a single object in your

scene. You can click any object in the assembly to select the entire assembly.

When you create an assembly, a ll of its member objects are rigidly linked to

an invisible Luminaire helper object. The assembly uses the pivot point and

the local transform coordinate system of this helper object.

You can nest assemblies. That is, assemblies can contain other assemblies (or

groups), up to any level.

The head object parameters appear in the Modify panel when the assembly

is selected. You can use the 3ds Max Wire Parameters on page 3247 functionality

to connect these parameters to those of light objects in the assembly. For a

step-by-step procedure, see To wire a head object to a light source on page

? .

Using Assemblies | 211

Luminaire types

Left: Fixed

Middle: Orientable

Right: Multiple lights

Transforming and Modifying an Assembly

You can transform or modify an assembly as if it were a single object, and you

can animate the transforms.

Unlike a group, when you apply a modifier to the assembly, only the luminaire

receives the modifier. Thus, deforming modifiers such as Bend don't have any

effect on assemblies.

When you apply a transform to the assembly, it applies to the assembly as a

whole. More precisely, 3ds Max applies transforms to the dummy object that

represents the assembly. To modify member objects, you must first open the

assembly, select the objects, and then apply modifiers. Such modifiers do not

appear in the modifier stack when the assembly is closed.

You can transform and animate individual objects within an assembly

independently from the assembly itself. However, when you transform the

assembly itself, the transform affects all assembled objects equally. The

assembly transform is uniformly added to objects that have independent

motions. An analogy is a cage of birds, each flying around on its own, while

the cage itself is being moved. In the case of assemblies, the "cage" (the dummy

object) expands to surround all objects in the assembly, wherever the objects’

independent transforms take them.

212 | Chapter 4 Selecting Objects

Accessing Objects in an Assembly

You can open and close assemblies to access the individual objects contained

in them without dissolving the assembly. These commands maintain the

integrity of the assembly.

■Open on page 231 : Temporarily opens the assembly so that you can access

its member objects. While an assembly is open, you can treat the objects

(or nested assemblies/groups) as individuals. You can transform them,

apply modifiers, and access their modifier stacks.

■Close on page 232 : Restores the assembly when you’re finished working

with the individual objects.

Using Make Unique with Assemblies

When you clone assemblies using instancing, and then make the clones

unique, it's important to consider how this affects parameter wiring. Consider

the following typical usage case:

1Drag an assembly, such as a light fixture, into the scene.

2Clone the assembly several times using the Instance option and position

the instances in the scene.

3To make the scene look more realistic, giving the appearance of

randomness to the objects in the scene, make some of the assembly

instances unique and adjust their parameters to differ from the rest of

the instances.

When you clone-instance an assembly, all objects in the assembly, along with

all the parameter wires, are instanced. So if you change a wired luminaire

parameter, all instanced assemblies are affected.

When the modifier stack displays an assembly head that is an instance or

reference, the Make Unique on page 7446 button is active. By clicking it, the

assembly head object is made unique with respect to its instances and all the

assembly members are also made unique.

The parameter wiring between the unique assembly head and its members is

de-coupled from the other instances of the assembly. Changing the parameters

of the unique assembly head object affects only the parameters of its own

members, not the members of the other instances of the assembly.

When multiple assembly instances are selected, the Make Unique command

works the same as when multiple instances of an object are selected. You're

Using Assemblies | 213

asked whether you want to make the selected assemblies unique one with

respect to each other.

■If you answer Yes, 3ds Max makes the assemblies unique one with respect

to another and parameter wires are reconnected inside each unique

assembly. That is, the parameters of each unique assembly head drives

only the parameters of its own members, not that of the members in any

other assembly instances.

■If you answer No, then the selected assemblies are made unique only with

respect to the other assembly instances. The parameters of unique assembly

heads drive only the parameters of their members, not the members of the

other assembly instances.

NOTE If you chose to instance the controllers when you instanced the

assembly, the Modify panel > Make Unique command does not make the

controllers unique. You can make them unique by doing the following: Open

Track View, select the Transform track for object whose controller you want

to make unique, and click the Make Unique button in the Track View toolbar.

Dissolving Assemblies

You can permanently dissolve assemblies by either disassembling or exploding

them. Both commands dissolve assemblies, but to different levels.

■Disassemble on page 233 : Goes one level deep in the assembly hierarchy.

It separates the current assembly into its component objects (or

assemblies/groups), and deletes the assembly head object.

■Explode on page 233 : Similar to Disassemble, but dissolves all nested

assemblies and groups as well, leaving independent objects.

When you disassemble or explode an assembly, any transform animation

applied to the assembly is lost, and objects remain as they were in the frame

at which the dissolution is performed. However, objects retain any individual

animation.

To transform or modify the objects within an assembly, you must first remove

them from the assembly, either temporarily or permanently. The Open

command lets you do this.

214 | Chapter 4 Selecting Objects

Comparing Assemblies with Other Selection Methods

Compared to the other methods you can use to combine objects in 3ds Max,

assembling is more permanent than selection sets, but less permanent than

attaching objects.

■Selection sets on page 139 : Form a temporary collection of objects to which

you apply the current commands. As soon as you select another object,

the selection set is gone.

■Named selection sets on page 179 : Let you reselect the same pattern of

objects, but the positional relationship between those objects (their

transforms) might be different each time you recall the named set.

■Assembled and grouped on page 206 objects: Maintain their positional

relationships unless you open the assembly and rearrange them. An

assembly also keeps its identity as an individual object.

Each object in an assembly retains its modifier stack, including its base

parameters. At any time, you can open the assembly to edit an object, and

then close the assembly to restore the assembly identity.

■Attached objects (see Editable Mesh (Object) on page 1998 ): Attached objects

form a single object. The modifier stacks of the original objects are lost,

including their base parameters. You can regain the form of the original

objects by detaching them, but they become plain meshes.

See also:

■Lights on page 4890

Procedures

To insert and place an existing assembly:

1Turn on AutoGrid on page 2513 .

2Drag the assembly from a Web page (if it’s an i-drop object on page 6957

) or from your local disk and drop it into your scene, placing it on any

existing surface.

3 On the main toolbar, click Use Pivot Point Center on page 905 .

4Position the assembly as you would any other object to aim it in a specific

direction.

Using Assemblies | 215

5If necessary, wire on page ? the assembly luminaire to its light source

or sources.

6Select the assembly, and then use the Modify panel settings to adjust the

intensity of the light with the Dimmer control.

To create your own luminaire:

1Create the geometry of the lighting fixture.

2Create a light source on page 4894 or on the Create panel, click Lights to

add a standard or photometric light to the geometry of the lighting fixture

you just made.

3Select all the objects in the assembly, including geometrical objects and

lights.

NOTE If using IK, leave the light targets out of the assembly so that you can

manipulate them independently.

4Choose Assembly menu > Assemble.

A dialog appears requesting a name for the assembly and that you specify

a head object. The only head object type available by default is Luminaire

on page 235 .

5Enter a name for the assembly and click OK.

6Wire on page ? the assembly luminaire to its light source or sources.

More information on parameter wiring is available at the link in this step.

If more than one light source is present inside the assembly, create a

chain of wired parameters. Then enter the desired relationship expression

in the expression text box.

To adjust the pivot location of an assembly:

■When you adjust the pivot point of a closed group or assembly, the pivot

point of all group and assembly members are affected, not only the pivot

point of the group or assembly head object. Therefore, we recommend

that you open the assembly, adjust the pivot of the head object, and then

close the assembly.

216 | Chapter 4 Selecting Objects

To use an assembly with radiosity:

■Right-click the Luminaire, choose Properties, and on the Object Properties

dialog on page 245 choose the Radiosity tab. You can exclude and control

radiosity parameters of the geometry and lights independently.

To adjust the properties of an assembly:

1After wiring the Dimmer and Filter Color parameters, select the Luminaire,

and then go to Modify panel to display the luminaire parameters.

2Adjust the parameters.

The effect is visible in the viewport.

Character Assembly

A character assembly is a special type of group for objects particular to a character

setup: the character mesh, bones, IK chains, helper objects, controllers, and

other objects used to animate characters. Once the objects are grouped

(assembled), you can perform various functions on the group as a whole, such

as saving and loading animation for the entire bone/mesh set.

Character Assembly | 217

The objects that make up a typical character assembly

Unlike an ordinary group, there is no need to open a character assembly to

work with its individual members.

When a character assembly is created, it is designated by a placeholder object

called a node, placed near the bottom of the character assembly. Selecting the

node gives access to special tools for working with character models and

animation.

218 | Chapter 4 Selecting Objects

Character assembly node

A character assembly will not create a character mesh or bone structure for

you. The character assembly tool is designed for use on character structures

that have already been set up using other tools.

Although the character assembly feature was designed for use with character

structures, it will work equally well with any type of hierarchy or related set

of objects.

Adding Character Assembly Commands to the UI

By default, the character-assembly commands described here are not part of

the 3ds Max user interface. To add them, choose Customize menu > Customize

User Interface, click the tab representing the part of the UI to which you'll

add the commands (Keyboard, Toolbars, etc.) and then, from the Category

drop-down list, choose Characters. Use standard CUI functionality on page

7489 to add the commands.

TIP To add a fully populated Character menu to the menu bar, on the Customize

User Interface dialog, scroll the Menus list to Character, and then drag the

Character item over to the Main Menu Bar list on the right side of the dialog.

Character Assembly | 219

Creating a Character Assembly

To create a character assembly, first select the objects that will make up the

assembly. Next, you need to add any character-assembly commands you wish

to use to the user interface; see Adding Character Assembly Commands to

the UI on page 219 . Last, choose the Create Character command.

All selected objects become members of the assembly, and the character

assembly node is created. Other objects can be manually added to the assembly

after it has been created.

Once the character assembly has been created, you can work with it in a variety

of ways. For information about the Modify panel options available after a

character assembly is created, see Create Character on page 238 .

Linked Objects in Character Assemblies

Any or all members of the character assembly can be linked to a single object

outside the assembly, but no more than one. For example, ThighLeft and

ThighRight, which are both part of the assembly, can both be linked to Pelvis,

which is not part of the assembly. However, if ThighLeft and ThighRight are

each linked to different objects outside the assembly, the creation of the

assembly will fail, and will show the following error message:

220 | Chapter 4 Selecting Objects

Parameter Wiring and Animation

If you plan to wire parameters between two objects, create the assembly first

and then set up the wiring. Be sure to include both objects in the assembly.

Because wiring should be done after the assembly is created, you will probably

find it easiest to create the character assembly before animating the character.

See also:

■Create Character on page 238

■Destroy Character on page 242

■Lock/Unlock Character on page 242

■Save Character on page 243

■Insert Character on page 243

■Skin Pose Commands on page 244

■Merge Animation on page 6859

Group Commands

The commands to manage groups are on the Group menu on page 7262 .

Group on page 222

Open Group on page 223

Close Group on page 223

Ungroup on page 224

Attach Group on page 226

Detach Group on page 225

Explode Group on page 225

See also:

■Using Groups on page 206

Group Commands | 221

Group

Group menu > Group

The Group command combines a selection set of objects or groups into a

single group.

Once you group objects, you can treat them as a single object in your scene.

You can click any object in the group to select the group object. You can

transform the group as a single object, and you can apply modifiers as if it

were a single object.

Groups can contain other groups, up to any level.

Group names are similar to object names, except that they’re carried by the

group object. In lists like the one in the Selection Floater on page 171 , group

names appear in square brackets. For example: [Group01]. In Scene Explorer

on page 7171 and related dialogs, the square brackets enclose the group object

icon instead.

A group in Scene Explorer

If a group is selected, its name will appear in “bolded” text in the Name And

Color rollout.

All members of a group inherit the visibility of the parent when a visibility

controller is assigned to the parent.

Groups are considered whole objects in the Light Exclude/Include dialog, so

you can exclude (or include) all objects in a group by selecting the group in

the list. If a group is nested within another group, only the "outer" group is

available in the list. To exclude only certain objects in a group, open the group

before displaying the Exclude/Include dialog.

Procedures

To define a group:

1Select two or more objects.

2Choose Group menu > Group.

222 | Chapter 4 Selecting Objects

A dialog appears requesting a name for the group.

3Enter a name for the group and click OK.

To define a nested group:

1Select two or more groups or any combination of groups and objects.

2Choose Group > Group.

A dialog appears requesting a name for the group.

3Enter a name for the new group object and click OK.

Open Group

Select one or more groups. > Group menu > Open

The Open command lets you ungroup a group temporarily, and access objects

within a group.

You can transform and modify the objects within the group independently

from the rest of the group, then restore the original group using the Close

command.

Procedures

To open a group:

1Select one or more groups.

2Choose Group > Open. A pink bounding box appears, and the objects in

the group are now accessible.

To open nested groups:

1Select the group within the opened group.

2Choose Group > Open.

Close Group

Select the pink dummy object of an opened group. > Group menu > Close

Group Commands | 223

The Close command regroups an opened group. For nested groups, closing

the outermost group object closes all open inner groups.

When you link an object to a closed group, the object becomes a child of the

group parent rather than of any member of the group. The entire group flashes

to show that you've linked to the group.

Procedures

To close all opened groups nested within a main group:

1Select the pink bounding box representing the main group.

2Choose Group > Close.

To close a nested group:

1Select any object in the nested group or its dummy.

2Choose Group > Close.

Ungroup

Select one or more groups. > Group menu > Ungroup

Ungroup separates the current group into its component objects or groups.

The Ungroup command ungroups one level, unlike Explode on page 225 ,

which ungroups all levels of nested groups.

When you Ungroup a group, the objects within the group lose all group

transforms that were applied on nonzero frames, but they retain any individual

animation.

All ungrouped entities remain in the current selection set.

Procedures

To ungroup a group:

1Select one or more groups.

2Choose Group > Ungroup.

All components of the group remain selected, but are no longer part of

the group. The group dummy is deleted.

224 | Chapter 4 Selecting Objects

Explode Group

Select one or more groups. > Group menu > Explode

The Explode command ungroups all objects in a group, regardless of the

number of nested groups, unlike Ungroup on page 224 , which ungroups one

level only.

As with the Ungroup command, all exploded entities remain in the current

selection set.

WARNING Ungroup and Explode remove all transform animations that have been

applied to the group as a whole. As with the Ungroup command, all exploded

entities remain in the current selection set.

Procedures

To explode a group:

1Select one or more groups.

2Choose Group > Explode.

All objects in the groups remain selected but no longer belong to groups.

All nested groups are exploded. All group dummies in the selection are

deleted.

Detach Group

Select a group. > Group menu > Open > Select one or more objects detach. >

Group menu > Detach

The Detach command detaches the selected object from its group.

This command becomes active when you open the group by choosing the

Open command from the Group menu.

Procedures

To detach an object from a group:

1Open the group.

2Choose Group > Detach.

Group Commands | 225

The selected objects are now separate, independent objects, no longer

members of the group.

Attach Group

Select one or more objects. > Group menu > Attach

The Attach command makes the selected object part of an existing group.

With an object selected, choose this command, and then click a group in the

scene.

Procedures

To attach an object to a group:

1Select one or more objects to attach.

2Choose Group > Attach.

3Click any member of a closed group.

The selected objects become part of the group, which is now selected.

NOTE To attach an object to an open group, click the pink bounding box.

Assembly Commands

The commands to manage assemblies are available from the Group > Assembly

submenu.

Assemble on page 227

Disassemble on page 233

Open Assembly on page 231

Close Assembly on page 232

Attach Assembly on page 234

Detach Assembly on page 234

Explode Assembly on page 233

226 | Chapter 4 Selecting Objects

See also:

■Using Assemblies on page 209

Assemble

Select the objects to assemble. > Group menu > Assembly > Assemble

The Assemble command combines a selection set of objects, assemblies, and/or

groups into a single assembly, and adds a Luminaire helper object on page

235 as a head object on page 234 .

Once you assemble objects, you can treat them as a single object in your scene.

You can click any object in the group to select the entire assembly. You can

transform the assembly as a single object, and you can apply modifiers as if

it were a single object.

Assemblies can contain other assemblies and/or groups, up to any level.

Assembly names are similar to object names, except that they’re carried by

the assembly. In lists like the one in the Selection Floater on page 171 , assembly

names appear in square brackets; for example: [Assembly01]. In Scene Explorer

on page 7171 and related dialogs, the square brackets enclose the assembly

object icon instead.

Each member of an assembly inherits the visibility of the parent when a

visibility controller is assigned to the parent, providing its Object Properties

> Rendering Control group > Inherit Visibility check box is turned on, or if

its Rendering Control is set to By Layer and Inherit Visibility is turned on for

its layer.

Assemblies are considered whole objects in the Light Exclude/Include dialog,

so you can exclude (or include) all objects in an assembly by selecting the

assembly in the list. If an assembly is nested within another assembly, only

the "outer" assembly is available in the list. To exclude only certain objects in

an assembly, open the assembly before displaying the Exclude/Include dialog.

See also:

■Using Assemblies on page 209

Assembly Commands | 227

Procedures

To define an assembly:

1Select two or more objects.

2Choose Group menu > Assembly > Assemble.

The Create Assembly dialog appears. It requests you to specify a name

for the assembly and a head object on page 234 . The default head object

type is Luminaire on page 235 .

3Enter a name for the assembly, choose Luminaire on page 235 from the

list, and click OK.

The selected objects are assembled. The assembly head object position

and orientation is determined as follows:

■If there are multiple immediate children of the assembly head (for

example, you're assembling several non-hierarchical objects), the head

object is aligned with center of bottom face of the assembly bounding

box.

■If there's only one immediate child of the assembly head, the assembly

head pivot point is aligned with that object's pivot point. For example,

if you're assembling a single hierarchy, the topmost object in the

hierarchy would be the single immediate child of the assembly head.

To define a nested assembly:

1Select two or more assemblies or any combination of assemblies and

objects.

2Choose Group menu > Assembly > Assemble.

The Create Assembly dialog appears. It requests a name for the assembly,

and a head object.

3Enter a name for the new assembly object and click OK.

To wire a head object to a light source:

1Create a hierarchy of lights and geometrical objects that models a lighting

fixture. Sets up all the necessary IK chains and other constraints that

make the model behave properly when the user interacts with it (orients,

positions, aims, etc.).

228 | Chapter 4 Selecting Objects

IMPORTANT For any photometric lights that you want to control with the

head object, be sure to turn on the Multiplier check box on the

Intensity/Color/Distribution rollout.

2Select all objects in the fixture and define them as an assembly.

When the assembly is selected, the luminaire parameters Dimmer and

Filter Color appear in the Modify panel.

3From the Animation menu, choose Wire Parameters > Parameter Wire

Dialog.

4The Parameter Wiring dialog appears.

5On one side of the dialog, find the assembly and expand the branch titled

Object (LuminaireHelper). Click the Dimmer item to highlight it.

6On the other side, find the assembly and expand its hierarchy branch

(click the + symbol in the square box). Find and expand the branch for

the light source, and then expand its Object branch. Click the Multiplier

item to highlight it.

7Between the two hierarchy lists, click the Control Direction arrow button

that points from the selected Dimmer item to the selected Multiplier

item.

Assembly Commands | 229

8If you're wiring a photometric light, skip this step. If you're wiring a

standard light, or any light whose default Multiplier setting is 1.0, do

this:

■The Expression box below the selected Multiplier item contains the

word "Dimmer." Edit this to read "Dimmer/100". This divides the

Dimmer value by 100, giving a 1:1 value ratio between it and the

Multiplier setting.

9Click the Connect button.

Now, when you change the luminaire's Dimmer setting, the light source

intensity changes as well.

10 If you like, use the same method to wire the luminaire to any additional

light sources in the light fixture.

You can also use this method to wire the luminaire's Filter Color parameter

to any light sources' color settings.

230 | Chapter 4 Selecting Objects

Interface

Name Specifies the name of the new assembly. The default name is

"Assembly" followed by a two-place number starting with 01 and incremented

by one for each new assembly.

Choose Head Object Lets you choose the type of object to serve as the

assembly head object.

Open Assembly

Select one or more assemblies. > Group menu > Assembly > Open

The Open command lets you temporarily disassemble an assembly and access

its head and member objects individually.

Assembly Commands | 231

You can transform and modify the head and member objects within the

assembly independently from the rest of the assembly, then restore the original

assembly using the Close command on page 232 .

Procedures

To open nested assemblies:

1Select an assembly within the opened assembly.

2Choose Group menu > Assembly > Open.

Close Assembly

Select the luminaire. > Group menu > Assembly > Close

The Close command reassembles an opened assembly. For nested assemblies,

closing the outermost assembly object closes all open inner assemblies.

When you link an object to a closed assembly, the object becomes a child of

the assembly parent rather than of any member of the assembly. The entire

assembly flashes to show that you've linked to the assembly.

Procedures

To close all opened assemblies nested within a main assembly:

1Select any object in the main assembly or its luminaire head object.

NOTE If you select an object within an opened inner assembly, using Close

will close only that assembly.

2Choose Group menu > Assembly > Close.

To close a nested assembly:

1Select any object in the nested assembly or its luminaire.

2Choose Group menu > Assembly > Close.

232 | Chapter 4 Selecting Objects

Disassemble

Select one or more assemblies. > Group menu > Assembly > Disassemble

Disassemble separates the current assembly into its component objects or

assemblies.

The Disassemble command separates one level, unlike Explode on page 233 ,

which separates all levels of nested assemblies.

When you disassemble an assembly, all components of the assembly remain

selected, but are no longer part of the assembly. Any transform animation

applied to the assembly is lost, and objects remain as they were in the frame

at which the dissolution is performed. However, objects retain any individual

animation.

All disassembled entities remain in the current selection set.

NOTE If you have wired the luminaire head to any other parameters, those

parameters are still controlled by the wiring setup after disassembly and are not

adjustable until you apply a standard controller, such as Bezier Float. Use Track

View to do this.

Explode Assembly

Select one or more assemblies. > Group menu > Assembly > Explode

The Explode command separates all objects in an assembly, regardless of the

number of nested assemblies and/or groups, unlike Disassemble on page 233

, which separates one level only.

When you explode an assembly, all components of the assembly remain

selected, but are no longer part of the assembly. Any transform animation

applied to the assembly is lost, and objects remain as they were in the frame

at which the dissolution is performed. However, objects retain any individual

animation.

NOTE If you have wired the luminaire head to any other parameters, those

parameters are still controlled by the wiring setup after exploding and are not

adjustable until you apply a standard controller, such as Bezier Float. Use Track

View to do this.

Assembly Commands | 233

Detach Assembly

Select an assembly. > Group menu > Assembly > Open > Select one or more

objects to detach. > Assembly > Detach

Select one or more objects to detach in an open assembly. > Group menu >

Assembly > Detach

The Detach command detaches the selected object from its assembly. If the

object is a member of a nested assembly, after you detach it, it is no longer a

member of any assembly.

This command becomes active when you open the assembly by choosing

Open on page 231 from the Assembly menu.

Attach Assembly

Select one or more objects. > Group menu > Assembly > Attach

The Attach command makes the selected object part of an existing assembly.

With an object selected, choose this command, and then click either a closed

assembly in the scene, or the head object of an open assembly.

Procedures

To attach an object to an assembly:

1Select one or more objects to attach.

2Choose Group menu > Assembly > Attach.

3Click any member of an assembly.

The selected objects become part of the assembly, which is now selected.

Assembly Head Helper Objects

Assembly Head Helper Object

When you create an assembly on page 209 in 3ds Max, the program

automatically adds a special type of helper object called a head object, or

234 | Chapter 4 Selecting Objects

assembly head. This object serves as the fulcrum of the assembly and also

exposes parameters, available in the Modify panel when the assembly is

selected, that you can wire to properties of objects inside the assembly. Thus,

you can change and animate parameters of assembly member objects without

having to open the assembly, as you would with a group.

Luminaire Helper Object

Create panel > Helpers > Assembly Heads > Object Type rollout > Luminaire

The Luminaire helper object serves primarily as a head, or control, object for

light fixtures. When you assemble on page 227 a set of objects into a light

fixture, you specify that a new luminaire object should be used as the assembly

head object. The luminaire's parameters, available from the Modify panel, let

you control the light sources in the fixture. See Using Assemblies on page 209

for more information.

You can also add a Luminaire object separately from the Create panel, but in

general it's not necessary.

A luminaire object groups and manages the components as a whole.

Assembly Head Helper Objects | 235

Interface

When a selected assembly is closed, the Modify panel displays the Luminaire

parameters. However, when you open an assembly, 3ds Max shows you the

parameters of the whichever object is selected. The Luminaire object provides

Dimmer and Filter Color parameters. You wire these to the light objects that

are part of the assembly.

Luminaire icon

in the viewport

Luminaire rollout

Dimmer Emulates the dimmer switch of a real-world lighting fixture. The

setting determines the percentage of the default light intensity is emitted by

the light source of a lighting fixture. You wire this parameter to one or more

light sources' Multiplier settings.

Filter Color An RGB color parameter that you link to a light source's color

or filter color.

236 | Chapter 4 Selecting Objects

The Dimmer option can control the intensity of all the lights in the luminaire

Character Assembly Commands

By default, the character-assembly commands listed here are not part of the

3ds Max user interface. To add them, choose Customize menu > Customize

User Interface, click the tab representing the part of the UI to which you'll

add the commands (Keyboard, Toolbars, etc.) and then, from the Category

drop-down list, choose Characters. Use standard CUI functionality on page

7489 to add the commands.

TIP To add a fully populated Character menu to the menu bar, on the Customize

User Interface dialog, scroll the Menus list to Character, and then drag the

Character item over to the Main Menu Bar list on the right side of the dialog.

Create Character on page 238

Destroy Character on page 242

Lock/Unlock Character on page 242

Save Character on page 243

Character Assembly Commands | 237

Insert Character on page 243

Skin Pose Commands on page 244

Merge Animation on page 6859

Create Character

See Adding Character Assembly Commands to the UI on page 219 .

This command creates a character assembly on page 217 .

See also:

■Destroy Character on page 242

■Lock/Unlock Character on page 242

■Save Character on page 243

■Merge Animation on page 6859

Procedures

To create a character assembly:

1Create a linked structure of bones or other objects. The structure can have

several chains. You can also use the linked structure with the Skin

modifier, and/or set up character rigs and controllers as needed.

2Select all objects that will become members of the assembly.

3Use this method on page 219 to add the character-assembly commands

to the user interface, and then choose the Create Character command.

The character-assembly node is created at the bottom of the entire

selection, as viewed in the Front viewport.

238 | Chapter 4 Selecting Objects

4On the Modify panel, use the character assembly tools to work with the

character structure.

The character assembly is given the default name of Character01, which can

be changed. All members of the assembly are listed in the Character Members

rollout.

Interface

To work with the character assembly, select the character assembly node and

work with the parameters on the Modify panel.

Character Assembly Commands | 239

Character Assembly rollout

Skin Pose group

The Skin pose is the bone structure pose used by the Skin modifier for

associating bones with the mesh. When the Skin modifier is first applied, the

current bone structure pose is used as the Skin pose. The Skin pose can

sometimes be accidentally altered by animating the bone structure on frame

0. If this occurs, you can use these options to fix the Skin pose.

240 | Chapter 4 Selecting Objects

You can use these options both before and after applying the Skin modifier.

You can also invoke these options when any member of the character assembly

is selected.

Set as Skin Pose Sets the Skin pose to the current bone structure's pose. The

Skin modifier’s envelopes and vertex weighting are automatically recalculated

to work with the new pose.

Assume Skin Pose Causes the bone structure to take on the Skin pose. This

feature can be useful during the animation phase. For example, if you have

animated the character on various keyframes and want the character to animate

back to its Skin pose at frame 50, you can turn on Auto Key at frame 50 and

click Assume Skin Pose.

Skin Pose Mode Poses the character in its Skin pose and allows the Skin pose

to be refined. Changes to the bone structure when Skin Pose Mode is on will

affect only the Skin pose and not the animation. When Skin Pose Mode is

turned off, the bone structure returns to its pose at the current frame.

Display group

When a high resolution character model is animated, redraw time can slow

the animation process. To speed up your work, a low resolution version of

the model can be used for the animation process, then switched for the full

resolution version at render time. Character assembly objects can be designated

as Full Res or Low Res on the Character Members rollout.

Low Res Objects Displays only the objects checked in the Low Res display

in the Character Members rollout.

Full Res Objects Displays only the objects not checked in the Low Res display

in the Character Members rollout.

All Objects Displays all objects in the character assembly.

Animation group

Animation for the character assembly can be saved or reset in this group.

Previously saved animation from another character can also be inserted to

the current character assembly.

Insert Animation Displays the Merge Animation dialog on page 6859 , and

prompts for a previously saved animation file.

Save Animation Saves the character assembly animation in an ANM or XML

file. Both file types contain the character assembly and its animation. An ANM

file is a proprietary format that can be read and saved only by 3ds Max. An

Character Assembly Commands | 241

XML file formats the information as XML code, and can be edited with a text

editor.

Animation saved as an ANM file loads and saves faster than an XML file.

Saving and editing an XML animation file is recommended only for users who

are familiar with the XML language, and who have a specific need for editing

the file.

Reset All Animation Removes all animation from the character assembly.

Character Members rollout

Add Allows you to select individual objects to add to the character assembly.

Add List Displays the Pick Character Members dialog, where you can select

multiple objects from a list and add them to the character assembly.

Remove Removes highlighted object(s) from the assembly. Bones and objects

upon which other assembly objects depend, cannot be removed.

Low Res All members of the character assembly are displayed on this list.

By default, all members are designated as Full Res objects. To designate a

member as Low Res, check the object on the list. The Full Res and Low Res

designations are used in conjunction with the Display group selection in the

Character Assembly rollout.

Destroy Character

See Adding Character Assembly Commands to the UI on page 219 .

Destroying a character deletes the character assembly node.

This command is available only when a character assembly node is selected.

See also:

■Character Assembly on page 217

■Lock/Unlock Character on page 242

Lock/Unlock Character

See Adding Character Assembly Commands to the UI on page 219 .

242 | Chapter 4 Selecting Objects

Locking a character assembly prevents the character from being animated.

Use these commands when you want to prevent accidental animation of the

character, such as when the animation process is complete.

Unlocking a locked character assembly allows you to animate the character.

These commands are available only when a character-assembly node is selected.

See also:

■Character Assembly on page 217

Insert Character

See Adding Character Assembly Commands to the UI on page 219 .

Choose this command to insert a previously saved character into the current

scene.

You save a character assembly as a CHR file with Save Character on page 243

. A CHR file contains the character assembly node, all members of the assembly

and any animation on the members.

When a character is inserted into the scene, it is placed at the same world-space

location it had when saved.

See also:

■Character Assembly on page 217

■Save Character on page 243

Save Character

See Adding Character Assembly Commands to the UI on page 219 .

Saving a character saves a character assembly on page 217 at its current

location, including its node, all members, and any animation on its members.

Use this command for storing a character assembly to disk prior to inserting

it into another scene.

Saving a character with this command saves the assembly as a CHR file. You

can then insert the CHR file into a scene with Insert Character on page 243 .

Character Assembly Commands | 243

This option is available only when a character assembly node is selected.

Skin Pose Commands

Animation menu > Set as Skin Pose

Animation menu > Assume Skin Pose

Animation menu > Skin Pose Mode

When the Skin modifier is first applied to a mesh, the bone structure's current

pose is used as the skin pose. Subsequent animation of the bone structure on

frame 0 can cause the skin pose to be altered. The skin pose commands allow

you to change and set the skin pose either before or after you apply the Skin

modifier.

The skin pose stores a specific position, rotation and scale for an object. Its

intended use is for storing a character assembly's pose for the Skin modifier.

However, a skin pose can be used for any object to store its current transforms

for later retrieval.

These commands work on any object, regardless of whether the structure is

part of a character assembly, or whether the bones have been assigned to a

mesh with the Skin modifier.

Set as Skin Pose Stores the selected objects' current position, rotation and

scale as the skin pose. If the selected objects are assigned as bones for the Skin

modifier, the envelopes and vertex weighting are automatically recalculated

to work with the new pose.

Assume Skin Pose Causes the selected objects to take on the stored skin pose.

This feature can be useful during the animation phase. For example, if you

have animated the character on various keyframes and want the character to

animate back to its skin pose at frame 50, you can turn on Auto Key at frame

50 and click Assume Skin Pose.

Skin Pose Mode Poses the character in its skin pose and allows the skin pose

to be refined. Changes to the objects when Skin Pose Mode is on will affect

only the skin pose and not the animation. When Skin Pose Mode is turned

off, the structure returns to its pose at the current frame.

See also:

■Character Assembly on page 217

244 | Chapter 4 Selecting Objects

Object Properties

The Object Properties dialog, available from the Edit and right-click menus, lets you view and

edit parameters for how selected objects behave in viewports and renderings. Note that you

cannot necessarily edit all properties; parameters that apply to renderable geometry are

unavailable for non-renderable objects. However, parameters that apply to any object, such

as Hide/Unhide, Freeze/Unfreeze, Trajectory, and so on, remain available for these

non-renderable objects.

With the Object Properties dialog you can specify settings per object or by layer on page 7737

. Object settings affect only the object or objects selected. When an object is set to By Layer,

it inherits its properties from the layer settings, which you set with the Layer Properties dialog

on page 7237 .

The Object Properties dialog panels are:

■General Panel (Object Properties Dialog) on page 245

■Advanced Lighting Panel (Object Properties Dialog) on page 256

■mental ray Panel (Object Properties Dialog) on page 262

■User Defined Panel (Object Properties Dialog) on page 264

Object Properties Dialog Panels

General Panel (Object Properties Dialog)

Edit menu > Object Properties > Object Properties dialog > General panel

Select object or objects. > Right-click. > Transform (lower-right) quadrant of the

quad menu > Properties > Object Properties dialog > General panel

245

Layer manager > Click the icon next to an object's name. > Object Properties

dialog > General panel

This panel of the Object Properties dialog displays general object information,

as well as controls for rendering the object and displaying it in viewports.

246 | Chapter 5 Object Properties

Interface

General Panel (Object Properties Dialog) | 247

Object Information group

This group displays information about the selected object, including the

following:

Name Shows the name of the object. When a single object is selected, you

can edit this field to give the object a new name. When multiple objects are

selected, this field shows "Multiple Selected," and cannot be edited.

Color The color swatch shows the object's color. You can click it to display

the Object Color dialog on page 327 and select a different color.

Dimensions Displays the X, Y, and Z dimensions of the object's extents on

page 7773 .

Vertices and Faces Display the number of vertices and faces in the object.

For shapes on page 536 , these values are the values used if you have made the

shape renderable. Faces for renderable shapes are generated only at rendering

time.

Shape Vertices and Shape Curves Appear only for shape objects. Shape

Vertices is the number of vertices in the shape, and Shape Curves is the number

of polygons. (Shape Curves is the value that appeared as "Polygons" in previous

releases.)

These values can change over time: they are valid only for the current frame

and the current view.

Parent Displays the name of the object's parent in a hierarchy. Shows "Scene

Root" if the object has no hierarchical parent.

Material Name Displays the name of the material assigned to the object.

Displays "None" if no material is assigned.

Num. Children Displays the number of children hierarchically linked to the

object.

In Group/Assembly Displays the name of the group or assembly to which

the object belongs. Displays "None" if the object is not part of a group.

Layer Displays the name of the layer which the object is assigned to.

Interactivity Group

Hide Hides the selected object or objects.

Hidden objects exist in the scene, but do not appear in the viewports or

rendered images. To unhide hidden objects, use the Display panel on page

7457 or choose Tools > Display Floater on page 7458 .

248 | Chapter 5 Object Properties

NOTE Objects residing on a hidden layer are automatically hidden, regardless of

this setting.

TIP The Layer Manager on page 7227 is the easiest way to hide groups of objects

or layers.

Freeze Freezes the selected object or objects.

Frozen objects appear in the viewports, but cannot be manipulated. To unfreeze

frozen objects, use the Display panel on page 7457 or choose Tools > Display

Floater on page 7458 .

NOTE Objects residing on a frozen layer are automatically frozen, regardless of

this setting.

TIP The Layer Manager on page 7227 is the easiest way to freeze groups of objects

or layers.

Display Properties group

NOTE Most of these options are also available on the Display panel on page 7457

and by choosing Tools > Display Floater on page 7458 .

By Object/By Layer Toggles between setting display properties on a per-object

basis and at the layer level. When set to By Layer, the object display properties

are unavailable; set the layer properties on the Layer Properties dialog on page

7237 .

NOTE If multiple objects are selected and have different values for this setting,

this button reads “Mixed.”

See-Through Makes the object or selection translucent in viewports. This

setting has no effect on rendering: it simply lets you see what is behind an

object in a crowded scene, and especially to adjust the position of objects

behind the see-through object. Default=off.

You can customize the color of see-through objects by using the Colors panel

on page 7505 of the Customize > Customize User Interface dialog on page 7489

Keyboard shortcut (default): Alt+X

General Panel (Object Properties Dialog) | 249

Display as Box Toggles the display of selected objects, both 3D objects and

2D shapes, as bounding boxes on page 7736 . Produces minimum geometric

complexity for rapid display in viewports. Default=off.

Backface Cull Toggles the display of faces with normals on page 7863 that

point away from the view. When on, you see through the wireframe to the

backfaces. Applies only to wireframe viewports. Default=on.

250 | Chapter 5 Object Properties

Edges Only Toggles the display of hidden edges and polygon diagonals on

page 7757 . When on, only outside edges appear. When off, all mesh geometry

appears. Applies to Wireframe viewport display mode, as well as other modes

with Edged Faces turned on.

NOTE This option is also available in the Display panel on page 7457 and by

choosing Tools > Display Floater on page 7458 .

Vertex Ticks Displays the object's vertices as tick marks. Default=off.

General Panel (Object Properties Dialog) | 251

Trajectory Displays the object's trajectory on page 7955 . Default=off.

Ignore Extents When on, this object is ignored when you use the display

controls Zoom Extents on page 7387 and Zoom Extents All on page 7381 .

Keyboard shortcut: No default, but you can customize it using the Keyboard

panel on page 7489 of the Customize > Customize User Interface dialog on

page 7489 .

Show Frozen in Gray When on, the object turns gray in viewports when

you freeze it. When off, viewports display the object with its usual color or

texture even when it is frozen. Default=on.

Never Degrade When on, the object is not subject to adaptive

degradation on page 7704 .

Vertex Channel Display For editable mesh on page 1990 , editable poly on

page 2038 , and editable patch on page 1934 objects, displays the assigned vertex

colors in viewports. The drop-down list lets you choose to display Vertex

252 | Chapter 5 Object Properties

Color, Vertex Illumination, Vertex Alpha, Map Channel Color, or Soft Selection

Color. Default=off.

You can assign vertex colors at all sub-object levels except Edge.

Map Channel Sets the map channel for the vertex color. Available only when

the Map Channel Color option is active.

Shaded When on, shaded viewports add shading to the vertex coloring.

When off, colors are unshaded. Default=off.

Rendering Control group

By Object/By Layer Toggles between setting rendering controls on a per-object

basis and at the layer level. When set to By Layer, the object rendering control

settings are unavailable; set the layer properties on the Layer Properties dialog

on page 7237 .

NOTE If multiple objects are selected and have different values for this setting,

this button reads “Mixed.”

Visibility Controls the rendered visibility of the object. At 1.0, the object is

fully visible. At 0.0, the object is completely invisible when rendered.

Default=1.0.

You can animate this parameter. Animating Visibility assigns a visibility

controller to the object. By default this is a Bezier float controller on page 3063

Renderable Makes an object or selected objects appear or disappear from

rendered output. Nonrenderable objects don't cast shadows or affect the visual

component of the rendered scene. Like dummy objects, nonrenderable objects

can manipulate other objects in the scene.

General Panel (Object Properties Dialog) | 253

For lights, this is the only available control in the Rendering Controls group.

Making a light non-renderable effectively turns it off.

Shape on page 536 objects have the Renderable option turned on by default.

In addition, each shape has an Enable In Renderer parameter. When both

check boxes are on, the shape appears in rendered output. If the Renderable

object properties setting is off, the shape is not renderable, regardless of the

state of its local Enable In Renderer check box.

If you apply a modifier that converts the shape into a mesh object, such as a

Lathe modifier on page 1430 or Extrude modifier on page 1377 , the shape

automatically becomes renderable regardless of the state of its local Enable In

Renderer setting.

Inherit Visibility Causes the object to inherit a percentage of the visibility of

its parent (as determined by the parent's Visibility track in Track View). When

a group parent is assigned a visibility track, Inherit Visibility is automatically

turned on for all children in the group. The children will have the maximum

visibility of the parent. Transparent materials and hidden objects have no

effect on this function.

Visible to Camera When on, the object is visible to cameras in the scene.

When off, cameras do not view this object; however, its shadows and

reflections are rendered. Default=on.

Visible to Reflection/Refraction When on, the object has “secondary”

visibility: it appears in rendered reflections and refractions. When off, the

object does not appear in rendered reflections or refractions. Default=on.

NOTE An object can have Visible To Camera on but Visible To Reflection/Refraction

off, in which case the object renders in the scene but does not appear in reflections

or refractions.

Receive Shadows When on, the object can receive shadows. Default=on.

Cast Shadows When on, the object can cast shadows. Default=on.

Apply Atmospherics When on, atmospheric effects are applied to the object.

When off, atmospheric effects do not change the rendered appearance of this

object. Default=on.

Render Occluded Objects Allows special effects to affect objects in the scene

that are occluded by this object. The special effects, typically applied by

plug-ins on page 7896 such as Glow on page 6397 , use G-buffer on page 7795

layers to access occluded objects. Turning on this control makes the object

transparent for the purposes of special effects. This makes no difference when

you render to most image files. When you render to either the RLA on page

254 | Chapter 5 Object Properties

7156 or RPF on page 7159 file format, however, occluded objects appear with

the effect applied on their designated G-buffer layer. Default=off.

G-Buffer group

Allows you to tag an object as a target for a render effect on page 6381 based

on the G-buffer on page 7795 channel. Assigning the object a nonzero ID creates

a G-buffer channel that can be associated with a render effect.

WARNING The mental ray renderer on page 6039 does not recognize Z-depth

with G-buffers. G-buffer data is saved on a single layer. Also, the mental ray renderer

does not support the following effects:

■Glow lens effect on page 6397 (rendering effect)

■Ring lens effect on page 6404 (rendering effect)

■Lens effects Focus filter on page 6670 (Video Post)

Object Channel Setting this spinner to a nonzero number means that the

object will receive the rendering effects associated with that channel in Render

Effects and the post-processing effects associated with that channel in Video

Post.

To save the channel data with the rendering, render to either the RLA on

page 7156 or RPF on page 7159 file format.

Motion Blur group

By Object/By Layer Toggles between setting motion blur properties on a

per-object basis and at the layer level. When set to By Layer, the motion blur

settings are unavailable; set the layer properties on the Layer Properties dialog

on page 7237 .

NOTE If multiple objects are selected and have different values for this setting,

this button reads “Mixed.”

Multiplier Affects the length of the motion-blur streak.

If you choose either form of motion blur here in the Object Properties dialog,

you must also choose to apply that type of blur in the Render Scene dialog

on page 5878 .

The rendering speed of object motion blur depends on the complexity of the

geometry to which it's assigned. The rendering speed of image motion blur

depends on the amount of rendered screen space taken up by the blurring

General Panel (Object Properties Dialog) | 255

object. In most cases image motion blur renders more quickly. Object motion

blur renders more quickly when applied to very simple objects, and image

motion blur renders more slowly when the object takes up a lot of screen

space, and moves all the way across the screen in a single frame.

Changing the Object Blur Multiplier value.

Enabled When on, enables motion blur for this object. When off, motion

blur is disabled regardless of the other blur settings. Default=on.

You can animate the Enabled check box. The main use of animating Enable

is to apply motion blur over only a limited range of frames. This can save a

tremendous amount of time when you are rendering an animation.

You can enable motion blur for lights and cameras. With the mental ray

renderer, moving lights and cameras can generate motion blur. However, they

do not generate motion blur with the default scanline renderer.

■None Turns off the state of motion blur for the object.

■Object Object motion blur on page 7867 provides a time-slice blur effect.

■Image Image motion blur on page 7814 blurs the object's image based

on the velocity of each pixel.

Advanced Lighting Panel (Object Properties Dialog)

Select object or objects. > Edit menu > Object Properties > Object Properties

dialog > Advanced Lighting panel

256 | Chapter 5 Object Properties

Select object or objects. > Right-click. > Transform (lower-right) quadrant of

the quad menu > Properties > Object Properties dialog > Advanced Lighting

panel

Layer manager > Click the icon next to an object's name. > Object Properties

dialog > Advanced Lighting panel

This panel of the Object Properties dialog lets you customize how objects

behave under advanced lighting (the Light Tracer on page 5963 or radiosity

on page 5976 ).

Advanced Lighting Panel (Object Properties Dialog) | 257

Interface

258 | Chapter 5 Object Properties

Selection Information rollout

Num. Geometric Objects The number of geometric objects present in the

current selection.

Num. Light Objects The number of lights present in the current selection.

Geometric Object Radiosity Properties rollout

Exclude from Adv. Lighting Calculations When on, the current selection is

excluded from advanced lighting (radiosity or light tracing). Objects excluded

from advanced lighting will not contribute to indirect illumination.

By Object/By Layer Toggles between object settings and object layer settings.

Object settings affect only the object or objects selected. Object layer settings

affect all objects on the same layer as the selected object. Most settings on this

rollout are available only when this toggle is set to By Object. Default=By

Object .

NOTE If multiple objects with different settings are selected, this button will read

“Mixed.”

Adv. Lighting General Properties group

Cast Shadows Determines whether objects will cast shadows in the radiosity

solution.

NOTE When disabling Cast Shadows, you should also turn off Diffuse (reflective

& translucent) and Specular (transparent) in the Radiosity-only Properties group.

If these switches are left turned on, objects will still generate light that can produce

artifacts in the solution.

Receive Illumination Determines whether objects will receive indirect

illumination.

Num. Regathering Rays Multiplier Lets you adjust the number of rays cast

by this object, per pixel. If an object looks “blotchy” after rendering, Increasing

this value can improve its appearance. Default=1.0.

TIP Increasing this setting is most useful for objects with large, smooth surfaces.

More complex geometry tends not to show advanced lighting artifacts as much

as smooth surfaces do.

Advanced Lighting Panel (Object Properties Dialog) | 259

Radiosity-only Properties group

Diffuse (reflective & translucent) When on, the radiosity solution will process

diffuse reflection and translucency on page 7959 of the selected objects.

Specular (transparent) When on, radiosity will process transparency of the

selected objects.

Exclude from Regathering When on, objects are excluded from the

regathering process when rendering.

For more information on the Radiosity-only Properties group, see Radiosity

Control Panel on page 5995 .

Object Subdivision Properties group

Use Global Subdivision Settings When on, the object's meshing settings

correspond to the global subdivision settings on the Radiosity Control Panel.

When off, you can change the meshing settings for each object. Default=on.

■Subdivide When on, a radiosity mesh is created for the objects regardless

of the global meshing state. The subdivision that is performed is determined

by the Use Adaptive Subdivision switch. When off, the settings in the Mesh

Settings group are unavailable. Default=on.

■Use Adaptive Subdivision Toggles adaptive subdivision. Default=on.

TIP Adaptive meshing is computed for an object only if Shoot Direct Lights is

turned on in the Radiosity Meshing Parameters rollout on page 6008 .

NOTE The Mesh Settings group parameters Contrast Threshold, Min Mesh

Size, and Initial Mesh Size are available only when Use Adaptive Subdivision is

turned on.

Mesh Settings group

Max Mesh Size The size of the largest faces after adaptive subdivision.

Default=36” for imperial units and 100cm for metric units.

When Use Adaptive Subdivision is off, Max Mesh Size sets the size of the

radiosity mesh in world units.

Min Mesh Size Faces are not divided smaller than the minimum mesh size.

Default=3 inches for Imperial units and 10cm for metric units.

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Contrast Threshold Faces that have vertex illuminations that differ by more

than the Contrast Threshold setting are subdivided. Default=75.0.

Initial Mesh Size When improving the face shape, faces that are smaller than

the Initial Mesh Size are not subdivided. The threshold for deciding whether

a face is poorly shaped also gets larger as the face size is closer to the Initial

Mesh Size. Default=12 inches for Imperial units and 30cm for metric units.

Radiosity Refine Iterations The number of refine iterations in the radiosity

process for the current selection.

Iterations Done The number of refine iterations performed on the current

selection.

Light Object Radiosity Properties rollout

These options are available only for light objects.

Exclude from Radiosity Processing When on, the current selection is excluded

from the radiosity solution. When lights are excluded from radiosity, their

direct contribution is only used for rendering. This option is available only

when By Object is selected.

By Object/By Layer Toggles between object settings or object layer settings.

Object settings affect only the object or objects selected. Object layer settings

affect all objects on the same layer as the selected object.

NOTE If multiple objects are selected and have different settings, this button reads

“Mixed.”

Store Direct Illumination in Mesh When on, the light’s direct illumination

is added to the radiosity mesh, even if the global rendering mode is Render

Direct Illumination. This is comparable to the Re-Use Direct Illumination

option when rendering radiosity, but only for this particular light.

When off, the light's direct illumination is used only when you render the

scene. This is comparable to the Render Direct Illumination option.

for more information about the Re-Use Direct Illumination and Render Direct

Illumination options, see Rendering Parameters Rollout (Radiosity) on page

6016 . In general, re-using direct illumination stored in the radiosity mesh

improves render time, but shadows appear coarse and inaccurate unless the

mesh is very fine. Rendering direct illumination and shadows (using the

radiosity mesh to provide only indirect light) takes more time but gives you

a more finished and accurate image.

Advanced Lighting Panel (Object Properties Dialog) | 261

mental ray Panel (Object Properties Dialog)

Edit menu > Object Properties > Object Properties dialog > mental ray panel

Select object or objects. > Right-click. > Transform (lower-right) quadrant of

the quad menu > Properties > Object Properties dialog > mental ray panel

Layer manager > Click the icon next to an object's name. > Object Properties

dialog > mental ray panel

This panel of the Object Properties dialog supports mental ray rendering;

specifically, the indirect illumination features caustics on page 6066 and global

illumination on page 6072 . They control whether objects generate or receive

caustics or global illumination.

These settings are ignored where they aren't appropriate. For example, lights

can be set to generate caustics, but for a light, the Receive Caustics setting has

no effect, as lights aren't renderable. Similarly, these settings have no meaning

for cameras.

Also available on this panel are controls for setting displacement parameters

on a per-object basis.

Interface

The mental ray panel contains parameters for the mental ray renderer.

262 | Chapter 5 Object Properties

Indirect Illumination group

Generate Caustics When on, the object can generate caustics. (For this to

happen, Caustics must also be enabled using the Render Scene dialog's Caustics

And Global Illumination rollout on page 6096 .) When off, the object does not

generate caustics. Default=off.

Receive Caustics When on, the object can receive caustics. That is, caustic

effects are cast onto this object. (For this to happen, Caustics must also be

enabled using the Caustics And Global Illumination rollout.) When off, the

object does not receive caustics. Default=on.

Generate Global Illumination When on, the object can generate global

illumination. (For this to happen, Global Illumination must also be enabled

using the Caustics And Global Illumination rollout.) When off, the object

does not generate global illumination. Default=off.

Receive Global Illumination When on, the object can receive global

illumination. That is, reflected light is cast onto this object. (For this to happen,

Global must also be enabled using the Caustics And Global Illumination

rollout.) When off, the object does not receive global illumination. Default=on.

Displacement group

These settings let you apply displacement parameters on a per-object basis.

Use Global Settings When on, applies to all objects the Displacement settings

on the Render Scene dialog > Renderer panel > Shadows and Displacement

rollout on page 6114 . Turn off to make settings on a per-object basis. Default=on.

View-Dependent Defines the space for displacement. When View-Dependent

is on, the Edge Length setting specifies the length in pixels. When off, Edge

Length is specified in world-space units. Default=on.

Smoothing Turn off to have the mental ray renderer correctly render height

maps. Height maps can be generated by normal mapping; see Creating and

Using Normal Bump Maps on page 6182 .

When on, mental ray simply smoothes the geometry using the interpolated

normals, making the geometry look better. This result, however, cannot be

used for height map displacement because smoothing affects geometry in a

way that is incompatible with height mapping.

Edge Length Defines the smallest allowable edge length. The mental ray

renderer will stop subdividing an edge once it reaches this size. Default=2.0

pixels.

mental ray Panel (Object Properties Dialog) | 263

Max. Displace Controls the maximum offset, in world units, that can be

given to a vertex when displacing it. This value can affect the bounding box

of an object. Default=20.0.

TIP If displaced geometry appears to be “clipped,” try increasing the value of

Maximum Displace.

NOTE When using placeholders (see the Translator Options rollout on page 6122

), if this value is larger than it needs to be, it can reduce performance. If you

experience slow times while displaced objects when Use Placeholder Objects is

on, try lowering the Max. Displace value.

Max. Level Controls how many times a triangle can be subdivided. Default=6.

User Defined Panel (Object Properties Dialog)

Edit menu > Object Properties > Object Properties dialog > User Defined panel

Select object or objects. > Right-click. > Transform (lower-right) quadrant of

the quad menu > Properties > Object Properties dialog > User Defined panel

Layer manager > Click the icon next to an object's name. > Object Properties

dialog > User Defined panel

This panel of the Object Properties dialog lets you enter properties or comments

that you define yourself.

264 | Chapter 5 Object Properties

Interface

User Defined Panel (Object Properties Dialog) | 265

User Defined Properties In this text box, you can enter properties for the

object, or comments about it, that you define yourself. 3ds Max doesn't use

these properties, but it saves them with the scene, and they reappear whenever

you view the Object Properties dialog for the object.

Rename Objects Tool

Tools menu > Rename Objects

The Rename Objects tool helps you rename several objects at once.

Interface

266 | Chapter 5 Object Properties

Selected When chosen, renaming affects currently selected objects.

Pick Click to open the Pick Objects To Rename dialog, which lets you choose

the objects to rename. This dialog has the same controls as Select From Scene

on page 168 .

Base Name Enter a base name for all objects. The toggle enables or disables

this name.

Prefix When on, lets you enter a string that will be a prefix to the name of

all renamed objects.

Remove First N Digits When on, the first N characters in the base name are

removed from object names. The spinner sets the value of N.

Suffix When on, lets you enter a string that will be a suffix to the name of

all renamed objects.

Remove Last N Digits When on, the last N characters in the base name are

removed from object names. The spinner sets the value of N.

Numbered When on, lets you number object names incrementally.

■Base Number The base number appended to the name of the first

renamed object.

■Step The step by which the base number is incremented in succeeding

renamed objects.

Rename Click to rename the affected objects and have your changes take

effect.

Custom Attributes

Animation menu > Parameter Editor

Keyboard > Alt+1

Use the Parameter Editor to assign custom attributes to objects, modifiers,

materials, and animation tracks. A custom attribute is an additional, abstract

parameter; abstract in the sense that it does not directly extend the

functionality of the object by default. It affects an object only after wire

parameters on page 3247 , reaction controllers on page 3147 , or expression

controllers on page 3079 are set up to connect the custom attribute to another

parameter in the scene. You can also use custom attributes to store job-specific

notes and data.

Custom Attributes | 267

Custom attributes behave like other object parameters in several ways:

■They are saved and loaded in the scene file along with the object.

■They can be animated and keyframed.

■They are displayed in Track View along with the base parameters.

Each custom attribute parameter can be one of a number of different data

types, including integers, floating numbers, Booleans, arrays, nodes, colors,

and texture maps. Parameters added to an object or modifier appear on a

Custom Attributes rollout on the Modify panel. For each custom attribute

parameter you create, you can specify the name, layout, value range, default

value, and UI type: spinner or slider for floats and integers, check box for

Booleans, etc.

As you customize an attribute, the result is displayed on the Testing Attribute

rollout at the bottom of the dialog.

See also:

■Parameter Collector on page 285

■Attribute Holder Modifier on page 1136

Custom Attributes Special Features

The Custom Attributes feature offers an array of workflow-enhancing

functionality, including:

■the ability to add custom attributes to specific animation tracks.

■the ability to edit existing custom attributes.

■13 available data types.

■a variety of available UI options, such as ComboBox and ListBox for the

Array data type.

■the ability to position UI elements precisely with X and Y Offset controls.

■the ability to preserve custom attributes on page 7445 when collapsing the

stack.

■A special Attribute Holder modifier on page 1136 that lets you collect

attributes from different entities and access them in one place on the

Modify panel.

268 | Chapter 5 Object Properties

Procedures

To add a parameter to an object:

1Select the object.

2Choose Animation menu > Parameter Editor.

The Parameter Editor opens.

3Change settings as desired.

4Click Add.

The parameter is added to the level specified in the Add To Type list. If

an object has no custom attributes, Parameter Editor first adds a Custom

Attributes entry to the current Add To Type level, and then adds the

parameter to the Custom Attributes entry. If an object has more than

one Custom Attributes entry as a result of collapsing its stack, the

parameter is added to the first Custom Attributes entry.

If a custom attribute parameter is assigned to an object or modifier, you

can see and edit its value on the Modify panel after adding it by activating

the entity to which the attribute is assigned. If the custom attribute is

assigned to a material, it's available for that material in the Material Editor,

on the Custom Attributes rollout. To access a parameter that's assigned

to an animation track, open Track View, highlight the track's Custom

Attributes entry, and then right-click and choose View Attribute Dialog.

To edit a parameter or custom attribute:

1Select the object.

2Choose Animation menu > Parameter Editor.

The Parameter Editor opens.

Custom Attributes | 269

3From the Add To Type drop-down list, choose the type of parameter to

edit, and then click Edit/Delete.

The Edit Attributes/Parameters dialog opens.

270 | Chapter 5 Object Properties

NOTE If you chose Add To Type > Picked Track, the Track View Pick dialog

might open first to prompt you to choose the animation track whose attribute

to edit.

4In the Edit Attributes/Parameters dialog, highlight the parameter to edit.

Its settings appear in the Parameter Editor.

5Change the settings in the Parameter editor, and then click Accept

Parameter changes.

6With multiple parameters or custom attributes, to change the ordering,

click the entity to move, and then use the up and down arrow buttons

to move the entity in the list. Moving a Custom Attributes entry also

moves its parameters.

NOTE You cannot rename a Custom Attributes entry.

Custom Attributes | 271

7When finished editing, click Apply Changes, and then exit the dialog by

clicking the Close or Cancel button.

To delete a custom attribute or parameter:

1Select the object.

2Choose Animation menu > Parameter Editor.

The Parameter Editor opens.

3From the Add To Type drop-down list, choose the type of parameter to

delete, and then click Edit/Delete.

The Edit Attributes/Parameters dialog opens.

NOTE If you chose Add To Type > Picked Track, the Track View Pick dialog

might open first to prompt you to choose the animation track from which

to delete the attribute.

4In the Edit Attributes/Parameters dialog, highlight the parameter to delete,

and then click Delete Parameter. Alternatively, to delete all parameters

under the same Custom Attributes heading as the highlighted parameter,

click Delete All Parameters.

To delete one or more custom attributes instead, click a Custom Attributes

heading, and then click Delete Attribute or Delete All Attributes. Multiple

attributes can result from collapsing an object's stack with Preserve Custom

Attributes on. For example, one set of custom attributes might be applied

to an object and a second set of attributes assigned to one of its modifiers.

Collapsing such an object results in two sets of custom attributes.

5Click Apply Changes, and then close the dialog by clicking its Close box

or the Cancel button.

Interface

The Parameter Editor takes the form of a dialog with several rollouts: The first

rollout sets general options for the attribute; the central rollout sets options

for the current parameter type; and the third lets you preview the attribute

user interface (UI).

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Attribute rollout

Add to Type group

Add to Type list Choose whether the custom attribute is assigned to the

selected object, its active modifier (as highlighted in the modifier stack), its

Custom Attributes | 273

material, or a picked track. Also use this drop-down list to choose the attribute

type to delete or edit.

If the text “Pick Explicit Track” appears in the box below the drop-down list

before you choose Picked Track , the Track View Pick dialog appears showing

the Track View hierarchy. Expand the hierarchy as necessary, click the track

to add the attribute to, and then click OK.

NOTE If you choose Selected Object's Current Modifier and multiple modifiers

are highlighted in the stack when you click Add, Parameter Editor applies the

custom attribute to the first modifier you highlighted and removes the highlighting

from the other modifiers.

[pick explicit track] Click this button to open a Track View hierarchy

window from which to choose an animation track. Navigate the hierarchy to

find the desired track, highlight the track, and then click OK. The controller

information for the track then appears in the text box to the right of the

button, and the Parameter Editor will then use this track for adding or editing

custom attributes and parameters.

274 | Chapter 5 Object Properties

Add/Edit/Delete group

Add Applies the custom attribute parameter to the current object, modifier,

material, or track, depending on the current choice in the Add To Type list.

If a custom attribute parameter is assigned to an object or modifier, you can

see and edit its value on the Modify panel after adding it by activating the

entity to which the attribute is assigned. If the custom attribute is assigned to

a material, it's available for that material in the Material Editor. To access a

parameter that's assigned to an animation track, open Track View, highlight

the track's Custom Attributes entry, and then right-click and choose View

Attribute Dialog.

Edit/Delete Opens the Edit Attributes/Parameters dialog.

This dialog displays a list of all of the custom attribute parameters assigned

to the currently object at the current level. Dialog behavior is described in

Custom Attributes | 275

these two procedures: To edit a parameter or custom attribute: on page 269

and To delete a custom attribute or parameter: on page 272 .

Parameter Type group

Parameter Type Use the drop-down list to choose the data type for the

current parameter. The following list includes links to the sections describing

the UI settings for each parameter's data type:

■Angle: Spinner on page 277 or Slider on page 278

■Array on page 280

■Boolean: CheckBox on page 279 or CheckButton on page 279

■Color on page 282

■Float: Spinner on page 277 or Slider on page 278

■fRGBA on page 282

■Integer: Spinner on page 277 or Slider on page 278

■Material on page 283

■Node on page 282

■Percent: Spinner on page 277 or Slider on page 278

■String on page 284

■TextureMap on page 283

■WorldUnits: Spinner on page 277 or Slider on page 278

UI Type group

UI Type Selects the type of UI element that controls the parameter.

The UI types available depend on which parameter type you specify. For

example, float and integer values are controlled by spinners or sliders, and

Boolean values by check boxes or check buttons. Array values are always

controlled by drop-down lists, node values by pick buttons, color values by

color pickers, and texture map values by map buttons.

Full descriptions of each UI Options rollout follow, and the list of parameter

types, above, includes links to the respective UI Options rollout descriptions.

276 | Chapter 5 Object Properties

Name The name of the parameter. Parameter Editor gives the parameter the

default name Param#, with # being a number. Change the name by editing

this field.

Angle/Float/Integer/Percent/WorldUnits UI Options rollout: Spinner

This is a numeric value that the user can set with a standard 3ds Max spinner.

Size group

Width Sets the width of the spinner.

Range group

From Sets the minimum value of the spinner.

To Sets the maximum value of the spinner.

Default Sets the default value of the spinner.

Alignment group

Left/Right/Center Sets the alignment of the spinner in the rollout.

Offsets X/Y Fine-tune the position of the spinner on the horizontal and

vertical axes.

Custom Attributes | 277

Angle/Float/Integer/Percent/WorldUnits UI Options rollout: Slider

This is a numeric value that the user can set with a standard 3ds Max slider.

Size group

Width Sets the width of the slider.

Range group

From Sets the minimum value of the slider.

To Sets the maximum value of the slider.

Default Sets the default value of the slider.

Alignment group

Left/Right/Center Sets the alignment of the slider in the rollout.

Offsets X/Y Fine-tune the position of the slider on the horizontal and vertical

axes.

Orientation And Ticks group

Vertical When on, the slider will be displayed vertically. When off, the slider

is displayed horizontally.

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Ticks Sets the number of ticks along the slider. The ticks are distributed

evenly along the length of the slider.

Boolean UI Options rollout: Check Box

This is a standard 3ds Max check box that the user can turn on and off by

clicking it with the mouse.

Size group

Width Sets the width of the check box.

Height Sets the height of the check box.

Alignment group

Left/Right/Center Sets the alignment of the check box in the rollout.

Offsets X/Y Fine-tune the position of the check box on the horizontal and

vertical axes.

Boolean UI Options rollout: Check Button

This is a standard 3ds Max check button that the user can turn on and off by

clicking it with the mouse.

Custom Attributes | 279

Size group

Width Sets the width of the check button.

Height Sets the height of the check button.

Alignment group

Left/Right/Center Sets the alignment of the check button in the rollout.

Offsets X/Y Fine-tune the position of the check button on the horizontal

and vertical axes.

Check Button Options group

Highlight Color Sets the color of the button when it is pressed.

Array UI Options rollout: Drop-Down List/ComboBox/ListBox

This lets the user of the custom attribute choose a named option from a list.

The options for the three Array UI types are the same; they differ in how they

appear on the Custom Attributes rollout. The types are:

■Drop-Down List: Only the current choice is visible by default. The user

clicks the field to open the list and then clicks to choose a different item.

■ComboBox: Displays an editable field above a list box. The user clicks to

choose from the list, or edits the field.

■ListBox: Displays a list. The user clicks the desired item; the highlighting

indicates the current choice.

280 | Chapter 5 Object Properties

Size group

Width Sets the width of the list.

Height Sets the height of the list.

Alignment group

Left/Right/Center Sets the alignment of the drop-down list in the rollout.

Offsets X/Y Fine-tune the position of the array list on the horizontal and

vertical axes.

Array group

Item name Lets you enter a name into the list.

Click Add Item to add the name to the array list. To remove an item, highlight

its name and click Delete Item. Click Clear Array to remove all items from the

list.

Custom Attributes | 281

[array list] Displays the contents of the list.

The item at the top of the array list is the default selection.

Node UI Options rollout: Pick Button

A node is any object in the 3ds Max scene. The Node UI element creates a

button that, when clicked, lets the user pick a scene node other than the one

to which the attribute is attached. After selecting the node, its name appears

on the button.

Size group

Width Sets the width of the pick button.

Height Sets the height of the pick button.

Alignment group

Left/Right/Center Sets the alignment of the pick button in the rollout.

Offsets X/Y Fine-tune the position of the pick button on the horizontal and

vertical axes.

Color UI Options rollout: Color Picker

This creates a color swatch that displays the current color and lets the user

click it to choose a new color with the Color Selector dialog.

282 | Chapter 5 Object Properties

Size group

Width Sets the width of the color picker.

Height Sets the height of the color picker.

Alignment group

Left/Right/Center Sets the alignment of color picker in the rollout.

Offsets X/Y Fine-tune the position of the color picker on the horizontal and

vertical axes.

ColorPicker Default Color group

Default Color Sets the default color of the color picker.

Material/TextureMap Options rollout: MaterialButton/MapButton

The options for the Material UI type (MaterialButton) and TextureMap UI

type (MapButton) are the same. The difference is that, when the user clicks

the resulting button to open the Material/Map Browser, the former displays

only materials and the latter displays only maps.

Custom Attributes | 283

Size group

Width Sets the width of the material/map button.

Height Sets the height of the material/map button.

Alignment group

Left/Right/Center Sets the alignment of the material/map button in the

rollout.

Offsets X/Y Fine-tune the position of the material/map button on the

horizontal and vertical axes.

String Options rollout: EditText

The String parameter type creates a text box that the user can edit with the

keyboard, with optional default text.

Size group

Width Sets the width of the material/map button.

Height Sets the height of the material/map button.

Alignment group

Left/Right/Center Sets the alignment of the text box in the rollout.

Offsets X/Y Fine-tune the position of the text box on the horizontal and

vertical axes.

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Label group

Label above text box When off, the label (parameter name) appears to the

left of the text box. When on, the label appears above the text box.

EditText Default Text group

Default Text Enter any default text that should appear in the box before the

user edits it.

Testing Attribute rollout

This rollout displays the UI layout for the custom attribute that you are working

on. It updates continuously so that you can see how different settings in the

various rollouts affect the UI display of the attribute.

The UI element is operational in this rollout in the sense that it can be moved,

clicked, toggled, and so on.

Parameter Collector

Animation menu > Parameter Collector

Keyboard > Alt+2

Parameter Collector lets you sort and present animatable parameters so that

you can access and key selected parameter sets with a click or two. It takes the

form of a resizable dialog that regenerates dynamically as parameters change.

The dialog supports drag-and-drop rollout reordering. Collections are saved

with their scenes and can be merged into other scenes.

One of Parameter Collector's most powerful features is the ability to change

all parameters in a collection simultaneously, in an absolute or relative mode.

For example, if you're animating a character's hand, you can use Parameter

Collector to easily make all the fingers curl up together to form a fist.

NOTE Parameter Collector does not support parameters of externally referenced

objects on page 6732 or objects in externally referenced scenes on page 6755 .

Parameter Collector | 285

See also:

■Custom Attributes on page 267

■Attribute Holder Modifier on page 1136

Menu Bar

The menu bar provides a range of functions for using Parameter Collector.

See Parameter Collector Menu Bar on page 294 for details. Also, you can open

the Spinner Right-Click menu on page 3014 by right-clicking a numeric field

in Parameter Collector.

Toolbar

The Parameter Collector toolbar provides button access to the most commonly

used functions.

[collection name] If empty, enter a name for the current collection, or choose

a different collection from the drop-down list. If a name appears and you edit

it, pressing Enter duplicates the current collection with the new name.

New Collection Creates a new, empty collection, clearing the current

collection name and the rollout area. You can restore any existing collection

by choosing it from the drop-down list.

Duplicate Collection Creates a new, unnamed collection containing

the same data as the current collection. Enter a name for the duplicate selection

in the editable field.

You can also duplicate a collection and name it at the same time by editing

the name of an existing collection and pressing Enter.

Delete Collection Removes the current collection from memory.

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Multiple Edits Enables multiple editing, in which changing the value

of any selected parameter simultaneously changes all selected parameters of

the same type by the same amount. This applies to both Absolute and Relative

modes (see following).

Absolute/Relative Works the same way as the Absolute/Offset mode

toggle on the Coordinate Display on page 7325 . When Absolute is chosen,

modifying a value changes it to the exact amount you specify. When Relative

is chosen, the displayed value is 0, and modifying the parameter adds the

specified change to the original value. The actual value appears only in

Absolute mode.

This applies to numeric values only; any changes to other values, such as

color, are always absolute.

NOTE With multiple parameters selected, and Multiple Edits on, changing the

value of a selected parameter changes the other selected parameter values by

the same amount, not to the same amount. This happens in both Absolute and

Relative modes.

Key Selected Sets keys on page 7824 for selected parameters only at the

current frame. Available only when Auto Key on page 7344 is on.

Reset Selected Sets all selected numeric parameters to 0. Has no effect

on other parameter types.

Move Parameters Down Moves each selected parameter down one

position within its rollout, if possible.

Move Parameters Up Moves each selected parameter up one position

within its rollout, if possible.

Add to Selected Rollout Lets you add new parameters to the selected

rollout. Click this button to open the Track View Pick dialog, and then choose

the parameters from the dialog.

NOTE You can add several parameters at once by highlighting them in the dialog

before clicking OK.

Parameter Collector | 287

Add to New Rollout Lets you add new parameters to a new rollout.

Click this button to open the Track View Pick dialog, and then choose the

parameter from the dialog. Parameter Collector creates a new rollout to hold

the parameters.

NOTE You can add several parameters at once by highlighting them in the dialog

before clicking OK.

Delete Selected Deletes all selected parameters.

Delete All Deletes all parameters and rollouts.

Rollouts

Rollouts work the same way in Parameter Collector as they do on the

command panel on page 40 . You can expand and collapse a rollout by clicking

its title bar, and move it to another location by dragging the title bar. You can

resize the dialog to be able to see all rollouts at once.

Only one rollout can be selected at a time. You select a rollout by clicking the

horizontal bar beneath the title; when selected, this bar is orange-yellow in

color, and angle brackets surround the rollout title (for example, “> Hand

Parameters <”).

The interface for each parameter on a rollout is as follows:

[Select Parameter] A small check button on the left side of the rollout. Click

it to toggle the parameter's selection status. When selected, the button appears

pressed in and is colored yellow-orange.

[parameter name] By default, the parameter has the same name as is shown

in Track View, but you can change it with the Edit menu > Edit Notes

command. You can see the default name for a parameter as well as the object

it controls, if any, by hovering the mouse over the parameter name; the

information appears on a tooltip.

[parameter value] Shows the current value of the parameter. The parameter

type determines how this appears: numeric field/spinner, color swatch, etc.

You can edit the value the same way as on the command panel or a dialog.

If a key exists for the value at the current frame, the spinner or swatch appears

with red brackets at the corners.

288 | Chapter 5 Object Properties

[Properties] Opens a Key Info dialog on page 3052 for the parameter.

Available only if the parameter has an animation controller.

Use the Key Info dialog to edit an animation key's value, time, and

interpolation methods.

Procedures

Example: To use Parameter Collector:

This exercise demonstrates some basic Parameter Collector functions.

In general, start with a scene containing one or more objects whose parameters

you'll collect. Ideally, they should be animated, but it's not absolutely

necessary.

1For this example, reset 3ds Max and then add a sphere.

2Open Parameter Collector from the Animation menu, or press Alt+2.

3 On the Parameter Collector toolbar, click the Add To New Rollout

button.

The Track View Pick dialog opens. This lets you specify parameters to

collect.

4On the Track View Pick dialog, expand Objects > Sphere01 > Transform:

Position/Rotation/Scale > Position: Position XYZ.

5Click X Position: Bezier Float.

The parameter highlights.

6Click OK to close the dialog.

A new rollout named Parameters 1 appears, containing the X Position

parameter.

NOTE A parameter in Parameter Collector can contain only a single value

(e.g., float, integer, color), so the software doesn't let you add parameters

such as Position: Position XYZ, which contains three distinct values.

7 Click Add To Selected Rollout and then use the same method to

add the Y Position and Z Position parameters: Highlight both parameters

on the Track View Pick dialog and then click Add To Selected Rollout to

add both at once to the Parameters 1 rollout.

Parameter Collector | 289

8Drag each spinner in turn to move the sphere on the respective axis.

As you change each parameter value, the sphere moves in real time in

the viewports.

9Set all three parameters to 0.0.

10 Click the check button next to each parameter to select all three.

11 On the toolbar, turn on Multiple Edits.

12 Drag one of the spinners.

All three change by the same amount, so that the sphere moves diagonally

in the scene.

13 Use the keyboard to change the Y Position value to 30.0.

Again, the other two change.

14 Click the Absolute/Relative button to turn on Relative mode.

All the values display 0.0, as with Offset mode on the status bar coordinate

display.

15 Use the spinner to set Y Position to 0.65.

The three change in unison, and then reset back to 0.0 when you release

the mouse button. This has added the value you set to each of the three

positions, as you'll see in the next step.

16 Click the Absolute/Relative button to return to Absolute mode.

The values are all set to 30.65, reflecting the relative change that you

made.

Next, you'll try a few Edit commands.

17 Click the Y Position check button to deselect the parameter.

18 From the Edit menu, choose Select Invert.

290 | Chapter 5 Object Properties

The Y Position parameter is now selected, and the other two are

deselected.

19 Click the Move Parameters Up button.

The Y Position parameter now sits above the X Position parameter.

20 Click the Move Parameters Down button.

The Y Position returns to its position below the X Position parameter.

21 Choose Edit > Edit Notes.

The Notes dialog opens. Here you can change the parameter name, set a

URL or file location with further information about the parameter, and

enter comments.

22 In the box below Parameter Name, type Sphere Y Loc., and then press

Enter.

The new name replaces the old one on the rollout. You can see the

original name by hovering the mouse cursor over the parameter name;

it appears on a tooltip.

To conclude this exercise, you'll use Parameter Collector to set and edit

animation keyframes.

23 On the Collection menu, turn on Show Keys In Track Bar if necessary.

24 On the 3ds Max status bar, turn on Auto Key.

25 Change the Sphere Y Loc. (the old Y Position) parameter value to 20.0.

Because you're at frame 0, no key is set. This is the same way Auto Key

works normally.

26 Go to frame 20 and then set Sphere Y Loc. to 30.0.

This sets animation keys at frames 0 and 20.

27 Right-click the key at frame 20.

The menu shows that a key exists at frame 20 only for Y Position.

Normally, 3ds Max would create keys for all three axes, even if you moved

the sphere only on one axis.

Parameter Collector can set keys for unselected objects as well.

Parameter Collector | 291

28 Click in an empty area of the active viewport to deselect the sphere, and

then go to frame 30 and change the Sphere Y Loc. value to 40.0.

This sets another key for Y Position at frame 30.

29 In Parameter Collector, select the X Position and Z Position

parameters, and then click Key Selected.

This button is available only when Auto Key is on.

30 Check the track bar key again. Now there are keys for all three parameters,

as demonstrated by the red brackets on the spinners in Parameter

Collector.

31 Click the Properties button to the right of the Sphere Y Loc.

parameter.

This opens a Key Info dialog on page 3052 for the parameter, with the

ability to edit the key time and value as well as interpolation with other

keys. The dialog is also available from the track bar right-click menu, but

it's much easier to access the data for a specific key from Parameter

Collector.

292 | Chapter 5 Object Properties

Interface

Parameter Collector takes the form of a dialog with a menu bar, a toolbar, and

rollouts that you create and modify using the dialog tools. You can resize the

dialog horizontally and vertically; expanding it lets you see all rollouts

simultaneously.

Parameter Collector | 293

Parameter Collector Menu Bar

Animation menu > Parameter Collector > Parameter Collector menu bar

Keyboard > Alt+2 > Parameter Collector menu bar

The Parameter Collector dialog menu bar provides access to a number of

important commands. Some of these commands are replicated on the dialog

toolbar; others, such as the Select tools, are available only from the menus.

Also, you can open the Spinner Right-Click menu on page 3014 by right-clicking

a numeric field in Parameter Collector.

Interface

Collection menu

The first three items in this menu are unavailable until you enter a name for

the current collection in the editable field (drop-down list) just below the

menu bar.

New Collection Creates a new, empty collection, clearing the current

collection name and the rollout area. You can restore any existing collection

by choosing it from the drop-down list.

Duplicate Collection Creates a new, unnamed collection containing the

same data as the current collection. Enter a name for the duplicate selection

in the editable field.

Delete Collection Removes the current collection from memory.

Show Keys in Track Bar Displays in the track bar on page 7315 animation

keys for all objects with parameters in the current collection, whether or not

the objects are selected in the scene.

Isolate Keys in Track Bar The track bar displays only keys for parameters in

the Parameter Collector.

Show Selected Keys in Track Bar Displays in the track bar on page 7315

animation keys for all objects with selected parameters in the current

collection, whether or not the objects are selected in the scene.

Isolate Selected Keys in Track Bar The track bar displays only keys for selected

parameters in the Parameter Collector.

Put to Object Stores the current collection as part of an object in the scene.

Opens the Put To Object dialog; highlight an object in the list, and then click

Pick.

294 | Chapter 5 Object Properties

Although parameter collections are stored with the scene in which they're

created, you can use this function to transfer a collection to a different scene.

After putting the collection to an object, save the scene. Open or create another

scene, merge the object from the saved scene to the new one, and then use

Get from Object.

You can also back up, organize and streamline parameter collections by putting

and getting different collections to and from various objects in your scene.

Just remember that if you add, reorder, or remove parameters or rollouts to a

collection that has been put to an object, you must then put it to the object

again so the changes are saved to the collection.

Link to Object Stores the current collection using a live link as part of an object

in the scene. Any change to the collection instantly updates the version of

the collection stored in the object. Opens the Link To Object dialog; highlight

an object in the list, and then click Pick.

Link to Object has basically the same function as Put To Object (see previous

entry), except that it guarantees an up-to-date stored version of the collection,

especially when merging the object into another scene that is a common

production workflow.

NOTE Only one “linked-to” object can be active in a scene, but you can use Put

To Object on any number of objects at a time.

Get from Object Retrieves a collection that you stored with Put To Object

or Link To Object.

Remove from Object Deletes a collection that you stored with Put To Object

or Link To Object.

Edit menu

Parameter Collector lets you select parameters in any combination, but you

can select no more than one rollout at a time. To select or deselect a parameter,

click the small button on its left side. To select or deselect a rollout, click the

wide horizontal button just below the rollout title. Selecting a rollout deselects

any other selected rollout.

Select All Selects all parameters and rollouts.

Select All Rollout Selects all parameters on the current rollout. Unavailable

if no rollout is selected.

Select None Deselects all parameters.

Select Invert Inverts the current selection of parameters.

Parameter Collector Menu Bar | 295

Delete Selected Deletes all selected parameters.

Delete All Deletes all parameters and rollouts.

Multiple Edits Enables multiple editing, in which changing any parameter

simultaneously changes all selected parameters of the same or similar type.

NOTE The changed parameter need not be selected.

Absolute/Relative This works the same as the Absolute/Offset mode toggle

on the Coordinate Display on page 7325 . When Absolute is chosen, modifying

a value changes it to the exact amount you specify. When Relative is chosen,

the displayed value shows 0, and modifying the parameter adds the specified

change to the original value. This applies to numeric values only; changes to

any other value types such as color are always absolute.

Edit Notes Opens a single Notes dialog on page 297 for all selected

parameters.

You can open the Notes dialog for a single parameter by right-clicking its

Select Parameter button.

Parameters menu

Add to Selected Lets you add new parameters to the selected rollout.

Add to New Rollout Lets you add new parameters to a new rollout.

Move Up Moves selected parameters up one position within their rollout,

if possible.

Move Down Moves selected parameters down one position within their

rollout, if possible.

Move Up By Rollout Moves selected parameters to the rollout above, if

possible. If the same parameter already exists in the rollout above, the selected

parameter is simply deleted.

Move Down By Rollout Moves selected parameters to the next rollout, if

possible. If the same parameter already exists in the next rollout, the selected

parameter is simply deleted.

Key All Sets keys on page 7824 for all parameters at the current frame. Available

only when Auto Key on page 7344 is on.

Key Selected Sets keys on page 7824 for selected parameters only at the current

frame. Available only when Auto Key on page 7344 is on.

296 | Chapter 5 Object Properties

Reset All Sets all numeric parameters to 0. Has no effect on other parameter

types.

Reset Selected Sets all selected numeric parameters to 0. Has no effect on

other parameter types.

Rollout menu

NOTE While there are no menu commands for moving rollouts, you can do so

simply by dragging the rollout title bar to a new location.

New Rollout Creates a new, empty rollout.

New Rollout Selected Parameters Creates a new rollout and populates it

with copies of any selected parameters.

Rename Rollout Opens a small dialog that lets you rename the selected

rollout.

Delete Rollout Deletes the selected rollout.

Delete Rollout Move Up Deletes the selected rollout and moves its parameters

to the rollout above.

Delete Rollout Move Down Deletes the selected rollout and moves its

parameters to the rollout below.

Notes Dialog (Parameter Collector)

Parameter Collector > Select one or more parameters. > Parameter Collector

menu bar > Edit menu > Notes

Parameter Collector > Right-click a Parameter Select button.

The Notes dialog lets you enter a name, URL, and comments for one or more

selected parameters in Parameter Collector.

Choosing Notes from the Edit menu with multiple parameters selected opens

a single dialog common to all selected parameters. Right-clicking a Parameter

Select button opens a dialog for that parameter only.

When you open Notes from the Edit menu with multiple parameters selected,

if the text contents for a box in all selected parameters are the same (or null),

its check box is on, indicating that changes to the text will apply to all selected

parameters. If a text box has different contents for different selected parameters,

the check box is off, and the corresponding text box is empty and unavailable,

Notes Dialog (Parameter Collector) | 297

preventing any changes. If you turn on a check box, you can edit the text,

and changes will be applied to all selected parameters.

Interface

The Notes dialog interface comprises three text boxes, each with its respective

check box, and a button. By default, the text boxes are empty; you can enter

any text into each box, although each has a specific purpose, as described

below.

Parameter Name Lets you change the parameter name shown in Parameter

Collector.

By default, the parameter name displayed in Parameter Collector is the same

as the name that appeared in the Track View Pick dialog when you added it

to Parameter Collector. If you enter a different name in the Notes dialog,

Parameter Collector then displays that name. The changed name is used only

in Parameter Collector; elsewhere, such as the Modify panel, it remains the

same as before.

298 | Chapter 5 Object Properties

You can see the original parameter name, as well as the object to which it's

attached, by hovering the mouse over the parameter name in Parameter

Collector; the information appears in a tooltip.

URL Lets you enter a URL, such as www.discreet.com.

This could be a link to a Web or intranet page, or even a network location or

file pertaining to the selected parameter. To access the link, click the Go button.

Go If the URL text box contains a valid URL, clicking Go opens the URL in

a separate browser window.

Notes Contains any comments on the parameters. This field is strictly for

informational purposes.

Expression Techniques

In 3ds Max, you can use mathematical expressions (rather than constant

numbers) to express parameter values. For example, you could use the

expression 24*6 to represent the number 144.

You can use mathematical expressions to control the following object

properties:

■Object parameters, such as length, width, and height

■Transform and modifier values, such as an object's position coordinates

Parameter wiring on page 3247 , the expression controller on page 3079 , and the

numerical expression evaluator on page 41 all use expressions, which are

described in this topic.

An expression is a mathematical function that returns a value. You can use

expressions to control the following scene elements:

Calculatable propertyScene ele-

ment

Any numeric creation parameterCreation param-

eters

Position [X, Y, Z]

X Rotation

Transforms

Y Rotation

Z Rotation

Expression Techniques | 299

Calculatable propertyScene ele-

ment

Scale [X%, Y%, Z%]

Any numeric modifier parameter

(including creation parameters)

Modifiers

Colors [R, G, B]

Any numeric material parameter

Materials

NOTE Expressions only work with the individual XYZ components of Euler rotation.

You can't assign an expression to TCB rotation or other kinds of rotation controllers.

The links below are to the sections that follow in this topic.

Expression Return Types on page 300

Operators on page 301

Variables on page 303

Functions on page 306

See also:

■Trigonometric Functions on page 309

■Vectors on page 312

■Expression Controller Techniques on page 3086

Expression Return Types

The type of value returned by an expression depends on the kind of controller:

■Float expressions return a floating-point scalar value (For example, 5.617).

Scalars are used in the animation controllers of numeric parameters.

If the parameter has an integer value, the expression rounds the float value

to the nearest integer.

■Position, Scale, and Point3 expressions return a three-component vector.

For example, [5, 18, 24]. The vector can represent an object's X,Y,Z location,

percent scaling in X, Y, and Z, or a color (RGB values) in a material.

300 | Chapter 5 Object Properties

Operators

In the following tables, p and q are any scalar value or expression, V and W

are any vector value or expression. (The character "x" is used as the vector

cross-product operator.)

Scalar Operators

These are the arithmetic operators for scalar values:

MeaningUseOperator

Additionp+q+

Subtractionp-q-

Additive inverse-p-

Multiplicationp*q*

Divisionp/q/

power (p to the power of q)p^q^

^ and ** are the same operationp**q**

You can also use logical (Boolean) operators with scalar values. These operators

all return 1 if true, 0 otherwise:

MeaningUseOperator

equal top=q=

less thanp<q<

Greater thanp>q>

less than or equal top<=q<=

Expression Techniques | 301

MeaningUseOperator

Greater than or equal top>=q>=

Logical OR, returns 1 if either p or q is

nonzero; otherwise, returns 0

p|q|

Logical AND, returns 1 if p and q are both

nonzero; otherwise, returns 0

p&q&

TIP Logical operators are useful with the "if" function.

Vector Operators

For vectors that have a variable name, you can use a special component

operator (.) to refer to the three scalar components of the vector:

MeaningUse

first component (X)V.x

second component (Y)V.y

third component (Z)V.z

These are the operators for vector arithmetic:

MeaningUseOperator

AdditionV+W+

subtractionV-W-

scalar multiplicationp*V*

scalar multiplicationV*p*

dot productV*W*

302 | Chapter 5 Object Properties

MeaningUseOperator

cross productVxWX

scalar divisionV/p/

Operator Precedence

Expressions have eight levels of precedence. The higher the operator is on the

list, the earlier it is evaluated.

Level of PrecedenceOperator

as unary operators, as in -8, +25- +

the component operator, as in V.x.

** ^

cross productX

* /

+ -

= < > <=

| &

Parentheses are a special case. They are a grouping or subexpression operator

that is provided so you can override the precedence order of the other

operators.

Variables

In expressions you write for expression controllers on page 3079 , variables are

represented by symbolic names. You create them to contain constant or

Expression Techniques | 303

variable values in your expressions. Several predefined variables are also

provided. Some of these have a constant value, others can vary.

In expressions used for parameter wiring on page 3247 and the numerical

expression evaluator on page 41 , you can use predefined variables with

constant values.

Predefined Variables with Constant Values

These are the predefined variables that have a constant value (variable names

are case-sensitive):

UseConstant

Value

Variable

Name

Ratio of a circle's circumfer-

ence to its diameter.

3.14159pi

Base of natural logarithms.2.71828e

Ticks per second. The tick

is the basic time unit of

3ds Max animation.

4800TPS

Predefined Variables with Variable Values

These are the predefined variables that have a variable, time-based value

(variable names are case-sensitive).

MeaningVariable

Name

Frame number. For each frame, F equals

the current frame number, counting

from zero. The range of frames can vary

depending on the number of frames in

the active time segment.

Normalized time. By definition, normal-

ized time (NT) ranges from 0 to 1 over

the active time segment, regardless of

how many frames are in the segment.

304 | Chapter 5 Object Properties

MeaningVariable

Name

If you base an expression on NT, its ef-

fect happens exactly once over the

range. You can also multiply NT by a

factor for the expression's effect to occur

a certain number of times (for example,

2*NT causes the expression's effect to

occur twice). Expressions based on NT

speed up or slow down if you change

the length of the time segment.

Seconds (elapsed time in seconds).

Elapsed time is measured from the first

frame to the current frame. The range

of seconds can vary depending on the

total time of the active time segment.

Ticks (elapsed time in ticks). There are

4800 ticks per second. Elapsed time is

measured from the first frame to the

current frame. The range of ticks can

vary depending on the total time of the

active time segment.

Rules for Variable Names

■Variable names can contain as many alphanumeric characters as you like.

Their length is not limited.

■Variable names cannot contain spaces.

■The variable name must begin with a letter. Numbers are valid within a

variable name (as in "Pos1" or "M23").

■Variable names are case-sensitive. For example, "pos", "Pos", and "POS"

designate three different variables.

■You can't create a variable with a name that duplicates another name,

including the variable names that are predefined.

Expression Techniques | 305

Functions

Following is a list of the functions provided for expressions. In this list, p, q,

and r represent scalar values or scalar expressions. V and W represent vector

values or vector expressions.

To use a function in an expression, enter the name of the function and

appropriate arguments to it.

Trigonometric Functions

The sine, cosine, and tangent functions take an angle in degrees and return

a floating-point value. The arc functions take a floating-point value and return

a value in degrees.

MeaningFunction

sinesin(p)

cosinecos(p)

tangenttan(p)

arc sineasin(p)

arc cosineacos(p)

arc tangentatan(p)

Hyperbolic Functions

Hyperbolic functions take a floating-point value and return a floating-point

value.

MeaningFunction

hyperbolic sinesinh(p)

hyperbolic cosinecosh(p)

306 | Chapter 5 Object Properties

MeaningFunction

hyperbolic tangenttanh(p)

Conversion Between Radians and Degrees

MeaningFunction

takes p in radians and returns the same

angle in degrees

radToDeg(p)

takes p in degrees and returns the same

angle in radians

degToRad(p)

Rounding Functions

MeaningFunction

smallest integer greater than or equal to pceil(p)

largest integer less than or equal to pfloor(p)

Standard Calculations

MeaningFunction

natural (base e) logarithmln(p)

common (base 10) logarithmlog(p)

exponential function exp(p)=e^pexp(p)

p to the power of q (p^q)pow(p,q)

square rootsqrt(p)

absolute valueabs(p)

Expression Techniques | 307

MeaningFunction

minimum returns p or q, depending on

which is smaller

min(p,q)

maximum returns p or q, depending on

which is greater

max(p,q)

remainder of p divided by qmod(p,q)

Conditional Functions

MeaningFunction

works like the common spreadsheet "if" (If

p is nonzero then "if" returns q, otherwise

"if" returns r.)

if(p,q,r)

"Vector If" (Value is V1 if c is true, else V2.)vif(c,V1,V2)

Vector Handling Functions

MeaningFunction

length of Vlength(V)

i'th component (I=0,1,2):

comp([5,6,7],1)=6

comp(V,i)

returns a unit vector in the same direction

as V

unit(V)

NOTE The comp function is an alternative to the notation V.x, V.y, V.z.

308 | Chapter 5 Object Properties

Special Animation Function

MeaningFunction

3D noise: returns a randomly generated

position

noise(p,q,r)

The arbitrary values p, q and r, are used as a random-generation seed. You can

reuse these values to ensure that noise() returns the same value.

Trigonometric Functions

This topic is a quick review for readers who need a reminder about this area

of mathematics. If you’re familiar with trigonometry, you can skip this topic.

If you find this topic difficult to follow, you might consult a more basic

reference on mathematics.

Trigonometric functions are principally used to model or describe:

■The relation between angles in a triangle (hence the name).

■Rotations about a circle, including locations given in polar coordinates.

■Cyclical or periodic values, such as sound waves.

The three basic trigonometric functions are derived from an angle rotating

about a unit circle.

Trigonometric Functions | 309

Trigonometric functions based on the unit circle

The tangent function is undefined for x=0. Another way to define the target

is:

Because XYR defines a right-angled triangle, the relation between the sine and

cosine is:

The graphs of the basic trigonometric functions illustrate their cyclical nature.

310 | Chapter 5 Object Properties

Graphs of basic trigonometric functions

The sine and cosine functions yield the same values, but the phase differs

along the X axis by /2: in other words, 90 degrees.

The inverse functions for the trigonometric functions are the arc functions;

the inverse only applies to values of x restricted by – /2 X /2. The graphs

for these functions appear like the basic trigonometric function graphs, but

turned on their sides.

Graphs of basic arc functions

The hyperbolic functions are based on the exponential constant e instead of

on circular measurement. However, they behave similarly to the trigonometric

functions and are named for them. The basic hyperbolic functions are:

Trigonometric Functions | 311

Graphs of basic hyperbolic functions

Vectors

This topic is a quick review for readers who need a reminder about vector

arithmetic. If you’re familiar with vectors and vector calculations, you can

skip this topic. If this topic is difficult to follow, you might consult a more

basic reference on mathematics.

A vector expresses a length and a direction in a particular space. The vector

is expressed as a point; for example, [5, 5, 7]. The length is the distance from

the origin to that point, and the direction is similarly from the origin to (and

through) the point.

In 3ds Max, vectors have three values and describe positions in

three-dimensional space. They can also represent percent scaling in X, Y, and

Z; and (more abstractly) describe locations in RGB color space.

312 | Chapter 5 Object Properties

Unit Vectors and Basic Vectors

A unit vector has a length of one. Unit vectors are often used to express

direction only. The three basic vectors are unit vectors that describe the three

axes (X, Y, and Z) of 3D space.

Basic vectors and the XYZ axes

Adding and Subtracting Vectors

Adding two vectors creates a new vector that combines the length and direction

of the original two. Vector addition is commutative: V+W=W+V.

Vectors | 313

Adding two vectors

Subtracting two vectors gives the vector between the two points.

Subtracting two vectors

314 | Chapter 5 Object Properties

Scalar Multiplication and Division

Multiplying a vector by a scalar changes the vector’s length, as does dividing

the vector by a scalar.

Vector Length and Direction

The length of a vector is obtained from the Pythagorean theorem.

In 3ds Max expressions, the length() function returns this value.

The direction of the vector is the vector divided by its length; this gives you

a unit vector with the same direction.

The distance between two points is the length of the vector between them.

Subtracting vectors to

obtain a distance

Vectors | 315

316

Creating Geometry

The solid 3D objects in the scene, and the objects used to create them, are known as geometry.

Usually, geometry comprises the subject of your scene and the objects that you render.

This section describes the types of geometry you can create using the Create panel on page

7423 .

Basics of Creating and Modifying Objects on page 317

Geometric Primitives on page 345

Shapes on page 536

Compound Objects on page 638

Dynamics Objects on page 810

Systems on page 829

See also:

■Surface Modeling on page 1925

■Space Warps and Particle Systems on page 2603

Basics of Creating and Modifying Objects

This section provides an introduction to techniques for creating and modeling

objects.

The Create panel on page 7423 contains controls for creating new objects, the

first step in building a scene. Despite the variety of object types, the creation

process is consistent for most objects.

317

The Modify panel on page 7425 provides controls to complete the modeling

process. Any object can be reworked, from its creation parameters to its internal

geometry. Both object-space and world-space modifiers let you apply a wide

range of effects to objects in your scene. The modifier stack allows editing of

the modifier sequence.

In 3ds Max, you model basic parametric on page 7884 objects into more

complex ones by:

■Changing parameters on page 7884

■Applying modifiers

■Directly manipulating sub-object geometry

These topics will help you start creating and modifying objects:

Using the Create Panel on page 319

Creating an Object on page 323

Using the Modify Panel on page 1016

Using the Modifier Stack on page 1020

Editing the Stack on page 1023

Modifying at the Sub-Object Level on page 1029

Using the Stack at the Sub-Object Level on page 1032

Modifying Multiple Objects on page 1034

How Instanced Modifiers Work on page 1040

Transforms, Modifiers, and Object Data Flow on page 1004

Varying the Parameters

Unlike physical objects, with a fixed shape and size, you can change the

creation parameters of objects and shapes to dramatically alter topology. Here

are some examples of changes you can make:

■Turn a cone into a four-sided pyramid by reducing the number of sides

and turning the Smooth option off.

■Slice any circular object as if it were a pie.

■Animate almost all creation parameters, and interactively change their

settings during animation playback.

318 | Chapter 6 Creating Geometry

■Render splines directly at any assigned width.

■Break, detach, and divide wall segments.

■Change the number of risers without affecting the overall rise of the stairs.

Collapsing Primitives to Base Geometry

You can collapse a geometric primitive or shape to one of a variety of base

geometric types once you no longer need access to its creation parameters.

For example, you can convert any standard primitive to an editable mesh on

page 1990 , editable poly on page 2038 , editable patch on page 1934 , or NURBS

on page 2176 object, and you can convert a spline shape to an editable mesh,

editable spline on page 590 , or NURBS object. The easiest way to collapse an

object is to select it, right-click it, and choose a "Convert to" option from the

quad menu > Transform quadrant. This lets you use explicit editing methods

with the object, such as transforming vertices. You can also use the Modify

panel to collapse a primitive.

Mapping Coordinates

Most Geometry objects have an option for generating mapping coordinates.

Objects need these mapping coordinates if you plan to apply a mapped material

to them. Mapped materials include a wide range of rendered effects, from 2D

bitmaps to reflections and refractions. See Mapping Coordinates on page 5183

and Using Maps to Enhance a Material on page 5178 . If mapping coordinates

have already been applied to an object, the check box for this feature is turned

on.

Using the Create Panel

The Create panel provides the controls for creating objects and adjusting their

parameters.

To access the Create panel:

1 Click the Create tab in the command panels on page 7422 .

By default, this panel is open when you start the program. If the command

panel isn't visible, choose it from the Customize Display right-click menu

on page 7479 .

Using the Create Panel | 319

2Click an object type to display its Parameters rollout.

The Creation Process

The actual creation of objects is accomplished with a single click of the mouse,

a drag, or some combination, depending on the object type. This is the general

sequence:

■Choose an object type.

■Click or drag in a viewport to create an object of approximate size and

location.

■Adjust the object’s parameters and position, either immediately or later.

See Creating an Object on page 323 .

Create Panel Interface

Controls in the Create panel vary depending on the kind of object you are

creating. However, certain controls are always present, and others are shared

by nearly all object types.

Category Buttons at the top of the panel access the seven main categories

of objects. Geometry is the default category.

Subcategory A list lets you select subcategories. For example, subcategories

under Geometry include Standard Primitives, Extended Primitives, Compound

Objects, Particle Systems, Patch Grids, NURBS Surfaces, and Dynamics Objects.

Each subcategory contains one or more object types. If you’ve installed plug-in

components for additional object types, these might be grouped as a single

subcategory.

Object Type A rollout contains labeled buttons for creating objects in a

particular subcategory, plus the AutoGrid on page 2513 check box.

Name and Color The Name shows the automatically assigned name of the

object. You can edit this name or replace it with another. (Different objects

can have the same name, though this is not recommended.) Clicking the

square color swatch brings up an Object Color dialog on page 327 to change

the color of the object as it appears in viewports (the wireframe color).

Creation Method This rollout provides a choice of how you use the mouse

to create an object. For example, you can use either the center (radius) or edge

(diameter) to define the size of a Circle shape.

320 | Chapter 6 Creating Geometry

A default creation method is always selected when you access the tool. If you

want to use an alternate method, choose the option before you create the

object. The creation method has no effect on a finished object; the options

are for your convenience during creation.

Keyboard Entry This rollout lets you enter creation parameters from the

keyboard for geometric primitive and shape objects.

Parameters This rollout shows creation parameters: the defining values for

an object. Some parameters can be preset, while others are only for adjustment

after an object has been created.

Other rollouts Additional rollouts can appear on the Create panel, depending

on what kind of object you create.

Identifying the Basic Building Blocks

On the Create panel, the categories for Geometry and Shapes supply the

"building blocks" to combine and modify into more sophisticated objects.

These parametric on page 7884 objects are ready to use. By adjusting values

and turning some buttons on or off, you can create dozens of "new" building

blocks from the ones listed here.

You can choose these types from the sub-categories list on the Create panel.

Geometry Types

Standard Primitives Relatively simple 3D objects such as Box, Sphere, and

Cylinder, as well as Torus, Plane, Cone, GeoSphere, Tube, Teapot, and Pyramid.

Extended Primitives More complex 3D objects such as Capsule, OilTank,

Spindle, Hedra, Torus Knot, and Prism.

Compound Objects Compound objects include Scatter, Connect, ShapeMerge,

Booleans, Morph, BlobMesh, Terrain, and Loft. Booleans combine the geometry

of two objects using union, intersection, and difference operations. Morphs

are animated objects that change one geometric shape into other shapes over

time. ShapeMerge lets you embed a spline shape into a geometric mesh. Loft

on page 715 uses shapes as cross sections along a path to produce a 3D object.

Particle Systems Animated objects that simulate spray, snow, blizzard, and

similar collections of small objects.

Patch Grids Simple 2D surfaces ready for modeling or repairing existing

meshes.

Identifying the Basic Building Blocks | 321

NURBS Surfaces Analytically generated surfaces especially suited for modeling

surfaces with complicated curves.

AEC Extended Elements useful for AEC design, including Terrain, Foliage

(plants and trees), Railing, for creating custom railings, and Wall, for the

production of Wall objects.

Stairs Four types of stairs: Spiral, L-Type, Straight, and U-Type.

Doors Parametric door styles include Pivot, BiFold, and Sliding.

Windows Parametric window styles include Awning, Fixed, Projected,

Casement, Pivoted, and Sliding.

NOTE Default materials are automatically applied to Foliage, as well as to the

following object types: Railing, Stairs, Doors, and Windows.

Dynamics Objects Objects designed for use in dynamics simulations.

Shape Types

Splines Common 2D shapes such as a Line, Rectangle, Circle, Ellipse, Arc,

Donut, NGon, and Star. Text shapes support TrueType fonts. Section creates

a spline from the cross-section of an object. Helix is a 3D shape.

NURBS Curves A Point Curve and CV Curve provide the starting points for

complex surfaces. See Introduction to NURBS Modeling on page 2152 .

Extended Splines More complex 2D shapes including Walled Rectangle,

Channel Spline, Angle Spline, Tee Spline, and Wide Flange Spline. Extended

splines can be used in architectural and similar applications.

Varying the Parameters

Unlike physical building blocks, with fixed shape and size, you can change

the parameters of objects and shapes to dramatically alter topology. Here are

some examples of changes you can make:

■Turn a cone into a four-sided pyramid by reducing the number of sides

and turning the Smooth option off.

■Slice any circular object as if it were a pie.

■Animate almost all creation parameters, and interactively change their

settings during animation playback.

■Render splines directly at any assigned width.

322 | Chapter 6 Creating Geometry

■Break, detach, and divide wall segments.

■Change the number of risers without affecting the overall rise of the stairs.

Collapsing Primitives to Base Geometry

You can collapse a building-block object to one of a variety of base geometric

types once you no longer need access to its creation parameters. For example,

you can convert any standard primitive to an editable mesh on page 1990 ,

editable poly on page 2038 , editable patch on page 1934 , or NURBS on page 2176

object, and you can convert a spline shape to an editable mesh, editable spline

on page 590 , or NURBS object. The easiest way to collapse an object is to select

it, right-click it, and choose a "Convert to" option from the quad menu >

Transform quadrant. This lets you use explicit editing methods with the object,

such as transforming vertices. You can also use the Modify panel to collapse

a primitive.

Mapping Coordinates

Most Geometry objects have an option for generating mapping coordinates.

Objects need these mapping coordinates if you plan to apply a mapped material

to them. Mapped materials include a wide range of rendered effects, from 2D

bitmaps to reflections and refractions. See Mapping Coordinates on page 5183

and Using Maps to Enhance a Material on page 5178 . If mapping coordinates

have already been applied to an object, the check box for this feature is turned

on.

Creating an Object

With some variations, the steps shown in the following images apply to

creating any type of object on the Create panel. For specific examples, see the

Procedures section in any object's topic.

Creating an Object | 323

1. Radius defined

2. Height defined

3. Sides increased

4. Height Segments increased

To choose an object category:

1 Click the Create tab to view the Create panel.

2Click one of the buttons at the top of the Create panel. For example,

Geometry.

3Choose the subcategory Standard Primitives from the list.

324 | Chapter 6 Creating Geometry

A number of buttons appear on the Object Type rollout.

To choose an object type:

■Click the button for the type of object you want to create.

The button highlights, showing that it is active. Four rollouts appear: Name

and Color, Creation Method, Keyboard Entry, and Parameters.

To choose a creation method (optional):

You can accept the default method and skip this step.

■Choose a method in the Creation Method rollout.

To preset the creation parameters (optional):

You can adjust all creation parameters after you create an object. Skip this step

if you prefer.

■In the Parameters rollout, you can set parameters before you create an

object. However, the values of parameters you set by dragging the mouse

(for example, the Radius and Height of a cylinder) have no effect until

after you create the object.

To create the object:

1Put the cursor at a point in any viewport where you want to place the

object, and hold the mouse button down (do not release the button).

2Drag the mouse to define the first parameter of the object; for example,

the circular base of a cylinder.

3Release the mouse button. The first parameter is set with this release.

4Move up or down without touching the mouse button. This sets the next

parameter; for example, the height of a cylinder.

If you want to cancel: Until you complete the next step, you can cancel the

creation process with a right-click.

5Click when the second parameter has the value you want, and so on.

The number of times you press or release the mouse button depends on

how many spatial dimensions are required to define the object. (For some

kinds of objects, such as Line and Bones, the number is open-ended.)

When the object is complete, it is in a selected state and ready for adjustments.

Creating an Object | 325

To name the object (optional):

■Highlight the default object name in the Name and Color rollout, and

then enter a name. This option is available only when a single object is

selected.

Naming objects is a good practice for organizing your scenes. To name a

set of selected objects, see Named Selection Sets on page 146 .

To change the object’s display color (optional):

■The color swatch next to the object name field displays the selected object's

color and lets you select a new one. The color is the one used to display

the object in viewports. Click the color swatch to display the Object Color

dialog on page 327 .

You can also change object colors with Layers on page 7227 .

To adjust the object's parameters:

■You can change the creation parameters immediately after you complete

an object, while it’s still selected. Or, you can select the object later and

adjust its creation parameters on the Modify panel.

While making adjustments, you can use viewport navigation controls like

Zoom, Pan, and Arc Rotate to change your view of the selected object. You

can also adjust the time slider.

To end the creation process:

While the object type button remains active, you can continue creating objects

of the same type until you do one of the following:

1Select an object other than the one you created most recently.

2Transform an object.

3Change to another command panel.

4Use commands other than viewport navigation or the time slider.

After you end the creation process, changing parameters on the Create panel

will have no effect on the object; you must go to the Modify panel to adjust

the object’s parameters. See Using the Modify Panel on page 1016 .

326 | Chapter 6 Creating Geometry

Assigning Colors to Objects

3ds Max is a truecolor on page 7960 program. When you pick a color in the

program, you are specifying 24 bits of color data, which provide a range of

over 16 million colors.

Object wireframe colors are used primarily as an organizational tool. Object

naming strategies, named selection sets, and object wireframe color strategies

provide a rich set of tools for organizing even the most complex scenes.

You can use two dialogs to specify colors:

■The Object Color dialog on page 327 contains two preset palettes of colors

that you use to set an object’s wireframe color. This is also the surface color

you see in a rendered viewport. The two color palettes are Default palette

and AutoCAD ACI palette.

■The Color Selector on page 331 is a generic dialog that you use to define

any color in the 24-bit color range. For the purpose of defining colors to

assign to objects, it is available only through the Default palette.

The Layers functionality lets you organize your scene and can also be used for

assigning object colors. For more information, see Layer Manager on page

7227 .

Object Color Dialog

Click the color swatch by the object's name in any command panel.

The Object Color dialog contains two preset palettes of colors that you use to

set an object’s wireframe color. This is also the surface color you see in a shaded

viewport.

Using Random Color Assignment

By default, 3ds Max assigns colors randomly as objects are created. The colors

are chosen from the current palette in the Object Color dialog. If you turn on

Customize > Preferences > General panel on page 7536 > Default to By Layer

for New Nodes, new objects are assigned the color set by the layer.

For individual objects, you can click the By Layer/By Object button on the

Object Color dialog to change the method used to set the object color.

Assigning Colors to Objects | 327

Defining Custom Colors

When using the 3ds Max palette, the Object Color dialog contains a palette

of 16 custom color swatches. You can define any color for each of the 16 color

swatches by selecting a swatch from the Custom Colors group, then clicking

Add Custom Colors.

Switching Between Palettes

You can alternate between two versions of the Object Color dialog at any time

by clicking the appropriate Basic Colors toggle:

■3ds Max palette: Contains a fixed palette of 64 colors, plus a custom

palette of 16 user-defined custom colors.

Use this version when you want to work with a smaller palette of colors

or when you want to define custom object wireframe colors.

■AutoCAD-compatible version: Contains a fixed palette of 256 colors

matching the colors in the AutoCAD Color Index (ACI).

Use this version when you want to assign object colors that match the

AutoCAD Color Index . Using ACI colors is useful if you plan to export

objects to AutoCAD and want to organize them by object color, or when

you want a wide selection of colors to choose from.

Procedures

To set object color:

This is the general procedure for selecting object color.

1Select one or more objects.

2On any command panel, click the color swatch to the right of the Object

Name field to display the Object Color dialog.

3On the Object Color dialog, click the By Layer / By Object toggle to set

it to By Object.

4Click a color swatch from the palette, and then click OK to apply the

color to the selection.

To create objects of the same color:

■Choose the color you want to use and turn off Assign Random Colors.

Newly created objects appear in this color until you change the setting.

328 | Chapter 6 Creating Geometry

To define a custom color:

1With the 3ds Max palette option active, click one of the 16 custom color

swatches.

2Click Add Custom Colors to display the Color Selector on page 331 .

3Define a custom color and click Add Color.

The custom color is stored in the selected color swatch of the Object

Color dialog and is set as the current color.

To copy a custom color from an object in your scene to one of your custom

color swatches:

■Drag the Active Color swatch up to one of the custom color swatches.

The Active Color swatch is in the Object Color dialog, to the left of the

OK button.

To select objects by color:

■ Click Select By Color. This displays the Select Objects dialog on page

168 . All objects that have the same color as the current object are

highlighted in the list. Click Select.

Assigning Colors to Objects | 329

Interface

Palette Choose one of these:

■3ds Max palette When chosen, the dialog displays Basic Colors and

Custom Colors groups, and you have the option to add custom colors.

■AutoCAD ACI palette When chosen, the AutoCAD ACI palette is shown.

When you click a color, its ACI# is displayed at the bottom of the dialog.

Basic Colors A set of 64 default colors, available only when 3ds Max Palette

is active.

Custom Colors Displays 16 custom colors when 3ds Max Palette is active.

To choose a custom color, click its swatch. To define or change a custom color,

click its swatch and then click Add Custom Colors.

Add Custom Colors Available only when 3ds Max Palette is active. Clicking

this option displays the Color Selector on page 331 , which allows you to

modify the currently selected custom color. If you click Add Custom Colors

with a basic color chosen, the dialog switches to the first custom color before

opening the Color Selector.

By Layer/By Object Sets the object's color by layer or by object. If color is

set by object, choosing a new color on the Object Color dialog changes the

object's wireframe color in viewports.

330 | Chapter 6 Creating Geometry

ACI# Displays the ACI number for the selected color. Available only when

AutoCAD ACI palette is active.

Select by Color Opens the Select Objects dialog on page 168 listing all

objects that use the current color as their wireframe color.

NOTE This button is available only if at least one object in the scene has the

Current Color as its wireframe color.

Assign Random Colors When on, 3ds Max will assign a random color to

each object created. When off, 3ds Max will assign the same color to every

object created until the color swatch is changed. This setting affects wireframe

colors only when By Object is turned on as the color method.

Active/Current Color Displays the active color (if no object is selected) or

current color. When you click the color swatch, the Color Selector dialog on

page 331 opens, where you can mix a custom color.

Color Selector Dialog

Any command panel > Name and Color fields > Click color swatch. > Object

Color dialog > Add Custom Colors button or Current Color swatch.

Material Editor > Click any color swatch.

Select or add a light object. > Modify panel >

Intensity/Color/(Distribution/Attenuation) rollout > Click color or Filter Color

swatch.

Rendering menu > Environment > Environment and Effects dialog > Click

color swatch for Background, Tint, and Ambient components of Global

Lighting, and various components of atmospheric effects such as Fire, Fog,

and so on..

The Color Selector dialog lets you specify a custom color parameter in 3ds

Max. You can work simultaneously with three different color models to help

you zero in on the exact color you want.

You can use the Color Selector to specify many color parameters, such as light

colors, material colors, background colors, and custom object colors. (Another

way to choose an object's viewport color is to use the predefined colors in the

Object Color dialog on page 327 .)

In most contexts, the Color Selector is modeless on page 7849 ; that is, it remains

on the screen until you dismiss it, and you can use other controls or work in

Assigning Colors to Objects | 331

a viewport while the dialog is still visible. In other contexts, the Color Selector

is modal, and you must close the dialog before proceeding.

The dialog is divided into three different color selection models. You can use

the controls for any model to define a color. The three color models are:

■Hue/Blackness/Whiteness (HBW)

The most prominently displayed and intuitive color model is the HBW

model. This model represents a natural, pigment-based way of mixing

color by starting with a pure color (hue) and then making it darker by

adding black, or lighter by adding white.

The main feature of the HBW model is a large square box displaying the

color spectrum. Across the top of this box you have the spectrum of pure

colors, or hue. Down the side of the box you see increasing levels of

blackness, making the color dark as you approach the bottom.

To the right of the color spectrum box is the Whiteness box, which controls

the amount of white in the color. Use higher positions to decrease the

whiteness, or lower positions to increase the whiteness.

■Red/Blue/Green (RGB)

The RGB model adjusts the mix of Red, Green, and Blue to define a color.

This model represents the way colored light can be mixed. This is additive

color mixing, as opposed to the subtractive color mixing for paint and

other pigments. You can adjust values using the color sliders, the numeric

fields to their right (via the keyboard), or the spinners to the right of the

numeric fields.

■Hue/Saturation/Value (HSV)

The HSV color model adjusts Hue, Saturation, and Value. Hue sets the

color; Saturation (labeled "Sat") sets the color's purity; and Value sets the

color's brightness, or intensity. You can adjust values using the color sliders,

the numeric fields to their right (via the keyboard), or the spinners to the

right of the numeric fields.

As you adjust the controls of one color model, the controls of the other two

models change to match. The color defined by the color model is displayed

in the right half of the Color Output box. The original color, before you began

making changes, is displayed in the left half.

332 | Chapter 6 Creating Geometry

Procedures

To display the Color Selector:

1Click the color swatch of a color parameter such as the color of a light

or of a material component.

NOTE The object color displayed next to an object's name on command

panels uses the Object Color dialog on page 327 . On the Object Color dialog,

clicking the Active (or Current) Color swatch or the Add Custom Colors button

displays a Color Selector.

2Make a color selection and click OK or Cancel, or the Close button (X).

If using the Add Color version of the Color Selector, be sure to click Add

Color first.

3To revert to the original color, click Reset.

To choose the hue of a color, do one of the following:

1Click anywhere in the Hue rainbow (the large, multicolored square).

2Drag the Hue slider at the top of the rainbow.

3Drag the Red, Green, and Blue sliders.

4Drag the Hue slider.

5Use the Red, Green, Blue, or Hue spinners.

To make a color lighter, do one of the following:

1Drag the vertical Whiteness slider (at the right of the Hue rainbow)

downward.

2Drag the vertical Blackness slider (at the left of the Hue rainbow) upward.

3Drag the Saturation (Sat.) slider to the left.

4Use the Saturation spinner to decrease saturation.

5Drag the Value slider to the right.

6Use the Value spinner to increase the value.

Assigning Colors to Objects | 333

To make a color darker, do one of the following:

1Drag the vertical Whiteness slider (at the right of the Hue rainbow)

upward.

2Drag the vertical Blackness slider (at the left of the Hue rainbow)

downward.

3Drag the Saturation (Sat.) slider to the right.

4Use the Saturation spinner to increase saturation.

5Drag the Value slider to the left.

6Use the Value spinner to decrease the value.

To return to the original color:

■Click Reset.

The new color is replaced by the original color, and all parameter values

are reset.

To dismiss the Color Selector, do one of the following:

1Click Close.

2Click OK or Cancel.

3Click the dialog's Close (X) button.

Interface

334 | Chapter 6 Creating Geometry

Hue Define a pure color by dragging the hue pointer across the top of the

box.

Blackness Drag the blackness pointer down the side to darken the pure color

by adding black. You can also click or drag inside the box to change hue and

blackness at the same time.

Whiteness The vertical bar to the right controls the amount of whiteness.

The color set by the hue and blackness pointers is displayed at the top of the

bar and pure white at the bottom. Drag the whiteness pointer down to lighten

the color by adding white.

Red, Green, and Blue When a red, green, or blue slider is all the way to the

left, its numeric field contains 0; none of the color controlled by that slider

is used. If the slider is all the way to the right, the field reads 255; the maximum

amount of that color is being used.

The spinners to the right of each slider are another way of setting the red,

blue, or green component.

The colors in the sliders change to show an approximation of what the color

result will be if you move the slider to that location, without adjusting any

other color parameter.

Hue Sets the pure color. Locating the slider all the way to the left gives you

pure red. As you drag the slider to the right you move through the spectrum

of Red, Yellow, Green, Cyan, Blue, Magenta, and back to Red again. Hue is

more accurately represented as a color wheel rather than a linear slider. That

is why the Hue slider is red at both ends. Think of the hue range from 0 to

255 as being points on a circle where the numbers 0 and 255 are right next

to each other.

Saturation ("Sat") Sets the purity or strength of the color. A weak color, with

a saturation near 0, is dull and gray. A strong color, with a saturation near 255

is very bright and pure.

Value Sets the lightness or darkness of a color. Low values darken the color

toward black. High values lighten the color toward white. A value in the

middle, at a setting of 127, gives you the color defined only by hue and

saturation.

Color Output This pair of color swatches, below the Value slider, lets you

compare the new color, shown on the right, to the original color, shown on

the left.

Assigning Colors to Objects | 335

Sample Screen Color Lets you pick a new color from anywhere on the

screen. After clicking this button, the mouse cursor changes to the eyedropper

icon shown on the button. While this cursor appears, use any of these methods:

■Click anywhere on the screen to replace the current color with the color

of the pixel under the lower-right corner of the cursor.

■Drag to continually update the current color with the color of the pixel

under the lower-right corner of the cursor. This makes it easier to make

sure you get the right color if the desired color area is small (say, a

one-pixel-thick line).

■At any time, press and hold Shift to average the current color with colors

the cursor moves over.

Instead of replacing the current color with the new sampled color,

smoothed sampling gradually mixes the sampled color with the current

color, giving a smoothed color transition during sampling. This is useful

for sampling noisy areas, where the variations in colors are accumulated

to provide a representative general color.

Unlike the other methods, releasing the left mouse button only does not

exit the sampler mode; you can move the mouse elsewhere (without

sampling) and then start dragging again to continue smoothed sampling

in other areas. Releasing Shift only returns to regular sampling. Releasing

both Shift and the left mouse button exits the sampler mode, returning

the mouse cursor and behavior to normal.

Sampling can occur under any conditions anywhere within any windows that

belong to the current instance of 3ds Max. To sample anywhere outside of

3ds Max (for example, the desktop), drag the mouse from within one of these

3ds Max windows.

The color sampler tool compensates for any gamma applied to the color

selector using the Customize > Preferences > Gamma And LUT on page 7550

> Affect Color Selectors option. This means that the color-corrected, displayed

sampled visual color in the color selector always matches the on-screen visual

color of the sampled location. If the gamma of the color selector does not

match the gamma of the sampled location, the true color values (RGB/HSV)

of the sampled color will differ from the true color values of the sampled

location. This behavior applies to both regular gamma and Autodesk LUT

gamma correction modes.

Reset Click to restore color settings to the original color.

OK Accepts any changes and closes the dialog.

336 | Chapter 6 Creating Geometry

NOTE If you opened the dialog by clicking Add Custom Colors on the Object

Color dialog, the button label reads “Add Color.”

Cancel Restores the original color and closes the dialog.

Color Selector for mental ray Materials and Shaders

When you click a color swatch in the interface for a mental ray material on

page 5448 or mental ray shader on page 5801 , or a DirectX material on page 5596

, you see a variant of the Color Selector.

This dialog differs from the standard Color Selector in two ways:

■The RGB and HSV values appear as normalized values between 0.0 and

1.0, rather than as 8-bit integers (0–255).

■An additional Alpha slider and spinner let you explicitly set the alpha

value for this color. This value is also normalized, where 0.0 represents

fully transparent, and 1.0 represents fully opaque.

This version of the Color Selector also appears when you use the DirectX 9

Shader material on page 5596 and the mental ray renderer's Sampling Quality

rollout on page 6083 .

Color Clipboard Utility

Tools menu > Color Clipboard

Assigning Colors to Objects | 337

Utilities panel > Utilities rollout > More button > Utilities dialog > Color

Clipboard button

The Color Clipboard utility stores color swatches for copying from one map

or material to another.

For example, if in the Material Editor, you want to copy a color from a swatch

in one level of a material to a swatch in another level (or from another

material), there would be no way to do it with drag and drop. This is because

you can't have two materials/maps visible at the same time. However, you

can drag the color from one material to the color clipboard, switch to the

other material, and then drag the color from the clipboard to the swatch in

the new material.

You can save and load color clipboard files. The saved file, which is given a

.ccb (color clip board) extension, is an ASCII file that contains a palette

description. The first 12 lines of the file consist of three RGB numbers, so you

can easily edit or create your own clipboard files. This file format is also used

by the VertexPaint modifier on page 1876 .

Procedures

To copy a color from a swatch to the color clipboard:

1On the Utilities panel, click Color Clipboard.

2Open the Material Editor.

3Select a color from any swatch in a material.

4Drag the color to a swatch in the color clipboard.

5A dialog appears asking if you want to copy or swap the material. Choose

copy to replace the swatch in the color clipboard with the swatch from

the material you selected. Choose swap to swap colors on the Color

Clipboard swatch and material swatch.

338 | Chapter 6 Creating Geometry

Interface

Color swatches Click a color swatch to edit its value with the Color Selector.

NOTE The Color Selector invoked by this utility uses decimal numbers in the range

0.0 to 1.0, instead of integers in the range 0 to 255 as with other color-selection

dialogs in 3ds Max.

New Floater Displays a floating clipboard with 12 slots, plus buttons for

opening and saving color clipboard files. You can open up as many of these

floaters as you want and you can minimize them. If you exit the Utilities panel

or select the Close button to exit the Color Clipboard utility, any visible floaters

remain open. When you close a floater, any changed values are lost.

Close Exits the Clipboard utility.

Adjusting Normals and Smoothing

In general, you adjust normals and smoothing to prepare objects for rendering.

Adjusting Normals and Smoothing | 339

A normal on page 7863 is a unit vector that defines which way a face or vertex

is pointing. The direction in which the normal points represents the front, or

outer surface of the face or vertex, which is the side of the surface that is

normally displayed and rendered.

You can manually flip or unify face normals to fix surface errors caused by

modeling operations or by importing meshes from other programs.

Smoothing groups define whether a surface is rendered with sharp edges or

smooth surfaces. Smoothing groups are numbers assigned to the faces of an

object. Each face can carry any number of smoothing groups up to the

maximum of 32. If two faces share an edge and share the same smoothing

group, they render as a smooth surface. If they don’t share the same smoothing

group, the edge between them renders as a corner. You can change and animate

smoothing group assignments manually. Changing smoothing groups does

not alter geometry in any way; it simply changes the way faces and edges are

shaded.

See also:

■Viewing and Changing Normals on page 340

■Viewing and Changing Smoothing on page 343

Viewing and Changing Normals

When you create an object, normals on page 7863 are generated automatically.

Usually objects render correctly using these default normals. Sometimes,

however, you need to adjust the normals.

340 | Chapter 6 Creating Geometry

Left: The normals shown as spikes indicate the orientation of faces on the pyramid.

Right: Flipping normals can make faces invisible (or visible) in shaded viewports and

renderings.

Undesired normals can appear in these objects:

■Meshes imported from other applications.

■Geometry generated by complex operations such as Boolean objects, lathe

objects, or lofts.

Normals are used to define which side of a face or vertex is considered the

"out" side. The out side of a face or vertex is the side that gets rendered unless

you are using two-sided materials, or turn on the Force 2-Sided option in the

Render Scene dialog > Common panel > Common Parameters rollout on page

5929 .

Do one of the following to view or change face normals:

■Apply a Normal modifier on page 1509 . If a Face sub-object selection is

active, Normal applies to the selected faces. If no faces are selected, Normal

applies to the entire object.

Adjusting Normals and Smoothing | 341

■Apply an Edit Mesh modifier on page 1283 , enable Face, Polygon or Element

sub-object mode, and then use the features on the Surface Properties rollout

to change the directions in which normals point.

■Convert the object to an editable mesh on page 1990 , enable Face, Polygon

or Element sub-object mode, and use the features on the Surface Properties

rollout

Viewing Normals

The easiest way to view normals is to look at an object in a shaded viewport.

In this case, you are not viewing the normal arrows themselves, but rather

their effects on the shaded surface. If the object looks as if it is inside-out, or

has holes, then some of the normals might be pointing in the wrong direction.

You can display the normal vectors for selected faces or vertices by enabling

Show Normals on the Selection rollout of an editable mesh object or the Edit

Mesh modifier.

Unifying Normals

Use Unify Normals to make normals point in a consistent direction. If an

object has normals that are inconsistent (some point outward and others

inward) the object will appear to have holes in its surface.

Unify Normals is found on the Surface Properties rollout and on the Normal

modifier.

If you are animating the creation of a complex object such as a nested Boolean

or a loft, and you think the operation might result in inconsistent faces, apply

a Normal modifier on page 1509 to the result, and turn on Unify Normals.

Flipping Normals

Use Flip Normals to reverse the direction of all selected faces. Flipping the

normals of an object turns it inside-out.

Flip Normals is found on the Surface Properties rollout and on the Normal

modifier.

The Lathe modifier on page 1430 sometimes creates an object with normals

pointing inward. Use the Flip Normals check box on the Lathe modifier's

Parameters rollout to adjust the normals. You can also use the Normal modifier

with both Unify and Flip turned on to fix inside-out lathed objects.

342 | Chapter 6 Creating Geometry

Viewing and Changing Smoothing

Smoothing blends the shading at the edges between faces to produce the

appearance of a smooth, curved surface. You can control how smoothing is

applied to a surface so your objects can have both smooth surfaces and sharp,

faceted edges where appropriate.

The face labeled “1-2” shares smoothing groups with adjacent faces, so the edges

between them are smoothed over in renderings.

The face labeled “3” does not share a smoothing group, so its edge is visible in

renderings.

Smoothing does not affect geometry. It affects only the way geometry is colored

when rendered.

Smoothing is controlled by smoothing groups, which are numbered groups

ranging from 1 to 32. Each face is assigned to one or more smoothing groups.

When a scene is rendered, the renderer checks each adjacent pair of faces to

see if they share a smoothing group, and renders the object as follows:

■If faces have no smoothing groups in common, the faces are rendered with

a sharp edge between them.

Adjusting Normals and Smoothing | 343

■If faces have at least one smoothing group in common, the edge between

the faces is “smoothed”, meaning it is shaded in such a way that the area

where the faces meet appears smooth.

Because each face has three edges, only three smoothing groups can be in

effect for any face. Extra smoothing groups assigned to a face are ignored.

Do one of the following to view or change smoothing group assignments:

■Turn on the Smooth check box on the Parameters rollout of a parametric

object to set default smoothing for the object.

■Turn on the Auto Smooth check box on the Rendering rollout of a spline

shape to turn on smoothing.

■Apply a Smooth modifier on page 1665 . If a Face sub-object selection is

active, Smooth applies to the selected faces. If no faces are selected, Smooth

applies to the entire object.

■Apply an Edit Mesh modifier on page 1283 , enable Face (or Polygon or

Element) sub-object mode, then use the features on the Surface Properties

rollout.

■Convert the object to an editable mesh on page 1990 , enable Face (or

Polygon or Element) sub-object mode, then use the features on the Surface

Properties rollout.

Viewing Smoothing Groups

The easiest way to view smoothing is to look at an object in a shaded viewport.

In this case, you are not viewing the smoothing groups themselves but rather

their effects on the shaded surface.

You can see the smoothing group numbers for selected faces of an editable

mesh object or the Edit Mesh modifier by looking at the Smoothing Group

buttons on the Surface Properties rollout, or of an editable poly object on the

Polygon Properties rollout.

Smoothing Group buttons appear as follows:

■Group numbers not used by any face in the selection, appear normal.

■Group numbers used by all faces in the selection, appear selected.

■Group numbers used by some, but not all, faces in the selection, appear

blank.

344 | Chapter 6 Creating Geometry

Automatically Smoothing an Object

Click Auto Smooth to assign smoothing automatically. You set a Threshold

angle to determine whether to smooth adjacent faces.

■If the angle between face normals is less than or equal to the threshold,

the faces are assigned to a common smoothing group.

■If the angle between face normals is greater than the threshold, the faces

are assigned to separate groups.

Auto Smooth is found on the Surface Properties rollout and on the Smooth

modifier.

Manually Applying Smoothing Groups

You manually assign smoothing groups to a selection of faces by clicking

Smoothing Group buttons on the Surface Properties rollout or the Smooth

modifier. The smoothing group of each button you click is assigned to the

selection.

Selecting Faces by Smoothing Group

You can also select faces according to the assigned smoothing groups. Click

Select By SG on the Surface Properties rollout (editable mesh) or Polygon

Properties rollout (editable poly) and then click the smoothing group of the

faces to select.

This is a convenient way to examine smoothing groups on an object someone

else created.

Geometric Primitives

Geometric primitives are basic shapes that 3ds Max provides as parametric

objects on page 7884 . Primitives are divided into two categories:

Standard Primitives on page 348

Extended Primitives on page 383

See also:

■Basics of Creating and Modifying Objects on page 317

Geometric Primitives | 345

■Creating an Object on page 323

■Creating Primitives from the Keyboard on page 346

Creating Primitives from the Keyboard

Create panel > Geometry > Standard or Extended Primitives > Keyboard Entry

rollout

You can create most geometric primitives from your keyboard using the

Keyboard Entry rollout. In a single operation, you define both the initial size

of an object and its three-dimensional position. The software automatically

assigns the object's name and color. See Object Name and Wireframe Color

on page 7423 .

This method is generally the same for all primitives; differences occur in the

type and number of parameters. The Hedra primitive, a complex and highly

visual family of objects, is unsuited to this method and has no keyboard entry.

Procedures

To open the Keyboard Entry rollout:

1On the Create panel for Standard or Extended Primitives, click any of the

primitive Object Type rollout buttons, except Hedra or RingWave.

2Click the Keyboard Entry rollout to open it. This rollout is closed by

default.

NOTE The buttons on the Creation Method rollout have no effect on

keyboard entry.

To create a primitive from the keyboard:

1On the Keyboard Entry rollout, select a numeric field with the mouse

and then enter a number.

2Press Tab to move to the next field. You do not have to press Enter after

entering a value. Press Shift+Tab to reverse direction.

3When you have all fields set, press Tab to move the focus to the Create

button. Press Enter.

4The object appears in the active viewport.

346 | Chapter 6 Creating Geometry

Once created, a new primitive is unaffected by the numeric fields in the

Keyboard Entry rollout. You can adjust parameter values on the Parameters

rollout, either immediately after creation or on the Modify panel.

Interface

The Keyboard Entry rollout contains a common set of position fields, labeled

X, Y, and Z. The numbers you enter are offsets along the axes of the active

construction plane; either the home grid or a grid object. Plus and minus

values correspond to positive and negative directions for these axes.

Defaults=0,0,0; the center of the active grid.

The location set by X,Y is equivalent to the first mouse-down position in the

standard method of creating objects.

Each standard primitive has the following parameters on its Keyboard Entry

rollout.

XYZ pointParametersPrimitive

Center of baseLength, Width, HeightBox

Center of baseRadius 1, Radius 2, HeightCone

CenterRadiusSphere

CenterRadiusGeoSphere

Center of baseRadius, HeightCylinder

Center of baseRadius 1, Radius 2, HeightTube

Creating Primitives from the Keyboard | 347

XYZ pointParametersPrimitive

CenterRadius 1, Radius 2Torus

Center of baseWidth, Depth, HeightPyramid

Center of baseRadiusTeapot

CenterLength, WidthPlane

Standard Primitives

Geometric primitives are familiar as objects in the real world such as beach

balls, pipes, boxes, doughnuts, and ice cream cones. In 3ds Max, you can

model many such objects using a single primitive. You can also combine

primitives into more complex objects, and further refine them with modifiers.

A collection of standard primitive objects

348 | Chapter 6 Creating Geometry

3ds Max includes a set of 10 basic primitives. You can easily create the

primitives with the mouse in the viewport, and most can be generated from

the keyboard as well.

These primitives are listed in the Object Type rollout and on the Create menu:

Box Primitive on page 350

Cone Primitive on page 353

Sphere Primitive on page 356

GeoSphere Primitive on page 361

Cylinder Primitive on page 364

Tube Primitive on page 367

Torus Primitive on page 370

Pyramid Primitive on page 374

Teapot Primitive on page 377

Plane Primitive on page 380

Also available from the Object Type rollout is the AutoGrid option on page

2513 .

You can convert standard primitive objects to editable mesh objects on page

1990 , editable poly objects on page 2038 , and NURBS surfaces. on page 2218 You

can also convert primitives to patch objects; see the path annotation at

Editable Patch on page 1934 (the information at the start of the topic that tells

you how to create this type of object).

All primitives have name and color controls, and allow you to enter initial

values from the keyboard. See these topics:

Standard Primitives | 349

Object Name and Wireframe Color on page 7423

Creating Primitives from the Keyboard on page 346

The remaining rollouts are covered in the topic for each primitive.

Box Primitive

Create panel > Geometry button > Standard Primitives > Object Type rollout

> Box button

Create menu > Standard Primitives > Box

Box produces the simplest of the primitives. Cube is the only variation of Box.

However, you can vary the scale and proportion to make many different kinds

of rectangular objects, from large, flat panels and slabs to tall columns and

small blocks.

Examples of boxes

350 | Chapter 6 Creating Geometry

Procedures

To create a box:

1On the Object Type rollout, click Box.

2In any viewport, drag to define a rectangular base, then release to set

length and width.

3Move the mouse up or down to define the height.

4Click to set the finished height and create the box.

To create a box with a square base:

■Hold down Ctrl as you drag the base of the box. This keeps length and

width the same. Holding the Ctrl key has no effect on height.

To create a cube:

1On the Creation Method rollout, choose Cube.

2In any viewport, drag to define the size of the cube.

3As you drag, a cube emerges with the pivot point at the center of its base.

4Release to set the dimensions of all sides.

Interface

Creation Method rollout

Cube Forces length, width, and height to be equal. Creating a cube is a

one-step operation. Starting at the center of the cube, drag in a viewport to

set all three dimensions simultaneously. You can change a cube's individual

dimensions in the Parameters rollout.

Box Creates a standard box primitive from one corner to the diagonally

opposite corner, with different settings for length, width, and height.

Standard Primitives | 351

Parameters rollout

The defaults produce a box with one segment on each side.

Length, Width, Height Sets the length, width, and height of the Box object.

These fields also act as readouts while you drag the sides of the box.

Default=0,0,0.

Length, Width, Height Segments Sets the number of divisions along each

axis of the object. Can be set before or after creation. By default, each side of

the box is a single segment. When you reset these values, the new values

become the default during a session. Default=1,1,1.

TIP Increase the Segments settings to give objects extra resolution for being

affected by modifiers. For example, if you're going to bend on page 1139 a box

on the Z axis, you might want to set its Height Segments parameter to 4 or more.

Generate Mapping Coords Generates coordinates for applying mapped

materials to the box. Default=on.

Real-World Map Size Controls the scaling method used for texture mapped

materials that are applied to the object. The scaling values are controlled by

the Use Real-World Scale settings found in the applied material's Coordinates

rollout on page 5620 . Default=off.

352 | Chapter 6 Creating Geometry

Cone Primitive

Create panel > Geometry button > Standard Primitives > Object Type rollout

> Cone button

Create menu > Standard Primitives > Cone

The Cone button on the Creation command panel lets you produce round

cones, either upright or inverted.

Examples of cones

Procedures

To create a cone:

1On the Create menu choose Standard Primitives > Cone.

2In any viewport, drag to define a radius for the base of the cone, then

release to set it.

3Move to up or down to define a height, either positive or negative, then

click to set it.

Standard Primitives | 353

4Move to define a radius for the other end of the cone. Decrease this radius

to 0 for a pointed cone.

5Click to set the second radius and create the cone.

Interface

Creation Method rollout

Edge Draws a cone from edge to edge. You can change the center location

by moving the mouse.

Center Draws a cone from the center out.

Parameters rollout

The defaults produce a smooth, round cone of 24 sides with five height

segments, one cap segment, and the pivot point at the center of the base. For

improved rendering of smoothly shaded cones, particularly those with pointed

tips, increase the number of height segments.

Radius 1, Radius 2 Set the first and second radii for the cone. The minimum

value for both is 0.0. If you enter a negative value, the software converts it to

354 | Chapter 6 Creating Geometry

0.0. You can combine these settings to create pointed and flat-topped cones,

upright or inverted. The following combinations assume a positive height:

EffectRadius Combinations

Creates a pointed coneRadius 2 is 0

Creates an inverted pointed coneRadius 1 is 0

Creates a flat-topped coneRadius 1 is larger than Radius 2

Creates an inverted flat-topped coneRadius 2 is larger than Radius 1

If Radius 1 and 2 are the same, a cylinder is created. If the two radius settings

are close in size, the effect is similar to applying a Taper modifier to a cylinder.

Effect of Radius settings

Height Sets dimension along the central axis. Negative values create the

cone below the construction plane.

Height Segments Sets the number of divisions along the cone's major axis.

Cap Segments Sets the number of concentric divisions around the center

of the cone's top and bottom.

Sides Sets the number of sides around the cone. Higher numbers shade and

render as true circles with Smooth selected. Lower numbers create regular

polygonal objects with Smooth off.

Smooth Blends the faces of the cone, creating a smooth appearance in

rendered views.

Slice On Enables the Slice function. Default=off.

When you create a slice and then turn off Slice On, the complete cone

reappears. You can use this check box to switch between the two topologies.

Standard Primitives | 355

Slice From, Slice To Sets the number of degrees around the local Z axis from

a zero point at the local X axis.

For both settings, positive values move the end of the slice counterclockwise;

negative values move it clockwise. Either setting can be made first. When the

ends meet, the whole cone reappears.

Generate Mapping Coords Generates coordinates for applying mapped

materials to the cone. Default=on.

Real-World Map Size Controls the scaling method used for texture mapped

materials that are applied to the object. The scaling values are controlled by

the Use Real-World Scale settings found in the applied material's Coordinates

rollout on page 5620 . Default=off .

Sphere Primitive

Create panel > Geometry button > Standard Primitives > Object Type rollout

> Sphere button

Create menu > Standard Primitives > Sphere

Sphere produces a full sphere, or a hemisphere or other portion of a sphere.

You can also "slice" a sphere about its vertical axis.

356 | Chapter 6 Creating Geometry

Examples of spheres

Procedures

To create a sphere:

1On the Create menu choose Standard Primitives > Sphere.

2In any viewport, drag to define a radius.

As you drag, a sphere emerges with its center at the pivot point.

3Release the mouse to set the radius and create the sphere.

To create a hemisphere:

You can reverse the order of the following steps, if you like.

1Create a sphere of desired radius.

2Type 0.5 in the Hemisphere field.

The sphere is reduced to exactly the upper half, a hemisphere. If you use

the spinner, the sphere changes in size.

Standard Primitives | 357

Interface

Creation Method rollout

Edge Draws a sphere from edge to edge. You can change the center location

by moving the mouse.

Center Draws a sphere from the center out.

Parameters rollout

The defaults produce a smooth sphere of 32 segments with the pivot point at

its center.

Radius Specifies the radius of the sphere.

Segments Sets the number of polygonal divisions for the sphere.

358 | Chapter 6 Creating Geometry

Smooth Blends the faces of the sphere, creating a smooth appearance in

rendered views.

Hemisphere Increasing values progressively will "cut off" the sphere, starting

at the base, to create a partial sphere. Values range from 0.0 to 1.0. The default

is 0.0, producing a full sphere. A setting of 0.5 produces a hemisphere, and

1.0 reduces the sphere to nothing. Default=0.0.

Chop and Squash toggle creation options for Hemisphere.

Chop Reduces the number of vertices and faces in the sphere by "chopping"

them out as the hemisphere is cut off. Default=on.

Squash Maintains the number of vertices and faces in the original sphere,

"squashing" the geometry into a smaller and smaller volume toward the top

of the sphere.

Effects of Chop and Squash during hemisphere creation

Slice On Uses the From and To angles to create a partial sphere. The effect

is similar to lathing a semicircular shape fewer than 360 degrees.

Slice From Sets the start angle.

Slice To Sets the stop angle.

For both settings, positive values move the end of the slice counterclockwise;

negative values move it clockwise. Either setting can be made first. When the

ends meet, the whole sphere reappears.

Smoothing groups are assigned to sliced spheres as follows: The surface of the

sphere is always assigned group 1; the bottom, when Smooth is on, gets group

2. Facing the pie-slice surfaces, the cut on the left gets group 3, and the cut

on the right gets group 4.

Material IDs are assigned to sliced spheres as follows: The bottom is 1 (when

Hemisphere is greater than 0.0), the surface is 2, and the slice surfaces are 3

and 4.

Standard Primitives | 359

Base To Pivot Moves a sphere upward along its local Z axis so the pivot point

is at its base. When off, the pivot point is on the construction plane at the

center of the sphere. Default=off.

Turning on Base To Pivot lets you place spheres so they rest on the construction

plane, like pool balls on a table. It also lets you animate a hemisphere so it

appears to grow out of the construction plane or sink into it.

Effect of using Base To Pivot setting

Generate Mapping Coords Generates coordinates for applying mapped

materials to the sphere. Default=on.

Real-World Map Size Controls the scaling method used for texture mapped

materials that are applied to the object. The scaling values are controlled by

360 | Chapter 6 Creating Geometry

the Use Real-World Scale settings found in the applied material's Coordinates

rollout on page 5620 . Default=off.

GeoSphere Primitive

Create panel > Geometry button > Standard Primitives > Object Type rollout

> GeoSphere button

Create menu > Standard Primitives > GeoSphere

Use GeoSphere to make spheres and hemispheres based on three classes of

regular polyhedrons.

Examples of geospheres

Geospheres produce a more regular surface than standard spheres. They also

render with a slightly smoother profile than a standard sphere given the same

number of faces. Unlike a standard sphere, a geosphere has no poles, which

can be an advantage when you apply certain modifiers such as Free-Form

Deformation (FFD) modifiers on page 1389 .

Standard Primitives | 361

Procedures

To create a geosphere:

1On the Create menu choose Standard Primitives > Geosphere.

2In any viewport, drag to set the center and radius of the geosphere.

3Set parameters such as Geodesic Base Type and Segments.

To create a geo-hemisphere:

1Create a geosphere.

2In the Parameters rollout, turn on the Hemisphere check box. The

geosphere is converted to a hemisphere.

Interface

Creation Method rollout

Diameter Draws a geosphere from edge to edge. You can change the center

location by moving the mouse.

Center Draws a geosphere from the center out.

362 | Chapter 6 Creating Geometry

Parameters rollout

Radius Sets the size of the geosphere.

Segments Sets the total number of faces in the geosphere. The number of

faces in a geosphere is equal to the sides of the base polyhedron times the

segments squared.

Lower segment values work best. Using the maximum segment value of 200

can generate up to 800,000 faces, impairing performance.

Geodesic Base Type group

Lets you choose one of three types of regular polyhedrons for the geosphere's

basic geometry.

■Tetra Based on a four-sided tetrahedron. The triangular facets can vary

in shape and size. The sphere can be divided into four equal segments.

■Octa Based on an eight-sided octahedron. The triangular facets can vary

in shape and size. The sphere can be divided into eight equal segments.

■Icosa Based on a 20-sided icosahedron. The facets are all equally sized

equilateral triangles. The sphere can be divided into any number of equal

segments, based on multiples and divisions of 20 faces.

Standard Primitives | 363

Smooth Applies smoothing groups to the surface of the sphere.

Hemisphere Creates a half-sphere.

Base To Pivot Sets the pivot point location. When on, the pivot is at the

bottom of the sphere. When off, the pivot is at the center of the sphere. This

option has no effect when Hemisphere is on.

Generate Mapping Coords Generates coordinates for applying mapped

materials to the geosphere. Default=on.

Real-World Map Size Controls the scaling method used for texture mapped

materials that are applied to the object. The scaling values are controlled by

the Use Real-World Scale settings found in the applied material's Coordinates

rollout on page 5620 . Default=off.

Cylinder Primitive

Create panel > Geometry button > Standard Primitives > Object Type rollout

> Cylinder button

Create menu > Standard Primitives > Cylinder

Cylinder produces a cylinder, which you can "slice" around its major axis.

364 | Chapter 6 Creating Geometry

Examples of cylinders

Procedures

To create a cylinder:

1On the Create panel, choose Standard Primitives > Cylinder.

2In any viewport, drag to define the radius of the base, then release to set

the radius.

3Move up or down to define a height, either positive or negative.

4Click to set the height and create the cylinder.

Interface

Creation Method rollout

Edge Draws a cylinder from edge to edge. You can change the center location

by moving the mouse.

Center Draws a cylinder from the center out.

Standard Primitives | 365

Parameters rollout

The defaults produce a smooth cylinder of 18 sides with the pivot point at

the center of the base. There are five height segments and one cap segment.

If you don't plan to modify the cylinder's shape, such as with a Bend modifier,

set Height Segments to 1 to reduce scene complexity. If you plan to modify

the ends of the cylinder, consider increasing the Cap Segments setting.

Radius Sets the radius of the cylinder.

Height Sets the dimension along the central axis. Negative values create the

cylinder below the construction plane.

Height Segments Sets the number of divisions along the cylinder's major

axis.

Cap Segments Sets the number of concentric divisions around the center

of the cylinder's top and bottom.

366 | Chapter 6 Creating Geometry

Sides Sets the number of sides around the cylinder. With Smooth on, higher

numbers shade and render as true circles. With Smooth off, lower numbers

create regular polygonal objects.

Smooth The faces of the cylinder are blended together, creating a smooth

appearance in rendered views.

Slice On Enables the Slice function. Default=off.

When you create a slice and then turn off Slice On, the complete cylinder

reappears. You can use this check box to switch between the two topologies.

Slice From, Slice To Sets the number of degrees around the local Z axis from

a zero point at the local X axis.

For both settings, positive values move the end of the slice counterclockwise;

negative values move it clockwise. Either setting can be made first. When the

ends meet, the whole cylinder reappears.

Generate Mapping Coords Generates coordinates for applying mapped

materials to the cylinder. Default=on.

Real-World Map Size Controls the scaling method used for texture mapped

materials that are applied to the object. The scaling values are controlled by

the Use Real-World Scale settings found in the applied material's Coordinates

rollout on page 5620 . Default=off.

Tube Primitive

Create panel > Geometry button > Standard Primitives > Object Type rollout

> Tube button

Create menu > Standard Primitives > Tube

Tube produces both round and prismatic tubes. The tube is similar to the

cylinder with a hole in it.

Standard Primitives | 367

Examples of tubes

Procedures

To create a tube:

1On the Create menu choose Standard Primitives > Tube.

2In any viewport, drag to define the first radius, which can be either the

inner or outer radius of the tube. Release to set the first radius.

3Move to define the second radius, then click to set it.

4Move up or down to define a height, either positive or negative.

5Click to set the height and create the tube.

To create a prismatic tube:

1Set the number of sides for the kind of prism you want.

2Turn Smooth off.

3Create a tube.

368 | Chapter 6 Creating Geometry

Interface

Creation Method rollout

Edge Draws a tube from edge to edge. You can change the center location

by moving the mouse.

Center Draws a tube from the center out.

Parameters rollout

The defaults produce a smooth, round tube of 18 sides with the pivot point

at the center of the base. There are five height segments and one cap segment.

If you don't plan to modify the cylinder's shape, such as with a Bend modifier,

set Height Segments to 1 to reduce scene complexity. If you plan to modify

the ends of the cylinder, consider increasing the Cap Segments setting.

Standard Primitives | 369

Radius 1, Radius 2 The larger setting specifies the outside radius of the tube,

while the smaller specifies the inside radius.

Height Sets the dimension along the central axis. Negative values create the

tube below the construction plane.

Height Segments Sets the number of divisions along the tube's major axis.

Cap Segments Sets the number of concentric divisions around the center

of the tube's top and bottom.

Sides Sets the number of sides around the tube. Higher numbers shade and

render as true circles with Smooth on. Lower numbers create regular polygonal

objects with Smooth off.

Smooth When on (the default), faces of the tube are blended together,

creating a smooth appearance in rendered views.

Slice On Enables the Slice feature, which removes part of the tube's

circumference. Default=off.

When you create a slice and then turn off Slice On, the complete tube

reappears. You can therefore use this check box to switch between the two

topologies.

Slice From, Slice To Sets the number of degrees around the local Z axis from

a zero point at the local X axis.

For both settings, positive values move the end of the slice counterclockwise;

negative values move it clockwise. Either setting can be made first. When the

ends meet, the whole tube reappears.

Generate Mapping Coords Generates coordinates for applying mapped

materials to the tube. Default=on.

Real-World Map Size Controls the scaling method used for texture mapped

materials that are applied to the object. The scaling values are controlled by

the Use Real-World Scale settings found in the applied material's Coordinates

rollout on page 5620 . Default=off.

Torus Primitive

Create panel > Geometry button > Standard Primitives > Object Type rollout

> Torus button

Create menu > Standard Primitives > Torus

370 | Chapter 6 Creating Geometry

Torus produces a torus, or a ring with a circular cross section, sometimes

referred to as a doughnut. You can combine three smoothing options with

rotation and twist settings to create complex variations.

Examples of tori

Procedures

To create a torus:

1From the Create menu, choose Standard Primitives > Torus.

2In any viewport, drag to define a torus.

3As you drag, a torus emerges with its center at the pivot point.

4Release to set the radius of the torus ring.

5Move to define the radius of the cross-sectional circle, then click to create

the torus.

Standard Primitives | 371

Interface

Creation Method rollout

Edge Draws a torus from edge to edge. You can change the center location

by moving the mouse.

Center Draws a torus from the center out.

Parameters rollout

The defaults produce a smooth torus with 12 sides and 24 segments. The pivot

point is at the center of the torus on the plane, cutting through the center of

372 | Chapter 6 Creating Geometry

the torus. Higher settings for sides and segments produce a more dense

geometry that might be required for some modeling or rendering situations.

Radius 1 Sets the distance from the center of the torus to the center of the

cross-sectional circle. This is the radius of the torus ring.

Radius 2 Sets the radius of the cross-sectional circle. This value is replaced

each time you create a torus. Default = 10.

Radius 1 and Radius 2

Rotation Sets the degree of rotation. Vertices are uniformly rotated about

the circle running through the center of the torus ring. Positive and negative

values for this setting "roll" the vertices in either direction over the surface of

the torus.

Rotation and Twist

Twist Sets the degree of twist. Cross sections are progressively rotated about

the circle running through the center of the torus. Beginning with twist, each

successive cross section is rotated until the last one has the number of degrees

specified.

Twisting a closed (unsliced) torus creates a constriction in the first segment.

You can avoid this by either twisting in increments of 360 degrees, or by

turning Slice on and setting both Slice From and Slice To to 0 to maintain a

complete torus.

Segments Sets the number of radial divisions around the torus. By reducing

this number, you can create polygonal rings instead of circular ones.

Standard Primitives | 373

Sides Sets the number of sides on the cross-sectional circle of the torus. By

reducing this number, you can create prism-like cross sections instead of

circular ones.

Smooth group

Choose one of four levels of smoothing:

■All (default) Produces complete smoothing on all surfaces of the torus.

■Sides Smoothes the edges between adjacent segments, producing smooth

bands running around the torus.

■None Turns off smoothing entirely, producing prism-like facets on the

torus.

■Segments Smoothes each segment individually, producing ring-like

segments along the torus.

Slice On Creates a portion of a sliced torus rather than the entire 360 degrees.

Slice From When Slice On is on, specifies the angle where the torus slice

begins.

Slice To When Slice On is on, specifies the angle where the torus slice ends.

Generate Mapping Coords Generates coordinates for applying mapped

materials to the torus. Default=on.

Real-World Map Size Controls the scaling method used for texture mapped

materials that are applied to the object. The scaling values are controlled by

the Use Real-World Scale settings found in the applied material's Coordinates

rollout on page 5620 . Default=off.

Pyramid Primitive

Create panel > Geometry button > Standard Primitives > Object Type rollout

> Pyramid button

Create menu > Standard Primitives > Pyramid

The Pyramid primitive has a square or rectangular base and triangular sides.

374 | Chapter 6 Creating Geometry

Examples of pyramids

Procedures

To create a Pyramid:

1On the Create menu choose Standard Primitives > Pyramid.

2Choose a creation method, either Base/Apex or Center.

NOTE Hold the Ctrl key while using either creation method to constrain the

base to a square.

3In any viewport, drag to define the base of the pyramid. If you're using

Base/Apex, define the opposite corners of the base, moving the mouse

horizontally or vertically to define the width and depth of the base. If

you're using Center, drag from the center of the base.

4Click, and then move the mouse to define the Height.

5Click to complete the pyramid.

Standard Primitives | 375

Interface

Creation Method rollout

Base/Apex Creates the pyramid base from one corner to the diagonally

opposite corner.

Center Creates the pyramid base from the center out.

Parameters rollout

Width, Depth and Height Sets the dimension of the corresponding side of

the pyramid.

Width, Depth and Height Segs Sets the number of segments to the

corresponding sides of the pyramid.

Generate Mapping Coords Generates coordinates for applying mapped

materials to the pyramid. Default=on.

Real-World Map Size Controls the scaling method used for texture mapped

materials that are applied to the object. The scaling values are controlled by

the Use Real-World Scale settings found in the applied material's Coordinates

rollout on page 5620 . Default=off.

376 | Chapter 6 Creating Geometry

Teapot Primitive

Create panel > Geometry button > Standard Primitives > Object Type rollout

> Teapot button

Create menu > Standard Primitives > Teapot

Teapot produces a teapot. You can choose to make the whole teapot at once

(the default), or any of its parts. Since the Teapot is a parametric object, you

can choose which parts of the teapot to display after creation.

Examples of teapots

History of the Teapot

This teapot derives from the original data developed by Martin Newell in 1975.

Beginning with a graph-paper sketch of a teapot that he kept on his desk,

Newell calculated cubic Bezier splines on page 7726 to create a wireframe model.

James Blinn, also at the University of Utah during this period, produced early

renderings of exceptional quality using this model.

Standard Primitives | 377

The teapot has since become a classic in computer graphics. Its complexly

curved and intersecting surfaces are well suited to testing different kinds of

material mappings and rendering settings on a real-world object.

Procedures

To create a teapot:

1On the Create menu, choose Standard Primitives > Teapot.

2In any viewport, drag to define a radius.

As you drag, a teapot emerges with the pivot point at the center of its

base.

3Release the mouse to set the radius and create the teapot.

To create a teapot part:

1In Parameters rollout > Teapot Parts group, turn off all parts except the

one you want to create.

2Create a teapot.

The part you left on appears. The pivot point remains at the center of

the teapot's base.

3In Parameters rollout > Teapot Parts group, turn off all parts except the

one you want.

The teapot has four separate parts: body, handle, spout, and lid. Controls are

located in the Teapot Parts group of the Parameters rollout. You can check

any combination of parts to create at the same time. The body alone is a

ready-made bowl, or a pot with optional lid.

To turn a part into a teapot:

1Select a teapot part in the viewport.

2On the Modify panel > Parameters rollout, turn on all parts. (This is the

default.)

The whole teapot appears.

You can apply modifiers to any separate part. If you later turn on another

part, the modifier affects the additional geometry as well.

378 | Chapter 6 Creating Geometry

Interface

Creation Method rollout

Edge Draws a teapot from edge to edge. You can change the center location

by moving the mouse.

Center Draws a teapot from the center out.

Parameters rollout

Radius Sets the radius of the teapot

Segments Sets the number of divisions for the teapot or its individual parts.

Smooth Blends faces of the teapot, creating a smooth appearance in rendered

views.

Standard Primitives | 379

Teapot Parts group

Turn check boxes on or off for teapot parts. By default, all are on, producing

a complete teapot.

Generate Mapping Coords Generates coordinates for applying mapped

materials to the teapot. Default=on.

Real-World Map Size Controls the scaling method used for texture mapped

materials that are applied to the object. The scaling values are controlled by

the Use Real-World Scale settings found in the applied material's Coordinates

rollout on page 5620 . Default=off.

Plane Primitive

Create panel > Geometry button > Standard Primitives > Object Type rollout

> Plane button

Create menu > Standard Primitives > Plane

The Plane object is a special type of flat polygon mesh that can be enlarged

by any amount at render time. You can specify factors to magnify the size or

number of segments, or both. Use the Plane object for creating a large-scale

ground plane that doesn't get in the way when working in a viewport. You

can apply any type of modifier to the plane object, such as Displace on page

1274 to simulate a hilly terrain.

380 | Chapter 6 Creating Geometry

Example of plane

Procedures

To create a plane:

1On the Create menu choose Standard Primitives > Plane.

2In any viewport, drag to create the Plane.

Interface

Creation Method rollout

Rectangle Creates the plane primitive from one corner to the diagonally

opposite corner, interactively setting different values for length and width.

Square Creates a square plane where length and width are equal. You can

change dimensions in the Parameters rollout subsequent to creation.

Standard Primitives | 381

Parameters rollout

Length, Width Sets the length and width of the plane object. These fields

act also as readouts while you drag the sides of the box. You can revise these

values. Defaults= 0.0, 0.0.

Length Segs, Width Segs Sets the number of divisions along each axis of

the object. Can be set before or after creation. By default, each side of the

plane has four segments. When you reset these values, the new values become

the default during a session.

Render Multipliers group

Render Scale Specifies the factor by which both length and width are

multiplied at render time. Scaling is performed from the center outward.

Render Segs Specifies the factor by which the number of segments in both

length and width are multiplied at render time.

Generate Mapping Coords Generates coordinates for applying mapped

materials to the plane. Default=on.

382 | Chapter 6 Creating Geometry

Real-World Map Size Controls the scaling method used for texture mapped

materials that are applied to the object. The scaling values are controlled by

the Use Real-World Scale settings found in the applied material's Coordinates

rollout on page 5620 . Default=off.

Extended Primitives

A collection of extended primitive objects

Extended Primitives are a collection of complex primitives for 3ds Max. The

topics that follow describe each type of extended primitive and its creation

parameters.

These primitives are available from the Object Type rollout on the Create

panel and from the Create menu > Extended Primitives.

Extended Primitives | 383

AutoGrid on page 2513

Hedra Extended Primitive on page 385

Torus Knot Extended Primitive on page 389

ChamferBox Extended Primitive on page 393

ChamferCyl Extended Primitive on page 396

OilTank Extended Primitive on page 399

Capsule Extended Primitive on page 402

Spindle Extended Primitive on page 405

L-Ext Extended Primitive on page 409

Gengon Extended Primitive on page 411

C-Ext Extended Primitive on page 414

RingWave Extended Primitive on page 417

Hose Extended Primitive on page 425

Prism Extended Primitive on page 423

All primitives have name and color controls, and allow you to enter initial

values from the keyboard. See these topics:

Object Name and Wireframe Color on page 7423

384 | Chapter 6 Creating Geometry

Creating Primitives from the Keyboard on page 346 (not applicable to Hedra,

RingWave, or Hose)

The remaining rollouts are covered in the topic for each primitive.

Hedra Extended Primitive

Create panel > Geometry button > Extended Primitives > Object Type rollout

> Hedra button

Create menu > Extended Primitives > Hedra

Use Hedra to produce objects from several families of polyhedra.

Examples of hedra

Procedures

To create a polyhedron:

1From the Create menu, choose Extended Primitives > Hedra.

Extended Primitives | 385

2In any viewport, drag to define a radius, then release to create the

polyhedron.

As you drag, a polyhedron emerges from the pivot point.

3Adjust the Family Parameter and Axis Scaling spinners to vary the Hedra's

appearance.

386 | Chapter 6 Creating Geometry

Interface

Extended Primitives | 387

Family group

Use this group to select the type of polyhedron to create.

Tetra Creates a tetrahedron.

Cube/Octa Creates a cubic or octahedral polyhedron (depending on

parameter settings).

Dodec/Icos Creates a dodecahedron or icosahedron (depending on parameter

settings).

Star1/Star2 Creates two different star-like polyhedra.

TIP You can animate between Hedra types. Turn on the Auto Key button, go to

any frame, and change the Family check box. There is no interpolation between

types; the model simply jumps from a star to a cube or tetrahedron, and so on.

Family parameters group

P, Q Interrelated parameters that provide a two-way translation between the

vertices and facets of a polyhedron. They share the following:

■Range of possible values is 0.0 through 1.0.

■The combined total of the P and Q values can be equal to or less than 1.0.

■Extremes occur if either P or Q is set to 1.0; the other is automatically set

to 0.0.

■Midpoint occurs when both P and Q are 0.

In the simplest terms, P and Q change the geometry back and forth between

vertices and facets. At the extreme settings for P and Q, one parameter

represents all vertices, the other represents all facets. Intermediate settings are

transition points, with the midpoint an even balance between the two

parameters.

Axis Scaling group

Polyhedra can have as many as three kinds of polygonal facets, such as triangle,

square, or pentagon. These facets can be regular or irregular. If a polyhedron

has only one or two types of facet, only one or two of the axis scaling

parameters are active. Inactive parameters have no effect.

388 | Chapter 6 Creating Geometry

P, Q, R Controls the axis of reflection for one of the facets of a polyhedron.

In practice, these fields have the effect of pushing their corresponding facets

in and out. Defaults=100.

Reset Returns axes to their default setting.

Vertices group

Parameters in the Vertices group determine the internal geometry of each

facet of a polyhedron. Center and Center & Sides increase the number of

vertices in the object and therefore the number of faces. These parameters

cannot be animated.

Basic Facets are not subdivided beyond the minimum.

Center Each facet is subdivided by placing an additional vertex at its center,

with edges from each center point to the facet corners.

Center & Sides Each facet is subdivided by placing an additional vertex at

its center, with edges from each center point to the facet corners, as well as

to the center of each edge. Compared to Center, Center & Sides doubles the

number of faces in the polyhedron.

NOTE If you scale the axis of the object, the Center option is used automatically,

unless Center & Sides is already set.

To see the internal edges shown in the figure, turn off Edges Only on the

Display command panel.

Radius Sets the radius of any polyhedron in current units.

Generate Mapping Coords Generates coordinates for applying mapped

materials to the polyhedron. Default=on.

Torus Knot Extended Primitive

Create panel > Geometry > Extended Primitives > Object Type rollout > Torus

Knot button

Create menu > Extended Primitives > Torus Knot

Use Torus Knot to create a complex or knotted torus by drawing 2D curves in

the normal planes around a 3D curve. The 3D curve (called the Base Curve)

can be either a circle or a torus knot.

You can convert a torus knot object to a NURBS surface on page 2218 .

Extended Primitives | 389

Example of torus knot

Procedures

To create a Torus Knot:

1On the Create menu, choose Extended Primitives > Torus Knot.

2Drag the mouse to define the size of the torus knot.

3Click, then move the mouse vertically to define the radius.

4Click again to finish the torus.

5Adjust the parameters on the Modify panel.

Interface

Creation Method rollout

Diameter Draws the object from edge to edge. You can change the center

location by moving the mouse.

Radius Draws the object from the center out.

390 | Chapter 6 Creating Geometry

Parameters rollout > Base Curve group

Provides parameters that affect the base curve.

Knot/Circle With Knot, the torus interweaves itself, based on various other

parameters. With Circle, the base curve is a circle, resulting in a standard torus

if parameters such as Warp and Eccentricity are left at their defaults.

Radius Sets the radius of the base curve.

Segments Sets the number of segments around the perimeter of the torus.

P and Q Describes up-and-down (P) and around-the-center (Q) winding

numbers. (Active only when Knot is chosen.)

Warp Count Sets the number of "points" in a star shape around the curve.

(Active only when Circle is chosen.)

Warp Height Sets the height of the "points" given as a percentage of the base

curve radius.

Parameters rollout > Cross Section group

Extended Primitives | 391

Provides parameters that affect the cross section of the torus knot.

Radius Sets the radius of the cross section.

Sides Sets the number of sides around the cross section.

Eccentricity Sets the ratio of the major to minor axes of the cross section. A

value of 1 provides a circular cross section, while other values create elliptical

cross sections.

Twist Sets the number of times the cross section twists around the base curve.

Lumps Sets the number of bulges in the torus knot. Note that the Lump

Height spinner value must be greater than 0 to see any effect.

Lump Height Sets the height of the lumps, as a percentage of the radius of

the cross section. Note that the Lumps spinner must be greater than 0 to see

any effect.

Lump Offset Sets the offset of the start of the lumps, measured in degrees.

The purpose of this value is to animate the lumps around the torus.

Parameters rollout > Smooth group

Provides options to alter the smoothing displayed or rendered of the torus

knot. This smoothing does not displace or tesselate the geometry, it only adds

the smoothing group information.

All Smoothes the entire torus knot.

Sides Smoothes only the adjacent sides of the torus knot.

None The torus knot is faceted.

Parameters rollout > Mapping Coordinates group

392 | Chapter 6 Creating Geometry

Provides methods of assigning and adjusting mapping coordinates.

Generate Mapping Coords Assigns mapping coordinates based on the

geometry of the torus knot. Default=on.

Offset U/V Offset the mapping coordinates along U and V.

Tiling U/V Tile the mapping coordinates along U and V.

ChamferBox Extended Primitive

Create panel > Geometry button > Extended Primitives > Object Type rollout

> ChamferBox button

Create menu > Extended Primitives > Chamfer Box

Use ChamferBox to create a box with beveled or rounded edges.

Examples of chamfered boxes

Extended Primitives | 393

Procedures

To create a standard chamfered box:

1From the Create menu, choose Extended Primitives > Chamfer Box.

2Drag the mouse to define the diagonal corners of the base of the

chamfered box. (Press Ctrl to constrain the base to a square.)

3Release the mouse button, and then move the mouse vertically to define

the height of the box. Click to set the height

4Move the mouse diagonally to define the width of the fillet, or chamfer

(toward the upper left increases the width; toward the lower right

decreases it).

5Click again to finish the chamfered box.

To create a cubic chamfered box:

1On the Creation Method rollout, click Cube.

2Beginning at the center of the cube, drag in a viewport to set all three

dimensions simultaneously.

3Release the button, and move the mouse to set the fillet or chamfer.

4Click to create the object.

You can change a cube's individual dimensions in the Parameters rollout.

Interface

Creation Method rollout

Cube Forces length, width, and height to be equal. You can change a cube's

individual dimensions in the Parameters rollout.

Box Creates a standard chamfered box primitive from one corner to the

diagonally opposite corner, with individual settings for length, width, and

height.

394 | Chapter 6 Creating Geometry

Parameters rollout

Length, Width, Height Sets the corresponding dimensions of the chamfered

box.

Fillet Slices off the edges of the chamfered box. Higher values result in a

more refined fillet on the edges of the chamfered box.

Length, Width, Height Segs Sets the number of divisions along the

corresponding axis.

Fillet Segs Sets the number of segments in the filleted edges of the box.

Adding fillet segments increases the edge roundness.

Smooth Blends the display of the faces of the chamfered box, creating a

smooth appearance in rendered views.

Generate Mapping Coords Generates coordinates for applying mapped

materials to the chamfered box. Default=on.

Extended Primitives | 395

Real-World Map Size Controls the scaling method used for texture mapped

materials that are applied to the object. The scaling values are controlled by

the Use Real-World Scale settings found in the applied material's Coordinates

rollout on page 5620 . Default=off.

ChamferCyl Extended Primitive

Create panel > Geometry button > Extended Primitives > Object Type rollout

> ChamferCyl button

Create menu > Extended Primitives > Chamfer Cylinder

Use ChamferCyl to create a cylinder with beveled or rounded cap edges.

Examples of chamfered cylinders

Procedures

To create a chamfered cylinder:

1From the Create menu, choose Extended Primitives > Chamfer Cylinder.

396 | Chapter 6 Creating Geometry

2Drag the mouse to define the radius of the base of the chamfered cylinder.

3Release the mouse button, and then move the mouse vertically to define

the height of the cylinder. Click to set the height.

4Move the mouse diagonally to define the width of the fillet, or chamfer

(toward the upper left increases the width; toward the lower right

decreases it).

5Click to finish the cylinder.

Interface

Creation Method rollout

Edge Draws the object from edge to edge. You can change the center location

by moving the mouse.

Center Draws the object from the center out.

Extended Primitives | 397

Parameters rollout

Radius Sets the radius of the chamfered cylinder.

Height Sets the dimension along the central axis. Negative values create the

chamfered cylinder below the construction plane.

Fillet Chamfers the top and bottom cap edges of the chamfered cylinder.

Higher numbers result in a more refined fillet along the cap edge.

Height Segs Sets the number of divisions along the corresponding axis.

Fillet Segs Sets the number of segments in the filleted edges of the cylinder.

Adding fillet segments curves the edges, producing a filleted cylinder.

398 | Chapter 6 Creating Geometry

Sides Sets the number of sides around the chamfered cylinder. Higher

numbers shade and render as true circles with Smooth on. Lower numbers

create regular polygonal objects with Smooth off.

Cap Segs Sets the number of concentric divisions along the center of the

chamfered cylinder's top and bottom

Smooth Blends the faces of the chamfered cylinder, creating a smooth

appearance in rendered views.

Slice On Enables the Slice function. Default=off.

When you create a slice and then turn off Slice On, the complete chamfered

cylinder reappears. You can use this check box to switch between the two

topologies.

Slice From, Slice To Sets the number of degrees around the local Z axis from

a zero point at the local X axis.

For both settings, positive values move the end of the slice counterclockwise;

negative values move it clockwise. Either setting can be made first. When the

ends meet, the whole chamfered cylinder reappears.

Generate Mapping Coords Generates coordinates for applying mapped

materials to the chamfered cylinder. Default=on.

Real-World Map Size Controls the scaling method used for texture mapped

materials that are applied to the object. The scaling values are controlled by

the Use Real-World Scale settings found in the applied material's Coordinates

rollout on page 5620 . Default=off.

OilTank Extended Primitive

Create panel > Geometry button > Extended Primitives > Object Type rollout

> OilTank button

Create menu > Extended Primitives > Oil Tank

Use OilTank to create a cylinder with convex caps.

Extended Primitives | 399

Examples of oil tanks

Procedures

To create an oil tank:

1From the Create menu, choose Extended Primitives > Oil Tank.

2Drag the mouse to define the radius of the base of the oil tank.

3Release the mouse button, and then move the mouse vertically to define

the height of the oil tank. Click to set the height.

4Move the mouse diagonally to define the height of the convex caps

(toward the upper left to increase the height; toward the lower right to

decrease it).

5Click again to finish the oil tank.

400 | Chapter 6 Creating Geometry

Interface

Creation Method rollout

Edge Draws the object from edge to edge. You can change the center location

by moving the mouse.

Center Draws the object from the center out.

Parameters rollout

Radius Sets the radius of the oil tank.

Height Sets the dimension along the central axis. Negative values create the

oil tank below the construction plane.

Extended Primitives | 401

Cap Height Sets the height of the convex caps. The minimum value is 2.5%

of the Radius setting. The maximum value is the Radius setting, unless the

absolute value of the Height setting is less than the double Radius setting, in

which case cap height cannot exceed ½ of the absolute value of the Height

setting.

Overall/Centers Determines what the Height value specifies. Overall is the

overall height of the object. Centers is the height of the midsection of the

cylinder, not including its convex caps.

Blend When greater than 0, creates a bevel at the edge of the caps.

Sides Sets the number of sides around the oil tank. To create a smoothly

rounded object, use a higher number of sides and turn Smooth on. To create

an oil tank with flat sides, use a lower number of sides and turn Smooth off.

Height Segs Sets the number of divisions along the oil tank's major axis.

Smooth Blends the faces of the oil tank, creating a smooth appearance in

rendered views.

Slice On Turns on the Slice function. Default=off.

When you create a slice and then turn off Slice On, the complete oil tank

reappears. You can therefore use this check box to switch between the two

topologies.

Slice From, Slice To Sets the number of degrees around the local Z axis from

a zero point at the local X axis.

For both settings, positive values move the end of the slice counterclockwise;

negative values move it clockwise. Either setting can be made first. When the

ends meet, the whole oil tank reappears.

Generate Mapping Coords Generates coordinates for applying mapped

materials to the oil tank. Default=on.

Real-World Map Size Controls the scaling method used for texture mapped

materials that are applied to the object. The scaling values are controlled by

the Use Real-World Scale settings found in the applied material's Coordinates

rollout on page 5620 . Default=off.

Capsule Extended Primitive

Create panel > Geometry button > Extended Primitives > Object Type rollout

> Capsule button

Create menu > Extended Primitives > Capsule

402 | Chapter 6 Creating Geometry

Use Capsule to create a cylinder with hemispherical caps.

Examples of capsules

Procedures

To create a capsule:

1From the Create menu, choose Extended Primitives > Capsule.

2Drag the mouse to define the radius of the capsule.

3Release the mouse button, and then move the mouse vertically to define

the height of the capsule.

4Click to set the height and finish the capsule.

Interface

Creation Method rollout

Edge Draws the object from edge to edge. You can change the center location

by moving the mouse.

Extended Primitives | 403

Center Draws the object from the center out.

Parameters rollout

Radius Sets the radius of the capsule.

Height Sets the height along the central axis. Negative values create the

capsule below the construction plane.

Overall/Centers Determines what the Height value specifies. Overall specifies

the overall height of the object. Centers specifies the height of the midsection

of the cylinder, not including its domed caps.

Sides Sets the number of sides around the capsule. Higher numbers shade

and render as true circles with Smooth on. Lower numbers create regular

polygonal objects with Smooth off.

Height Segs Sets the number of divisions along the capsule's major axis.

404 | Chapter 6 Creating Geometry

Smooth Blends the faces of the capsule, creating a smooth appearance in

rendered views.

Slice On Turns on the Slice function. Default=off.

When you create a slice and then turn off Slice On, the complete capsule

reappears. You can use this check box to switch between the two topologies.

Slice From, Slice To Sets the number of degrees around the local Z axis from

a zero point at the local X axis.

For both settings, positive values move the end of the slice counterclockwise;

negative values move it clockwise. Either setting can be made first. When the

ends meet, the whole capsule reappears.

Generate Mapping Coords Generates coordinates for applying mapped

materials to the capsule. Default=on.

Real-World Map Size Controls the scaling method used for texture mapped

materials that are applied to the object. The scaling values are controlled by

the Use Real-World Scale settings found in the applied material's Coordinates

rollout on page 5620 . Default=off.

Spindle Extended Primitive

Create panel > Geometry button > Extended Primitives > Object Type rollout

> Spindle button

Create menu > Extended Primitives > Spindle

Use the Spindle primitive to create a cylinder with conical caps.

Extended Primitives | 405

Examples of spindles

Procedures

To create a spindle:

1From the Create menu, choose Extended Primitives > Spindle.

2Drag the mouse to define the radius of the base of the spindle.

3Release the mouse button, and then move the mouse vertically to define

the height of the spindle. Click to set the height.

4Move the mouse diagonally to define the height of the conical caps

(toward the upper left to increase the height; toward the lower right to

decrease it).

5Click again to finish the spindle.

406 | Chapter 6 Creating Geometry

Interface

Creation Method rollout

Edge Draws the object from edge to edge. You can change the center location

by moving the mouse.

Center Draws the object from the center out.

Parameters rollout

Radius Sets the radius of the spindle.

Extended Primitives | 407

Height Sets the dimension along the central axis. Negative values create the

spindle below the construction plane.

Cap Height Sets the height of the conical caps. The minimum value is 0.1;

the maximum value is ½ the absolute value of the Height setting.

Overall/Centers Determines what the Height value specifies. Overall specifies

the overall height of the object. Centers specifies the height of the midsection

of the cylinder, not including its conical caps.

Blend When greater than 0, creates a fillet where the caps meet the body of

the spindle.

Sides Sets the number of sides around the spindle. Higher numbers shade

and render as true circles with Smooth on. Lower numbers create regular

polygonal objects with Smooth off.

Cap Segs Sets the number of concentric divisions along the center of the

spindle's top and bottom.

Height Segs Sets the number of divisions along the spindle's major axis.

Smooth Blends the faces of the spindle, creating a smooth appearance in

rendered views.

Slice On Turns on the Slice function. Default=off.

When you create a slice and then turn off Slice On, the complete spindle

reappears. You can therefore use this check box to switch between the two

topologies.

Slice From, Slice To Sets the number of degrees around the local Z axis from

a zero point at the local X axis.

For both settings, positive values move the end of the slice counterclockwise;

negative values move it clockwise. Either setting can be made first. When the

ends meet, the whole spindle reappears.

Generate Mapping Coords Sets up the required coordinates for applying

mapped materials to the spindle. Default=on.

Real-World Map Size Controls the scaling method used for texture mapped

materials that are applied to the object. The scaling values are controlled by

the Use Real-World Scale settings found in the applied material's Coordinates

rollout on page 5620 . Default=off.

408 | Chapter 6 Creating Geometry

L-Ext Extended Primitive

Create panel > Geometry button > Extended Primitives > Object Type rollout

> L-Ext button

Create menu > Extended Primitives > L-Extrustion

Use L-Ext to create an extruded L-shaped object.

Example of L-Ext

Procedures

To create an L-Ext object:

1From the Create menu, choose Extended Primitives > L-Ext.

2Drag the mouse to define the base. (Press Ctrl to constrain the base to a

square.)

3Release the mouse and move it vertically to define the height of the

L-extrusion.

Extended Primitives | 409

4Click, and then move the mouse vertically to define the thickness or

width of the walls of the L-extrusion.

5Click to finish the L-extrusion.

Interface

Creation Method rollout

Corners Draws the object from corner to corner. You can change the center

location by moving the mouse.

Center Draws the object from the center out.

Parameters rollout

Side/Front Length Specify the lengths of each "leg" of the L.

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Side/Front Width Specify the widths of each "leg" of the L.

Height Specifies the height of the object.

Side/Front Segs Specify the number of segments for a specific "leg" of the

object.

Width/Height Segs Specify the number of segments for the overall width

and height.

NOTE The object's dimensions (Back, Side, Front) are labeled as though it were

created in the Top or Perspective viewports, and seen from the front in world

space.

Generate Mapping Coords Sets up the required coordinates for applying

mapped materials to the object. Default=on.

Real-World Map Size Controls the scaling method used for texture mapped

materials that are applied to the object. The scaling values are controlled by

the Use Real-World Scale settings found in the applied material's Coordinates

rollout on page 5620 . Default=off.

Gengon Extended Primitive

Create panel > Geometry button > Extended Primitives > Object Type rollout

> Gengon button

Create menu > Extended Primitives > Gengon

Use Gengon to create an extruded, regular-sided polygon with optionally

filleted side edges.

Extended Primitives | 411

Examples of gengons

Procedures

To create a gengon:

1From the Create menu, choose Extended Primitives > Gengon.

2Set the Sides spinner to specify the number of side wedges in the gengon.

3Drag the mouse to create the radius of the gengon.

4Release the mouse button, then move the mouse vertically to define the

height of the gengon. Click to set the height.

5Move the mouse diagonally to specify the size of the chamfer along the

side angles (toward the upper left to increase the size; toward the lower

right to decrease it).

6Click to finish the gengon.

TIP In the Parameters rollout, increase the Fillet Segs spinner to round the

chamfered corners into fillets.

412 | Chapter 6 Creating Geometry

Interface

Creation Method rollout

Edge Draws the object from edge to edge. You can change the center location

by moving the mouse.

Center Draws the object from the center out.

Parameters rollout

Sides Sets the number of sides around the gengon. Higher numbers shade

and render as true circles with Smooth on. Lower numbers create regular

polygonal objects with Smooth off.

Radius Sets the radius of the gengon.

Fillet Sets the width of the chamfered corners.

Height Sets the dimension along the central axis. Negative values create the

gengon below the construction plane.

Extended Primitives | 413

Side Segs Sets the number of divisions around the gengon.

Height Segs Sets the number of divisions along the gengon's major axis.

Fillet Segs Sets the number of divisions for the edge filleting. Increasing this

setting will produce round, filleted corners instead of chamfers.

Smooth Blends the faces of the gengon, creating a smooth appearance in

rendered views.

Generate Mapping Coords Sets up the required coordinates for applying

mapped materials to the gengon. Default=on.

Real-World Map Size Controls the scaling method used for texture mapped

materials that are applied to the object. The scaling values are controlled by

the Use Real-World Scale settings found in the applied material's Coordinates

rollout on page 5620 . Default=off.

C-Ext Extended Primitive

Create panel > Geometry > Extended Primitives > Object Type rollout > C-Ext

button

Create menu > Extended Primitives > C-Extrusion

Use C-Ext to create an extruded C-shaped object.

Example of C-Ext

414 | Chapter 6 Creating Geometry

Procedures

To create a C-Ext object:

1From the Create menu, choose Extended Primitives > C-Extrusion.

2Drag the mouse to define the base. (Press Ctrl to constrain the base to a

square.)

3Release the mouse and move it vertically to define the height of the

C-extrusion.

4Click, and then move the mouse vertically to define the thickness or

width of the walls of the C-extrusion.

5Click to finish the C-extrusion.

Interface

Creation Method rollout

Corners Draws the object from corner to corner. You can change the center

location by moving the mouse.

Center Draws the object from the center out.

Extended Primitives | 415

Parameters rollout

Back/Side/Front Length Specify the length of each of the three sides.

Back/Side/Front Width Specify the width of each of the three sides.

Height Specifies the overall height of the of the object.

Back/Side/Front Segs Specify the number of segments for a specific side of

the object.

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NOTE The object's dimensions (Back, Side, Front) are labeled as though it were

created in the Top or Perspective viewports, and seen from the front in world

space.

Width/Height Segs Set these to specify the number of segments for the

overall width and height of the object.

Generate Mapping Coords Sets up the required coordinates for applying

mapped materials to the object. Default=on.

Real-World Map Size Controls the scaling method used for texture mapped

materials that are applied to the object. The scaling values are controlled by

the Use Real-World Scale settings found in the applied material's Coordinates

rollout on page 5620 . Default=off.

RingWave Extended Primitive

Create panel > Geometry button > Extended Primitives > Object Type rollout

> RingWave button

Create menu > Extended Primitives > RingWave

Example of ringwave

Extended Primitives | 417

Use the RingWave object to create a ring, optionally with irregular inner and

outer edges whose shapes can be animated. You can also animate the growth

of the ringwave object, and you can use keyframing to animate all numeric

settings. Use RingWave for various types of special-effects animation, for

example, to depict the shock wave emanating from the explosion of a star or

planet.

Procedures

To create a basic animated ringwave:

1On the menu bar choose Create > Extended Primitives > Ringwave.

2Drag in a viewport to set the outer radius of the ringwave.

3Release the mouse button, and then move the mouse back toward the

center of the ring to set the inner radius.

4Click to create the ringwave object.

5Drag the time slider to see the basic animation. This is determined by

the Inner Edge Breakup group > Crawl Time settings.

6To animate the ring's growth, choose RingWave Timing group > Grow

And Stay or Cyclic Growth.

418 | Chapter 6 Creating Geometry

Interface

Parameters rollout

Extended Primitives | 419

420 | Chapter 6 Creating Geometry

RingWave Size group

Use these settings to change the ringwave's basic parameters.

Radius Sets the outside radius of the ringwave.

Radial Segs Sets the segment count between the inner and outer surfaces in

the direction of the radius.

Ring Width Sets the mean ring width as measured inward from the outer

radius.

Sides Sets the number of segments in the circumferential direction for both

the inner, outer, and end (cap) surfaces.

Height Sets the height of the ringwave along its major axis.

TIP If you leave the Height at 0 for an effect like a shock wave, you will want to

apply a two-sided material so that the ring can be seen from both sides.

Height Segs Sets the number of segments in the direction of the height.

RingWave Timing group

Use these settings for ringwave animation where the ringwave grows from

nothing to its full size.

No Growth Sets a static ringwave, which appears at Start Time and disappears

after End Time.

Grow and Stay Animates a single growth cycle. The ringwave begins growing

at the Start Time and reaches its full size at Start Time plus Grow Time.

Cyclic Growth The ringwave grows repeatedly from the Start Time to Start

Time plus Grow Time.

For example, if you set Start Time to 0 and Grow Time to 25, leaving End Time

at the default value of 100, and choose Cyclic Growth, the ringwave grows

from nothing to its full size four times over the course of the animation.

Start Time The frame number where the ringwave appears, and begins to

grow if you choose Grow and Stay or Cyclic Growth.

Grow Time The number of frames after Start Time the ringwave takes to

reach full size. Grow Time is available only if Grow and Stay or Cyclic Growth

is chosen.

End Time The frame number after which the ringwave disappears.

Extended Primitives | 421

Outer Edge Breakup group

Use these settings to change the shape of the ringwave's outer edge.

TIP For effects like shock waves, the ringwave typically has little or no breakup on

the outer edge but relatively massive breakup on the inner edge.

On Turns on breakup of the outer edge. The remaining parameters in this

group are active only when this is on. Default=off.

Major Cycles Sets the number of major waves around the outer edge.

Width Flux Sets the size of the major waves, expressed as a percentage of the

unmodulated width.

Crawl Time Sets the number of frames each major wave takes to move around

the outer circumference of the RingWave.

Minor Cycles Sets the number of random-sized smaller waves in each major

cycle.

Width Flux Sets the average size of the smaller waves, expressed as a

percentage of the unmodulated width.

Crawl Time Sets the number of frames each minor wave takes to move across

its respective major wave.

Inner Edge Breakup group

Use these settings to change the shape of the ringwave's inner edge.

On Turns on the breakup of the inner edge. The remaining parameters in

this group are active only when this is on. Default=on.

Major Cycles Sets the number of major waves around the inner edge.

Width Flux Sets the size of the major waves, expressed as a percentage of the

unmodulated width.

Crawl Time Sets the number of frames each major wave takes to move around

the inner circumference of the RingWave.

Minor Cycles Sets the number of random-sized smaller waves in each major

cycle.

Width Flux Sets the average size of the smaller waves, expressed as a

percentage of the unmodulated width.

Crawl Time Sets the number of frames each minor wave takes to move across

its respective major wave.

422 | Chapter 6 Creating Geometry

NOTE Negative values in the Crawl Time parameters change the direction of the

wave. To produce interference patterns, use Crawl Time settings of opposite sign

for major and minor waves, but similar Width Flux and Cycles settings.

TIP To produce the best "random" results, use prime numbers for major and minor

cycles that differ by a multiple of two to four. For example, a major wave of 11 or

17 cycles using a width flux of 50 combined with a minor wave of 23 or 31 cycles

with a width flux of 10 to 20 makes a nice random-appearing edge.

Texture Coordinates Sets up the required coordinates for applying mapped

materials to the object. Default=on.

Smooth Applies smoothing to the object by setting all polygons to smoothing

group 1. Default=on.

Prism Extended Primitive

Create panel > Geometry button > Extended Primitives > Object Type rollout

> Prism button

Create menu > Extended Primitives > Prism

Use Prism to create a three-sided prism with independently segmented sides.

Example of a prism

Extended Primitives | 423

Procedures

To create a prism with an isosceles triangle as its base:

1Choose Isosceles on the Creation Method rollout.

2Drag horizontally in the viewport to define the length of Side 1 (along

the X axis). Drag vertically to define the length of Sides 2 and 3 (along

the Y axis).

(To constrain the base to an equilateral triangle, press Ctrl before

performing this step.)

3Release the mouse, and move it vertically to define the height of the

prism.

4Click to complete the prism.

5On the Parameters rollout, alter the length of the sides as needed.

To create a prism with a scalene or obtuse triangle at its base:

1Choose Base/Apex in the Creation Method rollout.

2Drag horizontally in the viewport to define the length of Side 1 (along

the X axis). Drag vertically to define the length of Sides 2 and 3 (along

the Y axis).

3Click, and then move the mouse to specify the placement of the apex of

the triangle. This alters the length of sides 2 and 3, and the angles of the

corners of the triangle.

4Click, and then move the mouse vertically to define the height of the

prism.

5Click to complete the prism.

Interface

Creation Method rollout

Isosceles Draws a prism with an isosceles triangle at its base.

Base/Apex Draws a prism with a scalene or obtuse triangle at its base.

424 | Chapter 6 Creating Geometry

Parameters rollout

Side (n) Length Sets the length of triangle's corresponding side (and thus

the triangle's corner angles).

Height Sets the dimension of the prism's central axis.

Side (n) Segs Specifies the number of segments for each side of the prism.

Height Segs Sets the number of divisions along the prism's central axis.

Generate Mapping Coordinates Sets up the required coordinates for applying

mapped materials to the prism. Default=off.

Hose Extended Primitive

Create panel > Geometry > Extended Primitives > Object Type rollout > Hose

button

Create menu > Extended Primitives > Hose

Extended Primitives | 425

The Hose object is a flexible object that you can connect between two objects,

whereupon it reacts to their movement. It's similar to Spring on page 820 , but

does not have dynamics properties. You can specify the overall diameter and

length of the hose, the number of turns, and the diameter and shape of its

"wire."

Hose models a workable spring on a motorcycle

Procedures

To create a hose:

1From the menu bar, choose Create > Extended Primitives > Hose.

2Drag the mouse to define the radius of the hose.

3Release the mouse, and then move it to define the length of the hose.

4Click to finish the hose.

To bind a hose to two objects:

1Add a hose and two other objects. Select the hose.

2In the Modify panel > Hose Parameters rollout > End Point Method group,

choose Bound To Object Pivots.

3In the Binding Objects group, click Pick Top Object, and then select one

of the two objects.

4In the Binding Objects group, click Pick Bottom Object, and then select

the second of the two objects.

426 | Chapter 6 Creating Geometry

The two ends of the hose attach themselves to the two objects.

5Move one of the objects.

The hose adjusts itself to remain attached to both objects.

Interface

Hose Parameters rollout > End Point Method group

Free Hose Choose this when using the hose as a simple object that’s not

bound to other objects.

Bound to Object Pivots Choose this when binding the hose to two objects,

using the buttons in the Binding Objects group.

Hose Parameters rollout > Binding Objects group

Available only when Bound To Object Pivots is chosen. Use the controls to

pick the objects to which the hose is bound and to set the tension between

Extended Primitives | 427

them. "Top" and "Bottom" are arbitrary descriptors; the two bound objects can

have any positional relationship to each other.

Each end point of the hose is defined by the center of the overall diameter.

This end point is placed at the pivot point of the object to which it is bound.

You can adjust the relative position of the binding object to the hose by

transforming the binding object while the Affect Object Only button is turned

on in the Hierarchy panel > Adjust Pivot rollout.

Top (label) Displays the name of the "top" binding object.

Pick Top Object Click this button and then select the "top" object.

Tension Determines the tension of the hose curve near the Top object as it

reaches for the Bottom object. Lower the tension to have the bend occur closer

to the Top object, raise the tension to have the bend occur further away from

the Top object. Default=100.

Bottom (label) Displays the name of the "bottom" binding object.

Pick Bottom Object Click this button and then select the "bottom" object.

Tension Determines the tension of the hose curve near the Bottom object

as it reaches for the Top object. Lower the tension to have the bend occur

closer to the Bottom object, raise the tension to have the bend occur further

away from the Bottom object. Default=100.

Hose Parameters rollout > Free Hose Parameters group

Height Use this field to set the straight-line height or length of the hose

when it is not bound. This is not necessarily the actual length of the hose.

Available only when Free Hose is chosen.

428 | Chapter 6 Creating Geometry

Hose Parameters rollout > Common Hose Parameters group

Segments The total number of segments in the hose's length. Increase this

setting for a smooth profile when the hose is curved. Default=45.

Flex Section Enable When on, lets you set the following four parameters for

the central, flexible section of the hose. When off, the hose's diameter is

uniform throughout its length.

Starts The percentage of the hose length from the starting extremity of the

hose at which the flex section begins. By default, the starting end of the hose

is the end at which the object pivot appears. Default=10%.

Ends The percentage of the hose length from the end extremity of the hose

at which the flex section ends. By default, the end extremity of the hose is

opposite the end at which the object pivot appears. Default=90%.

Cycles The number of corrugations in the flex section. The number of visible

cycles is limited by the number of segments; if Segments isn't high enough

to support the number of cycles, then not all cycles will appear. Default=5.

Extended Primitives | 429

TIP To set the appropriate number of segments, first set Cycles, and then increase

Segments until the number of visible cycles stops changing.

Diameter The relative width of the "outside" parts of the cycles. At negative

settings, these are smaller than the overall hose diameter. At positive settings,

these are larger than the overall hose diameter. Default=-20%. Range=-50%

to 500%.

Smoothing Defines the geometry that gets smoothed. Default=All:

■All The entire hose is smoothed.

■Sides Smoothing is applied along the length of the hose but not around

its circumference.

■None No smoothing is applied.

■Segments Smoothing is applied only on the inner section of the hose.

Renderable When on, the hose is rendered using the specified settings.

When off, the hose is not rendered. Default=on.

Generate Mapping Coords Sets up required coordinates for applying mapped

materials to the hose. Default=on.

430 | Chapter 6 Creating Geometry

Hose Parameters rollout > Hose Shape group

Sets the shape of the hose cross section. Default=Round Hose.

Round Hose Sets a circular cross section.

Diameter The maximum width of the hose at the ends.

Extended Primitives | 431

Sides The number of sides of the hose. A Sides setting of 3 gives a triangular

cross section; 4 gives a square cross section; and 5 gives a pentagonal cross

section. Increase Sides for a circular cross section. Default=8.

Rectangular Hose Lets you specify different settings for width and depth.

Width The width of the hose.

Depth The height of the hose.

Fillet The amount by which the cross-section corners are rounded. For this

to be visible, Fillet Segs must be set to 1 or higher. Default=0.

Fillet Segs The number of segments across each filleted corner. A Fillet Segs

setting of 1 cuts the corner straight across; use higher settings for rounded

corners. Default=0.

Rotation The orientation of the hose along its long axis. Default=0.

D-Section Hose Similar to Rectangular Hose, but rounds one side for a

D-shaped cross-section.

Width The width of the hose.

Depth The height of the hose.

Round Sides The number of segments on the rounded side. Increase for a

smoother profile. Default=4.

Fillet The amount by which the two cross-section corners opposite the

rounded side are rounded. For this to be visible, Fillet Segs must be set to 1 or

higher. Default=0.

Fillet Segs The number of segments across each filleted corner. A Fillet Segs

setting of 1 cuts the corner straight across; use higher settings for rounded

corners. Default=0.

Rotation The orientation of the hose along its long axis. Default=0.

Architectural Objects

3ds Max provides an array of architectural objects, useful as building blocks

for models of homes, businesses, and similar projects. These include:

AEC Extended Objects on page 433 : Foliage, Railing, and Wall

Stairs on page 471

Doors on page 502

432 | Chapter 6 Creating Geometry

Windows on page 516

AEC Extended Objects

Create panel > Geometry > AEC Extended

Create menu > AEC Objects

AEC Extended objects are designed for use in the architectural, engineering,

and construction fields. Use Foliage to create plants, Railing to create railings

and fences, and Wall to create walls.

Interface

Foliage on page 439

Railing on page 447

Wall on page 456

The Object Name and Wireframe Color rollout on page 7423 in each AEC

Extended object's creation panel functions identically. The remaining rollouts

are covered in each object's topic.

Working with AEC Design Elements

3ds Max includes such features as Foliage, Doors, Windows, Stairs, Railing,

and Wall to make exploring three-dimensional design ideas much easier.

This section provides general information about these features. For detailed

explanations and procedures, see the topics listed below:

Doors on page 502

Windows on page 516

Stairs on page 471

AEC Extended Objects | 433

Railing on page 447

Wall on page 456

Foliage on page 439

Doors and Windows

3ds Max supplies a number of parametric window and door objects that you

can place into wall openings to add realism to an architectural model. These

objects let you control details like trim and panel fill in your model.

TIP Use Snaps on page 2587 for added precision when adding doors and windows.

When you create a new door or window, you must select four points in the

scene that define the size and orientation of the rectangle that will be the

door or window. You may find it easier to select these points in a given

sequence, depending on your scene and views of the scene.

If you already have a rectangular hole you want to fill, you can still create a

door or window to your specifications by using the following procedure.

To create a door or window:

1Set up an angled User view so that you can see the bottom and one vertical

edge of the opening and its full height.

2Set the appropriate object snaps, such as Vertex or Endpoint. This helps

make the model more precise.

3After clicking Window or Door, choose one of two Creation Methods:

Width/Depth/Height or Width/Height/Depth.

4Make parameter adjustments to define details.

The width and orientation of the door/window is always defined by the first

mouse click and subsequent mouse drag. Depending on the creation method

you use, either the height or depth of the object is defined next.

If you have no object snaps set and are working in a Perspective or User

Viewport, using the Width/Depth/Height Creation Method creates an upright

Door or Window. The Width/Height/Depth Creation Method creates the

object as if it were lying on its side.

434 | Chapter 6 Creating Geometry

Allowing Non-vertical Jambs

The Allow Non-vertical Jambs toggle is useful for creating doors or windows

that do not fit in a vertical plane, such as a skylight window in a sloping roof.

By default, this toggle is off, making the third point in the creation sequence

either directly above (Width/Height/Depth) or on the same horizontal plane

(Width/Depth/Height) with the second point.

When you turn on Allow Non-vertical Jambs, the third point in the creation

sequence falls wherever you choose and the fourth point is added by the

program. Its offset from the plane is determined by the first three points.

Using the Width/Height/Depth Creation Method in Perspective and User

viewports with Allow Non-vertical Jambs off can be an efficient way to create

doors and windows with Object Snaps. However, it can also be confusing at

first. Keep in mind that the third point you define, the Height, is interpreted

as a point on the home grid until you indicate a point higher or lower than

the grid. If you are using an Object Snap setting, 3ds Max might not know

you mean a point off the grid unless you bring the cursor in proximity to a

nonplanar point to which it can snap.

Additional Parameters

There are additional parameters specific to each door and window type that

control overall dimension parameters, as well as detailed parameters for

sub-object components such as mullions, trim, and panels within leaves. See

Doors on page 502 and Windows on page 516 for more information on these

parameters.

Animating Doors and Windows

Certain door and window creation parameters, including the Open parameter,

can be animated. See Doors on page 502 and Windows on page 516 for more

information.

Creating Stairs and Railings

3ds Max contains four types of stair objects: spiral stairs on page 480 , U-type

stairs on page 495 with an intermediate landing, L-type stairs on page 473

with a landing at the bend in the stair, and straight stairs on page 488 with

no intermediate landing. A complementary Railing object can be used to create

any number of handrail designs that follow along a spline path.

For more information, see Stairs on page 471 .

AEC Extended Objects | 435

The Railing Object

Use the Railing button on the Create panel in the to produce railing objects.

Railing components include rails, AEC Extended category on page 433 posts,

and fencing. Fencing includes pickets (balusters) or solid-filled material (such

as glass or wood strips).

You can create a railing in two ways: specify the orientation and height of the

railing, or pick a spline path and apply the railing to that path. The spline

path with a railing is called a rail path. Later, if you edit the rail path, the

Railing object automatically updates to follow the changes you make. Rail

paths can occupy three-dimensional space.

When you create the lower rails, posts, and fencing components of a Railing

object, you use a special version of the Spacing Tool to specify the spacing of

those components. The program displays the Spacing Tool dialog for each

railing component: Lower Rail, Post Spacing, or Picket Spacing. For more

information on the Spacing Tool, see Spacing Tool on page 925 .

For details on Railing parameters and information on creating a Railing object,

see Railing on page 447 .

Creating Walls

Use the Wall button on page 456 on the Create panel, in the AEC Extended

category, to produce straight-wall objects. A wall object is made up of

sub-object segments that you can edit with the Modify panel.

You can:

■Break or insert wall segments to create separate wall objects.

■Delete wall segments.

■Connect two wall objects.

When you create two wall segments that meet at a corner, 3ds Max removes

any duplicate geometry. This “cleaning up” of the corners might involve

trimming. 3ds Max cleans up only the first two wall segments of a corner, not

other wall segments that might share the corner. 3ds Max does not clean up

intersections.

You can edit the segments of a wall using sub-object selection mode on the

Modify panel. For example, you can define a wall’s height profile. 3ds Max

moves the active grid to the plane of the wall you’re editing. This allows you

to snap to the profile vertices in the plane of the wall.

436 | Chapter 6 Creating Geometry

If you move, scale, or rotate the wall object, the linked door and window

moves, scales, or rotates along with the wall. If you move the linked door or

window along the wall, using the door or window's Local coordinate system

and activating Restrict to XY Plane in the Axis Constraints toolbar on page

884 , the opening will follow. Also, if you change a door or window's overall

width and height in the Modify panel, the hole will reflect those changes.

Usage Tips

The following are a few tips for working with wall objects:

■Use the Top viewport when creating wall objects.

■Single walls with many windows and doors can slow down snap

calculations and movement of the wall object. To speed up insertion and

editing, use multiple walls instead of a single wall.

■You can speed up performance in a scene with many walls, windows, and

doors by collapsing them. First save an uncollapsed version for any future

parametric changes you might want to make. Then right-click the wall

and pick Select Children from the right-click menu. Next use Collapse in

the Utility rollout to collapse them all.

For complete information, see Wall on page 456 .

To create a wall:

1On the Create panel, in the AEC Extended category, click Wall.

2Use Customize > Units Setup to establish precision, and then set the

parameters for the Width, Height, and Justification of the wall.

3In any viewport, click, release the mouse, drag the wall segment to the

length you want and click again.

This creates a wall segment. You can end the wall or you can continue

to create another wall segment.

4To complete the wall, right-click, or to add another wall segment, drag

the next wall segment to the length you want and click again.

If you create a room by ending a segment at the end of another segment

of the same wall object, the program displays the Weld Point dialog. This

dialog lets you convert the two end vertices into a single vertex, or keep

the two end vertices separate.

AEC Extended Objects | 437

5If you want the wall segments to be welded at a corner (when you move

one wall, the other wall stays at the corner), click Yes. Otherwise, click

No.

6Right-click to complete the wall, or continue to add another wall segment.

To attach separate walls:

1Select a wall object.

2On the Modify panel, click Attach, and then pick another wall object.

The two wall objects become part of the same wall object, but are not

physically connected.

Attach stays active, and you can continue clicking wall segments to attach.

To stop attaching, click the Attach button or right-click in the active

viewport.

To attach multiple wall objects simultaneously to the selected wall object,

click Attach Multiple on the Modify panel to open the Attach Multiple

dialog. This works the same as the Select From Scene dialog on page 168

, except that it shows only wall objects; choose multiple walls to attach,

and then click the Attach button.

To connect vertices in a wall:

This method lets you connect two separate wall sections with a new segment.

TIP It is easier to work with wall vertices in wireframe view mode.

1Select a wall object that has more than one section. Typically you would

use Attach to create such an object.

2In the modifier stack on page 7427 , go to the Vertex sub-object level.

3Click Connect and point the mouse over an end vertex until the cursor

changes to a cross.

4Click once over the end vertex.

5Move the cursor to another end vertex, and then click to connect the

two segments.

438 | Chapter 6 Creating Geometry

To insert a vertex in a wall:

It is easier to work with wall vertices in wireframe view mode.

1Select a wall segment.

2In the modifier stack on page 7427 , go to the Vertex sub-object level.

3Click Insert.

A highlighted line appears along the bottom of the wall, showing where

you can insert vertices.

4Click anywhere on the highlighted line to insert a vertex.

The new vertex is attached to the mouse cursor.

5Move the mouse to position the vertex, and then click to place it.

Now the mouse is attached to one of the new segments.

6Move the mouse along the segment and click to add vertices.

7Right-click to finish working on this segment. You can now insert vertices

in other segments, or right-click again to exit Insert mode.

Foliage

Create panel > Geometry > AEC Extended > Foliage button

Create menu > AEC Objects > Foliage

Foliage produces various types of plant objects such tree species. 3ds Max

generates mesh representations to create fast, efficient, and good-looking

plants.

AEC Extended Objects | 439

You control height, density, pruning, seed, canopy display, and level of detail.

The seed on page 445 option controls creation of different representations of

the same species. You can create millions of variations of the same species, so

each object can be unique. With the viewport canopy mode on page 446

option, you can control the amount of plant detail, reducing the number of

vertices and faces 3ds Max uses to display the plant.

Some of the plants that can be created from the standard library

Tips

■Use the Spacing tool on page 925 to place plants along a path.

440 | Chapter 6 Creating Geometry

■Use vertex or face snapping (see Snaps Settings on page 2578 ) to position

plants on a surface.

Using the Spacing tool to distribute trees along paths

Procedures

To add plants to a scene:

1Click the Favorite Plants rollout > Plant Library button to display the

Configure Palette dialog.

2Double-click the row for each plant you want to add or remove from the

Palette and click OK.

3On the Favorite Plants rollout, select a plant and drag it to a location in

a viewport. Alternatively, select a plant in the rollout and then click in

the viewport to place the plant.

4On the Parameters rollout, click the New button to display different seed

variations of the plant.

5Adjust the remaining parameters to show elements of the plants, such

as leaves, fruit, branches, and if you want, to view the plant in canopy

mode.

Interface

Object Name and Wireframe Color rollout

This rollout lets you set the foliage object's name, color, and default material.

For detailed information, see Object Name and Wireframe Color on page 7423

AEC Extended Objects | 441

When Favorite Plants rollout > Automatic Materials is on, each plant is assigned

its own default material. For more information, see Favorite Plants rollout,

following.

Keyboard Entry rollout

See Creating Primitives from the Keyboard on page 346 .

Favorite Plants rollout

442 | Chapter 6 Creating Geometry

The palette displays the plants currently loaded from the Plant Library on

page 443 . There are three ways to add a plant to the scene:

■Use keyboard entry.

■Click the icon in the Favorite Plants list and then click a location in a

viewport. Double-click the icon to place the plant at the world origin.

■Drag the plant from the palette and drop it into a viewport.

Automatic Materials Assigns default materials for the plant. To modify these

material assignments, use the Material Editor on page 5188 . Select the plant in

the viewport, and click Main toolbar > Material Editor. Click the Get Material

button on page 5245 to display the Material/Map Browser. Under Browse From,

choose Selected. Then, from the list pane, double-click the material list item

for the plant to display the materials in the Basic Parameters rollout of the

Material Editor.

If you turn off Automatic Materials, 3ds Max assigns no materials to the object,

unless the Name And Color rollout > Default Material check box is on and a

default material is assigned. This way you can specify a particular default

material for all foliage objects. For more information, see Object Name and

Wireframe Color on page 7423 .

When on, Automatic Materials overrides the Default Material settings.

NOTE Even if Automatic Materials is off, 3ds Max still assigns material IDs to the

foliage objects, so that the object is ready for a multi/sub-object material.

Plant Library Displays the Configure Palette dialog. Using this window, you

can view information on the available plants including their names, whether

they’re in the palette, their scientific names, types, descriptions, and the

approximate number of faces per object. You can also add and remove plants

from the palette, and clear the palette, which removes all plants from the

palette.

TIP To quickly add or remove a plant from the palette, double-click its row in the

Configure Palette dialog. The Fav. (Favorite Plants) column entry switches between

"no" and "yes." Click OK to accept the changes and exit the window.

AEC Extended Objects | 443

Parameters rollout

Height Controls the approximate height of the plant. 3ds Max applies a

random noise factor to the height of all of the plants. Therefore, the actual

height of a plant, as measured in the viewports, won't necessarily match the

setting given in the Height parameter.

Density Controls the amount of leaves and flowers on the plant. A value of

1 displays a plant with all its leaves and flowers, .5 displays a plant with half

its leaves and flowers, and 0 displays a plant with no leaves or flowers.

Two trees with varying foliage densities

444 | Chapter 6 Creating Geometry

Pruning Applies only to plants with branches. Removes branches that lie

below an invisible plane parallel to the construction plane. A value of 0 prunes

nothing, a value of .5 prunes the plant at a plane halfway up its height from

the construction plane, and a value of 1 prunes everything possible from the

plant. What 3ds Max prunes from the plant depends on the type of plant.

The trunk is never pruned.

Three pairs of trees, showing different values of pruning

New Displays a random variation of the current plant. 3ds Max displays the

seed value in the numeric field next to the button.

TIP Click the New button repeatedly until you find the variation you want. This

is often easier than trying to adjust the tree using modifiers.

Seed A value between 0 and 16,777,215 representing the possible variations

of branch and leaf placement and shape and angle of the trunk of the current

plant.

Generate Mapping Coords Applies default mapping coordinates on page

7838 to the plant. Default=on.

Show group

Controls the display of leaves, fruit, flowers, trunk, branches, and roots of

plants. Available options depend on the type of plant you select. For example,

if a plant doesn’t have fruit, 3ds Max disables that option. Turning off options

reduces the number of vertices and faces displayed.

AEC Extended Objects | 445

Viewport Canopy Mode group

In 3ds Max, the canopy of a plant is a shell covering the outermost parts of

the plant, such as the leaves or the tips of the branches and trunk. The term

derives from "forest canopy." Use reasonable parameters when you create many

plants and want to optimize display performance.

Because this setting applies only to the plant's representation in the viewports,

it has no effect on how 3ds Max renders the plant. For information on how

3ds Max renders the plant, see Level-of-Detail on page 446 .

When Not Selected Displays the plant in canopy mode when it’s not selected.

Always Always displays the plant in canopy mode.

Never Never displays the plant in canopy mode. 3ds Max displays all the

features of the plant.

Level-of-Detail group

Controls how 3ds Max renders the plant. For information on how 3ds Max

displays the plant in the viewports, see Viewport Canopy Mode on page 446

Low Renders the plant canopy, providing the lowest level of detail.

Medium Renders a reduced-face-count version of the plant. How 3ds Max

reduces the face count varies from plant to plant, but it usually involves

removing smaller elements of the plant or reducing the number of faces in

the branches and trunk.

High Renders all the faces of the plant, providing the highest level of detail.

TIP Set the parameters before creating multiple plants. This can avoid slowing

down the display, and might reduce editing you have to do on the plants.

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Railing

Create panel > Geometry > AEC Extended > Railing button

Create menu > AEC Objects > Railing

Components of the railing object include rails, posts, and fencing. Fencing

includes either pickets (balusters) or solid-filled material, such as glass or wood

strip.

Railings used to create fences in a field.

You can create a railing object either by specifying the orientation and height

of the railing, or by picking a spline path and applying the railing to that path.

When 3ds Max applies railing to a spline path, the latter is called a rail path.

Later, if you edit the rail path, the railing object automatically updates to

follow the changes you made. You can use three-dimensional splines as rail

paths.

When you create the lower rails, posts, and fencing components of a railing,

you use the Spacing tool on page 925 to specify the spacing of those

components. 3ds Max names the Spacing tool dialog for each railing

component: Lower Rail Spacing, Post Spacing, or Picket Spacing.

TIP Use Railing to create complete railings for stairs. See Stairs on page 471 for

more information.

Railings and Materials

By default, 3ds Max assigns five different material IDs to railings. The

aectemplates.mat material library includes Rail-Template, a multi/sub-object

AEC Extended Objects | 447

material on page 5558 designed to be used with railings. Each component of

the railing/material is listed below along with its corresponding Material ID.

Railing/Material ComponentMaterial ID

Lower rails1

Posts of the railing2

Solid fill of the railing3

Top of the railing4

Pickets of the railing5

NOTE 3ds Max does not automatically assign a material to the railing object. To

use the included material, open the library and then assign the material to your

object.

Procedures

The following procedures describe how to create railings combining each of

the components: upper rail, lower rails, posts, picket fencing, and solid filled

fencing.

You can create a railing object in any viewport, but for best results, use a

Perspective, Camera, or Top viewport.

To create a railing:

1Click and drag the railing to the desired length.

2Release the mouse button, and then move the mouse vertically to set the

height. Click to finish.

By default, 3ds Max creates the top rail along with two posts, a lower rail

at half the railing height, and two evenly spaced pickets.

3If you need to, change any of the parameters to adjust the segments,

length, profile, depth, width, and height of the rail.

448 | Chapter 6 Creating Geometry

To adjust lower rails:

1To modify the lower rail, or add more, choose an option from the Lower

Rail(s) group > Profile list.

2 Specify the depth and width for the lower rails and then click the

Lower Rail(s) > Spacing button.

3Specify the number of lower rails you want using the Count option. Click

Close to apply your changes. For more information on spacing options

in this dialog, see Spacing Tool on page 925 .

To create posts:

1If you want to modify the posts, or add more, choose an option from the

Profile list under the Posts rollout.

2 Specify the depth and width of the posts and how much they

should extend above the top rail. Then click the Posts rollout > Spacing

button.

3Specify the number of posts you want using the Count option. Click

Close to apply your changes. For more information on spacing options

in this dialog, see Spacing Tool on page 925 .

To create picket fencing:

1Choose Fencing rollout > Type list > Pickets. The Solid Fill options will

be unavailable.

2 Choose an option from the Profile list, specify the depth and width

of the pickets, and then click the Picket rollout > Spacing button.

3Specify the number of pickets you want using the Count option. Click

Close to apply your changes. For more information on spacing options

in this dialog, Spacing Tool on page 925 .

To create solid-fill fencing:

1Choose Fencing rollout > Type list > Solid Fill. (The options under Picket

are unavailable).

AEC Extended Objects | 449

2Under Solid Fill, adjust the options for Thickness and offsets.

To create railings along a spline path:

Before you can create railings along a spline path, you need to create a spline,

or use an existing spline from your scene.

1Click Create panel > Geometry > AEC Extended > Railing.

2Click Pick Railing Path, then select a spline in your scene.

Since the number of segments is 1 by default, the upper rail extends for

one segment between the start and end of the spline.

3Change the amount of segments using the Modify panel > Segment

setting.

The higher the segment value, the more closely the railing approximates

the spline shape.

4If you want the railing to contain corners where the spline does, turn on

Respect Corners.

5Complete the remainder of the railing options as described in the

preceding procedures.

Thereafter, the spline is associated with the railing; any changes you make

to the spline shape are reflected in the railing.

Interface

Name and Color rollout

This rollout lets you set the selected railing's name and color. For detailed

information, see Object Name and Wireframe Color on page 7423 .

450 | Chapter 6 Creating Geometry

Railing rollout

Pick Railing Path Click this, and then click a spline in the viewport to use

as the railing path. 3ds Max uses the spline as the path along which to apply

the railing object.

If you edit the spline you’ve used as a railing path, the railing adjusts to the

changes you make. 3ds Max doesn’t immediately recognize 2D Shapes from

a linked AutoCAD drawing. To recognize Shapes from a linked AutoCAD

drawing, edit the Shape with Edit Spline on page 1376 in the Modify panel.

AEC Extended Objects | 451

TIP When you create a railing using a closed spline for the rail path, open the

Post Spacing dialog on page 925 , turn off Start Offset and End Offset, and lock

End Offset. This will ensure that 3ds Max properly creates the railing with any fill,

pickets, and posts you specify.

NOTE Railing objects that use Pick Path do not stay on the path when substituted

using the Substitute modifier. Substituted externally referenced railings do not

undo when railings are associated with a path.

Segments Sets the number of segments of the railing object. Available only

when you’re using a railing path.

For a close approximation to a railing path, increase the number of segments.

Be aware that a high number of segments increases file size and slows down

the rendering speed. You might use fewer segments when the spline path has

a low curvature (or none) and fewer segments provide an adequate

approximation.

Respect Corners Puts corners in the railing to match the corners of the railing

path.

Length Sets the length of the Railing object. When you drag the mouse, the

length displays in the edit box.

Top Rail group

The defaults produce a top rail component, consisting of one segment by the

length you specify, a square profile, four units deep, three units wide, and the

height you specify.

1. Width

2. Depth

3. Height

4. Profile for the square top rail

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5. Profile for the round top rail

Profile Sets the cross-section shape of the top rail.

Depth Sets the depth of the top rail.

Width Sets the width of the top rail.

Height Sets the height of the top rail. During creation, you can drag the top

rail to the height you want using the mouse in the viewport. Or you can enter

the height amount from the keyboard or use the spinners.

Lower Rail(s) group

Controls the profile, depth, width, and spacing between the lower rails. You

specify how many lower rails you want using the Lower Rail Spacing button.

A railing with the rails defined by their profile, depth, and width as planks.

Profile Sets the cross-section shape of the lower rails.

Depth Sets the depth of the lower rails.

Width Sets the width of the lower rails.

Lower Rail Spacing Sets the spacing of the lower rails. When you click

this button, the Lower Rail Spacing dialog displays. Specify the number of

lower rails you want using the Count option. For more information on spacing

options in this dialog, see Spacing Tool on page 925 .

Generate Mapping Coords Assigns mapping coordinates on page 7838 to the

railing object.

AEC Extended Objects | 453

NOTE If a visible viewport is set to a non-wireframe or non-bounding-box display,

Generate Mapping Coordinates is on for all primitives to which you apply a material

containing a map with Show Map In Viewport on. If all viewports are set to

wireframe or bounding box, 3ds Max turns on Generate Mapping Coordinates

for primitives containing mapped materials at render time.

Real-World Map Size Controls the scaling method used for texture mapped

materials that are applied to the object. The scaling values are controlled by

the Use Real-World Scale settings found in the applied material's Coordinates

rollout on page 5620 . Default=off.

Posts rollout

Controls the profile, depth, width, extension, and spacing between the posts.

You specify how many posts you want using the Post Spacing button.

Profile Sets the cross-section shape of the posts: none, Square, or Round.

Depth Sets the depth of the posts.

Width Sets the width of the posts.

Extension Sets the amount the posts extend above the bottom of the top

railing.

Post Spacing Sets the spacing of the posts. When you click this button,

the Post Spacing dialog displays. Specify the number of posts you want using

the Count option. For more information on spacing options in this dialog,

see Spacing Tool on page 925 .

TIP Setting Profile to (none) makes an "invisible" post. You might want to do this

to create a railing with gaps between solid fill fencing. Or you could use it to make

a railing with openings between groups of pickets. This is different from setting

the post count to 0 in the Post Spacing dialog.

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Fencing rollout

Type Sets the type of fencing between the posts: none, Pickets, or Solid Fill.

Picket group

Controls the profile, depth, width, and spacing between the pickets. Specify

how many pickets you want using the Picket Spacing button. Available only

when you set Type to Pickets.

1. A railing with pickets using a square profile

2. A railing with pickets using a round profile

AEC Extended Objects | 455

Profile Sets the cross-section shape of the pickets.

Depth Sets the depth of the pickets.

Width Sets the width of the pickets.

Extension Sets the amount the pickets extend above the bottom of the top

railing.

Bottom Offset Sets the amount the pickets are offset from the bottom of the

railing object.

Picket Spacing Sets the spacing of the pickets. When you click this

button, the Picket Spacing dialog displays. Specify the number of pickets you

want using the Count option. For more information on spacing options in

this dialog, see Spacing Tool on page 925 .

Solid Fill group

Controls the thickness and offsets of the solid fill between the posts. Available

only when you set Type to Solid.

Thickness Sets the thickness of the solid fill.

Top Offset Sets the offset of the solid fill from the bottom of the top rail.

Bottom Offset Sets the offset of the solid fill from the bottom of the railing

object.

Left Offset Sets the offset between the solid fill and the adjacent left post.

Right Offset Sets the offset between the solid fill and the adjacent right post.

Wall

Create panel > Geometry > AEC Extended > Object Type rollout > Wall button

Create menu > AEC Objects > Wall

The Wall object is made up of three sub-object types that you can edit in the

Modify panel. Similarly to the way you edit splines, you can edit the wall

object on page 466 , its vertices on page 467 , its segments on page 468 , and its

profile on page 469 .

When you create two wall segments that meet at a corner, 3ds Max removes

any duplicate geometry. This "cleaning up" of the corners might involve

trimming. 3ds Max cleans up only the first two wall segments of a corner, not

456 | Chapter 6 Creating Geometry

any other wall segments that might share the corner. 3ds Max does not clean

up intersections.

Inserting Doors and Windows in a Wall

3ds Max can automatically make openings for doors and windows in a wall.

At the same time, it links the door or window to the wall as it child. The most

effective way of doing both is to create the doors and windows directly on a

wall segment by snapping to the faces, vertices, or edges of the wall object.

If you move, scale, or rotate the wall object, the linked door or window moves,

scales, or rotates along with the wall. If you move the linked door or window

along the wall, using the door or window's local coordinate system and

constraining motion to the XY plane on page 7288 , the opening will follow.

Also, if you change a door or window's overall width and height on the Modify

panel, the hole will reflect those changes.

For further information, see the procedure To create and place a window or

door in a wall on page ? .

Walls and Materials

By default, 3ds Max assigns five different material IDs to walls. The

aectemplates.mat material library includes Wall-Template, a multi/sub-object

material on page 5558 designed to be used with walls. Each component of the

wall/material is listed below along with its corresponding Material ID.

Wall/Material ComponentMaterial ID

Vertical ends of the wall1

Outside of the wall2

Inside of the wall3

Top of the wall, including any edges

cut out of the wall

Bottom of the wall5

AEC Extended Objects | 457

NOTE 3ds Max does not automatically assign a material to the wall object. To

use the included material, open the library and then assign the material to your

object.

NOTE The definitions of slots 2 and 3 are interchangeable; inside and outside

simply depend on your point of view, and how you created the wall.

See also:

■Editing Wall Objects on page 466

Tips

■To make a passageway through a wall you can perform a Boolean operation

on page 686 with the wall as Operand A, and another object, such as a box

or an extruded archway shape, as Operand B. The wall will still be accessible

at the Boolean sub-object level. Then, you can add a window or door in

the passageway, and link on page 3267 it as a child of the wall.

■Single walls with many windows and doors can become slow to use because

of the amount of boolean calculations used. To speed up movement and

editing, you might consider using multiple walls instead of a single wall.

■You can speed up performance in a scene with many walls, windows and

doors by collapsing them. First save an uncollapsed version for any future

parametric changes you might want to make. Then double-click the wall

to select it and its children. Next use Convert To from the right-click menu

to convert them to an editable mesh, and so on.

Procedures

To create a wall:

You can create a wall in any viewport, but for vertical walls, use a Perspective,

Camera, or Top viewport.

1Set parameters for the Width, Height, and Justification of the wall.

2In a viewport, click and release, move the mouse to set the desired length

for the wall segment, and click again.

This creates a wall segment. You can end the wall by right-clicking or

you can continue to create another wall segment.

458 | Chapter 6 Creating Geometry

3To add another wall segment, move the mouse to set the length of the

next wall segment and click again.

If you create a room by ending a segment at the end of another segment

of the same wall object, 3ds Max displays the Weld Point dialog. This

dialog lets you convert the two end vertices into a single vertex, or to

keep the two end vertices distinct.

4If you want the wall segments to be welded at that corner so that when

you move one wall, the other wall stays correct at the corner, click Yes.

Otherwise, click No.

5Right-click to end the wall, or continue to add other wall segments.

To attach separate walls:

1Select a wall object.

2On the Modify panel, click Attach, and then pick another wall object.

The two wall objects become part of the same wall object, but are not

physically connected.

Attach stays active, and you can continue clicking wall segments to attach.

To stop attaching, click the Attach button or right-click in the active

viewport.

To attach multiple wall objects simultaneously to the selected wall object,

click Attach Multiple on the Modify panel to open the Attach Multiple

dialog. This works the same as the Select From Scene dialog on page 168

, except that it shows only wall objects; choose multiple walls to attach,

and then click the Attach button.

To connect vertices in a wall:

This method lets you connect two separate wall sections with a new segment.

TIP It is easier to work with wall vertices in wireframe view mode.

1Select a wall object that has more than one section. Typically you would

use Attach to create such an object.

2In the modifier stack on page 7427 , go to the Vertex sub-object level.

3Click Connect and point the mouse over an end vertex until the cursor

changes to a cross.

4Click once over the end vertex.

AEC Extended Objects | 459

5Move the cursor to another end vertex, and then click to connect the

two segments.

To insert a vertex in a wall:

It is easier to work with wall vertices in wireframe view mode.

1Select a wall segment.

2In the modifier stack on page 7427 , go to the Vertex sub-object level.

3Click Insert.

A highlighted line appears along the bottom of the wall, showing where

you can insert vertices.

4Click anywhere on the highlighted line to insert a vertex.

The new vertex is attached to the mouse cursor.

5Move the mouse to position the vertex, and then click to place it.

Now the mouse is attached to one of the new segments.

6Move the mouse along the segment and click to add vertices.

7Right-click to finish working on this segment. You can now insert vertices

in other segments, or right-click again to exit Insert mode.

To detach and reorient a copy of a wall segment:

TIP It is easier to work with wall vertices in wireframe view mode.

1Select a wall.

2In the modifier stack on page 7427 , go to the Segment sub-object level.

3Select a wall segment.

4Turn on both Reorient and Copy, and then click Detach.

5Enter a name for the new wall object in the Detach dialog or click OK to

accept the default name.

3ds Max copies the original wall’s Local coordinate system on page 7830

when it makes the copy of the detached segment. It places the new object

so that its Local coordinate system is coincident with the World space

origin on page 7975 .

460 | Chapter 6 Creating Geometry

To add a gable point to a wall profile or adjust for uneven terrain:

TIP It is easier to work with wall vertices in wireframe view mode.

1Select a wall.

2In the modifier stack on page 7427 , go to the Profile sub-object level.

3Select a wall profile by clicking a wall segment.

A grid appears.

4To add a gable point procedurally, set the height and click Create Gable.

If you prefer to add the profile point manually, click Insert, click a point

on the highlighted top profile, drag the new point into place and then

release where you want to place the new gable point. You can move

profile points you create with Insert only within the plane of the wall

segment, and you cannot move them below the original top edge.

If you want to adjust the profile for uneven terrain below a wall, click

Insert, pick the highlighted bottom profile and add points as necessary.

If you want to extend multiple segments uniformly downward below

floor level, do the following: At the Segment sub-object level, select the

segments and, on the Edit Segment rollout, enter a negative Bottom Offset

value to move the segments downward. Add the absolute value of the

Bottom Offset setting back to the Height value to bring the top of the

wall height back up and make it flush with the other wall segments.

To apply a texture to a wall:

Walls are created with five different material IDs on page 7842 for their various

parts.

AEC Extended Objects | 461

The aectemplates.mat material library includes Wall-Template, a Multi/Sub-Object

material designed for use with walls. You can copy or copy and modify this

template, or create your own material as follows:

1Create a Multi/Sub-Object material on page 5558 using five textures for

the following Material IDs:

■Slot #1 is the material for the vertical ends on the wall

■Slot #2 is the material for the outside of the wall

■Slot #3 is the material for the inside of the wall

■Slot #4 is the material for the top of the wall, as well as any inside

edges cut out of the wall

■Slot #5 is the material for the bottom of the wall

NOTE The definitions of slots 2 and 3 are interchangeable; inside and

outside simply depend on your point of view, and how you created the

wall.

2If the top and bottom surfaces of the wall aren't visible in the rendered

scene, you can use a three-sided material instead. The inside and outside

of the wall are relative to the direction in which the wall was created. To

swap a texture between slots in the Material Editor, drag one of the

textures over the other slot in the Basic Parameters rollout of the

Multi/Sub-Object material, and then choose Swap.

3For greater control in tiling across the wall surface, apply a Map Scaler

world-space modifier on page 1120 to the wall. Then adjust the scale of

the map in the Map Scaler's Parameters rollout.

To create and place a window or door in a wall:

For best results, perform this procedure in a wireframe viewport.

1Create a window on page 516 or door on page 502 (hereafter referred to

as "window" for brevity) directly on an existing wall. You can define the

window's exact dimensions after insertion. Use edge snap on page 2578

for the first snaps to place and align the window on the wall and to

establish its exact depth. Snap to and then click the near top edge of the

wall to start creation. Drag to another edge snap point on the near top

edge of the wall and release to align the window with the wall segment

and to set its width. Snap to the rear top edge of the wall to set the proper

depth and click. Move the cursor downward and click to define the

462 | Chapter 6 Creating Geometry

window height. This final click doesn't require a snap, as it simply defines

a rough height.

2The window should now be cut out of the wall. On the Modify panel for

windows or doors, set the correct width and height. Change the depth

if it's different from the snap depth you set above.

3Use vertex snap to move the window or door from a reference point to

a known point on the wall segment. Then

Next, use relative offset values from this new position to accurately locate

the window or door. As an example, following the next two steps, you

could move a window from its top left corner to the top left corner of

the wall segment so that you can then move it 3 feet to the right and 2

feet down.

4With the window or door selected, set the coordinate system to Local.

5On the Coordinate Display on page 7325 , activate Offset mode and then

enter the offset distances on the X axis for horizontal and the Y axis for

vertical.

NOTE For best results, do not position an inserted window or door at the bottom

of a wall.

Interface

Keyboard Entry rollout

XSets the coordinate position along the X axis for the start point of a wall

segment in the active construction plane.

AEC Extended Objects | 463

YSets the coordinate position along the Y axis for the start point of a wall

segment in the active construction plane.

ZSets the coordinate position along the Z axis for the start point of a wall

segment in the active construction plane.

Add Point Adds the point from the X, Y, and Z coordinate values you enter.

Close Ends creation of the wall object and creates a segment between the

end point of the last segment and the start point of the first segment, to make

a closed wall.

Finish Ends creation of the wall object, leaving it open ended.

Pick Spline Lets you use a spline as the wall path. Click this, and then click

a spline in the viewport to use as the wall path. 3ds Max uses the spline as the

path along which to apply the wall object. 3ds Max doesn’t immediately

recognize 2D Shapes from a linked AutoCAD drawing. To recognize Shapes

from a linked AutoCAD drawing, edit the Shape with Edit Spline on page 1376

from the Modify panel.

NOTE If you designate a curved spline as the path, 3ds Max creates straight wall

segments that approximate the spline as closely as possible, with one wall segment

per spline segment.

464 | Chapter 6 Creating Geometry

Parameters rollout

The defaults produce a wall object 5 units wide, 96 units high, and justified

at the center of the wall.

Width Sets the thickness of the wall. Range=0.01 unit to 100,000 units.

Default=5.

Height Sets the height of the wall. Range=0.01 unit to 100,000 units.

Default=96.

Justification group

Left Justifies the wall at the left edge of its baseline (the line between the

wall's front and back sides, which is equal to the wall thickness). If you turn

Grid Snap on, the left edge of the wall’s baseline snaps to the grid line.

Center Justifies the wall at the center of its baseline. If you turn Grid Snap

on, the center of the wall’s baseline snaps to the grid line. This is the default.

Right Justifies the wall at the right edge of its baseline. If you turn Grid Snap

on, the right edge of the wall’s baseline snaps to the grid line.

AEC Extended Objects | 465

Generate Mapping Coords Assigns mapping coordinates on page 7838 to the

wall. Default=on.

Real-World Map Size Controls the scaling method used for texture mapped

materials that are applied to the object. The scaling values are controlled by

the Use Real-World Scale settings found in the applied material's Coordinates

rollout on page 5620 . Default=off.

Editing Wall Objects

Select a wall object. > Modify panel

The following reference describes the Wall options on the Modify panel. It's

generally easiest to edit wall objects in wireframe mode.

See also:

■Wall on page 456

Interface

Edit Object rollout

This rollout appears when you select a wall object at the object level; other

rollouts, discussed below appear at the different sub-object levels.

Attach Attaches another wall in a viewport to the selected wall by a single

pick. The object you attach must also be a wall. 3ds Max applies the material

of the selected wall to the wall being attached.

Attach Multiple Attaches other walls in a viewport to the selected wall. Click

this button to open the Attach Multiple dialog, which lists all the other wall

objects in the scene. Select the walls you want to attach from the list and click

the Attach button. 3ds Max applies the material of the selected wall to the

walls being attached.

Justification group

See Justification on page 465 .

Generate Mapping Coords. Assigns mapping coordinates on page 7838 to

the wall. Default=on.

Real-World Map Size Controls the scaling method used for texture mapped

materials that are applied to the object. The scaling values are controlled by

466 | Chapter 6 Creating Geometry

the Use Real-World Scale settings found in the applied material's Coordinates

rollout on page 5620 . Default=off.

Edit Vertex rollout

Appears at the Vertex sub-object level. Each wall segment has two vertices;

one in each bottom corner. In wireframe views, wall vertices appear as +

symbols. Connected segments in the same wall object each share a vertex.

Moving a wall vertex has the effect of scaling attached segments as well as

rotating them about their other vertices. You cannot rotate or scale wall

vertices.

Connect Lets you connect any two vertices, creating a new linear segment

between the vertices.

Click this button, click a vertex, and then click a second vertex on a different

segment. When you move the cursor over a valid second vertex, the mouse

icon changes to a Connect icon.

Break Lets you disconnect segments at a shared vertex.

TIP Select a vertex shared between wall segments, and then click the Break button.

The segments become disconnected, and each has its own end vertex at the

position of the previously shared vertex.

Refine Adds a vertex to the position along a wall segment that you click.

When you move the cursor over a valid Refine point, the mouse icon changes

to a Refine icon.

Insert Inserts one or more vertices, creating additional segments. When you

move the cursor over the a valid Insert point, the mouse icon changes to an

Insert icon. Right-click to stop inserting new vertices and segments.

Delete Deletes the currently selected vertex or vertices, including any

segments in between.

AEC Extended Objects | 467

Deleting vertices shared by two or more segments doesn't create a gap, but

rather results in a single segment connecting vertices adjacent to those being

deleted.

Edit Segment rollout

This rollout appears when you select a wall object and then access Segment

sub-object level.

Each wall segment is defined by, and effectively connects, two wall vertices.

Moving a segment is the same as moving its two vertices in tandem. It has

the effect of scaling adjacent wall segments as well as rotating them about

their other vertices. You can scale a wall segment horizontally only (any Scale

function does this). You cannot rotate a segment.

Break Specifies a break point in a wall segment.

You needn't select a segment first. When you move the cursor over the object,

the mouse icon changes to a Break icon. The position you select on the segment

becomes two coincident vertices, and 3ds Max breaks the segment in two.

Detach Detaches wall segments you select and creates a new wall object out

of them.

468 | Chapter 6 Creating Geometry

Same Shape Detaches the wall segment keeping it part of the same wall

object. If you also turn on Copy, 3ds Max places a detached copy of the

segment in the same location.

Reorient Detaches the wall segment, copies the object’s Local coordinate

system on page 7830 , and places the segment so that its object Local coordinate

system is coincident with the World space origin on page 7975 . If you also turn

on Copy, 3ds Max detaches a copy of the segment and leaves the original

segments in place.

Copy Copies the detached wall segment rather than moving it.

Divide Subdivides each segment by the number of vertices specified in the

Divisions spinner. Select one or more segments, set the Divisions spinner, and

then click Divide.

Divisions Sets the number by which to divide the segment.

Insert Provides the same function as the Insert button on page 467 in Vertex

sub-object selection. Inserts one or more vertices, creating additional segments.

When you move the cursor over the a valid Insert point, the mouse icon

changes to an Insert icon. Right click to stop inserting new vertices and

segments.

Delete Deletes any selected wall segments in the current wall object.

Refine Provides the same function as the Refine button on page 467 at the

Vertex sub-object level. Adds a vertex to the position along a wall segment

you select. When you move the cursor over a valid Refine point, the mouse

icon changes to a Refine icon.

Parameters group

Width Changes the width of a selected segment or segments.

Height Changes the height of a selected segment or segments.

Bottom Offset Sets the distance of the bottom of the selected segment or

segments from the floor.

Edit Profile rollout

This rollout appears when you select a wall object and then access Profile

sub-object level.

The term "profile" refers to the outline of a wall segment's top and bottom

edges. When in Profile sub-object mode, the selected wall object's inner

horizontal edges appear dark orange. Click any of these edges to select the

AEC Extended Objects | 469

corresponding segment, highlight it in red, and place a temporary active grid

in the plane of the segment. At that point, you can insert and delete vertices

along the horizontal edges, move an inserted vertex along the grid to change

the profile, create gables, and change the grid properties.

Insert Inserts a vertex so that you can adjust the profile of the selected wall

segment.

Use this option to adjust the profile of walls under gables or to align walls to

a slope. When you move the cursor over the selected segment, the mouse icon

changes to an Insert icon. Click to insert a new profile point, then drag and

release to position and place it. You can add new profile points to both the

top and the bottom of the wall, but you cannot position profile points below

the original top edge or above the original bottom edge.

Delete Deletes the selected vertices on the profile of the selected wall

segment.

Create Gable Creates a gable by moving the center point of the top profile

of the selected wall segment to a height you specify.

Select the segment, set the height, and then click Create Gable.

Height Specifies the height of a gable.

Grid Properties group

The grid constricts profile point insertion and movement to the plane of the

wall and allows you to snap to grid points on the plane of the wall.

Width Sets the width of the active grid.

Length Sets the length of the active grid.

470 | Chapter 6 Creating Geometry

Spacing Sets the size of the smallest square in the active grid.

Stairs

Create panel > Geometry > Stairs

Create menu > AEC Objects

You can create four different types of stairs in 3ds Max:

Spiral Stair on page 480

Straight Stair on page 488

L-Type Stair on page 473

U-Type Stair on page 495

Railings and Materials

By default, 3ds Max assigns seven different material IDs to stairs. The

aectemplates.mat material library includes Stair-Template, a multi/sub-object

material on page 5558 designed to be used with stairs. Each component of the

stair/material is listed below along with its corresponding Material ID.

Railing/Material ComponentMaterial ID

Treads of the stairs1

Front riser of the stairs2

Bottom, back, and sides of the risers

of the stairs

Center pole of the stairs4

Handrails of the stairs5

Carriage of the stairs6

Stringers of the stairs7

Stairs | 471

NOTE 3ds Max does not automatically assign a material to the stairs object. To

use the included material, open the library and then assign the material to your

object.

Procedures

To create railings on stairs:

1Create the stairs. See individual stair-type topics for more information.

2In the Generate Geometry group, turn on Rail Path > Left and Right.

3ds Max places left and right rail paths above the stairs.

3In the Railings rollout, set Height to 0.0.

4Click Create panel > AEC Extended > Railing on page 447 to create the

first railing.

5Click Railing rollout > Pick Railing Path and select one of the rail paths

on the stairs.

6Adjust the railing parameters.

3ds Max remembers the parameters you set. When you create the next

railing, it will have the same parameters as you set for the first railing.

7Right-click to end the creation of the first railing.

8Click Railing again to create the second railing.

9Click Pick Railing Path and select the other rail path on the stairs.

Interface

Object Type rollout

Stair Selection Buttons Click one of these to specify the type of stairs you

want to create.

472 | Chapter 6 Creating Geometry

Name and Color rollout

This rollout lets you set the stairs object's name and color. For detailed

information, see Object Name and Wireframe Color on page 7423 .

L-Type Stair

Create panel > Geometry > Stairs > L-Type Stair button

Create menu > AEC Objects > L-Type Stair

The L-Type Stair object lets you create a staircase with two flights at right

angles to each other.

Types of L-type stair: open, closed, and boxed

L-type stairs have two flights at right angles, and a landing.

Procedures

To create L-Type stairs:

1In any viewport, drag to set the length for the first flight. Release the

mouse button, then move the cursor and click to set the length, width,

and direction for the second flight.

2Move the cursor up or down to define the rise of the stairs, then click to

end.

3Adjust the stairs by using the options in the Parameters rollout.

Stairs | 473

Interface

Parameters rollout > Type group

Open Creates an open riser stair, as shown on the left in the illustration

above.

Closed Creates a closed riser stair, as shown in the center in the illustration

above.

Box Creates a stair with closed risers and closed stringers on both sides, as

shown on the right in the illustration above.

Generate Geometry group

Stringers Creates stringers along the ends of the treads of the stairs. To

modify the stringers’ depth, width, offset and spring from the floor, see

Stringers rollout on page 477 .

Carriage Creates an inclined, notched beam under the treads which supports

the steps or adds support between the stringers of the stairs. You might also

know this as a carriage piece, a horse, or a rough string. See Carriage rollout on

page 478 to modify the parameters.

Handrail Creates left and right handrails. See Railings rollout on page 479

to modify the handrails’ height, offset, number of segments, and radius.

Rail Path Creates left and right paths you can use to install railings on the

stairs. See Stairs on page 471 for the instructions on how to do this.

474 | Chapter 6 Creating Geometry

Layout group

Length 1 Controls the length of the first flight of stairs.

Length 2 Controls the length of the second flight of stairs.

Width Controls the width of the stairs, including the steps and the landing.

Angle Controls the angle of the second flight from the landing. Range=-90

to 90 degrees.

Offset Controls the distance of the second flight from the landing. The

length of the landing adjusts accordingly.

Rise group

3ds Max keeps one Rise option locked while you adjust the other two. To lock

an option, you click a push pin. To unlock an option you click a raised push

pin. 3ds Max locks the spinner value of the parameter with the depressed push

pin and allows the spinner values of the parameter with the raised push pins

to change.

Overall Controls the height of the flight of stairs.

Riser Ht Controls the height of the risers.

Riser Ct Controls the number of risers. There will always be one more riser

than steps. This implied riser is between the top step of the stair and the upper

floor.

Stairs | 475

Linear stair with five risers

1 through 4. Risers

5. The implied riser

6. The upper floor you snap to

7. The lower floor you snap to

8. The steps

Steps group

Thickness Controls the thickness of the steps.

Step thickness variance between two stairs

Depth Controls the depth of the steps.

476 | Chapter 6 Creating Geometry

Step depth variance between two stairs

Generate Mapping Coords Applies default mapping coordinates on page

7838 to the stairs.

NOTE If a visible viewport is set to a non-wireframe or non-bounding-box display,

Generate Mapping Coordinates is on for all primitives to which you apply a material

containing a map with Show Map In Viewport on. If all viewports are set to

wireframe or bounding box, 3ds Max turns on Generate Mapping Coordinates

for primitives containing mapped materials at render time.

Real-World Map Size Controls the scaling method used for texture mapped

materials that are applied to the object. The scaling values are controlled by

the Use Real-World Scale settings found in the applied material's Coordinates

rollout on page 5620 . Default=off.

Stringers rollout

These controls are available only when you turn on Stringers on the Parameters

rollout > Generate Geometry group.

Depth Controls how far down the stringers reach toward the floor.

Width Controls the width of the stringers.

Stairs | 477

Offset Controls the vertical distance of the stringers from the floor.

Spring from Floor Controls whether the stringer starts at the floor, flush

with the start of the first riser, or if the stringer extends below the floor. You

control the amount the stringer extends below the floor with the Offset option.

Left: The stringer extending below the floor. (Spring From Floor off.)

Right: The stringer springing from the floor. (Spring From Floor on.)

Carriage rollout

These controls are available only when you turn on Carriage on the Parameters

rollout > Generate Geometry group.

Depth Controls how far down the carriage reaches toward the floor.

Width Controls the width of the carriage.

Carriage Spacing Sets the spacing of the carriage. When you pick this button,

the Carriage Spacing dialog displays. Specify the number of carriages you want

using the Count option. For more information on spacing options in this

dialog, see Spacing Tool on page 925 .

478 | Chapter 6 Creating Geometry

Spring from Floor Controls whether the carriage starts at the floor, flush

with the start of the first riser, or if the carriage extends below the floor. You

control the amount the carriage extends below the floor with the Offset option.

Left: The carriage springing from the floor. (Spring From Floor on.)

Right: The carriage extending below the floor. (Spring from Floor off.)

Railings rollout

These controls are available only when you turn on one or more of the

Handrail or Rail Path options on the Parameters rollout > Generate Geometry

group. Also, Segments and Radius aren't available if neither of the Handrail

options is on.

Height Controls the height of the railings from the steps.

Offset Controls the offset of the railings from the ends of the steps.

Segments Controls the number of segments in the railings. Higher values

display smoother railings.

Radius Controls the thickness of the railings.

Stairs | 479

Spiral Stair

Create panel > Geometry > Stairs > Spiral Stair button

Create menu > AEC Objects > Spiral Stair

The Spiral Stair object lets you specify the radius and number of revolutions,

add stringers and a center pole, and more.

Types of spiral stair: open, closed, and boxed

Spiral stairs wind around a center

Procedures

To create spiral stairs:

1In any viewport, click for the start point of the stairs, and drag to the

specify the radius you want.

2Release the mouse button, move the cursor up or down to specify the

overall rise, and click to end.

3Adjust the stairs with options in the Parameters rollout.

Interface

Parameters rollout > Type group

Open Creates an open riser stair, as shown on the left of the illustration

above.

480 | Chapter 6 Creating Geometry

Closed Creates a closed riser stair, as shown in the center of the illustration

above.

Box Creates a stair with closed risers and closed stringers on both sides, as

shown on the right of the illustration above.

Generate Geometry group

Stringers Creates stringers along the ends of the treads of the stairs. To

modify the stringers’ depth, width, offset and spring from the floor, see

Stringers rollout on page 485 .

Carriage Creates an inclined, notched beam under the treads which supports

the steps or adds support between the stringers of the stairs. You might also

know this as a carriage piece, a horse, or a rough string. See Carriage rollout on

page 485 to modify the parameters.

Center Pole Creates a pole at the center of the spiral. See Center Pole rollout

on page 486 to modify the parameters of the pole.

Handrail Creates inside and outside handrails. See Railings rollout on page

487 to modify the handrails’ height, offset, number of segments, and radius.

Rail Path Creates inside and outside paths which you can use to install

railings on the stairs. See Stairs on page 471 for the instructions on how to do

this.

Stairs | 481

Layout group

CCW Orients the spiral stairs to be a right-hand flight of stairs.

CW Orients the spiral stairs to be a left-hand flight of stairs.

Left: CCW (counterclockwise) right-hand spiral stairs. The arrow indicates “Up.”

Right: CW (clockwise) left-hand spiral stairs. The arrow indicates “Up.”

Radius Controls the size of the radius of the spiral.

Revs Controls the number of revolutions in the spiral.

Width Controls the width of the spiral stairs.

Rise group

3ds Max keeps one Rise option locked while you adjust the other two. To lock

an option, click a pushpin button. To unlock an option, click a raised pushpin.

3ds Max locks the spinner value of the parameter with the depressed pushpin

482 | Chapter 6 Creating Geometry

and allows the spinner values of the parameter with the raised pushpins to

change.

Overall Controls the height of the flight of stairs.

Riser Ht Controls the height of the risers.

Riser Ct Controls the number of risers. There will always be one more riser

than steps. This implied riser is between the top step of the stair and the upper

floor.

Linear stair with five risers

1 through 4. Risers

5. The implied riser

6. The upper floor you snap to

7. The lower floor you snap to

8. The steps.

Steps group

Thickness Controls the thickness of the steps.

Stairs | 483

Step thickness variance between two stairs

Depth Controls the depth of the steps.

Step depth variance between two stairs

Segs Controls the number of segments 3ds Max uses to construct the steps.

Generate Mapping Coords Applies default mapping coordinates on page

7838 to the stairs.

NOTE If a visible viewport is set to a non-wireframe or non-bounding-box display,

Generate Mapping Coordinates is on for all primitives to which you apply a material

containing a map with Show Map In Viewport on. If all viewports are set to

wireframe or bounding box, 3ds Max turns on Generate Mapping Coordinates

for primitives containing mapped materials at render time.

Real-World Map Size Controls the scaling method used for texture mapped

materials that are applied to the object. The scaling values are controlled by

the Use Real-World Scale settings found in the applied material's Coordinates

rollout on page 5620 . Default=off.

484 | Chapter 6 Creating Geometry

Stringers rollout

These controls are available only when you turn on Stringers on the Parameters

rollout > Generate Geometry group.

Depth Controls how far down the stringers reach toward the floor.

Width Controls the width of the stringers.

Offset Controls the vertical distance of the stringers from the floor.

Spring from Floor Controls whether the stringer starts at the floor, flush

with the start of the first riser, or if the stringer extends below the floor. You

control the amount the stringer extends below the floor with the Offset option.

Left: The stringer extending below the floor. (Spring From Floor turned off.)

Right: the stringer springing from the floor. (Spring From Floor turned on.)

Carriage rollout

These controls are available only when you turn on Carriage on the Parameters

rollout > Generate Geometry group.

Stairs | 485

Depth Controls how far down the carriage reaches toward the floor.

Width Controls the width of the carriage.

Carriage Spacing Sets the spacing of the carriage. When you pick this button,

the Carriage Spacing dialog displays. Specify the number of carriages you want

using the Count option. For more information on spacing options in this

dialog, see Spacing Tool on page 925 .

Spring from Floor Controls whether the carriage starts at the floor, flush

with the start of the first riser, or if the carriage extends below the floor. You

control the amount the carriage extends below the floor with the Offset option.

Left: The carriage springing from the floor. (Spring From Floor turned on.)

Right: The carriage extending below the floor. (Spring From Floor turned off.)

Center Pole rollout

These controls are available only when you turn on Center Pole on the

Parameters rollout > Generate Geometry group.

486 | Chapter 6 Creating Geometry

Radius Controls the radius size of the center pole.

Segments Controls the number of segments in the center pole. Higher values

display a smoother pole.

Height The spinner controls the height of the center pole. Turning on Height

lets you adjust the height of the pole independently of the stairs. Turning off

Height makes the spinner unavailable and locks the top of the pole to the top

of the implied last riser. Typically, this riser would attach to the fascia of a

landing.

Left: The center pole locked to the top of the implied last riser. (Height turned off.)

Right: The center pole adjusted to the height you specify. (Height turned on.)

Railings rollout

These controls are available only when you turn on one or more of the

Handrail or Rail Path options on the Parameters rollout > Generate Geometry

group. Also, Segments and Radius aren't available if neither of the Handrail

options is on.

Stairs | 487

Height Controls the height of the railings from the steps.

Offset Controls the offset of the railings from the ends of the steps.

Segments Controls the number of segments in the railings. Higher values

display smoother railings.

Radius Controls the thickness of the railings.

Straight Stair

Create panel > Geometry > Stairs > Straight Stair button

Create menu > AEC Objects > Straight Stair

The Straight Stair object lets you create a simple staircase, with optional

stringers, carriage, and handrail.

Types of straight stair: open, closed, and boxed

Straight stairs have a single flight.

488 | Chapter 6 Creating Geometry

Procedures

To create straight stairs:

1In any viewport, drag to set the length. Release the mouse button, then

move the cursor and click to set the width you want.

2Move the cursor up or down to define the rise of the stairs, and click to

end.

3Adjust the stairs with the options in the Parameters rollout.

Interface

Parameters rollout > Type group

Open Creates an open riser stair as shown on the left of the illustration

above.

Closed Creates a closed riser stair as shown in the center of the illustration

above.

Box Creates a stair with closed risers and closed stringers on both sides as

shown on the right of the illustration above.

Generate Geometry group

Stringers Creates stringers along the ends of the treads of the stairs. To

modify the stringers’ depth, width, offset and spring from the floor, see

Stringers rollout on page 492 .

Stairs | 489

Carriage Creates an inclined, notched beam under the treads which supports

the steps or adds support between the stringers of the stairs. You might also

know this as a carriage piece, a horse, or a rough string. See Carriage rollout on

page 493 to modify the parameters.

Handrail Creates left and right handrails. See Railings rollout on page 494

to modify the handrails’ height, offset, number of segments, and radius.

Rail Path Creates left and right paths you can use to install railings on the

stairs. See Stairs on page 471 for the instructions on how to do this.

Layout group

Length Controls the length of the stairs.

Width Controls the width of the stairs.

Rise group

3ds Max keeps one Rise option locked while you adjust the other two. To lock

an option, you click a push pin. To unlock an option you click a raised push

pin. 3ds Max locks the spinner value of the parameter with the depressed push

pin and allows the spinner values of the parameter with the raised push pins

to change.

Overall Controls the height of the flight of stairs.

Riser Ht Controls the height of the risers.

Riser Ct Controls the number of risers. There will always be one more riser

than steps. This implied riser is between the top step of the stair and the upper

floor.

490 | Chapter 6 Creating Geometry

Linear stair with five risers

1 through 4. Risers

5. The implied riser

6. The upper floor you snap to

7. The lower floor you snap to

8. The steps.

Steps group

Thickness Controls the thickness of the steps.

Step thickness variance between two stairs

Depth Controls the depth of the steps.

Stairs | 491

Step depth variance between two stairs

Generate Mapping Coords Applies default mapping coordinates on page

7838 to the stairs.

NOTE If a visible viewport is set to a non-wireframe or non-bounding-box display,

Generate Mapping Coordinates is on for all primitives to which you apply a material

containing a map with Show Map In Viewport on. If all viewports are set to

wireframe or bounding box, 3ds Max turns on Generate Mapping Coordinates

for primitives containing mapped materials at render time.

Real-World Map Size Controls the scaling method used for texture mapped

materials that are applied to the object. The scaling values are controlled by

the Use Real-World Scale settings found in the applied material's Coordinates

rollout on page 5620 . Default=off.

Stringers rollout

These controls are available only when you turn on Stringers on the Parameters

rollout > Generate Geometry group.

Depth Controls how far down the stringers reach toward the floor.

Width Controls the width of the stringers.

492 | Chapter 6 Creating Geometry

Offset Controls the vertical distance of the stringers from the floor.

Spring from Floor Controls whether the stringer starts at the floor, flush

with the start of the first riser, or if the stringer extends below the floor. You

control the amount the stringer extends below the floor with the Offset option.

Left: The stringer extending below the floor. (Spring From Floor off.)

Right: The stringer springing from the floor. (Spring From Floor on.)

Carriage rollout

These controls are available only when you turn on Carriage on the Parameters

rollout > Generate Geometry group.

Depth Controls how far down the carriage reaches toward the floor.

Width Controls the width of the carriage.

Carriage Spacing Sets the spacing of the carriage. When you pick this button,

the Carriage Spacing dialog displays. Specify the number of carriages you want

using the Count option. For more information on spacing options in this

dialog, see Spacing Tool on page 925 .

Stairs | 493

Spring from Floor Controls whether the carriage starts at the floor, flush

with the start of the first riser, or if the carriage extends below the floor. You

control the amount the carriage extends below the floor with the Offset option.

Left: The carriage springing from the floor. (Spring From Floor on.)

Right: The carriage extending below the floor. (Spring From Floor off.)

Railings rollout

These controls are available only when you turn on one or more of the

Handrail or Rail Path options on the Parameters rollout > Generate Geometry

group. Also, Segments and Radius aren't available if neither of the Handrail

options is on.

Height Controls the height of the railings from the steps.

Offset Controls the offset of the railings from the ends of the steps.

Segments Controls the number of segments in the railings. Higher values

display smoother railings.

Radius Controls the thickness of the railings.

494 | Chapter 6 Creating Geometry

U-Type Stair

Create panel > Geometry > Stairs > U-Type Stair button

Create menu > AEC Objects > U-Type Stair

The U-Type Stair object lets you create a two-flight staircase, with the two

flights parallel to each other and a landing between them.

Types of U-type stair: open, closed, and boxed

U-type stairs have two flights in opposite directions, and a landing.

Procedures

To create U-Type stairs:

1In any viewport, drag to set the length for the first flight. Release the

mouse button, then move the cursor and click to set the width of the

landing, or the distance separating the two flights.

2Click and move the cursor up or down to define the rise of the stairs,

then click to end.

3Adjust the stairs by using the options in the Parameters rollout.

Interface

Parameters rollout > Type group

Stairs | 495

Open Creates an open riser stair as shown on the left in the illustration

above.

Closed Creates a closed riser stair as shown in the center in the illustration

above.

Box Creates a stair with closed risers and closed stringers on both sides as

shown on the right in the illustration above.

Generate Geometry group

Stringers Creates stringers along the ends of the treads of the stairs. To

modify the stringers’ depth, width, offset and spring from the floor, see

Stringers rollout on page 499 .

Carriage Creates an inclined, notched beam under the treads which supports

the steps or adds support between the stringers of the stairs. You might also

know this as a carriage piece, a horse, or a roughstring. See Carriage rollout

on page 500 to modify the parameters.

Handrail Creates left and right handrails. See Railings rollout on page 501

to modify the handrails’ height, offset, number of segments, and radius.

Rail Path Creates left and right paths you can use to install railings on the

stairs. See Stairs on page 471 for the instructions on how to do this.

496 | Chapter 6 Creating Geometry

Layout group

Left/Right Controls the position of the two flights (Length 1 and Length 2)

relative to each other. If you select left, then the second flight is on the left

from the landing. If you select right, then the second flight is the right from

the landing.

Length 1 Controls the length of the first flight of stairs.

Length 2 Controls the length of the second flight of stairs.

Width Controls the width of the stairs, including the steps and the landing.

Offset Controls the distance separating the two flights and thus the length

of the landing.

Rise group

3ds Max keeps one Rise option locked while you adjust the other two. To lock

an option, you click a push pin. To unlock an option you click a raised push

pin. 3ds Max locks the spinner value of the parameter with the depressed push

pin and allows the spinner values of the parameter with the raised push pins

to change.

Overall Controls the height of the flight of stairs.

Riser Ht Controls the height of the risers.

Riser Ct Controls the number of risers. There will always be one more riser

than steps. This implied riser is between the top step of the stair and the upper

floor.

Stairs | 497

Linear stair with five risers

1 through 4. Risers

5. The implied riser

6. The upper floor you snap to

7. The lower floor you snap to

8. The steps.

Steps group

Thickness Controls the thickness of the steps.

Step thickness variance between two stairs

Depth Controls the depth of the steps.

498 | Chapter 6 Creating Geometry

Step depth variance between two stairs

Generate Mapping Coords Applies default mapping coordinates on page

7838 to the stairs.

NOTE If a visible viewport is set to a non-wireframe or non-bounding-box display,

Generate Mapping Coordinates is on for all primitives to which you apply a material

containing a map with Show Map In Viewport on. If all viewports are set to

wireframe or bounding box, 3ds Max turns on Generate Mapping Coordinates

for primitives containing mapped materials at render time.

Real-World Map Size Controls the scaling method used for texture mapped

materials that are applied to the object. The scaling values are controlled by

the Use Real-World Scale settings found in the applied material's Coordinates

rollout on page 5620 . Default=off.

Stringers rollout

These controls are available only when you turn on Stringers on the Parameters

rollout > Generate Geometry group.

Depth Controls how far down the stringers reach toward the floor.

Width Controls the width of the stringers.

Stairs | 499

Offset Controls the vertical distance of the stringers from the floor.

Spring from Floor Controls whether the stringer starts at the floor, flush

with the start of the first riser, or if the stringer extends below the floor. You

control the amount the stringer extends below the floor with the Offset option.

Left: The stringer extending below the floor. (Spring From Floor off.)

Right: The stringer springing from the floor. (Spring From Floor on.)

Carriage rollout

These controls are available only when you turn on Carriage on the Parameters

rollout > Generate Geometry group.

Depth Controls how far down the carriage reaches toward the floor.

Width Controls the width of the carriage.

Carriage Spacing Sets the spacing of the carriage. When you pick this button,

the Carriage Spacing dialog displays. Specify the number of carriages you want

using the Count option. For more information on spacing options in this

dialog, see Spacing Tool on page 925 .

500 | Chapter 6 Creating Geometry

Spring from Floor Controls whether the carriage starts at the floor, flush

with the start of the first riser, or if the carriage extends below the floor. You

control the amount the carriage extends below the floor with the Offset option.

Left: The carriage springing from the floor. (Spring From Floor on.)

Right: The carriage extending below the floor. (Spring From Floor off.)

Railings rollout

These controls are available only when you turn on one or more of the

Handrail or Rail Path options on the Parameters rollout > Generate Geometry

group. Also, Segments and Radius aren't available if neither of the Handrail

options is on.

Height Controls the height of the railings from the steps.

Offset Controls the offset of the railings from the ends of the steps.

Segments Controls the number of segments in the railings. Higher values

display smoother railings.

Radius Controls the thickness of the railings.

Stairs | 501

Doors

Create panel > Geometry > Doors

Create menu > AEC Objects

The door models provided let you control details of a door's appearance. You

can also set the door to be open, partially open, or closed and you can animate

the opening.

Different door types in a model of a house

There are three kinds of doors. The Pivot door on page 510 is the familiar door

that is hinged on one side only. The Bifold door on page 514 is hinged in the

middle as well as the side, like many closet doors. You can also make these

kinds of doors a set of double doors. The Sliding door on page 512 has a fixed

half and a sliding half.

The topic for each kind of door describes its unique controls and behavior.

Most door parameters are common to all kinds of doors, and are described

here.

502 | Chapter 6 Creating Geometry

Doors and Materials

By default, 3ds Max assigns five different material IDs to doors. The

aectemplates.mat material library includes Door-Template, a multi/sub-object

material designed to be used with doors. Each component of the door/material

is listed below along with its corresponding Material ID.

Door/Material ComponentMaterial ID

Front1

Back2

Inner Bevel (used for glazing when

Panels set to Glass or Beveled).

Frame4

Inner Door5

NOTE 3ds Max does not automatically assign a material to the door object. To

use the included material, open the library and then assign the material to your

object.

Making an Opening for a Door

To make an opening in a wall, you can perform a Boolean operation on page

686 with the wall as Operand A, and another object, such as a box, as Operand

B. Then, you can create and add a door in the opening, and link on page 3267

it, if you choose, as a child of the wall.

NOTE Using snaps, you can insert a door in a wall object, automatically linking

the two and creating a cutout for the door. See the procedure To create and place

a window or door in a wall: on page 462 .

Procedures

To create a door:

1On the Object Type rollout, click the button for the type of door you

want to create.

Doors | 503

2Choose options as needed, such as changing the default creation method.

Turn off Create Frame to eliminate the door frame. Turn on Allow

Non-vertical Jambs if you want an inclined door.

3Drag the mouse in the viewport to create the first two points, defining

the width and angle of the base of the door.

4Release the mouse and move to adjust the depth of the door (default

creation method), and then click to set.

By default, the depth is perpendicular to the line between the first two

points and parallel to the active grid.

5Move the mouse to adjust the height, and then click to finish.

The height is perpendicular to the plane defined by the first three points

and perpendicular to the active grid.

You can adjust the Height, Width, and Depth values on the Parameters

rollout.

On the Creation Method rollout, you can change the creation order to

width-height-depth instead of width-depth-height.

To create a door material:

1Create a door or select an existing door.

2Open the Material Editor, and select a slot for the material.

3Click the Type button below the Material Editor toolbar.

The Material/Map Browser dialog opens.

4In the Material list, double-click the Multi/Sub-Object item, and then on

the Replace Material dialog that appears, choose either option and click

OK.

5On the Multi/Sub-Object Basic Parameters rollout, click Set Number and

change Number Of Materials to 5. Click OK.

6Optionally, change the sub-material names to those specified in the

above table on page 503 .

7Edit the material as you would any Multi/Sub-Object material.

504 | Chapter 6 Creating Geometry

To animate a door:

You can animate a door opening and closing by keyframing the Open setting.

1Create a door or select an existing door.

If using an existing door, also access the Modify panel.

2Set the Parameters rollout > Open parameter to the amount you want

the door to be open at the start of the animation. If you want it to be

closed, set it to 0.

3Click the Auto Key button and advance to the first keyframe.

4Change the Open setting.

5Continue moving to any additional keyframes and changing the Open

setting as necessary.

6Play the animation.

Interface

The topic for each kind of door describes its unique controls and behavior.

Most door parameters are common to all kinds of doors, and are described

here.

Object Type rollout

There are three kinds of doors in 3ds Max:

Pivot The familiar door type that is hinged on one side only. See Pivot Door

on page 510 .

Sliding Has a fixed half and a sliding half. See Sliding Door on page 512 .

BiFold Hinged in the middle as well as the side, like many closet doors. You

can also use this type of door to make a set of double doors. See BiFold Door

on page 514 .

Name and Color rollout

See Object Name and Wireframe Color on page 7423 .

Doors | 505

Creation Method rollout

You define each type of door with four points: Drag the first two, followed by

two move-click sequences. The Creation Method setting determines the order

in which these actions define the door's dimensions.

Width/Depth/Height The first two points define the width and angle of the

base of the door. You set these points by dragging in a viewport, as the first

step in creating a door. The first point, where you click and hold before

dragging, defines a point on the jamb at the hinge for single-pivot and bifold

doors (both jambs have hinges on double doors, and sliding doors have no

hinge). The second point, where you release the button after dragging, specifies

the width of the door, as well as the direction from one jamb to the other.

This lets you align the door with a wall or opening when you place it. The

third point, where you click after moving the mouse, specifies the depth of

the door, and the fourth click, where you click after moving the mouse again,

specifies the height.

Width/Height/Depth Works like the Width/Depth/Height option, except

that the last two points create first the height and then the depth.

NOTE With this method, the depth is perpendicular to the plane set by the first

three points. Thus, if you draw the door in the Top or Perspective viewport, the

door lies flat on the active grid.

Allow Non-vertical Jambs Lets you create tilted doors. Set snaps on page 2568

to define points off the construction plane. Default=off.

506 | Chapter 6 Creating Geometry

Parameters rollout

Height Sets the overall height of the door unit.

Width Sets the overall width of the door unit.

Depth Sets the depth of the door unit.

Open With Pivot doors, specifies in degrees the extent to which the door is

open. With Sliding and BiFold doors, Open specifies the percent that the door

is open.

Doors | 507

Frame group

This rollout has controls for the door-jamb frame. Though part of the door

object, the frame behaves as if it were part of the wall. It doesn't move when

you open or close the door.

Create Frame This is turned on as a default to display the frame. Turn this

off to disable display of the frame.

Width Sets the width of the frame parallel to the wall. Available only when

Create Frame is on.

Depth Sets the depth of the frame as it projects from the wall. Available only

when Create Frame is on.

Door Offset Sets the location of the door relative to the frame. At 0.0, the

door is flush with one edge of the trim. Note that this can be a positive or

negative value. Available only when Create Frame is on.

Generate Mapping Coords Assigns mapping coordinates to the door.

Real-World Map Size Controls the scaling method used for texture mapped

materials that are applied to the object. The scaling values are controlled by

the Use Real-World Scale settings found in the applied material's Coordinates

rollout on page 5620 . Default=off.

508 | Chapter 6 Creating Geometry

Leaf Parameters rollout

Provides controls that affect the door itself (as opposed to the door unit, which

includes the frame). You can adjust the dimensions of the door, add panels,

and adjust the dimensions and placement of those panels. The total number

of panels for each door element is the number of horizontal divisions times

the number of vertical divisions. Pivot doors have a single door element unless

they are double doors. BiFold doors have two door elements, or four if they

are double doors. Sliding doors have two door elements.

Thickness Sets the thickness of the door.

Stiles/Top Rail Sets the width of the panel framing on the top and sides.

This setting is apparent only if the door is paneled.

Bottom Rail Sets the width of the panel framing at the base of the door. This

setting is apparent only if the door is paneled.

# Panels Horiz. Sets the number of panel divisions along the horizontal axis.

Doors | 509

# Panels Vert. Sets the number of panel divisions along the vertical axis.

Muntin Sets the width of the separations between the panels.

Panels group

Determines how panels are created in the door.

None The door has no paneling.

Glass Creates glass panels with no beveling.

Thickness Sets the thickness of the glass panels.

Beveled Choose this to have beveled panels.

The remaining spinners affect the beveling of the panels.

Bevel Angle Specifies the angle of the bevel between the outer surface of the

door and the surface of the panel.

Thickness 1 Sets the outer thickness of the panel.

Thickness 2 Sets the thickness where the bevel begins.

Middle Thick. Sets the thickness of the inner part of the panel.

Width 1 Sets the width where the bevel begins.

Width 2 Sets the width of the inner part of the panel.

Pivot Door

Create panel > Geometry > Doors > Pivot button

Create menu > AEC Objects > Pivot Door

The Pivot door is hinged on one side only. You can also make the door a

double door, with two door elements, each hinged on its outer edge.

510 | Chapter 6 Creating Geometry

Single and double pivot doors

This topic describes only controls and behavior unique to the Pivot door. Most

door parameters are common to all kinds of doors; see Doors on page 502 .

Doors | 511

Interface

Parameters rollout

The Parameters rollout contains three check boxes specific to Pivot doors.

Double Doors Makes a double door.

Flip Swing Changes the direction the door swings.

Flip Hinge Places the door hinges on the opposite side of the door. This

option is unavailable for double doors.

Sliding Door

Create panel > Geometry > Doors > Sliding button

Create menu > AEC Objects > Sliding Door

The Sliding door slides as if on a track or railing. It has two door elements:

one remains stationary while the other moves.

512 | Chapter 6 Creating Geometry

Sliding doors with different numbers of panels

This topic describes only controls and behavior unique to the Sliding door.

Most door parameters are common to all kinds of doors; see Doors on page

502 .

Doors | 513

Interface

Parameters rollout

Flip Front Back Changes which element is in front, compared to the default.

Flip Side Changes the current sliding element to the stationary element,

and vice versa.

BiFold Door

Create panel > Geometry > Doors > BiFold button

Create menu > AEC Objects > BiFold Door

The BiFold door is hinged in the middle as well as on the side. It has two door

elements. You can also make the door a double door, with four door elements.

514 | Chapter 6 Creating Geometry

Single and double bifold doors

This topic describes only controls and behavior unique to the BiFold door.

Most door parameters are common to all kinds of doors; see Doors on page

502 .

Doors | 515

Interface

Parameters rollout

The Parameters rollout contains three check boxes specific to BiFold doors.

Double Doors Makes the door a double door, with four door elements,

meeting in the center.

Flip Swing Makes the door swing in the opposite direction from the default.

Flip Hinge Makes the door hinged on the opposite side from the default.

Flip Hinge is unavailable when Double Doors is on.

Windows

Create panel > Geometry > Windows

Create menu > AEC Objects

The window object lets you control details of a window's appearance. You can

also set the window to be open, partially open, or closed, and you can animate

the opening over time.

516 | Chapter 6 Creating Geometry

Different types of windows in a model of a house

3ds Max offers six kinds of windows:

■The Casement window on page 526 has one or two door-like sashes that

swing inward or outward.

■The Pivoted window on page 530 pivots at the center of its sash, either

vertically or horizontally.

■The Projected window on page 532 has three sashes, two of which open

like awnings in opposite directions.

■The Sliding window on page 534 has two sashes, one of which slides either

vertically or horizontally.

■The Fixed window on page 528 doesn't open.

■The Awning window on page 523 has a sash that is hinged at the top.

Windows and Materials

By default, 3ds Max assigns five different material IDs to windows. The

aectemplates.mat material library includes Window-Template, a multi/sub-object

Windows | 517

material designed to be used with windows. Each component of the

window/material is listed below along with its corresponding Material ID.

Window/Material ComponentMaterial ID

Front Rails1

Back Rails2

Panels (glazing), with 50% opacity3

Front Frame4

Back Frame5

NOTE 3ds Max does not automatically assign a material to the window object.

To use the included material, open the library and then assign the material to your

object.

Making an Opening for a Window

To make an opening in a wall, you can perform a Boolean operation on page

686 with the wall as Operand A, and another object, such as a box, as Operand

B. Then, you can create and add a window in the opening, and link on page

3267 it, if you choose, as a child of the wall.

NOTE Using snaps, you can insert a window in a wall object, automatically linking

the two and creating a cutout for the window. See the procedure To create and

place a window or door in a wall: on page 462 .

Procedures

To create a window:

1On the Object Type rollout, click the button for the type of window you

want to create.

2Choose options as needed, such as changing the default creation method.

Turn on Allow Non-vertical Jambs if you want an inclined window.

3Drag the mouse in the viewport to create the first two points, defining

the width and angle of the base of the window.

518 | Chapter 6 Creating Geometry

4Release the mouse and move to adjust the depth of the window (default

creation method), and then click to set.

By default, the depth is perpendicular to the line between the first two

points and parallel to the active grid.

5Move the mouse to adjust the height, and then click to finish.

The height is perpendicular to the plane defined by the first three points

and perpendicular to the active grid.

You can adjust the height, width, and depth values on the Parameters

rollout.

In the Creation Method rollout, you can change the creation order to

width-height-depth instead of width-depth-height.

To create a window material:

1Create a window or select an existing window.

2Open the Material Editor, and select a slot for the material.

3Click the Type button below the Material Editor toolbar.

The Material/Map Browser dialog opens.

4In the Material list, double-click the Multi/Sub-Object item, and then on

the Replace Material dialog that appears, choose either option and click

OK.

5On the Multi/Sub-Object Basic Parameters rollout, click Set Number and

change Number Of Materials to 5. Click OK.

6Optionally, change the sub-material names to those specified in the

above table on page 518 .

7Edit the material as you would any Multi/Sub-Object material.

To animate a window:

You can animate a window opening and closing by keyframing the Open

setting.

1Create a window or select an existing window.

2If using an existing window, also access the Modify panel.

Windows | 519

3Set the Parameters rollout > Open parameter to the amount you want

the window to be open at the start of the animation. If you want it to be

closed, set it to 0.

4Click the Auto Key button on page 7344 to turn it on, and advance to the

first keyframe.

5Change the Open setting.

6Continue moving to any additional keyframes and changing the Open

setting as necessary.

7Play the animation.

Interface

Most window parameters are common to all kinds of windows, and are

described here. The topic for each window type describes its unique controls

and behavior.

Object Type rollout

Six types of window are available in 3ds Max:

Awning Has a sash that is hinged at the top. See Awning on page 523 .

Casement Has one or two door-like sashes that swing inward or outward.

See Casement on page 526 .

Fixed Doesn't open. See Fixed on page 528 .

Pivoted Pivots at the center of its sash, either vertically or horizontally. See

Pivoted on page 530 .

Projected Has three sashes, two of which open like awnings in opposite

directions. See Projected on page 532 .

Sliding Has two sashes, one of which slides vertically or horizontally. See

Sliding on page 534 .

520 | Chapter 6 Creating Geometry

Name and Color rollout

See Object Name and Wireframe Color on page 7423 .

Creation Method rollout

You define each type of window with four points: Drag the first two, followed

by two move-click sequences. The Creation Method setting determines the

order in which these actions define the window's dimensions.

Width/Depth/Height The first two points define the width and angle of the

base of the window. You set these points by dragging in a viewport, as the

first step in creating a window. This lets you align the window with a wall or

opening when you place it. The third point, where you click after moving the

mouse, specifies the depth of the window, and the fourth click, where you

click after moving the mouse again, specifies the height.

Width/Height/Depth Works like the Width/Depth/Height option, except

that the last two points create first the height and then the depth.

NOTE With this method, the depth is perpendicular to the plane set by the first

three points. Thus, if you draw the window in the Top or Perspective viewport,

the door lies flat on the active grid.

Allow Non-vertical Jambs Select to create tilted windows. Set snaps on page

2568 to define points off the construction plane. Default=off.

Windows | 521

Parameters rollout

Height/Width/Depth Specifies the overall dimensions of the window.

522 | Chapter 6 Creating Geometry

Frame group

Horiz. Width Sets the width of the horizontal part of the window frame (at

the top and bottom). This setting also affects the glazed portion of the

window's width.

Vert. Width Sets the width of the vertical part of the window frame (at the

sides). This setting also affects the glazed portion of the window's height.

Thickness Sets the thickness of the frame. This also controls the thickness

of casements or railings on the window's sashes.

Glazing group

Thickness Specifies the thickness of the glass.

Generate Mapping Coordinates Creates the object with the appropriate

mapping coordinates on page 7838 already applied.

Real-World Map Size Controls the scaling method used for texture mapped

materials that are applied to the object. The scaling values are controlled by

the Use Real-World Scale settings found in the applied material's Coordinates

rollout on page 5620 . Default=off.

Awning Window

Create panel > Geometry > Windows > Awning button

Create menu > AEC Objects > Awning Window

The Awning window has one or more sashes that are hinged at the top.

Windows | 523

Awning window

524 | Chapter 6 Creating Geometry

Interface

Parameters rollout

The topic for each kind of window describes its unique controls and behavior.

Some window parameters are common to all kinds of windows; see Windows

on page 516 .

Rails and Panels group

Width Sets the width (depth) of the rails in the sashes.

Panel Count Sets the number of sashes in the window. If you use more than

one sash, each is hinged at its top edge. Range=1 to 10.

Open Window group

Open Specifies the percent the window is open. This control is animatable.

Windows | 525

Casement Window

Create panel > Geometry > Windows > Casement button

Create menu > AEC Objects > Casement Window

The Casement window has one or two sashes that are hinged on the side, like

a door.

Casement window

526 | Chapter 6 Creating Geometry

Interface

Parameters rollout

The topic for each kind of window describes its unique controls and behavior.

Some window parameters are common to all kinds of windows; see Windows

on page 516 .

Casements group

Panel Width Changes the size of the glazed panel within each sash.

One/Two Specifies the number of window panels: one or two. Using two

panels creates a window like a double door; each panel is hinged on its outside

side edge.

Windows | 527

Open Window group

Open Specifies the percent that the window is open. This control is

animatable.

Flip Swing Turn this on to have the sashes open in the opposite direction.

Fixed Window

Create panel > Geometry > Windows > Fixed button

Create menu > AEC Objects > Fixed Window

Fixed windows do not open, thus have no Open Window control. In addition

to the standard window object parameters, the Fixed window provides the

Rails And Panels group of settings for subdividing the window.

Fixed windows

528 | Chapter 6 Creating Geometry

Interface

Parameters rollout

The topic for each kind of window describes its unique controls and behavior.

Some window parameters are common to all kinds of windows; see Windows

on page 516 .

Rails and Panels group

Width Sets the width (depth) of the rails in the sashes.

# Panels Horiz Sets the number of horizontal divisions in the window.

# Panels Vert Sets the number of vertical divisions in the window.

Chamfered Profile Chamfers the rails between the glazed panels, as in a

conventional wooden window. When Chamfered Profile is off, the rails have

a rectangular profile.

Windows | 529

Pivoted Window

Create panel > Geometry > Windows > Pivoted button

Create menu > AEC Objects > Pivoted Window

A pivoted window has one sash only, hinged midway through the side of the

sash. It can swing open either vertically or horizontally.

Pivoted windows

530 | Chapter 6 Creating Geometry

Interface

Parameters rollout

The topic for each kind of Window describes its unique controls and behavior.

Most Window parameters are common to all kinds of Windows; see Windows

on page 516 .

Rails group

Width Sets the width of the rails in the sash.

Pivots group

Vertical Rotation Switches the pivot axis from horizontal to vertical.

Windows | 531

Open Window group

Open Specifies the percent that the window is open. This control is

animatable.

Projected Window

Create panel > Geometry > Windows > Projected button

Create menu > AEC Objects > Projected Window

Projected windows have three sashes: The top sash doesn't move, while the

bottom two sashes swing open like awning windows, but in opposite directions.

Projected window

532 | Chapter 6 Creating Geometry

Interface

Parameters rollout

The topic for each kind of window describes its unique controls and behavior.

Some window parameters are common to all kinds of windows; see Windows

on page 516 .

Rails and Panels group

Width Sets the width (depth) of the rails in the sashes.

Middle Height Sets the height of the middle sash, relative to the window's

frame.

Bottom Height Sets the height of the bottom sash, relative to the window's

frame.

Windows | 533

Open Window group

Open Specifies the percent that the two movable sashes are open. This control

is animatable.

Sliding Window

Create panel > Geometry > Windows > Sliding button

Create menu > AEC Objects > Sliding Window

Sliding windows have two sashes: one fixed, one movable. The sliding part

can move either vertically or horizontally.

Sliding windows

534 | Chapter 6 Creating Geometry

Interface

Parameters rollout

The topic for each kind of Window describes its unique controls and behavior.

Most Window parameters are common to all kinds of Windows; see Windows

on page 516 .

Rails and Panels group

Rail Width Sets the width of the rails in the sash.

# Panels Horiz Sets the number of horizontal divisions in each sash.

# Panels Vert Sets the number of vertical divisions in each sash.

Windows | 535

Chamfered Profile Chamfers the rails between the glazed panels, as in a

conventional wooden window. When Chamfered Profile is off, the rails have

a rectangular profile.

Open Window group

Hung When on, the window slides vertically. When off, the window slides

horizontally.

Open Specifies the percent that the window is open. This control is

animatable.

Shapes

Create panel > Shapes

Create menu > Shapes

A shape is an object made from one or more curved or straight lines.

3ds Max includes the following shape types:

Splines and Extended Splines on page 542

NURBS Curves on page 2199

Using Shapes

Shapes are 2D and 3D lines and groups of lines that you typically use as

components of other objects. Most of the default shapes are made from splines.

You use these spline shapes to do the following:

■Generate planar and thin 3D surfaces

■Define loft components such as paths, shapes, and fit curves

■Generate surfaces of revolution

■Generate extrusions

■Define motion paths

The program supplies 11 basic spline shape objects, plus two types of NURBS

curves. You can quickly create these shapes using mouse or keyboard entry

536 | Chapter 6 Creating Geometry

and combine them to form compound shapes. See Splines on page 542 for

information about the methods and parameters used to create these shapes.

Creating Shapes

To access the shape creation tools, go to the Create panel and click the

Shapes button. You'll find the standard shapes under Splines in the category

list, and Point Curve and CV Curve under NURBS Curves.

As you add plug-ins, other shape categories might appear in this list.

The Object Type rollout contains the spline creation buttons. You can combine

one or more of these spline types into a single shape.

Create Shape from Edges

You can create shapes from edge selections in mesh objects. In Edit/Editable

Mesh objects, at the Edge selection level, in the Edit Geometry rollout, is a

button called Create Shape from Edges that creates a spline shape based on

selected edges. See Editable Mesh (Edge) on page 2007 . Similarly, with Editable

Poly objects, you can use the Create Shape button at the Edge selection level.

See Editable Poly (Edge) on page 2066

Editable Splines

You can convert a basic spline to an editable spline object on page 590 . The

editable spline has a variety of controls that let you directly manipulate it and

its sub-objects. For example, at the Vertex sub-object level you can move

vertices or adjust their Bezier handles. Editable splines let you create shapes

that are less regular, more free-form than the basic spline options.

When you convert a spline to an editable spline, you lose the ability to adjust

or animate its creation parameters.

Renderable Shapes

When you use a shape to create a 3D object by lofting, extruding, or other

means, the shape becomes a renderable 3D object. However, you can make a

shape render without making it into a 3D object. There are three basic steps

to rendering a shape:

1On the Rendering rollout of the shape's creation parameters, turn on

Enable In Renderer.

Shapes | 537

2Specify the thickness for the spline using the Thickness spinner in the

Rendering rollout.

3If you plan to assign a mapped material to the spline, turn on Generate

Mapping Coords.

When Enable in Renderer is on, the shape is rendered using a circle as a cross

section. Mapping coordinates are generated with U mapped once around the

perimeter, and V mapped once along the length.

538 | Chapter 6 Creating Geometry

The software provides more control over renderable shapes; viewports,

including wireframe viewports, can display the geometry of renderable shapes.

The rendering parameters for shapes appear in their own rollout.

The Steps settings affect the number of cross sections in the renderable shape.

Please observe the following:

■When you apply a modifier that converts a shape into a mesh (such as

Extrude on page 1377 or Lathe on page 1430 ), the object automatically

becomes renderable, regardless of the state of the Enable in Renderer check

box. You need to turn on the Enable in Renderer check box only when

you want to render an unmodified spline shape in the scene.

■As with all objects, a shape's layer must be on for the shape to render. See

Layer Properties on page 7227 .

■The Object Properties dialog on page 245 also has a Renderable check box,

which is turned on by default. Both this check box and the General rollout

> Renderable check box must be turned on in order to render a shape.

Shapes as Planar Objects

A straightforward usage for shapes is 2D cutouts or planar objects. Examples

include ground planes, text for signs, and cutout billboards. You create a

planar object by applying an Edit Mesh modifier on page 1283 to a closed

shape, or by converting it to an editable mesh object on page 1990 .

2D objects

You can also apply an Edit Mesh modifier to a 3D shape (for example, a shape

whose vertices have been moved vertically away from the construction plane

Shapes | 539

by different amounts) to create a curved surface. The resulting 3D surface often

requires manual editing of faces and edges to smooth surface ridges.

Extruded and Lathed Shapes

You can apply modifiers to a shape to create a 3D object. Two of these

modifiers are Extrude and Lathe. Extrude on page 1377 creates a 3D object by

adding height to a shape. Lathe on page 1430 creates a 3D object by rotating

a shape about an axis.

Initial text shape with extruded shape below

Lathed object with initial shape on right

540 | Chapter 6 Creating Geometry

Lofting Shapes

You create Lofts on page 715 by combining two or more splines in special

ways. Shapes form the lofting path, loft cross-sections, and loft fit curves.

Shapes as Animation Paths

You can use shapes to define the position of an animated object. You create

a shape and use it to define a path that some other object follows.

Some possible ways for a shape to control animated position are:

■You can use a Path constraint on page 3222 to use a shape to control object

motion.

■You can convert a shape into position keys using the Motion panel >

Trajectories > Convert From function (see Trajectories on page 3045 ).

See also:

■Edit Modifiers and Editable Objects on page 1027

■Modifying at the Sub-Object Level on page 1029

■Modifier Stack Controls on page 7427

Shape Check Utility

Utilities panel > Utilities rollout > More button Utilities dialog > Shape Check

The Shape Check utility tests spline and NURBS-based shapes and curves for

self-intersection and graphically displays any instances of intersecting

segments. Self-intersecting shapes used to produce lathed, extruded, lofted,

or other 3D objects can result in rendering errors.

The utility is "sticky" in that once you've picked a shape object for it to check,

you can pan/zoom viewports and it will continually display the locations of

intersecting curves in the shape you pick.

If a shape is animated, moving the time slider will recheck the shape on each

frame of the animation, allowing for easy checking of these changing shapes.

Shape Check Utility | 541

Intersection points highlighted by Shape Check

Interface

Pick Object Click this button, and then click the shape for the utility to

check. You can pick only spline- and NURBS-based shapes and curves. Points

of intersection discovered by the utility are highlighted with red boxes. The

text below the button indicates whether any points of intersection occur.

Close Closes the utility.

Splines and Extended Splines

Create panel > Shapes > Splines

Create menu > Shapes

Create panel > Shapes > Extended Splines

Splines include the following object types:

Line Spline on page 551

542 | Chapter 6 Creating Geometry

Rectangle Spline on page 555

Circle Spline on page 557

Ellipse Spline on page 559

Arc Spline on page 560

Donut Spline on page 564

NGon Spline on page 565

Star Spline on page 567

Text Spline on page 569

Helix Spline on page 574

Section Spline on page 576

Extended Splines include the following object types:

WRectangle Spline on page 580

Channel Spline on page 583

Angle Spline on page 585

Tee Spline on page 587

Wide Flange Spline on page 588

This topic covers aspects of spline and extended spline creation that are

common to all spline object types, including the parameters available in the

General rollout. For parameters unique to a particular spline or extended spline

type, see its section by clicking the appropriate link above.

Procedures

To control starting a new shape manually:

1On the Create panel, turn off the check box next to the Start New Shape

button.

2Click the Start New Shape button.

3Begin creating splines.

Each spline is added to the compound shape. You can tell you are creating

a compound shape because all the splines remain selected.

4Click Start New Shape to complete the current shape and prepare to start

another.

Splines and Extended Splines | 543

Issues to remember about creating shapes:

■You can go back and change the parameters of a shape containing a single

spline after the shape is created.

■You can create a compound shape by adding splines to a shape: Select the

shape, turn off Start New Shape, and then create more splines.

■You cannot change the parameters of a compound shape. For example,

create a compound shape by creating a circle and then adding an arc. Once

you create the arc, you cannot change the circle parameters.

To create a spline using keyboard entry:

1Click a spline creation button.

2Expand the Keyboard Entry rollout.

3Enter X, Y, and Z values for the first point.

4Enter values in any remaining parameter fields.

5Click Create.

Interface

Object Type rollout (Splines and Extended Splines)

544 | Chapter 6 Creating Geometry

AutoGrid Lets you automatically create objects on the surface of other objects

by generating and activating a temporary construction plane based on normals

of the face that you click.

For more information, see AutoGrid on page 2513 .

Start New Shape A shape can contain a single spline or it can be a compound

shape containing multiple splines. You control how many splines are in a

shape using the Start New Shape button and check box on the Object Type

rollout. The check box next to the Start New Shape button determines when

new shapes are created. When the box is on, the program creates a new shape

object for every spline you create. When the box is off, splines are added to

the current shape until you click the Start New Shape button.

Shape Selection buttons Lets you specify the type of shape to create.

Name and Color rollout

Lets you name an object and assign it a viewport color. For details, see Object

Name and Wireframe Color on page 7423 .

Splines and Extended Splines | 545

Rendering rollout

Lets you turn on and off the renderability of a spline or NURBS curve, specify

its thickness in the rendered scene, and apply mapping coordinates.

You can animate render parameters, such as the number of sides, but you

cannot animate the Viewport settings.

You can convert the displayed mesh into a mesh object by applying an Edit

Mesh or Edit Poly modifier or converting to an editable mesh or editable poly

object. If Enable In Viewport is off when converting, closed shapes will be

“filled in” and open shapes will contain only vertices; no edges or faces. If

546 | Chapter 6 Creating Geometry

Enable In Viewport is on when converting, the system will use the Viewport

settings for this mesh conversion. This gives maximum flexibility, and will

always give the conversion of the mesh displayed in the viewports.

Enable In Renderer When on, the shape is rendered as a 3D mesh using the

Radial or Rectangular parameters set for Renderer. In previous versions of the

program, the Renderable switch performed the same operation.

Enable In Viewport When on, the shape is displayed in the viewport as a

3D mesh using the Radial or Rectangular parameters set for Renderer. In

previous versions of the program, the Display Render Mesh performed the

same operation.

Use Viewport settings Lets you set different rendering parameters, and

displays the mesh generated by the Viewport settings. Available only when

Enable in Viewport is turned on.

Generate Mapping Coords Turn this on to apply mapping coordinates.

Default=off.

3ds Max generates the mapping coordinates in the U and V dimensions. The

U coordinate wraps once around the spline; the V coordinate is mapped once

along its length. Tiling is achieved using the Tiling parameters in the applied

material. For more information, see Mapping Coordinates on page 5183 .

Real-World Map Size Controls the scaling method used for texture mapped

materials that are applied to the object. The scaling values are controlled by

the Use Real-World Scale settings found in the applied material's Coordinates

rollout on page 5620 . Default=off.

Viewport Choose this to specify Radial or Rectangular parameters for the

shape as it will display in the viewports when Enable In Viewport is on.

Renderer Choose this on to specify Radial or Rectangular parameters for the

shape as it will display when rendered or viewed in the viewport when Enable

in Viewport is turned on.

Radial Displays the 3D mesh as a cylindrical object.

Thickness Specifies the diameter of the viewport or rendered spline mesh.

Default=1.0. Range=0.0 to 100,000,000.0.

Splines and Extended Splines | 547

Splines rendered at thickness of 1.0 and 5.0, respectively

Sides Sets the number of sides (or facets) for the spline mesh n the viewport

or renderer. For example, a value of 4 results in a square cross section.

Angle Adjusts the rotational position of the cross-section in the viewport or

renderer. For example, if the spline mesh has a square cross section you can

use Angle to position a "flat" side down.

Rectangular Displays the spline's mesh shape as a rectangle.

Length Specifies the size of the cross–section along the local Y axis.

Width Specifies the size of the cross–section along the local X axis.

Angle Adjusts the rotational position of the cross-section in the viewport or

renderer. For example, if you have a square cross-section you can use Angle

to position a "flat" side down.

Aspect Sets the aspect ratio for rectangular cross-sections. The Lock check

box lets you lock the aspect ratio. When Lock is turned on, Width is locked

to Length that results in a constant ratio of Width to Length.

Auto Smooth If Auto Smooth is turned on, the spline is auto-smoothed using

the threshold specified by the Threshold setting below it. Auto Smooth sets

the smoothing based on the angle between spline segments. Any two adjacent

segments are put in the same smoothing group if the angle between them is

less than the threshold angle.

NOTE Turning Auto Smooth on for every situation does not always give you the

best smoothing quality. Altering the Threshold angle may be necessary or turning

Auto Smooth off may produce the best results.

548 | Chapter 6 Creating Geometry

Threshold Specifies the threshold angle in degrees. Any two adjacent spline

segments are put in the same smoothing group if the angle between them is

less than the threshold angle.

Interpolation rollout

These settings control how a spline is generated. All spline curves are divided

into small straight lines that approximate the true curve. The number of

divisions between each vertex on the spline are called steps. The more steps

used, the smoother the curve appears.

Steps Spline steps can be either adaptive (that is, set automatically by turning

on Adaptive) or specified manually.

When Adaptive is off, use the Steps field/spinner to set the number of divisions

between each vertex. Splines with tight curves require many steps to look

smooth while gentle curves require fewer steps. Range=0 to 100.

Optimize When on, removes unneeded steps from straight segments in the

spline. Optimize is not available when Adaptive is on. Default=on.

Adaptive When off, enables manual interpolation control using Optimize

and Steps. Default=off.

When on, Adaptive sets the number of steps for each spline to produce a

smooth curve. Straight segments always receive 0 steps.

Splines and Extended Splines | 549

Optimized spline left and adaptive spline right. Resulting wireframe view of each,

respectively, on the right.

The main use for manual interpolation of splines is in morphing or other

operations where you must have exact control over the number of vertices

created.

Creation Method rollout

Many spline tools use the Creation Methods rollout. On this rollout you choose

to define splines by either their center point or their diagonal.

Edge Your first click defines a point on the side or at a corner of the shape

and you drag a diameter or the diagonal corner.

Center Your first click defines the center of the shape and you drag a radius

or corner point.

Text on page 569 and Star on page 567 do not have a Creation Methods rollout.

Line on page 551 and Arc on page 560 have unique Creation Methods rollouts

that are discussed in their respective topics.

550 | Chapter 6 Creating Geometry

Keyboard Entry rollout

You can create most splines using keyboard entry. The process is generally

the same for all splines and the parameters are found under the Keyboard

Entry rollout. Keyboard entry varies primarily in the number of optional

parameters. The image above shows a sample Keyboard Entry rollout for the

Circle shape.

The Keyboard Entry rollout contains three fields for the X, Y, and Z coordinates

of the initial creation point, plus a variable number of parameters to complete

the spline. Enter values in each field and click the Create button to create the

spline.

Line Spline

Create panel > Shapes > Splines > Object Type rollout > Line

Create menu > Shapes > Line

Use Line to create a free-form spline made of multiple segments.

Splines and Extended Splines | 551

Example of line

Procedures

To create a line:

1 Go to the Create panel and choose Shapes.

2On the Object Type rollout, click the Line button.

3Choose a creation method.

4Click or drag the start point.

Clicking creates a corner vertex; dragging creates a Bezier vertex.

5Click or drag additional points.

Clicking creates a corner vertex; dragging creates a Bezier vertex.

6Do one of the following:

■Right-click to create an open spline.

■Click the first vertex and click Yes in the "Close spline?" dialog to

create a closed spline.

552 | Chapter 6 Creating Geometry

To create a line using rectilinear and angle-snap options:

These two options aid in creating regular shapes:

■While creating a spline with the mouse, press and hold Shift to constrain

new points to 90-degree-angle increments from previous points. Use the

default Initial type setting of Corner and click all subsequent points to

create fully rectilinear shapes.

■While creating a spline with the mouse, press and hold Ctrl to constrain

new points to angle increments determined by the current Angle Snap

setting on page 2523 . To set this angle, go to Customize menu > Grid and

Snap Settings, click the Options tab on page 2587 in the Grid and Snap

Settings dialog, and change the value in the Angle (deg) field.

The angle for each new segment relates to the previous segment, so the angle

snap works only after you've placed the first two spline vertices (that is, the

first segment). Angle Snap need not be enabled for this feature to work.

To create a line from the keyboard:

1Enter values in the X, Y, and Z fields to specify a vertex coordinate.

2Click Add Point to add a vertex to the current line at the specified

coordinate.

3Repeat steps 1 and 2 for each additional vertex.

4Do one of the following:

■Click Finish to create an open spline.

■Click Close to connect the current vertex to the first vertex and create

a closed spline.

Interface

Automatic Conversion to an Editable Spline

Because the Line object has no dimension parameters to be carried over to

the Modify panel, it converts to an editable spline on page 590 when you

move from the Create panel to the Modify panel. While you are creating the

line, the Create panel displays the original controls, such as Interpolation,

Rendering, Creation Method, and Keyboard Entry. After creating the line,

when you go to the Modify panel you have immediate access to the Selection

and Geometry rollouts to edit the vertices or any part of the shape.

Splines and Extended Splines | 553

Rendering and Interpolation rollouts

All spline-based shapes share these parameters. See Splines on page 542 for

an explanation of these parameters.

Creation Method rollout

Creation method options for lines are different from other spline tools. You

choose options to control the type of vertex created when you click or drag

vertices.

You can preset the default types of spline vertices during line creation with

these settings:

Initial Type group

Sets the type of vertex you create when you click a vertex location.

Corner Produces a sharp point. The spline is linear to either side of the

vertex.

Smooth Produces a smooth, nonadjustable curve through the vertex. The

amount of curvature is set by the spacing of the vertices.

Drag Type group

Sets the type of vertex you create when you drag a vertex location. The vertex

is located at the cursor position where you first press the mouse button. The

direction and distance that you drag are used only when creating Bezier

vertices.

554 | Chapter 6 Creating Geometry

Corner Produces a sharp point. The spline is linear to either side of the

vertex.

Smooth Produces a smooth, nonadjustable curve through the vertex. The

amount of curvature are set by the spacing of the vertices.

Bezier Produces a smooth, adjustable curve through the vertex. The amount

of curvature and direction of the curve are set by dragging the mouse at each

vertex.

Keyboard Entry rollout

Keyboard entry for lines is different from keyboard entry for other splines.

Entering keyboard values continues to add vertices to the existing line until

you click Close or Finish.

Add Point Adds a new point to the line at the current X/Y/Z coordinates.

Close Closes the shape, adding a final spline segment between the most

recent vertex and the first.

Finish Finishes the spline without closing it.

Rectangle Spline

Create panel > Shapes > Splines > Object Type rollout > Rectangle

Create menu > Shapes > Rectangle

Use Rectangle to create square and rectangular splines.

Splines and Extended Splines | 555

Examples of rectangles

Procedures

To create a rectangle:

1 Go to the Create panel and choose Shapes.

2Click Rectangle.

3Choose a creation method.

4Drag in a viewport to create a rectangle.

Optionally, press Ctrl while dragging to constrain the spline to a square.

Interface

Rendering and Interpolation rollouts

All spline-based shapes share these parameters. See Splines on page 542 for

an explanation of these parameters.

Creation Method rollout

The Rectangle shape uses the standard creation methods of Center or Edge.

Most spline-based shapes share the same Creation Method parameters. See

Splines on page 542 for an explanation of these parameters.

556 | Chapter 6 Creating Geometry

Parameters rollout

Once you have created a rectangle, you can make changes using the following

parameters:

Length Specifies the size of the rectangle along the local Y axis.

Width Specifies the size of the rectangle along the local X axis.

Corner Radius Creates rounded corners. When set to 0, the rectangle contains

90-degree corners.

Circle Spline

Create panel > Shapes > Splines > Object Type rollout > Circle

Create menu > Shapes > Circle

Use Circle to create closed circular splines made of four vertices.

Splines and Extended Splines | 557

Example of circle

Procedures

To create a circle:

1 Go to the Create panel and choose Shapes.

2Click Circle.

3Choose a creation method.

4Drag in a viewport to draw the circle.

Interface

Rendering and Interpolation rollouts

All spline-based shapes share these parameters. See Splines on page 542 for

explanations of these parameters.

Creation Method rollout

The Circle shape uses the standard creation methods of Center or Edge. Most

spline-based shapes share the same Creation Method parameters. See Splines

on page 542 for an explanation of these parameters.

558 | Chapter 6 Creating Geometry

Parameters rollout

Once you have created a circle, you can make changes using the following

parameter:

Radius Specifies the radius of the circle.

Ellipse Spline

Create panel > Shapes > Splines > Object Type rollout > Ellipse

Create menu > Shapes > Ellipse

Use Ellipse to create elliptical and circular splines.

Examples of ellipses

Procedures

To create an ellipse:

1 Go to the Create panel and choose Shapes.

2Click Ellipse.

3Choose a creation method.

4Drag in a viewport to draw the ellipse.

Optionally, press Ctrl while dragging to constrain the spline to a circle.

Splines and Extended Splines | 559

Interface

Rendering and Interpolation rollouts

All spline-based shapes share these parameters. See Splines on page 542 for

explanations of these parameters.

Creation Method rollout

The Ellipse shape uses the standard creation methods of Center or Edge. Most

spline-based shapes share the same Creation Method parameters. See Splines

on page 542 for an explanation of these parameters.

Parameters rollout

Once you have created an Ellipse, you can make changes using the following

parameters:

Length Specifies the size of the Ellipse along the local Y axis.

Width Specifies the size of the Ellipse local X axis.

Arc Spline

Create panel > Shapes > Splines > Object Type rollout > Arc

Create menu > Shapes > Arc

Use Arc to create open and closed circular arcs made of four vertices.

Procedures

To create an arc using the end-end-middle method:

1 Go to the Create panel and choose Shapes.

560 | Chapter 6 Creating Geometry

2Click Arc.

3Choose the End-End-Middle creation method.

4Drag in a viewport to set the two ends of the arc.

5Release the mouse button, then move the mouse and click to specify a

third point on an arc between the two endpoints.

Creating an arc using the End-End-Middle creation method

To create an arc using the center-end-end method:

1 Go to the Create panel and choose Shapes.

2Click Arc.

3Choose the Center-End-End creation method.

4Press the mouse button to define the center of the arc.

5Drag and release the mouse button to specify the start point of the arc.

6Move the mouse and click to specify the other end of the arc.

Splines and Extended Splines | 561

Creating an arc using the Center-End-End creation method

Interface

Rendering and Interpolation rollouts

All spline-based shapes share these parameters. See Splines on page 542 for

an explanation of these parameters.

Creation Method rollout

These options determine the sequence of mouse clicks involved in the creation

of the arc.

End-End-Middle Drag and release to set the two endpoints of the arc, and

then click to specify the third point between the two endpoints.

Center-End-End Press the mouse button to specify the center point of the

arc, drag and release to specify one endpoint of the arc, and click to specify

the other endpoint of the arc.

562 | Chapter 6 Creating Geometry

Parameters rollout

Once you have created an arc, you can make changes using the following

parameters:

Radius Specifies the arc radius.

From Specifies the location of the start point as an angle measured from the

local positive X axis.

To Specifies the location of the end point as an angle measured from the

local positive X axis.

Pie Slice When on, creates a closed spline in the form of a pie. The start

point and end point are connected to the center with straight segments.

Closed pie slice arcs

Reverse When on, the direction of the arc spline is reversed, and the first

vertex is placed at the opposite end of an open arc. As long as the shape

remains an original shape (and not an editable spline), you can switch its

direction by toggling Reverse. Once the arc is converted to an editable spline,

you can use Reverse at the Spline sub-object level to reverse direction.

Splines and Extended Splines | 563

Donut Spline

Create panel > Shapes > Splines > Object Type rollout > Donut

Create menu > Shapes > Donut

Use Donut to create closed shapes from two concentric circles. Each circle is

made of four vertices.

Example of donut

Procedures

To create a donut:

1 Go to the Create panel and choose Shapes.

2Click Donut.

3Choose a creation method.

4Drag and release the mouse button to define the first donut circle.

5Move the mouse and then click to define the radius of the second

concentric donut circle.

The second circle can be larger or smaller than the first.

564 | Chapter 6 Creating Geometry

Interface

Rendering and Interpolation rollouts

All spline-based shapes share these parameters. See Splines on page 542 for

explanations of these parameters.

Creation Method rollout

The Donut shape uses the standard creation methods of Center or Edge. Most

spline-based shapes share the same Creation Method parameters. See Splines

on page 542 for an explanation of these parameters.

Parameters rollout

Once you have created a donut, you can make changes using the following

parameters:

Radius 1 Sets the radius of the first circle.

Radius 2 Sets the radius of the second circle.

NGon Spline

Create panel > Shapes > Splines > Object Type rollout > NGon

Create menu > Shapes > NGon

Use NGon to create closed flat-sided or circular splines with any number (N)

of sides or vertices.

Splines and Extended Splines | 565

Examples of NGons

Procedures

To create an NGon:

1 Go to the Create panel and choose Shapes.

2Click NGon.

3Choose a creation method.

4Drag and release the mouse button in a viewport to draw the NGon.

Interface

Rendering and Interpolation rollouts

All spline-based shapes share these parameters. See Splines on page 542 for

an explanation of these parameters.

Creation Method rollout

The NGon shape uses the standard creation methods of Center or Edge. Most

spline-based shapes share the same Creation Method parameters. See Splines

on page 542 for an explanation of these parameters.

566 | Chapter 6 Creating Geometry

Parameters rollout

Once you have created an NGon, you can make changes using the following

parameters:

Radius Specifies the NGon radius. You can use either of two methods to

specify the radius:

■Inscribed The radius from the center to the corners of the NGon

■Circumscribed The radius from the center to the sides of the NGon.

Sides Specifies the number of sides and vertices used by the NGon. Range=3

to 100.

Corner Radius Specifies the degree of rounding to apply to the corners of

the NGon. A setting of 0 specifies a standard unrounded corner.

Circular When on, specifies a circular NGon.

Star Spline

Create panel > Shapes > Splines > Object Type rollout > Star

Create menu > Shapes > Star

Use Star to create closed star-shaped splines with any number of points. Star

splines use two radiuses to set the distance between the outer points and inner

valleys.

Splines and Extended Splines | 567

Examples of stars

Procedures

To create a star:

1 Go to the Create panel and choose Shapes.

2Click Star.

3Drag and release the mouse button to define the first star radius.

4Move the mouse and then click to define the second star radius.

Interface

Rendering and Interpolation rollouts

All spline-based shapes share these parameters. See Splines on page 542 for

explanations of these parameters.

568 | Chapter 6 Creating Geometry

Parameters rollout

Once you have created a star, you can make changes using the following

parameters:

Radius 1 Specifies the radius of the inner vertices (the valley) of the star.

Radius 2 Specifies the radius of the outer vertices (the points) of the star.

Points Specifies the number of points on the star. Range=3 to 100.

A star has twice as many vertices as the specified number of points. Half the

vertices lie on one radius, forming points, and the remaining vertices lie on

the other radius, forming valleys.

Distortion Rotates the outer vertices (the points) about the center of the star.

This produces a sawtooth affect.

Fillet Radius 1 Rounds the inner vertices (the valleys) of the star.

Fillet Radius 2 Rounds the outer vertices (the points) of the star.

Text Spline

Create panel > Shapes > Splines > Object Type rollout > Text

Create menu > Shapes > Text

Use Text to create splines in the shape of text. The text can use any Windows

font installed on your system, or a Type 1 PostScript font installed in the

directory pointed to by the Fonts path on the Configure System Paths dialog

on page 7523 . Because fonts are loaded only at first use, changing the font path

Splines and Extended Splines | 569

later in the program has no effect. The program must be restarted before the

new path is used, if the font manager has been used by the program.

Examples of text

You can edit the text in the Create panel, or later in the Modify panel.

Using Text Shapes

Text shapes maintain the text as an editable parameter. You can change the

text at any time. If the font used by your text is deleted from the system, 3ds

Max still properly displays the text shape. However, to edit the text string in

the edit box you must choose an available font.

The text in your scene is just a shape where each letter and, in some cases,

pieces of each letter are individual splines. You can apply modifiers like Edit

Spline on page 1376 , Bend on page 1139 , and Extrude on page 1377 to edit Text

shapes just like any other shape.

Procedures

To create text:

1 Go to the Create panel and choose Shapes.

2Click Text.

3Enter text in the Text box.

570 | Chapter 6 Creating Geometry

4Do either of the following to define an insertion point:

■Click in a viewport to place the text in the scene.

■Drag the text into position and release the mouse button.

To enter a special Windows character:

1Hold down the Alt key.

2Enter the character's numeric value on the numeric keypad.

You must use the numeric keypad, not the row of numbers above the

alphabetic keys.

For some characters, you must enter a leading zero. For example, 0233

to enter an e with an acute accent.

3Release the Alt key.

Interface

Settings available for text include kerning, leading, justification, multiple lines,

and a manual update option.

Rendering and Interpolation rollouts

All spline-based shapes share these parameters. See Splines on page 542 for

an explanation of these parameters.

Splines and Extended Splines | 571

Parameters rollout

Once you have created text, you can make changes using the following

parameters:

Font list Choose from a list of all available fonts. Available fonts include:

■Fonts installed in Windows.

■Type 1 PostScript fonts located in the directory pointed to by the Fonts

path on the Configure System Paths dialog on page 7523 .

Italic style button Toggles italicized text.

Underline style button Toggles underlined text.

572 | Chapter 6 Creating Geometry

Align Left Aligns text to the left side of its bounding box.

Center Aligns text to the center of its bounding box.

Align Right Aligns text to the right side of its bounding box.

Justify Spaces all lines of text to fill the extents of the bounding box.

NOTE The four text-alignment buttons require multiple lines of text for effect

because they act on the text in relation to its bounding box. If there's only one

line of text, it's the same size as its bounding box.

Size Sets the text height where the height measuring method is defined by

the active font. The first time you enter text, the default size is 100 units.

Kerning Adjusts the kerning (the distance between letters).

Leading Adjusts the leading (the distance between lines). This has an effect

only when multiple lines of text are included in the shape.

Text edit box Allows for multiple lines of text. Press Enter after each line of

text to start the next line.

■The initial session default is "VIZ Text."

■The initial session default is "MAX Text."

■The edit box does not support word wrap.

■You can cut and paste single- and multi-line text from the Clipboard.

Update group

These options let you select a manual update option for situations where the

complexity of the text shape is too high for automatic updates.

Update Updates the text in the viewport to match the current settings in

the edit box. This button is available only when Manual Update is on.

Manual Update When on, the text that you type into the edit box is not

shown in the viewport until you click the Update button.

Splines and Extended Splines | 573

Helix Spline

Create panel > Shapes > Splines > Object Type rollout > Helix

Create menu > Shapes > Helix

Use Helix to create open flat or 3D spirals.

Examples of helixes

Procedures

To create a helix:

1 Go to the Create panel and choose Shapes.

2Click Helix.

3Choose a creation method.

4Press the mouse button to define the first point of the Helix start circle.

5Drag and release the mouse button to define the second point of the

Helix start circle.

6Move the mouse and then click to define the height of the Helix.

7Move the mouse and then click to define the radius of the Helix end.

574 | Chapter 6 Creating Geometry

Interface

Rendering rollout

All spline-based shapes share these parameters. See Splines on page 542 for

explanations of these parameters.

Interpolation

The helix differs from other spline-based shapes in that it always uses adaptive

interpolation: the number of vertices in a helix is determined by the number

of turns.

Creation Method rollout

The Helix shape uses the standard creation methods of Center or Edge. Most

spline-based shapes share the same Creation Method parameters. See Splines

on page 542 for an explanation of these parameters.

Parameters rollout

Once you have created a helix, you can make changes using the following

parameters:

Radius 1 Specifies the radius for the Helix start.

Radius 2 Specifies the radius for the Helix end.

Height Specifies the height of the Helix.

Turns Specifies the number of turns the Helix makes between its start and

end points.

Splines and Extended Splines | 575

Bias Forces the turns to accumulate at one end of the helix. Bias has no

visible affect when the height is 0.0.

Helical spline varied only by bias settings

■A bias of –1.0 forces the turns toward the start of the helix.

■A bias of 0.0 evenly distributes the turns between the ends.

■A bias of 1.0 forces the turns toward the end of the helix.

CW/CCW The direction buttons set whether the Helix turns clockwise (CW)

or counterclockwise (CCW).

Section Spline

Create panel > Shapes > Splines > Object Type rollout > Section

Create menu > Shapes > Section

This is a special type of object that generates other shapes based on a

cross-sectional slice through mesh objects. The Section object appears as a

bisected rectangle. You simply move and rotate it to slice through one or more

mesh objects, and then click the Create Shape button to generate a shape

based on the 2D intersection.

576 | Chapter 6 Creating Geometry

Red line shows the section shape based on the structure.

Procedures

To create and use a section shape:

1 Go to the Create panel and choose Shapes.

2Click Section.

3Drag a rectangle in the viewport in which you want to orient the plane.

(For example, create it in the Top viewport to place the Section object

parallel with the XY home grid.)

The Section object appears as a simple rectangle with crossed lines

indicating its center. With the default settings, the rectangle is for display

purposes only, because the effect of the Section object extends along its

plane to the full extents of the scene.

4Move and rotate the section so that its plane intersects mesh objects in

the scene.

Yellow lines are displayed where the sectional plane intersects objects.

Splines and Extended Splines | 577

5On the Create panel, click Create Shape, enter a name in the resulting

dialog, and click OK.

An editable spline on page 590 is created, based on the displayed cross

sections.

Interface

Rendering and Interpolation rollouts

All spline-based shapes share these parameters. See Splines on page 542 for

an explanation of these parameters.

Section Parameters rollout

Create Shape Creates a shape based on the currently displayed intersection

lines. A dialog is displayed in which you can name the new object. The

578 | Chapter 6 Creating Geometry

resulting shape is an editable spline consisting of curve segments and corner

vertices, based on all intersected meshes in the scene.

Update group

Provides options for specifying when the intersection line is updated.

When Section Moves Updates the intersection line when you move or resize

the Section shape.

When Section Selected Updates the intersection line when you select the

section shape, but not while you move it. Click the Update Section button to

update the intersection.

Manually Updates the intersection line only when you click the Update

Section button.

Update Section Updates the intersection to match the current placement

of the Section object when using When Section Selected or Manually option.

NOTE When using When Section Selected or Manually, you can offset the

generated cross section from the position of the intersected geometry. As you

move the section object, the yellow cross-section lines move with it, leaving the

geometry behind. When you click Create Shape, the new shape is generated at

the displayed cross-section lines in the offset position.

Section Extents group

Choose one of these options to specify the extents of the cross-section

generated by the section object.

Infinite The section plane is infinite in all directions, resulting in a cross

section at any mesh geometry in its plane.

Section Boundary The cross-section is generated only in objects that are

within or touched by the boundary of the section shape.

Off No cross section is displayed or generated. The Create Shape button is

disabled.

Color swatch Click this to set the display color of the intersection.

Splines and Extended Splines | 579

Section Size rollout

Provides spinners that let you adjust the length and width of the displayed

section rectangle.

Length/Width Adjust the length and width of the displayed section rectangle.

NOTE If you convert the section grid to an editable spline, it's converted to a

shape based on the current cross section.

Extended Splines

WRectangle Spline

Create panel > Shapes > Extended Splines > Object Type rollout > WRectangle

Create menu > Shapes > WRectangle

Use WRectangle to create closed shapes from two concentric rectangles. Each

rectangle is made of four vertices. The WRectangle is similar to the Donut tool

except it uses rectangles instead of circles.

WRectangle stands for “walled rectangle”.

Example of WRectangle

580 | Chapter 6 Creating Geometry

Procedures

To create a wrectangle:

1 Go to the Create panel and choose Shapes.

2Open the Shapes List and choose Extended Splines.

3Click WRectangle.

4Drag and release the mouse button to define the outer rectangle.

5Move the mouse and then click to define the inner rectangle.

Interface

Rendering and Interpolation rollouts

All spline-based shapes share these parameters. For explanations, see Splines

and Extended Splines on page 542 .

Creation Method rollout

The WRectangle shape uses the standard creation methods of Center or Edge.

Most spline-based shapes share the same Creation Method parameters. For

explanations, see Splines and Extended Splines on page 542 .

Extended Splines | 581

Parameters rollout

Length Controls the height of the wrectangle section.

Width Controls the width of the wrectangle section.

Thickness Controls the thickness of the walls of the wrectangle.

Sync Corner Fillets When turned on, Corner Radius 1 controls the radius of

both the interior and exterior corners of the wrectangle. It also maintains the

thickness of the section. Default=on.

Corner Radius 1 Controls the radius of all four interior and exterior corners

of the section.

If Sync Corner Fillets is turned off, Corner Radius 1 controls the radius of the

four exterior corners of the wrectangle.

Corner Radius 2 Controls the radius of the four interior corners of the

wrectangle.

Corner Radius 2 is only available when Sync Corner Fillets is turned off.

NOTE Take care when adjusting these settings. There are no constraining

relationships between them. Therefore, it's possible to set an inside radius (Corner

Radius 2) that is greater than the length and width of the sides.

582 | Chapter 6 Creating Geometry

Channel Spline

Create panel > Shapes > Extended Splines > Object Type rollout > Channel

Create menu > Shapes > Channel

Use Channel to create a closed “C” shaped spline. You have the option to

specify the interior and exterior corners between the vertical web and

horizontal legs of the section.

Example of Channel

Procedures

To create a channel:

1 Go to the Create panel and choose Shapes.

2Open the Shapes List and select Extended Splines.

3Click Channel.

4Drag and release the mouse button to define the outer perimeter of the

channel.

5Move the mouse and then click to define the thickness of the walls of

the channel.

Interface

Rendering and Interpolation rollouts

All spline-based shapes share these parameters. For explanations, see Splines

and Extended Splines on page 542 .

Extended Splines | 583

Creation Method rollout

The Channel shape uses the standard creation methods of Center or Edge.

Most spline-based shapes share the same Creation Method parameters. For

explanations, see Splines and Extended Splines on page 542 .

Parameters rollout

Length Controls the height of the vertical web of the channel.

Width Controls the width of the top and bottom horizontal legs of the

channel.

Thickness Controls the thickness of both legs of the angle.

Sync Corner Fillets When turned on, Corner Radius 1 controls the radius of

both the interior and exterior corners between the vertical web and horizontal

legs. It also maintains the thickness of the channel. Default=on.

Corner Radius 1 Controls the exterior radius between the vertical web and

horizontal legs of the channel.

Corner Radius 2 Controls the interior radius between the vertical web and

horizontal legs of the channel.

NOTE Take care when adjusting these settings. There are no constraining

relationships between them. Therefore, it's possible to set an inside radius (Corner

Radius 2) that is greater than the length of the web or width of the legs.

584 | Chapter 6 Creating Geometry

Angle Spline

Create panel > Shapes > Extended Splines > Object Type rollout > Angle

Create menu > Shapes > Angle

Use Angle to create a closed “L” shaped spline. You have the option to specify

the radii of the corners between the vertical and horizontal legs of the section.

Example of Angle

Procedures

To create an Angle spline:

1 Go to the Create panel and choose Shapes.

2Open the Shapes List and select Extended Splines.

3Click Angle.

4Drag and release the mouse button to define the initial size of the angle.

5Move the mouse and then click to define the thickness of the walls of

the angle.

Interface

Rendering and Interpolation rollouts

All spline-based shapes share these parameters. For explanations, see Splines

and Extended Splines on page 542 .

Extended Splines | 585

Creation Method rollout

The Angle shape uses the standard creation methods of Center or Edge. Most

spline-based shapes share the same Creation Method parameters. For

explanations, see Splines and Extended Splines on page 542 .

Parameters rollout

Length Controls the height of the vertical leg of the angle.

Width Controls the width of the horizontal leg of the angle.

Thickness Controls the thickness of both legs of the angle.

Sync Corner Fillets When turned on, Corner Radius 1 controls the radius of

both the interior and exterior corners between the vertical and horizontal

legs. It also maintains the thickness of the section. Default=on.

Corner Radius 1 Controls the exterior radius between the vertical and

horizontal legs of the angle.

Corner Radius 2 Controls the interior radius between the vertical and

horizontal legs of the angle.

Edge Radii Controls the interior radius at the outermost edges of the vertical

and horizontal legs.

586 | Chapter 6 Creating Geometry

NOTE Take care when adjusting these settings. There are no constraining

relationships between them. Therefore, it's possible to set an inside radius (Corner

Radius 2) that is greater than the length or width of the legs of the angle.

Tee Spline

Create panel > Shapes > Extended Splines > Object Type rollout > Tee

Create menu > Shapes > Tee

Use Tee to create a closed T-shaped spline. You can specify the radius of the

two interior corners between the vertical web and horizontal flange of the

section.

Example of Tee

Procedures

To create a Tee spline:

1 Go to the Create panel and choose Shapes.

2Open the Shapes List and select Extended Splines.

3Click Tee.

4Drag and release the mouse button to define the initial size of the tee.

5Move the mouse and then click to define the thickness of the walls of

the tee.

Extended Splines | 587

Interface

Rendering and Interpolation rollouts

All spline-based shapes share these parameters. For explanations, see Splines

and Extended Splines on page 542 .

Creation Method rollout

The Tee shape uses the standard creation methods of Center or Edge. Most

spline-based shapes share the same Creation Method parameters. For

explanations, see Splines and Extended Splines on page 542 .

Parameters rollout

Length Controls the height of the vertical web of the tee.

Width Controls the width of the flange crossing the tee.

Thickness Controls the thickness of the web and flange.

Corner Radius Controls the radius of the two interior corners between the

vertical web and horizontal flange of the section.

NOTE Take care when adjusting these settings. There are no constraining

relationships between them. Therefore, it's possible to set a radius (Corner Radius)

that is greater than the length of the web or width of the flange.

Wide Flange Spline

Create panel > Shapes > Extended Splines > Object Type rollout > Wide Flange

Create menu > Shapes > Wide Flange

588 | Chapter 6 Creating Geometry

Use Wide Flange to create a closed spline shaped like a capital letter I. You

can specify the interior corners between the vertical web and horizontal flanges

of the section.

Example of Wide Flange

Procedures

To create a Wide Flange spline:

1 Go to the Create panel and choose Shapes.

2Open the Shapes List and select Extended Splines.

3Click Wide Flange.

4Drag and release the mouse button to define the initial size of the wide

flange.

5Move the mouse and then click to define the thickness of the walls of

the wide flange.

Interface

Rendering and Interpolation rollouts

All spline-based shapes share these parameters. For explanations, see Splines

and Extended Splines on page 542 .

Creation Method rollout

The Wide Flange shape uses the standard creation methods of Center or Edge.

Most spline-based shapes share the same Creation Method parameters. For

explanations, see Splines and Extended Splines on page 542 .

Extended Splines | 589

Parameters rollout

Length Controls the height of the vertical web of the wide flange.

Width Controls the width of the horizontal flanges crossing the wide flange.

Thickness Controls the thickness of the web and flanges.

Corner Radius Controls the radius of the four interior corners between the

vertical web and horizontal flanges.

NOTE Take care when adjusting these settings. There are no constraining

relationships between them. Therefore, it's possible to set a radius (Corner Radius)

that is greater than the length of the web or width of the flanges.

Editable Spline

Create or select a spline > Modify panel > Right-click spline entry in the stack

display > Convert To: Editable Spline

Create a line > Modify panel

Create or select a spline > Right-click the spline > Transform (lower-right)

quadrant of the quad menu > Convert To: > Convert to Editable Spline

Editable Spline provides controls for manipulating an object as a spline object

and at three sub-object levels: vertex, segment, and spline.

The functions in Editable Spline are the same as those in the Edit Spline

modifier on page 1376 . The exception is that when you convert an existing

spline shape to an editable spline, the creation parameters are no longer

accessible or animatable. However, the spline's interpolation settings (step

settings) remain available in the editable spline.

590 | Chapter 6 Creating Geometry

When a spline-editing operation (typically, moving a segment or vertex) causes

end vertices to overlap, you can use the Weld on page 612 command to weld

the overlapping vertices together or the Fuse on page 613 command if you

want the two overlapping vertices to occupy the same point in space but

remain separate vertices.

NOTE Welding coincident vertices is controlled by the End Point Auto-Welding

feature on page 605 .

Show End Result

If you have several modifiers higher in the modifier stack, and want to

see the results of edits in an Edit Spline modifier or Editable Spline object,

then turn on Show End Result on the Modify panel. As you edit the spline

network, you’ll be able to see the result of modifiers above the Editable Spline

object. This is useful for Surface Tools work where you add a Surface modifier

above an Editable Spline object in the modifier stack.

See also:

■Edit Modifiers and Editable Objects on page 1027

■Modifying at the Sub-Object Level on page 1029

■Modifier Stack Controls on page 7427

Procedures

To produce an editable spline object, first select the shape, and then do one

of the following:

1Right-click the shape entry in the stack display and choose Convert To:

Editable Spline.

2In a viewport, right-click the object and choose Convert To: > Convert

to Editable Spline from the Transform (lower-right) quadrant of the quad

menu.

3Create a shape with two or more splines by first turning off Start New

Shape (on the Create panel). Any shape made up of two or more splines

is automatically an editable spline.

Editable Spline | 591

4Apply an Edit Spline modifier to a shape, and then collapse the stack. If

you use the Collapse utility on page 1931 to collapse the stack, be sure to

choose Output Type > Modifier Stack Result.

5Import a .shp file.

6Merge a shape from a 3ds Max file.

To select shape sub-objects:

1Expand the object's hierarchy in the stack display and choose a sub-object

level, or click one of the sub-object buttons at the top of the Selection

rollout.

You can also right-click the object in the viewports and choose a

sub-object level from the quad menu: Tools 1 (upper-left) quadrant >

Sub-objects > Choose the sub-object level.

2Click a selection or transform tool, and then select sub-objects using

standard click or region-selection techniques.

Because sub-object selections can be complex, you might consider using

one of the following techniques to prevent clearing the sub-object

selection by accident:

■Use Lock Selection on page 7324 .

■Name the sub-object selection (see Named Selection Sets List on page

146 ).

To clone sub-object selections:

■Hold down the Shift key while transforming the sub-objects.

You can clone segment and spline sub-objects, but not vertices.

To draw a spline cage:

1Select a segment sub-object on a spline.

2On the Geometry rollout in the Connect Copy group, turn on Connect.

3Hold down the Shift key and transform the selected segment. You can

move, rotate or scale using the transform gizmo to control the direction.

Notice that with Connect Copy on, new splines are drawn between the

locations of the segment and its clone.

592 | Chapter 6 Creating Geometry

TIP Use Area Selection or Fuse before selecting and moving these vertices.

They will not move together as they do with the Cross-Section modifier. Or

use Fuse to keep the vertices together.

Interface

The following controls are available at the object (top) level and at all

sub-object levels.

Editable Spline | 593

Rendering and Interpolation rollouts

These creation parameters appear in these rollouts for editable splines. For

splines to which the Edit Spline modifier has been applied, creation parameters

are available by selecting the object type entry (for example, Circle or NGon)

at the bottom of the modifier stack on page 7427 .

Rendering rollout

Controls here let you turn on and off the renderability of the shape, specify

its thickness in the rendered scene, and apply mapping coordinates. The spline

594 | Chapter 6 Creating Geometry

mesh can be viewed in the viewports. You can animate the render parameters,

such as the number of sides. Viewport settings cannot be animated.

You can also convert the displayed mesh into a mesh object by applying an

Edit Mesh modifier or converting to an Editable Mesh. The system will use

the Viewport settings for this mesh conversion if Use Viewport Settings is

turned on; otherwise it will use the Renderer settings. This gives maximum

flexibility, and will always give the conversion of the mesh displayed in the

viewports.

Enable In Renderer When on, the shape is rendered as a 3D mesh using the

Radial or Rectangular parameters set for Renderer. In previous versions of the

program, the Renderable switch performed the same operation.

Enable In Viewport When on, the shape is displayed in the viewport as a

3D mesh using the Radial or Rectangular parameters set for Renderer. In

previous versions of the program, the Display Render Mesh performed the

same operation.

Use Viewport settings Lets you set different rendering parameters, and

displays the mesh generated by the Viewport settings. Available only when

Enable in Viewport is turned on.

Generate Mapping Coords Turn this on to apply mapping coordinates.

Default=off.

The U coordinate wraps once around the thickness of the spline; the V

coordinate is mapped once along the length of the spline. Tiling is achieved

using the Tiling parameters in the material itself.

Real-World Map Size Controls the scaling method used for texture mapped

materials that are applied to the object. The scaling values are controlled by

the Use Real-World Scale settings found in the applied material's Coordinates

rollout on page 5620 . Default=off.

Viewport Turn this on to specify Radial or Rectangular parameters for the

shape as it will display in the viewport when Enable in Viewport is turned on.

Renderer Turn this on to specify Radial or Rectangular parameters for the

shape as it will display when rendered or viewed in the viewport when Enable

in Viewport is turned on.

Radial Displays the 3D mesh as a cylindrical object.

■Thickness Specifies the diameter of the viewport or rendered spline mesh.

Default=1.0. Range=0.0 to 100,000,000.0.

Editable Spline | 595

Splines rendered at thickness of 1.0 and 5.0, respectively

■Sides Sets the number of sides (or facets) for the spline mesh n the

viewport or renderer. For example, a value of 4 results in a square cross

section.

■Angle Adjusts the rotational position of the cross-section in the viewport

or renderer. For example, if the spline mesh has a square cross section you

can use Angle to position a "flat" side down.

Rectangular Displays the spline's mesh shape as rectangular.

■Aspect Sets the aspect ratio for rectangular cross-sections. The Lock check

box lets you lock the aspect ratio. When Lock is turned on, Width is locked

to Depth that results in a constant ratio of Width to Depth.

■Length Specifies the size of the cross–section along the local Y axis.

■Width Specifies the size of the cross–section along the local X axis.

■Angle Adjusts the rotational position of the cross-section in the viewport

or renderer. For example, if you have a square cross-section you can use

Angle to position a "flat" side down.

■Aspect The ratio of length to width. This control is linked to the Length

setting; when Aspect is unlocked, changing Length changes Aspect and

vice-versa. When Aspect is locked, the control is unavailable, and changing

Length or Width automatically changes the Width or Length (respectively)

to maintain the current aspect ratio.

596 | Chapter 6 Creating Geometry

Auto Smooth When on, the spline is auto-smoothed using the threshold

specified by the Threshold setting. Auto Smooth sets the smoothing based on

the angle between spline segments. Any two adjacent segments are put in the

same smoothing group if the angle between them is less than the threshold

angle.

Threshold Specifies the threshold angle in degrees. Any two adjacent spline

segments are put in the same smoothing group if the angle between them is

less than the threshold angle.

Interpolation rollout

The Interpolation controls set how the program generates a spline. All spline

curves are divided into small straight lines that approximate the true curve.

The number of divisions between each vertex on the spline is called steps. The

more steps used, the smoother the curve appears.

Splines used in above lathed objects contained two steps (left) and 20 steps (right)

Steps Use the Steps field to set the number of divisions, or steps, the program

uses between each vertex. Splines with tight curves require many steps to look

smooth while gentle curves require fewer steps. Range=0 to 100.

Spline steps can be either adaptive or manually specified. The method used

is set by the state of the Adaptive check box. The main use for manual

interpolation is to create splines for morphing or other operations where you

must have exact control over the number of vertices created.

Optimize When on, removes unneeded steps from straight segments in the

spline. Default=on.

Editable Spline | 597

NOTE Optimize is not available when Adaptive is on.

Optimize was used to create spline in this lathed object.

Adaptive When on, automatically sets the number of steps for each spline

to produce a smooth curve. Straight segments always receive 0 steps. When

off, enables manual interpolation control using Optimize and Steps.

Default=off.

598 | Chapter 6 Creating Geometry

Selection rollout

Provides controls for turning different sub-object modes on and off, working

with named selections and handles, display settings, and information about

selected entities.

When you first access the Modify panel with an editable spline selected, you're

at the Object level, with access to several functions available as described in

Editable Spline (Object) on page 602 . You can toggle the sub-object modes

and access relevant functions by clicking sub-object buttons at the top of the

Selection rollout.

You can work with parts of shapes and splines using shape sub-object selection

of the Editable Spline object. Clicking a button here is the same as selecting

a sub-object type in the Modifier List. Click the button again to turn it off and

return to object selection level.

Editable Spline | 599

Vertices Define points and curve tangents.

Segments Connect vertices.

Splines Are a combination of one or more connected segments.

Named Selections group

Copy Places a named selection into the copy buffer.

Paste Pastes a named selection from the copy buffer.

Lock Handles Normally you can transform the tangent handles of only one

vertex at a time, even when multiple vertices are selected. Use the Lock Handles

controls to transform multiple Bezier and Bezier Corner handles

simultaneously.

Alike As you drag the handle of an incoming vector, all incoming vectors

of the selected vertices move simultaneously. Likewise, moving the outgoing

tangent handle on one vertex moves the outgoing tangent handle for all

selected vertices.

All Any handle you move affects all handles in the selection, regardless of

whether they're broken. This option is also useful when working with a single

Bezier Corner vertex when you want to move both handles.

Shift+click a handle to "break" the tangent and move each handle

independently. The Alike option must be chosen to break the tangent.

Area Selection Lets you select automatically all vertices within a specific

radius of the vertex you click. At the Vertex sub-object level, turn on Area

Selection, and then set the radius with the spinner to the right of the Area

Selection check box. This is useful when moving vertices that have been created

using Connect Copy or Cross Section button.

Segment End Select a vertex by clicking a segment. In Vertex sub-object,

turn on and select a segment close to the vertex that you want selected. Use

this when there are a number of coincident vertices and you want to select a

vertex on a specific segment. The cursor changes to a cross when it is over a

segment. By holding down the Ctrl key you can add to the selection.

Select By Selects vertices on the selected spline or segment. First select a

spline or segment in sub-object spline or segment, then turn on vertex

sub-object and click Select By and choose Spline or Segment. All the vertices

on the selected spline or segment are selected. You can then edit the vertices.

600 | Chapter 6 Creating Geometry

Display group

Show Vertex Numbers When on, the program displays vertex numbers next

to the selected spline's vertices at any sub-object level.

Selected Only When on, the vertex number or numbers appear only next

to selected vertices.

Soft Selection

For information on the Soft Selection rollout settings, see Soft Selection Rollout

on page 1926 .

Selection Info

At the bottom of the Selection rollout is a text display giving information

about the current selection. If 0 or more than one sub-object is selected, the

text gives the number selected.

At the Vertex and Segment sub-object levels, if one sub-object is selected, the

text gives the identification numbers of the current spline (with respect to the

current object) and of the current selected sub-object. Each spline object

contains a spline number 1; if it contains more than one spline, the subsequent

splines are numbered consecutively higher.

When a single spline is selected at the Spline sub-object level, the first line

displays the identification number of the selected spline and whether it's open

or closed, and the second line displays the number of vertices it contains.

When more than one spline is selected, the number of splines selected is

displayed on the first line, and the total number of vertices they contain is

displayed on the second line.

Geometry rollout

The Geometry rollout provides functions for editing a spline object and

sub-objects. The functions available at the spline object level (when no

sub-object level is active; see Editable Spline (Object) on page 602 ) are also

available at all sub-object levels, and work exactly the same at each level. Other

functions are also available, depending on which sub-object level is active.

Those that apply to other sub-object levels are unavailable.

For specific information, see these topics:

Editable Spline (Object) on page 602

Editable Spline (Vertex) on page 606

Editable Spline | 601

Editable Spline (Segment) on page 618

Editable Spline (Spline) on page 627

Editable Spline (Object)

Select an editable spline > Modify panel > Editable spline (not a sub-object

level) selected in the modifier stack

Select an editable spline > Right-click the spline > Tools 1 (upper-left) quadrant

of the quad menu > Sub-objects > Top-level

The functions available at the editable spline object level (that is, when no

sub-object level is active) are also available at all sub-object levels, and work

exactly the same at each level.

Interface

Rendering, Interpolation, and Selection rollouts

See the Editable Spline topic for information on the Rendering and

Interpolation rollouts on page 594 , and Selection rollout on page 599 settings.

602 | Chapter 6 Creating Geometry

Geometry rollout

New Vertex Type group The radio buttons in this group let you determine

the tangency of the new vertices created when you Shift+Clone segments or

splines. If you later use Connect Copy, vertices on the splines that connect

the original segment or spline to the new one will have the type specified in

this group.

This setting has no effect on the tangency of vertices created using tools such

as the Create Line button, Refine, and so on.

■Linear New vertices will have linear tangency.

■Smooth New vertices will have smooth tangency.

When this option is chosen, new vertices that overlap are automatically

welded.

Editable Spline | 603

■Bezier New vertices will have bezier tangency.

■Bezier Corner New vertices will have bezier corner tangency.

Create Line Adds more splines to the selected spline. These lines are separate

spline sub-objects; create them in the same way as the line spline on page

551 . To exit line creation, right-click or click to turn off Create Line.

Break Splits a spline at the selected vertex or vertices. Select one or more

vertices and then click Break to create the split. There are now two

superimposed non-connected vertices for every previous one, allowing the

once-joined segment ends to be moved away from each other.

Attach Lets you attach another spline in the scene to the selected spline.

Click the object you want to attach to the currently selected spline object.

The object you're attaching to must also be a spline.

Unattached splines (left) and attached splines (right)

When you attach an object, the materials of the two objects are combined in

the following way:

■If the object being attached does not have a material assigned, it inherits

the material of the object it is being attached to.

■Likewise if the object you're attaching to doesn't have a material, it inherits

the material of the object being attached.

604 | Chapter 6 Creating Geometry

■If both objects have materials, the resulting new material is a

multi/sub-object material on page 5558 that encompasses the input materials.

A dialog appears offering three methods of combining the objects' materials

and material IDs. For more information, see Attach Options Dialog on

page 2031 .

Attached shapes lose their identity as individual shapes, with the following

results:

■The attached shape loses all access to its creation parameters. For example,

once you attach a circle to a square you cannot go back and change the

radius parameter of the circle.

■The modifier stack of the attached shape is collapsed.

Any edits, modifiers, and animation applied to the attached shape are

frozen at the current frame.

Reorient When on, rotates the attached spline so that its creation local

coordinate system is aligned with the creation local coordinate system of the

selected spline.

Attach Mult. Click this button to display the Attach Multiple dialog, which

contains a list of all other shapes in the scene. Select the shapes you want to

attach to the current editable spline, then click OK.

Cross Section Creates a spline cage out of cross-sectional shapes. Click Cross

Section, select one shape then a second shape, splines are created joining the

first shape with the second. Continue clicking shapes to add them to the cage.

This functionality is similar to the Cross Section modifier, but here you can

determine the order of the cross sections. Spline cage tangency can be defined

by choosing Linear, Bezier, Bezier Corner or Smooth in New Vertex Type

group.

End Point Auto-Welding group

■Automatic Welding When Automatic Welding is turned on, an end point

vertex that is placed or moved within the threshold distance of another

end point of the same spline is automatically welded. This feature is

available at the object and all sub-object levels.

■Threshold A proximity setting that controls how close vertices can be to

one another before they are automatically welded. Default=6.0.

Insert Inserts one or more vertices, creating additional segments. Click

anywhere in a segment to insert a vertex and attach the vertex to the mouse.

Optionally move the mouse and then click to place the new vertex. Continue

Editable Spline | 605

moving the mouse and clicking to add vertices. A single click inserts a corner

vertex, while a drag creates a Bezier (smooth) vertex.

Right-click to complete the operation and release the mouse. At this point,

you're still in Insert mode, and can begin inserting vertices in a different

segment. Otherwise, right-click again or click Insert to exit Insert mode.

Editable Spline (Vertex)

Select an editable spline > Modify panel > Expand the editable spline in the

stack display > Vertex sub-object level

Select an editable spline > Modify panel > Selection rollout > Vertex button

Select an editable spline > Right-click the spline > Tools 1 (upper-left) quadrant

of the quad menu > Sub-objects > Vertex

While at the Editable Spline (Vertex) level, you can select single and multiple

vertices and move them using standard methods. If the vertex is of the Bezier

or Bezier Corner type, you can also move and rotate handles, thus affecting

the shapes of any segments joined at the vertex. You can copy and paste the

handles between vertices using tangent copy/paste. You can reset them or

switch between types using the quad menu. The tangent types are always

available on the quad menu when a vertex is selected; your cursor doesn't

have to be directly over them in the viewport.

Procedures

To set a vertex type:

1Right-click any vertex in a selection.

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2Choose a type from the shortcut menu. Each vertex in a shape can be

one of four types:

■Smooth: Nonadjustable vertices that create smooth continuous curves.

The curvature at a smooth vertex is determined by the spacing of

adjacent vertices.

■Corner: Nonadjustable vertices that create sharp corners.

■Bezier: Adjustable vertex with locked continuous tangent handles

that create a smooth curve. The curvature at the vertex is set by the

direction and magnitude of the tangent handles.

■Bezier Corner: Adjustable vertex with discontinuous tangent handles

that create a sharp corner. The curvature of the segment as it leaves

the corner is set by the direction and magnitude of the tangent

handles.

Smooth vertex (left) and Corner vertex (right)

Bezier vertex (left) and Bezier Corner vertex (right)

Editable Spline | 607

To copy and paste vertex tangent handles:

1 Turn on Vertex Selection, then Select the vertex you want to copy

from.

2On the Geometry rollout scroll down to the Tangent group and click

Copy.

3Move your cursor over the vertices in the viewport. The cursor changes

to a copy cursor. Click the handle you wish to copy.

4On the Geometry rollout scroll down to the Tangent group and click

Paste.

5Move your cursor over the vertices in the viewport. The cursor changes

to a paste cursor. Click the handle you wish to paste to.

The vertex tangency changes in the viewport.

To reset vertex handle tangency:

It is easy to make the handles very small and coincident with the vertex, which

makes them hard to select and edit. Reset the vertex handle tangency to redraw

your handles

1Select the vertex that is problematic.

2Right-click and choose Reset Tangents.

Any vertex handle editing you have done is discarded and the handles

are reset.

Interface

Soft Selection rollout

For information on the Soft Selection rollout settings, see Soft Selection Rollout

on page 1926 .

608 | Chapter 6 Creating Geometry

Geometry rollout

New Vertex Type group

The radio buttons in this group let you determine the tangency of the new

vertices created when you Shift+Clone segments or splines. If you later use

Connect Copy, vertices on the splines that connect the original segment or

spline to the new one will have the type specified in this group.

This setting has no effect on the tangency of vertices created using tools such

as the Create Line button, Refine, and so on.

■Linear New vertices will have linear tangency.

■Smooth New vertices will have smooth tangency.

When this option is chosen, new vertices that overlap are automatically

welded.

■Bezier New vertices will have bezier tangency.

■Bezier Corner New vertices will have bezier corner tangency.

Create Line Adds more splines to the selected object. These lines are separate

spline sub-objects; create them in the same way as the line spline on page

551 . To exit line creation, right-click or click to turn off Create Line.

Break Splits a spline at the selected vertex or vertices. Select one or more

vertices and then click Break to create the split. There are now two

superimposed non-connected vertices for every previous one, allowing the

once-joined segment ends to be moved away from each other.

Attach Attaches another spline in the scene to the selected spline. Click the

object you want to attach to the currently selected spline object. The object

you're attaching must also be a spline.

Editable Spline | 609

For further details, see Attach on page 604 .

Attach Mult. Click this button to display the Attach Multiple dialog, which

contains a list of all other shapes in the scene. Select the shapes you want to

attach to the current editable spline, then click OK.

■Reorient When on, reorients attached splines so that each spline's creation

local coordinate system is aligned with the creation local coordinate system

of the selected spline.

Cross Section Creates a spline cage out of cross-sectional shapes. Click Cross

Section, select one shape then a second shape, splines are created joining the

first shape with the second. Continue clicking shapes to add them to the cage.

This functionality is similar to the Cross Section modifier, but here you can

determine the order of the cross sections. Spline cage tangency can be defined

by choosing Linear, Bezier, Bezier Corner or Smooth in New Vertex Type

group.

TIP When you edit the spline cage, use Area Selection before selecting your

vertices. This will keep their positions together as you transform them.

Refine group

The Refine group includes a number of functions useful for building spline

networks for use with the Surface modifier on page 1695 .

Refine Lets you add vertices without altering the curvature values of the

spline. Click Refine, and then select any number of spline segments to add a

vertex each time you click (the mouse cursor changes to a "connect" symbol

when over an eligible segment). To finish adding vertices, click Refine again,

or right-click in the viewport.

You can also click existing vertices during a refine operation, in which case

3ds Max displays a dialog asking if you want to Refine or Connect Only to the

vertex. If you choose Connect Only, 3ds Max will not create a vertex: it simply

connects to the existing vertex.

610 | Chapter 6 Creating Geometry

The Refine operation creates a different type of vertex depending on the types

of vertices on the endpoints of the segment being refined.

■If the bordering vertices are both Smooth types, the Refine operation creates

a Smooth type vertex.

■If the bordering vertices are both Corner types, the Refine operation creates

a Corner type vertex.

■If either of the bordering vertices is a Corner or Bezier Corner, the Refine

operation creates a Bezier Corner type.

■Otherwise, the operation creates a Bezier type vertex.

Connect When on, creates a new spline sub-object by connecting the new

vertices. When you finish adding vertices with Refine, Connect makes a

separate copy of each new vertex and then connects all of the copies with a

new spline.

NOTE For Connect to work, you must turn it on before you click Refine.

After turning on Connect and before beginning the refinement process, turn

on any combination of these options:

■Linear When on, makes all segments in the new spline straight lines by

using Corner vertices. When Linear is off, the vertices used to create the

new spline are of the Smooth type.

■Bind First Causes the first vertex created in a refinement operation to be

bound to the center of the selected segment. See Bound Vertex on page

7735 .

■Closed When on, connects the first and last vertices in the new spline

to create a closed spline. When Closed is off, Connect always creates an

open spline.

■Bind Last Causes the last vertex created in a refinement operation to be

bound to the center of the selected segment. See Bound Vertex on page

7735 .

Editable Spline | 611

End Point Auto-Welding group

Automatic Welding When Automatic Welding is turned on, an end point

vertex that is placed or moved within the threshold distance of another end

point of the same spline is automatically welded. This feature is available at

the object and all sub-object levels.

Threshold The threshold distance spinner is a proximity setting that controls

how close vertices can be to one another before they are automatically welded.

Default=6.0.

Weld Converts two end vertices, or two adjacent vertices within the same

spline, into a single vertex. Move either two end vertices or two adjacent

vertices near each other, select both vertices, and then click Weld. If the vertices

are within the unit distance set by the Weld Threshold spinner (to the right

of the button), they're converted into a single vertex. You can weld a selection

set of vertices, as long as each pair of vertices is within the threshold.

Connect Connects any two end vertices, resulting in a linear segment,

regardless of the tangent values of the end vertices. Click the Connect button,

point the mouse over an end vertex until the cursor changes to a cross, and

then drag from one end vertex to another end vertex.

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Insert Inserts one or more vertices, creating additional segments. Click

anywhere in a segment to insert a vertex and attach the mouse to the spline.

Then optionally move the mouse and click to place the new vertex. Continue

moving the mouse and clicking to add vertices. A single click inserts a corner

vertex, while a drag creates a Bezier (smooth) vertex.

Right-click to complete the operation and release the mouse. At this point,

you're still in Insert mode, and can begin inserting vertices in a different

segment. Otherwise, right-click again or click Insert to exit Insert mode.

Make First Specifies which vertex in the selected shape is the first vertex.

The first vertex of a spline is indicated as a vertex with a small box around it.

Select one vertex on each spline within the currently edited shape that you

want to change and click the Make First button.

On open splines, the first vertex must be the endpoint that is not already the

first vertex. On closed splines, it can be any point that isn't already the first

vertex. Click the Make First button, and the first vertices will be set.

The first vertex on a spline has special significance. The following table defines

how the first vertex is used.

First Vertex MeaningShape Use

Start of the path. Level 0.Loft Path

Initial skin alignment.Loft Shape

Start of the motion path. 0% location

on the path.

Path Con-

straint

First position key.Trajectory

Fuse Moves all selected vertices to their averaged center.

Fuse is useful for making vertices coincide when building a spline network for

use with the Surface modifier on page 1695 .

Editable Spline | 613

NOTE Fuse doesn't join the vertices; it simply moves them to the same location.

Three selected vertices (left); fused vertices (right)

Cycle Selects successive coincident vertices. Select one of two or more vertices

that share the exact same location in 3D space, and then click Cycle repeatedly

until the vertex you want is selected.

Cycle is useful for selecting a specific vertex from a group of coincident vertices

at a spline intersection when building a spline network for use with the Surface

modifier on page 1695 .

TIP Watch the info display at the bottom of the Selection rollout to see which

vertex is selected.

CrossInsert Adds vertices at the intersection of two splines belonging to the

same spline object. Click CrossInsert, and then click the point of intersection

between the two splines. If the distance between the splines is within the unit

distance set by the CrossInsert Threshold spinner (to the right of the button),

the vertices are added to both splines.

You can continue using CrossInsert by clicking different spline intersections.

To finish, right-click in the active viewport or click the CrossInsert button

again.

CrossInsert is useful for creating vertices at spline intersections when building

a spline network for use with the Surface modifier on page 1695 .

614 | Chapter 6 Creating Geometry

NOTE CrossInsert doesn't join the two splines, but simply adds vertices where

they cross.

Fillet Lets you round corners where segments meet, adding new control

vertices. You can apply this effect interactively (by dragging vertices) or

numerically (using the Fillet spinner). Click the Fillet button, and then drag

vertices in the active object. The Fillet spinner updates to indicate the fillet

amount as you drag.

Original rectangle (left), after applying Fillet (top right), and after applying Chamfer

(bottom right)

If you drag one or more selected vertices, all selected vertices are filleted

identically. If you drag an unselected vertex, any selected vertices are first

deselected.

You can continue using Fillet by dragging on different vertices. To finish,

right-click in an active viewport or click the Fillet button again.

Editable Spline | 615

A fillet creates a new segment connecting new points on both segments leading

to the original vertex. These new points are exactly <fillet amount> distance

from the original vertex along both segments. New fillet segments are created

with the material ID of one of the neighboring segments (picked at random).

For example, if you fillet one corner of a rectangle, the single corner vertex is

replaced by two vertices moving along the two segments that lead to the

corner, and a new rounded segment is created at the corner.

NOTE Unlike the Fillet/Chamfer modifier, you can apply the Fillet function to any

type of vertex, not just Corner and Bezier Corner vertices. Similarly, adjoining

segments need not be linear.

■Fillet Amount Adjust this spinner (to the right of the Fillet button) to

apply a fillet effect to selected vertices.

Chamfer Lets you bevel shape corners using a chamfer function. You can

apply this effect interactively (by dragging vertices) or numerically (using the

Chamfer spinner). Click the Chamfer button, and then drag vertices in the

active object. The Chamfer spinner updates to indicate the chamfer amount

as you drag.

If you drag one or more selected vertices, all selected vertices are chamfered

identically. If you drag an unselected vertex, any selected vertices are first

deselected.

You can continue using Chamfer by dragging on different vertices. To finish,

right-click in an active viewport or click the Chamfer button again.

A chamfer "chops off" the selected vertices, creating a new segment connecting

new points on both segments leading to the original vertex. These new points

are exactly <chamfer amount> distance from the original vertex along both

segments. New chamfer segments are created with the material ID of one of

the neighboring segments (picked at random).

For example, if you chamfer one corner of a rectangle, the single corner vertex

is replaced by two vertices moving along the two segments that lead to the

corner, and a new segment is created at the corner.

NOTE Unlike the Fillet/Chamfer modifier, you can apply the Chamfer function to

any type of vertex, not just Corner and Bezier Corner vertices. Similarly, adjoining

segments need not be linear.

■Chamfer Amount Adjust this spinner (to the right of the Chamfer button)

to apply a chamfer effect to selected vertices.

616 | Chapter 6 Creating Geometry

Tangent group

Tools in this group let you copy and paste vertex handles from one vertex to

another.

Copy Turn this on, then choose a handle. This action copies the selected

handle tangent into a buffer.

Paste Turn this on, then click a handle. This pastes the handle tangent onto

the selected vertex.

Paste Length When this is on, the handle length is also copied. When this

is off, only the handle angle is considered, the handle length is unchanged.

Hide and Bind group

Hide Hides selected vertices and any connected segments. Select one or more

vertices, and then click Hide.

Unhide All Displays any hidden sub-objects.

Bind Lets you create bound vertices on page 7735 . Click Bind, and then drag

from any end vertex in the current selection to any segment in the current

selection except the one connected to the vertex. Before dragging, when the

cursor is over an eligible vertex, it changes to a + cursor. While dragging, a

dashed line connects the vertex and the current mouse position, and when

the mouse cursor is over an eligible segment, it changes to a "connect" symbol.

When you release over an eligible segment, the vertex jumps to the center of

the segment and is bound to it.

Bind is useful for connecting splines when building a spline network for use

with the Surface modifier on page 1695 .

Editable Spline | 617

Unbind Lets you disconnect bound vertices on page 7735 from the segments

to which they're attached. Select one or more bound vertices, and the click

the Unbind button.

Delete Deletes the selected vertex or vertices, along with one attached

segment per deleted vertex.

Display group

Show selected segs When on, any selected segments are highlighted in red

at the Vertex sub-object level. When off (the default), selected segments are

highlighted only at the Segment sub-object level.

This feature is useful for comparing complex curves against each other.

Editable Spline (Segment)

Select an editable spline > Modify panel > Expand the editable spline in the

stack display > Segment sub-object level

Select an editable spline > Modify panel > Selection rollout > Segment button

Select an editable spline > Right-click the spline > Tools 1 (upper-left) quadrant

of the quad menu > Sub-objects > Segment

A segment is the portion of a spline curve between two of its vertices. While

at the Editable Spline (Segment) level, you can select single and multiple

segments and move, rotate, scale or clone them using standard methods.

Procedures

To change segment properties:

1Select an editable spline segment, and then right-click.

2On the Tools 1 (upper-left) quadrant of the quad menu, choose Line or

Curve.

618 | Chapter 6 Creating Geometry

The effect of changing segment properties varies according to the type

of vertices at the segment end.

■Corner vertices always result in line segments regardless of the segment

property.

■Smooth vertices can support both line or curve segment properties.

■Bezier and Bezier Corner vertices apply their tangent handles only to

curve segments. Tangent handles are ignored by line segments.

■A tangent handle associated with a line segment displays an X at the

end of the handle. You can still transform the handle, but it has no

effect until the segment is converted to a curve segment.

TIP If you have problems transforming the handles, display the axis

constraints toolbar and change the transform axis there.

Interface

Rendering, Interpolation, and Selection rollouts

For information on the Rendering, Interpolation on page 594 and Selection

rollout on page 599 settings, see Editable Spline on page 590 .

Soft Selection rollout

For information on the Soft Selection rollout settings, see Soft Selection Rollout

on page 1926 .

Geometry rollout

New Vertex Type group

The radio buttons in this group let you determine the tangency of the new

vertices created when you Shift+Clone segments or splines. If you later use

Connect Copy, vertices on the splines that connect the original segment or

spline to the new one will have the type specified in this group.

Editable Spline | 619

This setting has no effect on the tangency of vertices created using tools such

as the Create Line button, Refine, and so on.

■Linear New vertices will have linear tangency.

■Smooth New vertices will have smooth tangency.

When this option is chosen, new vertices that overlap are automatically

welded.

■Bezier New vertices will have bezier tangency.

■Bezier Corner New vertices will have bezier corner tangency.

Create Line Adds more splines to the selected spline. These lines are separate

spline sub-objects; create them in the same way as the line spline on page

551 . To exit line creation, right-click or click to turn off Create Line.

Break Lets you specify a break point at any segment in the shape (you do

not have to first select a segment). When on, the mouse icon changes to a

Break icon. You can now click any spot on a segment. The clicked spot becomes

two coincident vertices, and the segment is split into two parts.

Attach Attaches another spline in the scene to the selected spline. Click the

object you want to attach to the currently selected spline object. The object

you're attaching to must also be a spline.

For further details, see Attach on page 604 .

Reorient Reorients the attached spline so that its creation local coordinate

system is aligned with the creation local coordinate system of the selected

spline.

Attach Mult. Click this button to display the Attach Multiple dialog, which

contains a list of all other shapes in the scene. Select the shapes you want to

attach to the current editable spline, then click OK.

Cross Section Creates a spline cage out of cross–sectional shapes. Click Cross

Section, select one segment then another sub-object segment, splines are

created joining the first shape with the second. Continue clicking segments

to add them to the cage. All segments must be part of the same object to build

620 | Chapter 6 Creating Geometry

cross sections. This functionality is similar to the Cross Section modifier, but

here you can determine the order of the cross sections. Spline cage tangency

can be defined by choosing Linear, Bezier, Bezier Corner or Smooth in New

Vertex Type group.

TIP When you want to move these vertices, turn on Area Selection before you

select them. When you transform them, the vertices will stay together.

Refine group

The Refine group includes a number of functions useful for building spline

networks for use with the Surface modifier on page 1695 .

Refine Lets you add vertices without altering the curvature values of the

spline. Click Refine, and then select any number of spline segments to add a

vertex each time you click (the mouse cursor changes to a "connect" symbol

when over an eligible segment). To finish adding vertices, click Refine again,

or right-click in the viewport.

You can also click existing vertices during a refine operation, in which case

3ds Max displays a dialog asking if you want to Refine or Connect to the

vertex. If you choose Connect, 3ds Max will not create a vertex: it simply

connects to the existing vertex.

The Refine operation creates a different type of vertex depending on the types

of vertices on the endpoints of the segment being refined.

■If the bordering vertices are both Smooth types, the Refine operation creates

a Smooth type vertex.

■If the bordering vertices are both Corner types, the Refine operation creates

a Corner type vertex.

■If either of the bordering vertices is a Corner or Bezier Corner, the Refine

operation creates a Bezier Corner type.

■Otherwise, the operation creates a Bezier type vertex.

Connect When on, creates a new spline sub-object by connecting the new

vertices. When you finish adding vertices with Refine, Connect makes a

Editable Spline | 621

separate copy of each new vertex and then connects all of the copies with a

new spline.

NOTE For Connect to work, you must turn it on before you click Refine.

After turning on Connect and before beginning the refinement process, turn

on any combination of these options:

■Linear When on, makes all segments in the new spline linear by using

Corner vertices. When Linear is off, the vertices used to create the new

spline are of the Smooth type.

■Bind First Causes the first vertex created in a refinement operation to be

bound to the center of the selected segment.

For more information, see Bound Vertex on page 7735 .

■Closed When on, connects the first and last vertices in the new spline

to create a closed spline. When Closed is off, Connect always creates an

open spline.

■Bind Last Causes the last vertex created in a refinement operation to be

bound to the center of the selected segment.

For more information, see Bound Vertex on page 7735 .

Connect Copy group

Connect Copy When on, Shift+Cloning a segment creates a new spline

sub-object with additional splines that connect the new segment's vertices to

the vertices of the original segment. It is analogous to Shift+Cloning edges in

Editable Mesh and Editable Poly objects.

NOTE For Connect Copy to work, you must turn it on before you Shift+Clone.

Threshold Determines the distance soft selection will use when Connect

Copy is on. A higher threshold results in more splines being created; a lower

threshold results in fewer splines.

622 | Chapter 6 Creating Geometry

End Point Auto-Welding group

Automatic Welding When Automatic Welding is turned on, an end point

vertex that is placed or moved within the threshold distance of another end

point of the same spline is automatically welded. This feature is available at

the object and all sub-object levels.

Threshold The threshold distance spinner is a proximity setting that controls

how close vertices can be to one another before they are automatically welded.

Default=6.0.

Insert Inserts one or more vertices, creating additional segments. Click

anywhere in a segment to insert a vertex and attach the mouse to the spline.

Then optionally move the mouse and click to place the new vertex. Continue

moving the mouse and clicking to add vertices. A single click inserts a corner

vertex, while a drag creates a Bezier (smooth) vertex.

Right-click to complete the operation and release the mouse. At this point,

you're still in Insert mode, and can begin inserting vertices in a different

segment. Otherwise, right-click again or click Insert to exit Insert mode.

Editable Spline | 623

Hide Hides selected segments. Select one or more segments, and then click

Hide.

Unhide All Displays any hidden sub-objects.

Delete Deletes any selected segments in the current shape.

Selected and deleted segment

Divide Subdivides the selected segment or segments by adding the number

of vertices specified by the spinner. Select one or more segments, set the

Divisions spinner (to the button's right), and then click Divide. Each selected

segment is divided by the number of vertices specified in the Divisions spinner.

The distance between the vertices depends on the segment's relative curvature,

with areas of greater curvature receiving more vertices.

624 | Chapter 6 Creating Geometry

Selected and divided segment

Detach Lets you select several segments in various splines and then detach

them (or copy them) to form a new shape. Three options are available:

■Same Shp (Same Shape) When on, Reorient is disabled, and a Detach

operation keeps the detached segment as part of the shape (rather than

producing a new shape). If Copy is also on, you end up with a detached

copy of the segment in the same location.

■Reorient The detached segment copies the position and orientation of

the source object's creation Local coordinate system. The new detached

object is moved and rotated so that its Local coordinate system is positioned

and aligned with the origin of the current active grid.

■Copy Copies the detached segment rather than moving it.

Editable Spline | 625

Original and detached splines

Display group

Show selected segs When on, any selected segments are highlighted in red

at the Vertex sub-object level. When off (the default), selected segments are

highlighted only at the Segment sub-object level.

This feature is useful for comparing complex curves against each other.

Surface Properties rollout

626 | Chapter 6 Creating Geometry

Material group

You can apply different material IDs to spline segments (see Material ID on

page 7842 ). You can then assign a multi/sub-object material on page 5558 to

such splines, which appears when the spline is renderable, or when used for

lathing or extrusion. Be sure to turn on Generate Material IDs and Use Shape

IDs when lofting, lathing or extruding.

Set ID Lets you assign a particular material ID number to selected segments

for use with multi/sub-object materials and other applications. Use the spinner

or enter the number from the keyboard. The total number of available IDs is

65,535.

Select ID Selects the segments or splines corresponding to the Material ID

specified in the adjacent ID field. Type or use the spinner to specify an ID,

then click the Select ID button.

Select By Name This drop-down list shows the names of sub-materials if an

object has a Multi/Sub-object material assigned to it. Click the drop arrow and

select a material from the list. The segments or splines that are assigned that

material are selected. If a shape does not have a Multi/Sub-Object material

assigned to it, the name list will be unavailable. Likewise, if multiple shapes

are selected that have an Edit Spline modifier applied to them, the name list

is inactive.

Clear Selection When turned on, selecting a new ID or material name forces

a deselection of any previously selected segments or splines. When turned off,

selections are cumulative so new ID or material name selections add to a

previous selection set of segments or splines. Default=on.

Editable Spline (Spline)

Select an editable spline > Modify panel > Expand the editable spline in the

stack display > Spline sub-object level

Select an editable spline > Modify panel > Selection rollout > Spline button

Select an editable spline > Right-click the spline > Tools 1 (upper-left) quadrant

of the quad menu > Sub-objects > Spline

While at the Editable Spline (Spline) level, you can select single and multiple

splines within a single spline object and move, rotate, and scale them using

standard methods.

Editable Spline | 627

Procedures

To change spline properties:

■You change the properties of a spline from Line to Curve by right-clicking

and choosing Line or Curve from the Tools 1 (upper-left) quadrant of the

quad menu.

Changing the spline property also changes the property of all vertices in

the spline:

■Choosing Line converts vertices to Corners.

■Choosing Curve converts vertices to Beziers.

Interface

Rendering, Interpolation and Selection rollouts

For information on the Rendering, Interpolation on page 594 and Selection

rollout on page 599 settings, see Editable Spline on page 590 .

Soft Selection rollout

See Soft Selection Rollout on page 1926 for information on the Soft Selection

rollout settings.

628 | Chapter 6 Creating Geometry

Geometry rollout

Editable Spline | 629

New Vertex Type group

The radio buttons in this group let you determine the tangency of the new

vertices created when you Shift+Clone segments or splines. If you later use

Connect Copy, vertices on the splines that connect the original segment or

spline to the new one will have the type specified in this group.

This setting has no effect on the tangency of vertices created using tools such

as the Create Line button, Refine, and so on.

■Linear New vertices will have linear tangency.

■Smooth New vertices will have smooth tangency.

When this option is chosen, new vertices that overlap are automatically

welded.

■Bezier New vertices will have bezier tangency.

■Bezier Corner New vertices will have bezier corner tangency.

Create Line Adds more splines to the selected spline. These lines are separate

spline sub-objects; create them in the same way as the line spline on page

551 . To exit line creation, right-click or click to turn off Create Line.

Attach Attaches another spline in the scene to the selected spline. Click the

object you want to attach to the currently selected spline object. The object

you're attaching to must also be a spline.

For further details, see Attach on page 604 .

Reorient Reorients the attached spline so that its creation local coordinate

system is aligned with the creation local coordinate system of the selected

spline.

Attach Mult. Click this button to display the Attach Multiple dialog, which

contains a list of all other shapes in the scene. Select the shapes you want to

attach to the current editable spline, then click OK.

Cross Section Creates a spline cage out of cross–sectional shapes. Click Cross

Section, select one shape then a second shape, splines are created joining the

first shape with the second. Continue clicking shapes to add them to the cage.

This functionality is similar to the Cross Section modifier, but here you can

determine the order of the cross sections. Spline cage tangency can be defined

in the New Vertex Type group.

TIP When you edit the spline cage, use Area Selection before selecting your

vertices. This will keep their positions together as you transform them.

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Connect Copy group

Connect Copy When on, Shift+Cloning a spline creates a new spline

sub-object with additional splines that connect the new spline's vertices to

the vertices of the original segment. It is analogous to Shift+Cloning edges in

Editable Mesh and Editable Poly objects.

NOTE For Connect Copy to work, you must turn it on before you Shift+Clone.

Threshold Determines the distance soft selection uses when Connect Copy

is on. A higher value results in more splines being created, a lower value results

in fewer splines.

End Point Auto-Welding group

Automatic Welding When Automatic Welding is turned on, an endpoint

vertex that is placed or moved within the threshold distance of another

endpoint of the same spline is automatically welded. This feature is available

at the object and all sub-object levels.

Threshold A proximity setting that controls how close vertices can be to one

another before they are automatically welded. Default=6.0.

Insert Inserts one or more vertices, creating additional segments. Click

anywhere in a segment to insert a vertex and attach the mouse to the spline.

Then optionally move the mouse and click to place the new vertex. Continue

moving the mouse and clicking to add vertices. A single click inserts a corner

vertex, while a drag creates a Bezier (smooth) vertex.

Right-click to complete the operation and release the mouse. At this point,

you're still in Insert mode, and can begin inserting vertices in a different

segment. Otherwise, right-click again or click Insert to exit Insert mode.

Reverse Reverses the direction of the selected spline. If the spline is open,

the first vertex will be switched to the opposite end of the spline. Reversing

the direction of a spline is usually done in order to reverse the effect of using

the Insert tool at vertex selection level.

Editable Spline | 631

Original and reversed splines

Outline Makes a copy of the spline, offset on all sides to the distance specified

by the Outline Width spinner (to the right of the Outline button). Select one

or more splines and then adjust the outline position dynamically with the

spinner, or click Outline and then drag a spline. If the spline is open, the

resulting spline and its outline will make a single closed spline.

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Original and outlined splines

NOTE Normally, if using the spinner, you must first select a spline before using

Outline. If, however, the spline object contains only one spline, it is automatically

selected for the outlining process.

Center When off (default), the original spline remains stationary and the

outline is offset on one side only to the distance specified by Outline Width.

Editable Spline | 633

When Center is on, the original spline and the outline move away from an

invisible center line to the distance specified by Outline Width.

Boolean Combines two closed polygons by performing a 2D Boolean

operation that alters the first spline you select, and deletes the second one.

Select the first spline, then click the Boolean button and the desired operation,

and then select the second spline.

NOTE 2D Booleans only work on 2D splines that are in the same plane.

There are three Boolean operations:

■Union Combines two overlapping splines into a single spline, in which

the overlapping portion is removed, leaving non-overlapping portions of

the two splines as a single spline.

634 | Chapter 6 Creating Geometry

■Subtraction Subtracts the overlapping portion of the second spline from

the first spline, and deletes the remainder of the second spline.

■Intersection Leaves only the overlapping portions of the two splines,

deleting the non-overlapping portion of both.

Original splines (left), Boolean Union, Boolean Subtraction, and Boolean Intersection,

respectively

Mirror Mirrors splines along the length, width, or diagonally. Click the

direction you want to mirror first so it is active, then click Mirror.

■Copy When selected, copies rather than moves the spline as it is mirrored.

■About Pivot When on, mirrors the spline about the spline object's pivot

point (see Pivot on page 3398 ). When off, mirrors the spline about its

geometric center.

Editable Spline | 635

Mirrored splines

Trim Use Trim to clean up overlapping segments in a shape so that ends

meet at a single point.

To trim, you need intersecting splines. Click the portion of the spline you

want to remove. The spline is searched in both directions along its length

until it hits an intersecting spline, and deleted up to the intersection. If the

section intersects at two points, the entire section is deleted up to the two

intersections. If the section is open on one end and intersects at the other,

the entire section is deleted up to the intersection and the open end. If the

section is not intersected, or if the spline is closed and only one intersection

is found, nothing happens.

Extend Use Extend to clean up open segments in a shape so that ends meet

at a single point.

To extend, you need an open spline. The end of the spline nearest the picked

point is extended until it reaches an intersecting spline. If there is no

intersecting spline, nothing happens. Curved splines extend in a direction

tangent to the end of the spline. If the end of a spline lies directly on a

boundary (an intersecting spline), then it looks for an intersection further

along.

636 | Chapter 6 Creating Geometry

Infinite Bounds For the purposes of calculating intersections, turn this on

to treat open splines as infinite in length. For example, this lets you trim one

linear spline against the extended length of another line that it doesn't actually

intersect.

Hide Hides selected splines. Select one or more splines, and then click Hide.

Unhide All Displays any hidden sub-objects.

Delete Deletes the selected spline.

Close Closes the selected spline by joining its end vertices with a new

segment.

Detach Copies selected splines to a new spline object, and deletes them from

the currently selected spline if Copy is clear.

■Reorient The spline being detached is moved and rotated so that its

creation local coordinate system is aligned with the creation local

coordinate system of the selected spline.

■Copy When selected, copies rather than moves the spline as it is detached.

Explode Breaks up any selected splines by converting each segment to a

separate spline or object. This is a time-saving equivalent of using Detach on

each segment in the spline in succession.

You can choose to explode to splines or objects. If you choose Object, you're

prompted for a name; each successive new spline object uses that name

appended with an incremented two-digit number.

Surface Properties rollout

Editable Spline | 637

Material group

You can apply different material IDs (see material ID on page 7842 ) to splines

in shapes containing multiple splines. You can then assign a multi/sub-object

material on page 5558 to such shapes, which appears when the spline is

renderable, or when used for lathing or extrusion.

Set ID Lets you assign a particular material ID number to selected segments

for use with multi/sub-object materials and other applications. Use the spinner

or enter the number from the keyboard. The total number of available IDs is

65,535.

Select ID Selects the segments or splines corresponding to the Material ID

specified in the adjacent ID field. Type or use the spinner to specify an ID,

then click the Select ID button.

Select By Name This drop-down list shows the names of sub-materials if an

object has a Multi/Sub-object material assigned to it. Click the drop arrow and

select a material from the list. The segments or splines that are assigned that

material are selected. If a shape does not have a Multi/Sub-Object material

assigned to it, the name list will be unavailable. Likewise, if multiple shapes

are selected that have an Edit Spline modifier applied to them, the name list

is inactive.

Clear Selection When turned on, selecting a new ID or material name, forces

a deselection of any previously selected segments or splines. If turned off,

selections are cumulative so new ID or material name selections add to a

previous selection set of segments or splines. Default=on.

Compound Objects

Create panel > Geometry > Compound Objects

Create menu > Compound

Compound objects generally combine two or more existing objects into a

single object.

638 | Chapter 6 Creating Geometry

Compound objects include the following object types:

Morph Compound Object on page 639

Scatter Compound Object on page 647

Conform Compound Object on page 660

Connect Compound Object on page 668

BlobMesh Compound Object on page 674

ShapeMerge Compound Object on page 681

Boolean Compound Object on page 686

Terrain Compound Object on page 703

Loft Compound Object on page 715

Mesher Compound Object on page 767

ProBoolean Compound Object on page 774

ProCutter Compound Object on page 792

Morph Compound Object

Select an object. > Create panel > Geometry > Compound Objects > Object

Type rollout > Morph

Morph Compound Object | 639

Select an object. > Create menu > Compound > Morph

Seed or base object, and the target objects at specific frames

640 | Chapter 6 Creating Geometry

The resulting animation

Morphing is an animation technique similar to tweening in 2D animation. A

Morph object combines two or more objects by interpolating the vertices of

the first object to match the vertex positions of another object. When this

interpolation occurs over time, a morphing animation results.

The original object is known as the seed or base object. The object into which

the seed object morphs is known as the target object.

You can morph one seed into multiple targets; the seed object's form changes

successively to match the forms of the target objects as the animation plays.

Before you can create a morph, the seed and target objects must meet these

conditions:

■Both objects must be mesh, patch, or poly objects.

■Both objects must have an equal number of vertices.

If these conditions don't apply, the Morph button is unavailable.

Morph Compound Object | 641

You can use any kind of object as a morph target, including an animated

object or another morph object, as long as the target is a mesh that has the

same number of vertices as the seed object.

Creating a morph involves the following steps:

■Model the base object and target objects.

■Select the base object.

■Click Create panel > Geometry > Compound Objects > Morph.

■Add the target objects.

■Animate.

Setting Up the Morph Geometry

Make sure that the objects you want to use as the seed and targets have the

same number of vertices.

TIP When you create Loft objects that you want to use as morph seeds and targets,

make sure that Morph Capping is on and Adaptive Path Steps and Optimize are

turned off. All shapes in the Loft object must have the same number of vertices.

You should also turn off Adaptive and Optimize for other shape-based objects

that you want to use with Morph, such as those with Extrude or Lathe

modifiers.

WARNING The selected object is permanently converted to a morph object as

soon as you click Morph, whether or not you proceed to select a target object.

The only way to restore the original object is to undo the Morph click.

Morph Object and Morpher Modifier

There are two ways to set up morphing animations: the Morph compound

object and the Morpher modifier.

The Morpher modifier on page 1473 is more flexible because you can add it

multiple times at any place in an object's modifier stack display. This flexibility

lets you animate the base object or the morph targets before reaching the

Morpher modifier, for example with a noise modifier. The Morpher modifier

works hand in hand with the Morpher material. The Morpher modifier is the

ideal way to morph characters.

642 | Chapter 6 Creating Geometry

The Barycentric Morph controller can be simpler to use in Track View. The

Track View display for Compound Morph has only one animation track

regardless of the number of targets. Each key on the track represents a morph

result based on a percentage of all the targets. For basic morphing needs,

Compound Morph may be preferable to the Morpher modifier.

Lastly, you can add the Morpher modifier to the stack of a Compound Morph

object.

Procedures

Example: To create a basic morph:

1On the Create panel > Geometry > Patch Grids > Object Type rollout,

click Quad Patch.

2In the Top viewport, click and drag to create a patch on the left side of

the viewport.

3Right-click the modifier stack display in the Modify panel and select

Convert To Editable Patch from the pop-up menu.

4Right-click the patch, and then click Move in the Transform quadrant of

the quad menu.

5In the Top viewport, hold Shift and drag with the patch to create a copy

on the right side of the viewport.

6On the Modify panel > Selection rollout, go to the Vertex sub-object level.

7In the Front viewport, select and move vertices on the selected patch to

alter its shape.

8On the Modify panel, in the stack display, click Editable Patch again to

return to the top level.

9Select the original patch in the viewports.

10 On the Create panel > Geometry > Compound Objects > Objects Type

rollout, click Morph.

11 On the Pick Targets rollout, click Pick Target.

12 In the viewports, click the second patch object.

Both patch objects are listed in the Morph Targets list.

13 Click Modify panel.

Morph displays above the Editable Patch in the modifier stack.

Morph Compound Object | 643

14 Move the time slider to frame 10.

15 In the Morph Targets list, click M_QuadPatch01.

16 On the Current Targets rollout, click Create Morph Key.

On the track bar, a key is displayed at frame 10.

17 On the track bar, right-click the key at frame 10 and click

QuadPatch01:Morph in the menu.

A Key Info dialog displays.

18 On the Key Info dialog, select M_QuadPatch01 from the list.

19 On the Key Info dialog, drag the percentage spinner.

The base object changes shape.

20 Close the Key Info dialog and drag the time slider back and forth. The

patch morphs its shape.

To select the targets for a morph:

1Select the seed object.

2On the Create panel > Geometry > Compound Objects, click Morph.

The name of the seed object is displayed at the top of the Morph Targets

list on the Current Targets rollout.

3On the Pick Targets rollout, choose the method for creating targets:

Reference, Move, Copy, or Instance.

4Click Pick Target.

5Select one or more target objects in the viewports.

As you select each target, its name is added to the Morph Targets list. If

an object can't be a target (for example, if it has a different number of

vertices than the morph seed), you can't select it.

If you select a target object while you are not at frame 0, creating the

target also creates a morph key. You can create additional morph keys

from targets you've already selected, as described in the following

procedure.

To create morph keys from existing targets:

1Drag the time slider to the frame where you want to place the morph

key.

644 | Chapter 6 Creating Geometry

NOTE The Auto Key button does not need to be on to set morph keys.

2Highlight the name of a target object on the Morph Targets list.

The Create Morph Key button is available only when a target object name

is selected.

3Click Create Morph Key.

3ds Max places a morph key at the active frame.

4To preview the effect of the morph, drag the time slider back and forth.

You can view and edit the morph keys in Track View, which also lets you

view the morph's target object parameters.

Interface

Pick Targets rollout

When you pick target objects, you designate each target as a Reference, Move

(the object itself), Copy, or Instance. Base your selection on how you want to

use the scene geometry after you create the morph.

Pick Target Use this button to designate the target object or objects.

Reference/Copy/Move/Instance Lets you specify how the target is transferred

to the compound object. It can be transferred either as a reference on page

7910 , a copy, an instance on page 7818 , or it can be moved, in which case the

original shape is not left behind.

■Use Copy when you want to reuse the target geometry for other purposes

in the scene.

■Use Instance to synchronize morphing with animated changes to the

original target object.

Morph Compound Object | 645

■Use Move if you've created the target geometry to be only a morph target,

and have no other use for it.

You can use an animated object or another morph as the target of a morph.

Current Targets rollout

Morph Targets Displays a list of the current morph targets.

Morph Target Name Use this field to change the name of the selected morph

target in the Morph Targets list.

Create Morph Key Adds a morph key for the selected target at the current

frame.

Delete Morph Target Deletes the currently highlighted morph target. If

morph keys reference the deleted target, then those keys are deleted as well.

646 | Chapter 6 Creating Geometry

Scatter Compound Object

Select an object. > Create panel > Geometry > Compound Objects > Object

Type rollout > Scatter

Select an object. > Create menu > Compound > Scatter

Scatter is a form of compound object that randomly scatters the selected source

object either as an array, or over the surface of a distribution object.

The plane of the hill is used to scatter the trees and two different sets of rocks.

Procedures

To create a Scatter object:

1Create an object to be used as a source object.

2Optionally, create an object to be used as a distribution object.

3Select the source object, and then click Scatter in the Compound Objects

panel.

Scatter Compound Object | 647

NOTE The source object must be either a mesh object or an object that can

be converted to a mesh object. If the currently selected object is invalid, the

Scatter button is unavailable.

Results of scattering source object with distribution object visible (above) and

hidden (below)

You now have two choices. You can either scatter the source object as

an array without using a distribution object, or use a distribution object

to scatter the object. See the following procedures.

To scatter the source object without a distribution object:

1Choose Use Transforms Only in the Scatter Objects rollout > Distribution

group.

2Set the Duplicates spinner to specify the desired total number of duplicates

of the source object.

3Adjust the spinners on the Transforms rollout to set random

transformation offsets of the source object.

648 | Chapter 6 Creating Geometry

To scatter the source object using a distribution object:

1Make sure the source object is selected.

2Choose the method by which you want to clone the distribution object

(Reference, Copy, Move, or Instance.)

3Click Pick Distribution Object, and then select the object you want to

use as a distribution object.

4Make sure that Use Distribution Object on the Scatter Object rollout is

chosen.

5Use the Duplicates spinner to specify the number of duplicates. (This is

not necessary if you're using the All Vertices, All Edge Midpoints or All

Face Centers distribution methods.)

6Choose a distribution method in the Scatter Object rollout > Distribute

Object Parameters group under Distribute Using.

7Optionally, adjust the Transform spinners to randomly transform the

duplicates.

8If the display is too slow, or the meshes too complicated, consider

choosing Proxy on the Display rollout or decreasing the percentage of

displayed duplicates by reducing the Display percentage.

Most of the spinner values are animatable, so you can animate things like the

number of duplicates, their transformations, and so on.

Scatter Compound Object | 649

Scatter objects (the grass) with a high number of duplicates

Interface

Pick Distribution Object rollout

Contains the options for selecting a distribution object.

Object Displays the name of the distribution object selected with the Pick

button.

650 | Chapter 6 Creating Geometry

Pick Distribution Object Click this button, then click an object in the scene

to specify it as a distribution object.

Reference/Copy/Move/Instance Lets you specify how the distribution object

is transferred to the scatter object. It can be transferred either as a reference

on page 7910 , a copy, an instance on page 7818 , or moved, in which case the

original shape is not left behind.

Scatter Objects rollout

The options on this rollout let you specify how the source object is scattered,

and let you access the objects that make up the compound Scatter object.

Distribution group

These two options let you choose the basic method of scattering the source

object.

Scatter Compound Object | 651

Use Distribution Object Scatters the source object based on the geometry of

the distribution object.

Use Transforms Only This options doesn't need a distribution object. Instead,

duplicates of the source object are positioned using the offset values on the

Transforms rollout. If all of the Transform offsets remain at 0, you won't see

the array because the duplicates occupy the same space.

Objects group

Contains a list window showing the objects that make up the Scatter object.

List Window Click to select an object in the window so that you can access

it in the Stack. For example, if your distribution object is a sphere, you can

click Distribution: D_Sphere01, open the Stack list, and select Sphere to access

the sphere's parameters.

Source Name Lets you rename the source object within the compound

Scatter object.

Distribution Name Lets you rename the distribution object.

Extract Operand Extract a copy or an instance of the selected operand.

Choose an operand in the list window to enable this button.

NOTE This button is available only on the Modify panel. You can't extract an

operand while the Create panel is active.

Instance/Copy This option lets you specify how the operand is extracted:

as either an instance on page 7818 or a copy.

Source Object Parameters group

652 | Chapter 6 Creating Geometry

These options affect the source object locally.

Duplicates Specifies the number of scattered duplicates of the source object.

This number is set to 1 by default, but you can set it to 0 if you want to animate

the number of duplicates, beginning with none. Note that the Duplicates

number is ignored if you're distributing the duplicates using either Face Centers

or Vertices. In these cases, one duplicate is placed at each vertex or face center,

depending on your choice.

Base Scale Alters the scale of the source object, affecting each duplicate

identically. This scale occurs before any other transforms.

Vertex Chaos Applies a random perturbation to the vertices of the source

object.

Animation Offset Lets you specify the number of frames by which each

source object duplicate's animation is offset from the previous duplicate. You

can use this feature to produce wave-type animation. At the default setting

of 0, all duplicates move identically.

Distribution Object Parameters group

Scatter Compound Object | 653

These options affect how the duplicates of the source object are arranged,

relative to the distribution object. These options have an effect only when a

distribution object is used.

Perpendicular When on, orients each duplicate object perpendicular to its

associate face, vertex, or edge in the distribution object. When off, the

duplicates maintain the same orientation as the original source object.

Use Selected Faces Only When on, limits distribution to the selected faces

passed up the Stack. Perhaps the easiest way to do this is to use the Instance

option when picking the distribution object. You can then apply a Mesh Select

modifier to the original object and select only those faces you want to use for

the distribution of the duplicates.

Distribute Using

The following options let you specify how the geometry of the distribution

object determines the distribution of the source object. These options are

ignored if you're not using a distribution object.

Area Distributes duplicate objects evenly over the total surface area of the

distribution object.

Objects distributed over a spherical surface with Area turned on

654 | Chapter 6 Creating Geometry

Even Divides the number of faces in the distribution object by the number

of duplicates, and skips the appropriate number of faces in the distribution

object when placing duplicates.

Skip N Skips N number of faces when placing duplicates. The editable field

specifies how many faces to skip before placing the next duplicate. When set

to 0, no faces are skipped. When set to 1, every other face is skipped, and so

on.

Random Faces Applies duplicates randomly over the surface of the

distribution object.

Along Edges Assigns duplicates randomly to the edges of the distribution

object.

All Vertices Places a duplicate object at each vertex in the distribution object.

The Duplicates value is ignored.

All Edge Midpoints Places a duplicate at the midpoint of each segment edge.

All Face Centers Places a duplicate object at the center of each triangular

face on the distribution object. The Duplicates value is ignored.

Volume Scatters objects throughout the distribution object's volume. All

other options restrict distribution to the surface. Consider turning on Display

rollout > Hide Distribution Object with this option.

Objects fill a spherical volume with Volume turned on

Scatter Compound Object | 655

Display group

Result/Operands Choose whether to display the results of the scatter

operation or the operands before the scattering.

Transforms rollout

656 | Chapter 6 Creating Geometry

The settings in the Transforms rollout let you apply random transform offsets

to each duplicate object. The values in the transform fields specify a maximum

offset value that's applied randomly with a positive or negative value to each

duplicate. Thus, if you set a rotation angle of 15 degrees, duplicates are rotated

randomly from -15 to +15 degrees. For example, one duplicate might be rotated

8 degrees, another -13, another 5, and so on. You can use the Transform

settings with or without a distribution object. When there is no distribution

object, you must adjust the Transform settings in order to see the duplicates.

Rotation group

Specifies random rotation offsets.

X, Y, Z deg Enter the maximum random rotational offset you want about

the local X, Y, or Z axis of each duplicate.

Use Maximum Range When on, forces all three settings to match the

maximum value. The other two settings become disabled, and the setting

containing the maximum value remains enabled.

Local Translation group

Specifies translation of the duplicates along their local axes.

X, Y, Z Enter the maximum random movement you want along the X, Y,

or Z axis of each duplicate.

Use Maximum Range When on, forces all three settings to match the

maximum value. The other two settings become disabled, and the setting

containing the maximum value remains enabled.

Translation on Face group

Lets you specify the translation of duplicates along barycentric on page 7724

face coordinates of the associate face in the distribution object. These settings

have no effect if you're not using a distribution object.

A, B, N The first two settings specify the barycentric coordinates on the

surface of the face, while the N setting sets the offset along the normal of the

face.

Use Maximum Range When on, forces all three settings to match the

maximum value. The other two settings become disabled, and the setting

containing the maximum value remains enabled.

Scatter Compound Object | 657

Scaling group

Lets you specify the scaling of duplicates along their local axes.

X, Y, Z % Specifies the percent of random scaling along the X, Y, or Z axis

of each duplicate.

Use Maximum Range When on, forces all three settings to match the

maximum value. The other two settings become disabled, and the one

containing the maximum value remains enabled.

Lock Aspect Ratio When on, maintains the original aspect ratio of the source

object. Typically, this provides uniform scaling of duplicates. When Lock

Aspect Ratio is off, and any of the X, Y, and Z settings contain values greater

than 0, the result is non-uniform scaling of duplicates because the values

represent random scaling offsets in both positive and negative directions.

Display rollout

Provides options that affect the display of the Scatter object.

Display Options group

These options affect the display of the source and destination objects.

Proxy Displays the source duplicates as simple wedges and speeds up viewport

redraws when manipulating a complex Scatter object. This has no effect on

the rendered image, which always displays the mesh duplicates.

Mesh Displays the full geometry of the duplicates.

Display % Specifies the percentage of the total duplicate objects that appear

in the viewports. This has no effect on the rendered scene.

Hide Distribution Object Hides the distribution object. The hidden object

does not appear in the viewport or in the rendered scene.

658 | Chapter 6 Creating Geometry

Uniqueness group

Lets you set a seed number upon which the random values are based. Thus,

altering this value changes the overall effect of the scattering.

New Generates a new, random seed number.

Seed Use this spinner to set the seed number.

Load/Save Presets rollout

Lets you store preset values to use in other Scatter objects. For example, after

setting all of your parameters for a specific Scatter object and saving the settings

under a specific name, you can then select another Scatter object and load

the preset values into the new object.

Preset Name Lets you define a name for your settings. Click the Save button

to save the current settings under the preset name.

Saved Presets group

A list window containing saved preset names.

LOAD Loads the preset currently highlighted in the Saved Presets list.

SAVE Saves the current name in the Preset Name field and places it in the

Saved Presets window.

Scatter Compound Object | 659

DELETE Deletes the selected items in the Save Presets window.

NOTE Animated parameter values subsequent to frame 0 are not stored.

Conform Compound Object

Select an object. > Create panel> Geometry > Compound Objects > Object

Type rollout > Conform

Select an object. > Create menu > Compound > Conform

Conform fits the road to the surface of the hills.

Conform is a compound object created by projecting the vertices of one object,

called the Wrapper, onto the surface of another object, called the Wrap-To.

There is also a space-warp version of this function; see Conform space warp

on page 2703 .

Because the space-warp version is somewhat easier to use, it's a good idea to

read that topic first, try the example, and then return here. This topic provides

additional methods of projecting the wrapper vertices.

660 | Chapter 6 Creating Geometry

NOTE This tool gives you the ability to morph between any two objects, regardless

of the number of vertices in each object. See Vertex Projection Direction group

on page 664 for more information.

Procedures

Example: To create a Conform object:

1Position two objects, one of which will be the Wrapper, and the other

the Wrap-To. (For this example, create a box as the Wrap-To object, and

then create a larger sphere that completely surrounds it. The sphere will

be the Wrapper.)

2Select the Wrapper object (the sphere), and click Create panel> Geometry

> Compound Objects > Object Type rollout > Conform button.

NOTE Both objects used in Conform must be either mesh objects or objects

that can be converted to mesh objects. If the selected Wrapper object is

invalid, the Conform button is unavailable.

3Specify the method of vertex projection in the Vertex Projection Direction

group. (Use Along Vertex Normals for this example.)

NOTE If you were to choose Use Active Viewport, you would next activate

whichever viewport looks in the direction that you want to project the vertices.

For example, if the Wrapper hovered over a Wrap-To terrain on the home

plane, you'd activate the Top viewport.

4Choose Reference, Copy, Move, or Instance to specify the type of cloning

to perform on the Wrap-To object. (Choose Instance for this example.)

5Click Pick Wrap-To Object, and then click the object onto which to

project the vertices. (You can press the H key and use the Pick Object

dialog on page 168 to select the box.)

The list windows display the two objects, and the compound object is

created with the Wrapper object conforming to the Wrap-To object. (In

the example, the sphere is wrapped into the shape of the box.)

6Use the various parameters and settings to alter the vertex projection

direction, or adjust the vertices that are being projected.

To project a road onto terrain:

1Create the road and terrain objects.

Conform Compound Object | 661

TIP You can quickly make a terrain by creating a patch grid on page 1982

and applying the Noise modifier on page 1501 to it. For the road, you can

use a Loft compound object on page 715 by lofting a rectangle along a

curved line. Both objects must have a sufficient level of detail to conform

smoothly.

2Orient both the road and the terrain so you are looking straight down at

them in the Top viewport. Position the road so it's completely above the

terrain (higher on the world Z axis).

NOTE For the conform projection to work correctly, the road should not

extend beyond the boundaries of the terrain when viewed in the Top

viewport.

3Select the road object.

4Click Conform.

5In the Pick Wrap-To Object rollout, make sure the Instance option is

selected.

6Click Pick Wrap-To Object, and click the terrain.

An instance of the terrain object is created, with the same object color

as the road.

7Activate the Top viewport. In the Parameters rollout > Vertex Projection

Direction group, choose Use Active Viewport, and click Recalculate

Projection.

8In the Update group, turn on Hide Wrap-To Object.

This hides the instance of the terrain so you can clearly see the road

projected onto it.

The Parameters rollout > Wrapper Parameters group > Standoff Distance

value sets the number of units by which the road sits above the terrain

along the world Z axis.

9If necessary, adjust the Standoff Distance to raise or lower the road.

662 | Chapter 6 Creating Geometry

Interface

Pick Wrap-To Object rollout

Object Displays the name of the selected Wrap-To object.

Pick Wrap-To Object Click this button, and then select the object to which

you want the current object to wrap.

Reference/Copy/Move/Instance This option lets you specify how the

Wrap-To object is transferred to the Conform object. It can be transferred

either as a reference on page 7910 , a copy, an instance on page 7818 , or it can

be moved, in which case the original is not left behind.

Parameters rollout

Contains all parameters for the Conform object.

Objects group

Conform Compound Object | 663

Provides a list window and two edit fields that let you navigate the compound

object and rename its components.

List Window Lists the Wrapper and the Wrap-To objects. Click to select an

object in the window so that you can access it in the Modifier stack.

Wrapper Name Lets you rename the wrapper object within the compound

Conform object.

Wrap-To Object Name Lets you rename the Wrap-To object.

Vertex Projection Direction group

Choose one of these seven options to determine the projection of the vertices.

Use Active Viewport The vertices are projected away (inward) from the active

viewport.

Recalculate Projection Recalculates the projection direction for the currently

active viewport. Because the direction is initially assigned when you pick the

Wrap-To object, if you want to change viewports after assignment, click this

button to recalculate the direction based on the new active viewport.

664 | Chapter 6 Creating Geometry

Use Any Object's Z Axis Lets you use the local Z axis of any object in the

scene as a direction. Once an object is assigned, you can alter the direction of

vertex projection by rotating the direction object.

Pick Z-Axis Object Click this button, and then click the object you want to

use to indicate the direction of the projection source.

Object Displays the name of the direction object.

■Along Vertex Normals Projects the vertices of the Wrapper object inward

along the reverse direction of its vertex normals. A vertex normal is a vector

produced by averaging the normals of all faces attached to that vertex. If

the Wrapper object encloses the Wrap-To object, the Wrapper takes on

the form of the Wrap-To object.

■Towards Wrapper Center Projects the vertices toward the bounding

center of the Wrapper object.

■Towards Wrapper Pivot Projects the vertices toward the original pivot

center of the Wrapper object.

■Towards Wrap-To Center Projects the vertices toward the bounding

center of the Wrap-To object.

■Towards the Wrap-To Pivot Projects the vertices toward the pivot center

of the Wrap-To object.

NOTE Towards Wrapper Pivot and Towards the Wrap-To Pivot operate on the

position of the original pivot point of the object before the Conform object is

created. Once you create the Conform object, it's a new compound object with

a single pivot point.

TIP You can animate the conforming effect by morphing between the compound

object and a previously made copy of the original wrapper object. To do this,

however, you must turn on Hide Wrap-To Object in the Update group so that the

original object and the compound object have the same number of vertices. Using

this technique, you can effectively morph between two objects with a different

number of vertices.

Conform Compound Object | 665

Wrapper Parameters group

Provides controls that determine how far the vertices are projected.

Default Projection Distance The distance a vertex in the Wrapper object will

move from its original location if it does not intersect the Wrap-To object.

Standoff Distance The distance maintained between the vertex of the

Wrapper object and the surface of the Wrap-To object. For example, if you

set Standoff Distance to 5, the vertices can be pushed no closer than 5 units

from the surface of the Wrap-To object.

Use Selected Vertices When turned on, only the selected vertex sub-objects

of the Wrapper object are pushed. When turned off, all vertices in the object

are pushed, regardless of the Modifier stack selection. To access the Modifier

stack of the Wrapper object, select the Wrapper object in the list window,

open the Modifier stack, and select the base object name. At this point you

can apply a Mesh Select modifier, for example, and select the vertices you

want to affect.

666 | Chapter 6 Creating Geometry

Update group

The items in this group determine when the projection for the compound

object is recalculated. Because complex compound objects can slow

performance, you can use these options to avoid constant calculation.

■Always The object is updated constantly.

■When Rendering The object is recalculated only when the scene is

rendered.

■Manually Activates the Update button for manual recalculation.

Update Recalculates the projection.

Hide Wrap-To Object When on, hides the Wrap-To object.

Display group

Determines whether the shape operands are displayed.

■Result Displays the result of the operation.

■Operands Displays the operands.

Conform Compound Object | 667

Connect Compound Object

Select an object. > Create panel > Geometry > Compound Objects > Object

Type rollout > Connect

Select an object. > Create menu > Compound > Connect

The Connect compound object lets you connect two or more objects between

"holes" in their surfaces. To do this, you delete faces in each object to create

one or more holes in their surfaces, position them so that the holes face one

another, and then apply Connect.

Left: Before connect

Right: After connect

NOTE Connect is not suited to NURBS objects, because they convert into many

separate meshes instead of one big mesh. The workaround is simple: apply a Weld

modifier to the NURBS object (thus converting it to a mesh and zipping up its

seams) before using it as part of a connect.

Connect generates the best mapping coordinates it can for the bridges between

the various holes in the meshes. While some ideal cases, such as a cylinder

668 | Chapter 6 Creating Geometry

above another cylinder, can generate good UVW map interpolations, most

cases cannot. You'll need to apply mapping to the bridge faces with a UVW

Map modifier on page 1849 .

Vertex colors, on the other hand, interpolate smoothly.

Notes:

■You can use Connect on objects that have multiple sets of holes. Connect

will do its best to match up the holes between the two objects.

■The mapping coordinates assigned to the original two objects are

maintained to the extent possible. You might find irregularities in the

bridged area, depending on the complexity and difference between the

two original sets of mapping coordinates and the types of geometry.

Procedures

To create a Connect object:

1Create two mesh objects.

2Delete faces on each to create holes where you want to bridge the objects.

Position the objects so that the normals of the deleted faces of one object

point toward the normals of the deleted faces of the other object

(assuming that deleted faces could have normals).

3Select one of the objects. On the Create panel > Geometry > Compound

Object Type rollout, click Connect.

4Click the Pick Operand button, and then select the other object.

5Faces are generated connecting the holes in the two objects.

6Adjust the connection with the various options.

Example: To connect two cylinders:

1Create a cylinder with a radius of 15 and a height of 30. Use the default

settings for the remaining parameters.

2Create a second cylinder centered on the first with a radius of 30, a height

of 30, and 13 sides. (The fewer sides are to demonstrate the mesh

interpolation in the connection.)

3Move the first, narrower cylinder straight up along Z so its bottom cap

is about 15 units above the top cap of the larger cylinder.

Connect Compound Object | 669

4Convert both cylinders to editable meshes.

5Delete the lower cap of the upper cylinder, and the upper cap of the

bottom cylinder. (Hint: Go to Editable Mesh (Polygon) mode, select each

end in turn, and then press the Delete key.)

6Exit sub-object mode, select the lower cylinder, and click Connect.

7Click the Pick Operand button, and then click the upper cylinder.

New faces are created that span the openings in the two cylinders.

Example continued: To try out some options and create animation:

1Go to the Modify panel and increase the Segments spinner to 5 or more.

As the segments increase, the connection becomes curved.

2Set the Tension spinner to 0 to straighten the connecting surface, increase

it to 1, and then return it to 0.5.

3Try different combinations of the Bridge and Ends options.

4Select the upper cylinder, turn on the Auto Key button, and apply various

transforms at different frames.

5Play the animation.

Interface

Pick Operand rollout

Pick Operand Click this button to connect an additional operand to the

original object.

For example, you might begin with a single object with two holes, and arrange

two additional objects, each with one hole, outside of those holes. Click the

Pick Operand button and select one of the objects, which is connected, and

670 | Chapter 6 Creating Geometry

then click Pick Operand again and select the other object, which is connected.

Both connected objects are added to the Operands list.

Reference/Copy/Move/Instance Lets you specify how the operand is

transferred to the compound object. It can be transferred either as a reference

on page 7910 , a copy, an instance on page 7818 , or moved, in which case the

original is not left behind.

NOTE Connect works only with objects that are capable of being converted into

editable surfaces, such as editable meshes on page 1990 .

Parameters rollout

Connect Compound Object | 671

Operands group

Operands list Displays the current operands. Select an operand to rename,

delete or extract by clicking it in this list.

Name Renames a selected operand. Type in a new name, and then press Tab

or Enter.

Delete Operand Deletes a selected operand from the list.

Extract Operand Extracts a copy or an instance of the selected operand.

Choose an operand in the list to enable this button.

NOTE This button is available only in the Modify panel. You can't extract an

operand while in the Create panel.

Instance/Copy Lets you specify how the operand is extracted: as either an

instance on page 7818 or a copy.

Interpolation group

Segments Sets the number of segments in the connecting bridge.

Tension Controls the curvature in the connecting bridge. A value of 0

provides no curvature, while higher values create curves that attempt to more

smoothly match the surface normals on either end of the connecting bridge.

This spinner has no apparent effect when Segments is set to 0.

Smoothing group

Bridge Applies smoothing between the faces in the connecting bridge.

Ends Applies smoothing between the faces that border the old and new

surfaces of the connecting bridge and the original objects. When turned off,

3ds Max assigns a new material ID number to the bridge. The new number is

one higher than the highest ID number assigned to either of the original

objects. When on, the ID number is taken from one of the original objects.

NOTE If both Bridge and Ends are on, but the original objects contain no

smoothing groups, then smoothing is assigned to the bridge and to the faces

bordering the bridge.

672 | Chapter 6 Creating Geometry

Display/Update rollout

Display group

Determines whether the shape operands are displayed.

■Result Displays the result of the operation.

■Operands Displays the operands.

Update group

These options determine when the projection for the compound object is

recalculated. Because complex compound objects can slow performance, you

can use these options to avoid constant calculation.

■Always The object is updated constantly.

■When Rendering The object is recalculated only when the scene is

rendered.

■Manually Activates the Update button for manual recalculation.

Update Recalculates the projection.

Connect Compound Object | 673

BlobMesh Compound Object

Create panel > Geometry > Compound Objects > Object Type rollout >

BlobMesh

Create menu > Compound > BlobMesh

The BlobMesh compound object creates a set of spheres from geometry or

particles, and connects the spheres together as if they were made of a soft,

liquid substance. When the spheres move within a certain distance of one

another, they connect together. When they move apart, they take on a

spherical form again.

In the 3D industry, the general term for spheres that operate in this way is

metaballs on page 7847 . The BlobMesh compound object generates metaballs

based on specified objects in the scene, and the metaballs, in turn, form a

mesh result called a blobmesh. A blobmesh is ideal for simulating thick liquids

and soft substances that move and flow when animated.

When you associate an object or particle system with the BlobMesh compound

object, the metaballs are placed and sized differently depending on the object

used to generate them:

■For geometry and shapes, a metaball is placed at each vertex, and the size

of each metaball is determined by the size of the original BlobMesh object.

Soft selection can be used to vary the sizes of the metaballs.

■For particles, a metaball is placed at each particle, and the size of each

metaball is determined by the size of the particle on which it’s based.

■For helpers, a metaball is placed at the pivot point, and the size of the

metaball is determined by the original BlobMesh object.

674 | Chapter 6 Creating Geometry

NOTE You can apply motion blur on page 7854 to a BlobMesh object to enhance

the effects of motion in renderings. For particle systems other than Particle Flow,

use Image motion blur. For Particle Flow particle systems and all other types of

objects including geometry, shapes, and helpers, use Object motion blur.

Procedures

To create a blobmesh from geometry or helpers:

1Create one or more geometry or helper objects. If the scene requires

animation, animate the objects as desired.

2Click BlobMesh, and click anywhere on the screen to create the initial

metaball.

3Go to the Modify panel.

4In the Blob Objects group, click Add. Select the objects you wish to use

to create metaballs. A metaball appears at each vertex of each selected

object, or at the centers of helper objects.

5In the Parameters rollout, set the Size parameter as necessary to cause the

metaballs to connect.

To create a blobmesh with soft selection on geometry:

1Create a geometry object, and convert it to an Editable Mesh or Editable

Poly.

2Apply a Mesh Select modifier to the object, and select some of the vertices

on the object.

3In the Soft Selection rollout, turn on Use Soft Selection. Set the Falloff

value as desired.

4Apply a Turn to Mesh or Turn to Poly modifier to the object.

This will retain the soft selection and pass it up the stack regardless of

whether you exit the sub-object mode.

5Click Create panel > Compound Objects > BlobMesh, and click anywhere

on the screen to create the initial metaball.

6Go to the Modify panel.

7In the Blob Objects group, click Add. Select the Editable Mesh or Editable

Poly object.

A metaball appears at each vertex of the selected object.

BlobMesh Compound Object | 675

8In the Parameters rollout, turn on Use Soft Selection.

Metaballs are limited to those vertices that are affected by the soft

selection.

9Set the Size and Min. Size parameters to set the sizes of the metaballs.

To create a blobmesh with soft selection on a spline:

1Create the spline, and convert it to an Editable Spline.

2In the Rendering rollout, turn on both Renderable and Display Render

Mesh.

3Apply a Mesh Select modifier, and select the appropriate vertices for soft

selection.

4In the Soft Selection rollout, turn on Use Soft Selection. Set the Falloff

value as desired.

5Apply a Turn to Mesh or Turn to Poly modifier to the object.

This will retain the soft selection and pass it up the stack regardless of

whether you exit the sub-object mode.

6Click Create panel > Compound Objects > BlobMesh, and click anywhere

on the screen to create the initial metaball.

7Go to the Modify panel.

8In the Blob Objects group, click Add. Select the Editable Spline.

A metaball appears at each vertex of the selected object.

9In the Parameters rollout, turn on Use Soft Selection.

Metaballs are limited to those vertices that are affected by the soft

selection.

10 Set the Size and Min. Size parameters to set the sizes of the metaballs.

To create a blobmesh from a particle system:

When you use BlobMesh with a particle system, a metaball is created at each

particle's location. The size of the metaball is determined by the size of the

particle.

1Create a particle system on page 2713 , and set up its parameters to animate

the particles.

676 | Chapter 6 Creating Geometry

2Click Create panel > Compound Objects > BlobMesh, and click anywhere

on the screen to create the initial metaball.

3Go to the Modify panel.

4In the Blob Objects group, click Add. Select the particle system. A metaball

appears at each particle in the system.

5If you have added a Particle Flow system on page 2713 to the blobmesh

and you want to create metaballs only for particles in specific events,

click Add on the Particle Flow Parameters rollout to choose the events

from a list.

TIP If you need to prevent the particles from rendering, do not hide them

as this can prevent the blobmesh from generating correctly. Instead, turn off

the particle system's Renderable option on the Object Properties dialog on

page 245 .

BlobMesh Compound Object | 677

Interface

Parameters rollout

Size The radius of each metaball for objects other than particles. For particles,

the size of each metaball is determined by the size of the particle, which is set

by parameters in the particle system. Default=20.

678 | Chapter 6 Creating Geometry

NOTE The apparent size of the metaballs is affected by the Tension value. When

Tension is set to its lowest possible value, the radius of each metaball accurately

reflects the Size setting. Higher Tension values will tighten the surface, and make

the metaballs smaller.

Tension Determines how relaxed or tight the surface will be. A smaller value

makes a looser surface. This value can range from 0.01 to 1.0. Default=1.0.

Evaluation Coarseness Sets the coarseness, or density, of the resulting

blobmesh. When Relative Coarseness (see following) is off, the Render and

Viewport values set the absolute height and width of blobmesh faces, and

lower values create a smoother, denser mesh. When Relative Coarseness is on,

the height and width of blobmesh faces is determined by the ratio of metaball

size to this value. In this case, higher values create a denser mesh. Range

(both)=0.001 to 1000.0. Render default=3.0, Viewport default =6.0.

The lower end of the range for both Coarseness settings, previously

limited to 0.5, is now 0.001, which allows for much higher-resolution metaball

geometry when Relative Coarseness is off. Using such low values can also

cause lengthy calculation delays; if this happens and you wish to halt

calculation, press Esc.

Relative Coarseness Determines how the coarseness values will be used. If

this option is turned off, the Render Coarseness and View Coarseness values

are absolute, where the height and width of each face on the blobmesh is

always equal to the coarseness value. This means the faces on the blobmesh

will retain a fixed size even if the metaballs change size. If this option is turned

on, the size of each blobmesh face is based on the ratio of the metaball size

to the coarseness, which will cause the blobmesh face size to change as the

metaballs become larger or smaller. Default=Off.

Large Data Optimization This option provides an alternate method for

calculating and displaying the blobmesh. This method is more efficient than

the default method only when a large number of metaballs are present, such

as 2,000 or more. Turn on this option only when using a particle system or

other object that produces a large number of metaballs. Default=Off.

Off in Viewport Turns off the display of the blobmesh in viewports. The

blobmesh will still appearing in renderings. Default=Off.

Use Soft Selection If soft selection has been used on geometry you add to

the blobmesh, turning on this option causes the soft selection to be used for

the size and placement of metaballs. Metaballs are placed at selected vertices

with the size set by the Size parameter. For vertices that lie within the falloff

set on the geometry’s Soft Selection rollout, smaller metaballs are placed. For

vertices outside the falloff, no metaballs are placed. This option has an effect

BlobMesh Compound Object | 679

only if the Vertex sub-object level for the geometry is still enabled, and Use

Soft Selection on the geometry’s Soft Selection rollout is turned on. If Use Soft

Selection is turned off either for the blobmesh for the geometry, metaballs are

placed at all vertices on the geometry. Default=Off.

Min Size Sets the minimum size for metaballs within the falloff when Use

Soft Selection is turned on. Default=10.0.

Pick Allows you to pick objects or particle systems from the screen to add

to the blobmesh.

Add Displays a selection dialog where you can select objects or particle

systems to add to the blobmesh.

Remove Removes objects or particles from the blobmesh.

Particle Flow Parameters rollout

Use this rollout if you have added a Particle Flow system to the blobmesh,

and want particles to generate metaballs only during specific events. Before

you can specify events on this rollout, you must add the Particle Flow system

to the blobmesh on the Parameters rollout.

All Particle Flow Events When turned on, all Particle Flow Events will generate

metaballs. When turned off, only Particle Flow Events specified in the PFlow

Events list will generate metaballs.

680 | Chapter 6 Creating Geometry

Add Displays a list of PFlow events in the scene so you can pick events to

add to the PFlow Events list.

Remove Removes the selected event from the PFlow Events list.

ShapeMerge Compound Object

Select an object. > Create panel > Geometry > Compound Objects > Object

Type rollout > ShapeMerge

Select an object. > Create menu > Compound > ShapeMerge

ShapeMerge combines the lettering, a text shape, with the mesh that models the cake.

ShapeMerge creates a compound object consisting of a mesh object and one

or more shapes. The shapes are either embedded in the mesh, altering the

edge and face patterns, or subtracted from the mesh.

ShapeMerge Compound Object | 681

Procedures

To create a ShapeMerge object:

1Create a mesh object and one or more shapes

2Align the shapes in the viewport so they can be projected toward the

surface of the mesh object.

3Select the mesh object, and click the ShapeMerge button.

4Click Pick Shape, and then select the shape.

The geometry of the surface of the mesh object is altered to embed a pattern

matching that of the selected shape.

Interface

Pick Operand rollout

Pick Shape Click this button, and then click the shape you want to embed

in the mesh object. The shape is projected onto the mesh object in the

direction of the shape's local negative Z axis. For example, if you create a box,

and then create a shape in the Top viewport, the shape is projected onto the

top of the box. You can repeat this process to add shapes, and the shapes can

be projected in different directions. Simply click Pick Shape again, and then

pick another shape.

Reference/Copy/Move/Instance Lets you specify how the shape is transferred

to the compound object. It can be transferred either as a reference on page

7910 , a copy, an instance on page 7818 , or moved, in which case the original

shape is not left behind.

682 | Chapter 6 Creating Geometry

Parameters rollout

Operands group

Operands list Lists all operands in the compound object. The first operand

is the mesh object, and any number of shape-based operands can follow.

Delete Shape Remove selected shapes from the compound object.

Extract Operand Extracts a copy or an instance of the selected operand.

Choose an operand in the list window to enable this button.

ShapeMerge Compound Object | 683

Instance/Copy Lets you specify how the operand is extracted. It can be

extracted either as an instance on page 7818 or a copy.

Operation group

These options determine how the shape is applied to the mesh.

Cookie Cutter Cuts the shape out of the mesh object's surface.

Merge Merges the shape with the surface of the mesh object.

Invert Reverses the effect of Cookie Cutter or Merge. With the Cookie Cutter

option, the effect is obvious. When Invert is off, the shape is a hole in the

mesh object. When Invert is on, the shape is solid and the mesh is missing.

When you're using Merge, Invert reverses the sub-object mesh selection. As

an example, if you merge a circle shape and apply a Face Extrude, the circular

area is extruded when Invert is off, and all but the circular area is extruded

when Invert is on.

Output Sub-Mesh Selection group

Provides options that let you specify what selection level is passed up the

Stack. The ShapeMerge object stores all selection levels; that is, it stores the

vertices, faces, and edges of the merged shape with the object. (If you apply

a Mesh Select modifier and go to the various sub-object levels, you'll see that

the merged shape is selected.) Thus, if you follow the ShapeMerge with a

modifier that acts on a specific level, such as Face Extrude, that modifier will

work properly.

If you apply a modifier that can work on any selection level, such as Volume

Select or XForm, the options will specify which selection level is passed to

that modifier. Although you can use a Mesh Select modifier on page 1455 to

specify a selection level , the Mesh Select modifier considers the selection only

at frame 0. If you've animated the shape operand, that animation will be

passed up the Stack for all frames only by using the Output Sub-Mesh Selection

options.

■None Outputs the full object.

■Face Outputs the faces within the merged shape.

■Edge Outputs the edge of the merged shape.

■Vertex Outputs the vertices defined by the spline of the shape.

684 | Chapter 6 Creating Geometry

Display/Update rollout

Display group

Determines whether the shape operands are displayed.

■Result Displays the result of the operation.

■Operands Displays the operands.

Update group

These options specify when the display is updated. Typically, you use them

when you've animated the merged shape operands and the viewport display

is slow.

■Always Updates the display at all times.

■When Rendering Updates the display only when the scene is rendered.

■Manually Updates the display only when you click the Update button.

Update Updates the display when any option except Always is chosen.

ShapeMerge Compound Object | 685

Boolean Compound Object

Select an object. > Create panel > Geometry > Compound Objects > Object

Type rollout > Boolean

Select an object. > Create menu > Compound > Boolean

A Boolean object combines two other objects by performing a Boolean

operation on them.

Operand A (left); Operand B (right)

These are the Boolean operations for geometry:

Union The Boolean object contains the volume of both original objects. The

intersecting or overlapping portion of the geometry is removed.

Intersection The Boolean object contains only the volume that was common

to both original objects (in other words, where they overlapped).

Subtraction (or difference) The Boolean object contains the volume of one

original object with the intersection volume subtracted from it.

The two original objects are designated as operand A and B.

686 | Chapter 6 Creating Geometry

Beginning with version 2.5 of 3ds Max, a new algorithm computes the Boolean

operation. This algorithm produces more predictable results and less complex

geometry than earlier 3D Studio Booleans. If you open a file that contains a

Boolean from an earlier version of 3ds Max, the Modify panel displays the

interface for the earlier Boolean operation.

You can layer Booleans in the stack display, so that a single object can

incorporate many Booleans. By navigating through the stack display, it's

possible to revisit the components of each Boolean and make changes to them.

Subtraction: A-B (above); B-A (below)

Boolean Compound Object | 687

Union (above); Intersection (below)

Booleans with Objects That Have Materials Assigned to Them

Most primitives use several material IDs on page 7842 on their surfaces. For

example, a box uses material IDs 1–6 on its sides. If you assign a

Multi/Sub-Object material on page 5558 with six sub-materials, 3ds Max assigns

one to each side. If you assign a multi/sub-object material with two

sub-materials, 3ds Max assigns the first material to sides 1, 3, and 5, and the

second goes to sides 2, 4, and 6.

When you create a Boolean from objects that have materials assigned to them,

3ds Max combines the materials in the following way:

■If operand A doesn't have a material, it inherits operand B's material.

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■If operand B doesn't have a material, it inherits operand A's material.

■If both operands have materials, the new material is a multi/sub-object

material that combines the materials from both operands.

For more information, see Material Attach Options Dialog on page 701 .

Solutions When Working with Booleans

The Boolean algorithm caused unpredictable behavior in earlier releases. The

solutions are discussed here.

Surface Topology

Boolean requires that operands' surface topology be intact: This means no

missing or overlapping faces and no unwelded vertices. The surface should

be one continuous closed surface.

The Boolean corrects operands that fail to meet this requirement. However,

the automatic correction may not be exactly what you want, so in some cases

it might be safer to correct the surfaces manually.

To check for holes in the geometry, use the STL-Check modifier on page 1678

or the Measure utility on page 2597 .

To fill holes, use the Cap Holes modifier on page 1159 .

Face Normals

Booleans require that the face normals of the surface be consistent. Flipped

normals can produce unexpected results. Surfaces where some faces are facing

one way and adjacent faces are flipped are also problematic, and are commonly

found in geometry imported from CAD programs. The Boolean fixes these

faces as best it can. Again, it might make more sense to correct these manually.

Use shaded viewports to look for normal problems, watching for objects that

appear inside-out or look otherwise incorrect. You can also turn on Show in

the Editable Mesh (Face) on page 2014 > Surface Properties rollout > Normals

group. Fix normals here, or with a Normal modifier on page 1509 .

Overlapping Elements

Because Boolean operations depend on a clear understanding of what is inside

and what is outside a mesh, meshes that overlap themselves can produce

invalid results. For instance, if you use the Collapse utility on page 1931 with

Boolean Compound Object | 689

two overlapping objects without turning on the Boolean feature, the resulting

object will not make a good Boolean operand. This is also a problem for the

Teapot primitive on page 377 (with all parts turned on), which overlaps itself.

If you need to use such an object as a Boolean operand, you might reconstruct

it as a single non-overlapping mesh by separating the components and

combining them with Boolean.

Working with Inverted Meshes

Boolean doesn't always produce the ideal result on "inverted meshes" (meshes

that have been turned inside-out by having their normals flipped). The problem

is that the area inside the flipped mesh is correctly seen as "outside," but the

area outside it may also be seen as “outside.” To remedy this, instead of

inverting the mesh, make a very large box or other primitive centered on (but

not touching) the mesh and subtract the mesh from it using Boolean. Then

convert it to an editable mesh, and delete the box faces. This produces a

correctly inverted mesh that works correctly with Boolean.

Alignment

If two Boolean operands are perfectly aligned without actually intersecting,

the Boolean operation might produce the wrong result. Although this is rare,

if it does occur, you can eliminate it by making the operands overlap slightly.

Relative Complexity Between Operands

Boolean works best when the two operands are of similar complexity. If you

wish to subtract text (a complex object made of many faces and vertices) from

a box without any segments, the result is many long, skinny faces that are

prone to rendering errors. Increasing the number of box segments produces

better results. Try to maintain a similar complexity between operands.

Coplanar Faces/Colinear Edges

Previously, Boolean required that objects overlap. If two objects did not overlap

but merely touched an edge to an edge, or a face to a face, the Boolean would

fail.

Boolean allows for non-overlapping objects. Coincident faces/edges and vertices

are no longer a problem. You can use objects completely encased within

another object, where no edges intersect, to create Booleans.

See also Collapse Utility on page 1931 to create Booleans with multiple objects.

690 | Chapter 6 Creating Geometry

See also:

■Fixing Boolean Problems on page 7667

Procedures

To create a Boolean object:

1Select an object. This object becomes operand A.

2Click Boolean. The name of operand A appears in the Operands list on

the Parameters rollout.

3On the Pick Boolean rollout, choose the copy method for operand B:

Reference, Move, Copy, or Instance. (These methods are described in the

Pick Boolean rollout section, later in this topic.)

4On the Parameters rollout, choose the Boolean operation to perform:

Union, Intersection, Subtraction (A-B), or Subtraction (B-A). You can also

choose one of the Cut operations, described later in the Operation group

section.

5On the Pick Boolean rollout, click Pick Operand B.

6Click in a viewport to select operand B. 3ds Max performs the Boolean

operation.

The operand objects remain as sub-objects of the Boolean object. By

modifying the creation parameters of the Boolean's operand sub-objects,

you can later change operand geometry in order to change or animate

the Boolean result.

Example: To create and modify a single object that contains multiple Booleans:

Suppose you want to create a box with two holes in it. One hole is to be cut

by a sphere, and the second by a cylinder. If you want to make changes to the

sphere or the cylinder later, you can do so by following these steps:

1Create a Boolean following the steps in the previous sections. The original

object (the box) is converted to a Boolean, and is designated operand A.

The second object (the sphere) is converted to operand B.

2Deselect the Boolean object. Build the cylinder if it does not already exist.

3Select the Boolean object; and under Compound Objects, click Boolean

again.

Boolean Compound Object | 691

4Click Pick Operand B and click the cylinder in the viewport. It is converted

to operand B.

5On the Modify panel, choose Operand B from the Parameters rollout >

Operands list. If you want to see operand B, choose Display/Update rollout

> Display group > Operands or Result + Hidden Ops.

If you want to animate the Cylinder or the Cylinder’s parameters you

can now access them in the modifier stack display.

6If you want to modify the sphere’s parameters, choose the box in the

Operands list.

7Now there are two entries labeled Boolean in the stack display. Choose

the lower entry. The Sphere is displayed in the Operands list.

8Choose the Sphere from the Operands list. The sphere’s parameters are

available by clicking the sphere's name in the modifier stack display.

9Use this technique to change parameters or animate any of the operands

within the multiple Boolean.

You can also navigate multiple Booleans through Track View. Clicking the

operand in Track View gives you direct access to its entry in the modifier stack

display. In complex objects with many Booleans, this is an easier method than

the one outlined above.

Interface

Pick Boolean rollout

When you select operand B, you designate it as a Reference, Move (the object

itself), Copy, or Instance, according to your choice in the Pick Boolean rollout

for Boolean objects. Base your selection on how you want to use the scene

geometry after you create the Boolean.

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Because you usually create Boolean objects from overlapping objects, if the B

object isn't removed (if you don't use the default Move option), it often

obstructs your view of the completed Boolean. You can move the Boolean or

the B object to better see the result.

Pick Operand B Use this button to select the second object to use to complete

the Boolean operation.

Reference/Copy/Move/Instance Lets you specify how operand B is transferred

to the Boolean object. It can be transferred either as a reference on page 7910 ,

a copy, an instance on page 7818 , or moved.

■Use Reference to synchronize modifier-induced changes to the original

object with operand B, but not vice-versa.

■Use Copy when you want to reuse the operand B geometry for other

purposes in the scene.

■Use Instance to synchronize animation of the Boolean object with animated

changes to the original B object, and vice-versa.

■Use Move (the default) if you've created the operand B geometry only to

create a Boolean, and have no other use for it.

Object B geometry becomes part of the Boolean object regardless of which

copy method you use.

Boolean Compound Object | 693

Parameters rollout

Operands group

Operands list field Displays the current operands.

Name Edit this field to change the name of the operands. Choose an operand

in the Operands list and it will also appear in the Name box.

Extract Operand Extracts a copy or an instance of the selected operand.

Choose one of the operands in the list window to enable this button.

NOTE This button is available only in the Modify panel. You can't extract an

operand while the Create panel is active.

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Instance/Copy Lets you specify how the operand is extracted: as either an

instance on page 7818 or a copy.

Operation group

Union The Boolean object contains the volume of both original objects. The

intersecting or overlapping portion of the geometry is removed.

Intersection The Boolean object contains only the volume that was common

to both original objects (in other words, where they overlapped).

Subtraction (A-B) Subtracts the intersection volume of operand B from

operand A. The Boolean object contains the volume of operand A with the

intersection volume subtracted from it.

Subtraction (B-A) Subtracts the intersection volume of operand A from

operand B. The Boolean object contains the volume of operand B with the

intersection volume subtracted from it.

Cut Cuts operand A with operand B, but doesn't add anything to the mesh

from operand B. This works like the Slice modifier on page 1658 , but instead

of using a planar gizmo, Cut uses the shape of operand B as the cutting plane.

Cut treats the geometry of the Boolean object as volumes rather than closed

solids. Cut does not add geometry from operand B to operand A. Operand B

intersections define cut areas for altering geometry in operand A.

There are four types of Cut:

■Refine Adds new vertices and edges to operand A where operand B

intersects the faces of operand A. 3ds Max refines the resulting geometry

of operand A with additional faces inside the intersected area of operand

B. Faces cut by the intersection are subdivided into new faces. You might

use this option to refine a box with text so that you can assign a separate

material ID to the object.

■Split Works like Refine but also adds a second or double set of vertices

and edges along the boundary where operand B cuts operand A. Split

produces two elements belonging to the same mesh. Use Split to break an

object into two parts along the bounds of another object.

■Remove Inside Deletes all operand A faces inside operand B. This option

modifies and deletes faces of operand A inside the area intersected by

operand B. It works like the subtraction options, except that 3ds Max adds

no faces from operand B. Use Remove Inside to delete specific areas from

your geometry.

Boolean Compound Object | 695

■Remove Outside Deletes all operand A faces outside operand B. This

option modifies and deletes faces of operand A outside the area intersected

by operand B. It works like the Intersection option, except that 3ds Max

adds no faces from operand B. Use Remove to delete specific areas from

your geometry.

Display/Update rollout

Display group

Visualizing the result of a Boolean can be tricky, especially if you want to

modify or animate it. The Display options on the Boolean Parameters rollout

help you visualize how the Boolean is constructed.

The display controls have no effect until you've created the Boolean.

■Result Displays the result of the Boolean operation; that is, the Boolean

object itself.

■Operands Displays the operands instead of the Boolean result.

TIP When operands are difficult to see in a viewport, you can use the Operand

list to select one or the other. Click the name of the A or B operand to select

it.

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■Results + Hidden Ops Displays the "hidden" operands as wireframe.

Operand geometry remains part of the compound Boolean object, although

it isn't visible or renderable. The operand geometry is displayed as

wireframes in all viewports.

Displaying the operands

Boolean Compound Object | 697

Displaying the result (A-B)

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Displaying the hidden operand after A-B

Boolean Compound Object | 699

Displaying the hidden operand after B-A

Update group

By default, Booleans are updated whenever you change the operands. A scene

that contains one or more complicated, animated Booleans can impede

performance. The update options provide alternate methods to improve

performance.

■Always Updates Booleans immediately when you change an operand,

including the original object of an instanced or referenced B operand. This

is the default behavior.

■When Rendering Updates Booleans only when you render the scene or

click Update. With this option, viewports don't always show current

geometry, but you can force an update when necessary.

■Manually Updates Booleans only when you click Update. With this

option, the viewports and the render output don’t always show current

geometry, but you can force an update when necessary.

Update Updates the Boolean. The Update button is not available when

Always is selected.

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Material Attach Options Dialog

Use objects with different materials assigned to them. > Create panel >

Geometry > Compound Objects > Object Type rollout > Boolean > Pick Boolean

rollout > Pick Operand B button > Select object in the viewport that is operand

When you use Boolean operations with objects that have been assigned

different materials, 3ds Max displays the Material Attach Options dialog. This

dialog offers five methods for handling the materials and the material IDs on

page 7842 in the resultant Boolean object.

NOTE If operand A has no material, and operand B has a material assigned, the

Boolean dialog lets you choose to inherit the material from operand B.

If operand A has a material assigned and operand B has no material assigned,

the Boolean object automatically inherits materials from operand A.

Procedures

To create a Boolean from objects that match material IDs to material:

1Create a Boolean on page ? using at least one object that has a

multi/sub-object material on page 5558 assigned to it.

2On the Pick Boolean rollout, click Pick Operand B.

3Click in a viewport and select the B operand. 3ds Max displays the Match

Attach Options dialog.

4Choose Match Material IDs to Material to complete the Boolean operation.

Boolean Compound Object | 701

Interface

Match Material IDs to Material 3ds Max modifies the number of material

IDs in the combined object to be no greater than the number of sub-materials

assigned to the operands. For example, if you combine two boxes that have

standard materials and each box is assigned six material IDs (the default), the

resulting combined object has two operands with one material ID each, rather

than the 12 that would result from using the Match Material to Material ID

option. After you complete the operation, 3ds Max creates a new

multi/sub-object material with two slots. 3ds Max assigns the sub-materials

to the operands as they appeared before the operation. The number of resulting

material IDs matches the number of materials between the original objects.

You might use this option to reduce the number of material IDs.

Match Material to Material IDs Maintains the original material ID assignment

in the operands by adjusting the number of sub-materials in the resultant

multi/sub-object material. For example, if you combine two boxes, both

assigned single materials, but with their default assignment of six material

IDs, the result would be a multi/sub-object material with 12 slots (six

containing instances of one box's material, and six containing instances of

the other box's material). Use this option when it's important to maintain the

original material ID assignments in your geometry. Also use this option when

material IDs have been assigned, but materials have not been assigned.

NOTE To make the instanced sub-materials unique, select them in Track View,

and click the Make Unique button on the Track View toolbar. You can also make

them unique one at a time with the Make Unique button on page 5250 in the

Material Editor.

Do Not Modify Mat IDs or Material If the number of material IDs in an

object is greater than the number of sub-materials in its multi/sub-object

702 | Chapter 6 Creating Geometry

material, then the resultant face-material assignment might be different after

the Boolean operation.

Discard New Operand Material Discards the material assignment of operand

B. 3ds Max assigns operand A's material to the Boolean object.

Discard Original Material Discards the material assignment of operand A.

3ds Max assigns operand B's material to the Boolean object.

NOTE A UVW Map modifier on page 1849 must be used with compound objects

to apply mapping coordinates.

Terrain Compound Object

Select spline contours. > Create panel > Geometry > Compound Objects >

Object Type rollout > Terrain

Select spline contours. > Create menu > Compound > Terrain

The Terrain button lets you produce terrain objects. 3ds Max generates these

objects from contour line data. You select editable splines representing

elevation contours and create a mesh surface over the contours. You can also

create a "terraced" representation of the terrain object so that each level of

contour data is a step, resembling traditional study models of land forms.

Terrain Compound Object | 703

Using contours to build a terrain

Upper left: The contours

Upper right: The terrain object

Lower left: Terrain object used as the basis of a landscape

If you import an AutoCAD drawing file to use as contour data, 3ds Max names

each object based on the AutoCAD object's layer, color, or object type. A

number is appended to each name. For example, an AutoCAD object on the

layer BASE becomes an object named BASE.01. See Importing DWG Files on

page 6979 for more information.

After you import or create the contour data, select the objects, and click the

Terrain button, 3ds Max creates a new triangulated mesh object based on the

contour data. The name of the first selected spline becomes the name of the

terrain object. Other splines in the selection are treated according to the

previously set Reference, Move, Copy, or Instance selection in the Pick Operand

rollout, described below.

Keep in mind that the Terrain object can use any spline objects as operands,

whether they are horizontal splines or not. Though the most common scenario

is when sets of elevational contours are used to create terrain forms, it is

possible to append or refine Terrain objects by using non-horizontal splines.

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NOTE To ensure that 3ds Max imports polylines as splines, when you import an

AutoCAD drawing file, turn off Import AutoCAD DWG File dialog > Geometry

Options group > Cap Closed Entities.

Following are examples of uses of the Terrain feature:

■Visualizing the effects of grading plans in 3D.

■Maximizing views or sunlight by studying topographical undulation of

land forms.

■Analyzing elevation changes by using color on the data.

■Adding buildings, landscaping, and roads to a terrain model to create

virtual cities or communities.

■Viewing corridors and completing ridge analyses from particular locations

on a site by adding cameras to the scene.

Procedures

To analyze elevation changes:

1Import or create contour data.

2Select the contour data, and click the Terrain button.

3On the Color By Elevation rollout, enter elevation zone values between

the maximum and minimum elevations in the Base Elev box. Click Add

Zone after entering the value.

3ds Max displays the zones in the list under the Create Defaults button.

4Click the Base Color swatch to change the color of each elevation zone.

For example, you could use a deep blue for low elevations, a light blue

for intermediate elevations, and perhaps greens for higher elevations.

5Click Solid To Top of Zone to see the elevation changes in a striped effect.

6Click Blend To Color Above to see the elevation changes blended.

Interface

Name and Color rollout

Displays the name of the terrain object. 3ds Max uses the name of one of the

selected objects to name the terrain object.

Terrain Compound Object | 705

Pick Operand rollout

Pick Operand Adds splines to the terrain object. You might do this if you

didn't select all the objects before generating the terrain object, or if some

objects in the imported data weren't included in the terrain object. You can

also use this option to add existing splines in the current scene to the terrain

object.

Reference/Copy/Move/Instance When you click Pick Operand, the copy

method you designate determines how the operands are used. When Move is

the method, the original contour data is moved from the scene and into the

operands of the new terrain object. Copy, Reference, and Instance retain the

original contour data in the scene and create copies, references or instances

of the contour data as operands in the terrain object. This is similar to the

copy method for Boolean on page 686 .

Override Allows you to select closed curves that override any other operand

data within their interior. Within the area an Override operand encloses (as

seen in plan), other curves and points of the mesh are disregarded and the

elevation of the Override operand supersedes them. An Override operand is

indicated in the operands list by a # after its name. Override is only effective

on closed curves. If multiple override operands overlap, later overrides (higher

operand numbers) take preference.

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Parameters rollout

Terrain Compound Object | 707

Operands group

Operand list Displays the current operands. Each operand is listed as "Op"

followed by a number and the name of the object that is being used as the

operand. The operand name comprises layer, color, or object type name plus

a numeric suffix.

Delete Operand Deletes a selected operand from the Operands list.

Form group

■Graded Surface Creates a graded surface of the mesh over the contours.

Terrain created as a graded surface

■Graded Solid Creates a graded surface with skirts around the sides and

a bottom surface. This represents a solid that is visible from every direction.

■Layered Solid Creates a "wedding cake" or laminated solid similar to

cardboard architectural models.

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Terrain created as a "layered solid" surface, with levels

Stitch Border When on, suppresses the creation of new triangles around the

edges of terrain objects when edge conditions are defined by splines that are

not closed. Most terrain forms display more reasonably when this is turned

off.

Retriangulate The basic Terrain algorithm tends to flatten or notch contours

when they turn sharply upon themselves. A typical situation in which this

may happen is when a narrow creek bed is described with contours; the

resulting form may look more like a series of cascades at each elevational

contour, rather than a smoothly descending ravine. When Retriangulate is

checked, a somewhat slower algorithm is used that follows contour lines more

closely. This may be particularly evident in the Layered Solid display mode.

For additional precision, try using Retriangulate in conjunction with horizontal

interpolation.

Display group

■Terrain Displays only the triangulated mesh over the contour line data.

Terrain Compound Object | 709

■Contours Displays only the contour line data of the terrain object.

■Both Displays both the triangulated mesh and the contour line data of

the terrain object. You can select the terrain object by clicking its surface,

but not by clicking a contour line. When Both is selected, contour lines

may not be apparent in Wireframe display modes or when Edged Faces

are displayed.

Update group

The items in this group box determine when 3ds Max recalculates the

projection for the terrain object. Because complex terrain objects can slow

performance, you can use these options to avoid constant calculation.

■Always Updates the terrain object immediately when you change an

operand, including the original object of an instanced or referenced

operand.

■When Rendering Updates the terrain object when you render the scene

or when you click Update. With this option, viewports won't show current

geometry unless you click Update.

■Manually Updates the terrain object when you click Update.

Update Updates the terrain object. This button is not enabled only when

Always is the active option.

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Simplification rollout

Horizontal group

■No Simplification Uses all the operands' vertices to create a complex

mesh. This results in greater detail and a larger file size than the two

fractional options.

■Use 1/2 of Points Uses half the set of vertices in the operands to create

a less complex mesh. This results in less detail and a smaller file size than

using No Simplification.

■Use 1/4 of Points Uses a quarter of the of vertices in the operands to

create a less complex mesh. This results in the least detail and smallest file

size of these options.

■Interpolate Points * 2 Doubles the set of vertices in the operands to create

a more refined but more complex mesh. This is most effective in terrain

forms that use constructive curves such as circles and ellipses. This results

in more detail and a larger file size than using No Simplification.

■Interpolate Points * 4 Quadruples the set of vertices in the operands to

create a more refined but more complex mesh. This is most effective in

Terrain Compound Object | 711

terrain forms that use constructive curves such as circles and ellipses. This

results in more detail and a larger file size than using No Simplification.

Vertical group

■No Simplification Uses all the spline operands vertices of the terrain

object to create a complex mesh. This results in greater detail and a larger

file size than the other two options.

■Use 1/2 of Lines Uses half the set of spline operands of the terrain object

to create a less complex mesh. This results in less detail and a smaller file

size than using No Simplification.

■Use 1/4 of Lines Uses a quarter of the of spline operands of the terrain

object to create a less complex mesh. This results in the least detail and

smallest file size of the three options.

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Color by Elevation rollout

Maximum Elev. Displays the maximum elevation in the Z axis of the terrain

object. 3ds Max derives this data from the contour data.

Minimum Elev. Displays the minimum elevation in the Z axis of the terrain

object. 3ds Max derives this data from the contour data.

Terrain Compound Object | 713

Reference Elev. This is the reference elevation, or datum, that 3ds Max uses

as a guide for assigning colors to zones of elevation. After entering a reference

elevation, click the Create Defaults button. 3ds Max treats elevations above

the reference elevation as solid land and those below the reference elevation

as water.

If you enter a value no greater than the minimum elevation in the object, 3ds

Max divides the range between the reference and minimum elevations into

five color zones: dark green, light green, yellow, purple, and light gray.

If you enter a value between the minimum and maximum elevations, 3ds

Max creates six color zones. Two zones (dark blue and light blue) are used for

elevations below the reference elevation. These are considered to be under

water. One zone (dark yellow) is used for a narrow range around the reference

elevation. Three zones (dark green, light green, light yellow) are used for

elevations above the reference elevation.

If you enter a value at or above the maximum elevation, 3ds Max divides the

range between the minimum and reference elevations into three zones (dark

blue, medium blue, light blue).

Zones by Base Elevation group

Create Defaults Creates elevation zones. 3ds Max lists the elevation at the

bottom of each zone, referenced to the datum (the reference elevation). 3ds

Max applies the color of the zone at the base elevation. Whether the colors

blend between zones depends on your choice of the Blend to Color Above or

Solid to Top of Zone option.

Color Zone group

The items in this group box assign colors to elevation zones. For example, you

might want to change levels of blue to indicate the depth for water. Your

changes in the Color Zone area don't affect the terrain object until you click

the Modify Zone or Add Zone button.

Base Elev This is the base elevation of a zone to which you assign color. After

entering a value, click Add Zone to display the elevation in the list under

Create Defaults.

Base Color Click the color swatch to change the color of the zone.

■Blend to Color Above Blends the color of the current zone to the color

of the zone above it.

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■Solid to Top of Zone Makes a solid color at the top of the zone without

blending to the color of the zone above it.

Modify Zone Modifies selected options of a zone.

Add Zone Adds values and selected options for a new zone.

Delete Zone Deletes a selected zone.

Loft Compound Object

Select a path or shape. > Create panel > Geometry > Compound Objects >

Object Type rollout > Loft

Select a path or shape. > Create menu > Compound Objects > Loft

Roadway created as a lofted shape

Loft objects are two-dimensional shapes extruded along a third axis. You create

loft objects from two or more existing spline objects. One of these splines

serves the path. The remaining splines serve as cross-sections, or shapes, of

Loft Compound Object | 715

the loft object. As you arrange shapes along the path, 3ds Max generates a

surface between the shapes.

You create shape objects to serve as a path for any number of cross-section

shapes. The path becomes the framework that holds the cross sections forming

your object. If you designate only one shape on the path, 3ds Max assumes

an identical shape is located at each end of the path. The surface is then

generated between the shapes.

3ds Max places few restrictions on how you create a loft object. You can create

curved, three-dimensional paths and even three-dimensional cross sections.

When using Get Shape, as you move the cursor over an invalid shape, the

reason the shape is invalid is displayed in the prompt line.

Unlike other compound objects, which are created from the selected object

as soon as you click the compound-object button, a Loft object is not created

until you click Get Shape or Get Path, and then select a shape or path.

Loft is enabled when the scene has one or more shapes. To create a loft object,

first create one or more shapes and then click Loft. Click either Get Shape or

Get Path and select a shape in the viewports.

Once you create a loft object, you can add and replace cross-section shapes

or replace the path. You can also change or animate the parameters of the

path and shapes.

You can't animate the path location of a shape.

You can convert loft objects to NURBS surfaces on page 2218 .

Procedures

To create a loft object:

Creating loft objects is detailed and offers many choices, but the basic process

is quite simple.

1Create a shape to be the loft path.

2Create one or more shapes to be loft cross sections.

3Do one of the following:

■Select the path shape and use Get Shape to add the cross sections to

the loft.

■Select a shape and use Get Path to assign a path to the loft. Use Get

Shape to add additional shapes.

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You can use the loft display settings to view the skin generated by your loft

in both wireframe and shaded views.

To create a loft with Get Path:

1Select a shape as the first cross-section shape.

2Click Create panel > Geometry > Compound Objects > Loft.

3On the Creation Method rollout, click Get Path.

4Choose Move, Copy, or Instance.

5Click a shape for the path.

The cursor changes to the Get Path cursor as you move it over valid path

shapes. If the cursor does not change over a shape, that shape is not a valid

path shape and cannot be selected. The first vertex of the selected path is

placed at the first shape's pivot and the path tangent is aligned with the shape's

local Z axis.

To create a loft with Get Shape:

1Select a valid path shape as the path.

2If the selected shape is not a valid path, the Get Shape button is

unavailable.

3Click Create panel > Geometry > Compound Objects > Loft.

4On the Creation Method rollout, click Get Shape.

5Choose Move, Copy, or Instance.

6Click a shape.

The cursor changes to the Get Shape cursor as you move it over potential

shapes. The selected shape is placed at the first vertex of the path.

TIP You can flip the shape along the path by holding down Ctrl when using Get

Shape. For example, if you select the lowercase letter "b" with a Ctrl+click, the loft

will look like the letter "d".

Interface

You use the following rollouts for setting loft object parameters:

Creation Method Rollout on page 718

Loft Compound Object | 717

Surface Parameters Rollout on page 719

Path Parameters Rollout on page 724

Skin Parameters Rollout on page 727

Once you've created a loft object, you can also use the Modify panel's

Deformations rollout to add complexity. See Deformations on page 744 for

further information.

Creation Method Rollout

Select a path or shape. > Create panel > Geometry > Compound Objects >

Object Type rollout > Loft > Creation Method rollout

Select a path or shape. > Create menu > Compounds > Loft > Creation Method

rollout

You can choose between a shape or a path for creating the loft object using

the Creation Method rollout, as well as the type of action for the loft object.

Interface

On the Creation Method rollout, you determine whether to use a shape or

path for creating the loft object, and the type of action you want for the

resulting loft object.

Get Path Assigns a path to the selected shape or changes the current assigned

path.

Get Shape Assigns a shape to the selected path or changes the current

assigned shape.

TIP Hold down Ctrl while getting the shape to flip the direction of the shape's Z

axis.

Move/Copy/Instance Lets you specify how the path or shape is transferred

to the loft object. It can be moved, in which case no copy is left behind, or

transferred as a copy or an instance on page 7818 .

718 | Chapter 6 Creating Geometry

TIP Use the Instance option if you expect to edit or modify the path after the loft

is created.

Surface Parameters Rollout

Select a path or shape. > Create panel > Geometry > Compound Objects >

Object Type rollout > Loft > Surface Parameters rollout

Select a path or shape. > Create menu > Compounds > Loft > Surface Parameters

rollout

On the Surface Parameters rollout, you control smoothing of the surface of

the loft as well as designate if texture mapping is applied along the loft object.

Loft Compound Object | 719

Interface

720 | Chapter 6 Creating Geometry

Smoothing group

Left: Smoothing the length

Right: Smoothing the width

Rear: Smoothing both length and width

Smooth Length Provides a smooth surface along the length of the path. This

type of smoothing is useful when your path curves or when shapes on the

path change size. Default=on.

Smooth Width Provides a smooth surface around the perimeter of the

cross-section shapes. This type of smoothing is useful when your shapes change

the number of vertices or change form. Default=on.

Loft Compound Object | 721

Mapping group

Bitmap used to create the lines on the road

Mapped roadway showing U and V dimensions for the loft

Apply Mapping Turns lofted mapping coordinates on and off. Apply Mapping

must be on in order to access the remaining items.

Real-World Map Size Controls the scaling method used for texture mapped

materials that are applied to the object. The scaling values are controlled by

722 | Chapter 6 Creating Geometry

the Use Real-World Scale settings found in the applied material's Coordinates

rollout on page 5620 . Default=off.

Length Repeat Sets the number of times a map repeats along the length of

the path. The bottom of the map is placed at the first vertex of the path.

Width Repeat Sets the number of times a map repeats around the perimeter

of cross-section shapes. The left edge of a map is aligned with the first vertex

of each shape.

Normalize Determines how path vertex spacing affects a map along both

the path length and shape width. When on, vertices are ignored. Map

coordinates and Repeat values are applied evenly along the length of the path

and around the shapes. When off, major path divisions and shape vertex

spacing affects map coordinate spacing. Map coordinates and Repeat values

are applied proportionally according to the path division spacing or shape

vertex spacing.

Before and after applying Normalize to loft

Materials group

Generate Material IDs Creates Material IDs during the loft process.

Use Shape IDs Offers the choice of using the spline material IDs to define

the material IDs.

NOTE Prior to version 3 of 3ds Max, splines could not hold material IDs.

Loft Compound Object | 723

NOTE Shape IDs are inherited from shape cross sections, not from the path spline.

Shape material IDs used to give the roadway two materials: concrete for supports and

railings, asphalt with white lines for the traffic lanes

Output Group

Patch The lofting process produces a patch object.

Mesh The lofting process produces a mesh object. This is the default, and

was the only output type available with Loft in versions prior to version 3 of

3ds Max.

You can also create NURBS objects from lofting by choosing Convert To:

NURBS from the modifier stack right-click menu on page 7440 .

Path Parameters Rollout

Select a path or shape. > Create panel > Geometry > Compound Objects >

Object Type rollout > Loft > Path Parameters rollout

724 | Chapter 6 Creating Geometry

Select a path or shape. > Create menu > Compounds > Loft > Path Parameters

rollout

The Path Parameters rollout lets you control the position of shapes at various

intervals along the path of the loft object.

Interface

On the Path Parameters rollout, you control the position of multiple shapes

at different intervals along the path of the loft object.

Path Lets you set a path level by entering a value or dragging the spinner.

If Snap is on, the value will jump to the previous snap increment. The Path

value depends on the selected measuring method. Changing the measuring

method causes the Path value to change.

Inserting different shapes at different positions on the path

Snap Lets you set a consistent distance between shapes along the path. The

Snap value depends on the selected measuring method. Changing the

measuring method also changes the Snap value to keep snap spacing constant.

On When On is turned on, Snap is active. Default=off.

Percentage Expresses the path level as a percentage of the total path length.

Distance Expresses the path level as an absolute distance from the first vertex

of the path.

Loft Compound Object | 725

Path Steps Places shapes on path steps and vertices, rather than as a

percentage or a distance along the path.

When Path Steps is on, the following take place:

■The Path spinner specifies the step along the path. The first step, at 0, is

the first vertex.

■The total number of steps, including vertices, appears in parentheses beside

the Path spinner.

■The current path level is indicated by the standard yellow X when it's a

step, and by a small boxed X when it's a vertex.

■Get Shape places a selected shape on the specified step or a vertex of the

path.

■Adaptive Path Steps on the Skin Parameters rollout is unavailable. (If it

were available, the path steps and shapes would change positions along

the path, depending on the result of the adaptive algorithm.)

Please note the following when using the Path Steps option:

■When you switch to Path Steps with a loft object that already contains

one or more shapes, an alert message tells you that this action may relocate

shapes. This is because there are a limited number of path steps, and only

one shape can be on a single step or vertex. The Percentage and Distance

options, on the other hand, provide an almost unlimited number of levels

on which to place shapes. Thus, if you change from Percentage or Distance

to Path Steps, the shapes must be moved to existing steps. If there are more

shapes than can be moved to nearby steps, you could end up with more

than one shape on a step. Switching from Path Steps to either Percentage

or Distance, however, can always be done without loss of data.

■If you alter the Path Steps spinner while in Path Steps mode, the location

of your shapes might change. An alert message warns you of this.

■If you animate the topology of the path while in Path Steps mode (such

as animating the number of sides of an NGon), your shapes might jump

around trying to find a legitimate position, and you could end up with

more than one shape on the same path level.

Pick Shape Sets the current level at any shape on the path. When you pick

a shape on the path, Snap is turned off and Path is set to the level of the picked

shape, where a yellow X appears. Pick Shape is available only from the Modify

panel.

726 | Chapter 6 Creating Geometry

Previous Shape Jumps the path level from its current location to the previous

shape along the path. A yellow X appears at the current level. Clicking this

button turns Snap off.

Next Shape Jumps the path level from its current location to the next shape

along the path. A yellow X appears at the current level. Clicking this button

turns Snap off.

Skin Parameters Rollout

Select a path or shape. > Create panel > Geometry > Compound Objects >

Object Type rollout > Loft > Skin Parameters rollout

Select a path or shape. > Create menu > Compounds > Loft > Skin Parameters

rollout

On the Skin Parameters rollout, you adjust the complexity of the mesh of the

loft object. You can also optimize the mesh by controlling the face count.

Procedures

Example: To use a constant cross-section:

1Enlarge the Front viewport to full screen, and then draw a Rectangle

object on page 555 with Ctrl held down to create a square about 20 x 20

units.

2Create another rectangle beside it about 200 x 100 units.

3Apply a Skew modifier to the large rectangle, but don't alter the Skew

parameters.

4Create a loft object in which the larger rectangle is the path and the

square is the shape.

5On the Modify panel, open the Skin Parameters rollout, and make sure

Skin is on in the Display group.

You can now see the wireframe structure of the lofted rectangle, with

cross-sectional sides parallel to its corners.

Make sure the color assigned the loft object is easily visible. Change it if

necessary.

6Turn off Constant Cross-Section, and observe the corners.

When Constant Cross-Section is off, the corners become pinched.

Loft Compound Object | 727

7Turn on Constant Cross-Section to restore the corners.

Acute angles can cause problems when the cross sections formed by the

path steps intersect at the corners. You can mitigate this by avoiding

acute angles or by reducing the path steps.

8Press H on the keyboard to open the Select From Scene dialog on page

168 , and select Rectangle02 (the second larger rectangle).

9On the Modify panel, change the Skew Axis to Y, and then set the Amount

spinner to 95.

10 Use Zoom Region to zoom in on the upper-right corner of the rectangle

so you can see the mesh in detail.

At a skew of less than 100, the acute angle still works because the path

cross-sections haven't intersected.

11 Set the Skew Amount to 300, and examine the same corner.

At this angle, the path cross sections intersect, causing problems in the

mesh.

12 Select the loft object, and set Path Steps to 1.

The cross sections no longer intersect, and the corner is clean.

When creating straight-edge molding for architectural modeling, you

can avoid mangled corners simply by reducing the path steps to 0.

728 | Chapter 6 Creating Geometry

Interface

Capping group

Cap Start When on, the end of a loft at the first vertex of the path is covered,

or capped. When off, the end is open, or uncapped. Default=on.

Cap End When on, the end of a loft at the last vertex of the path is covered,

or capped. When off, the end is open, or uncapped. Default=on.

Morph Arranges cap faces in a predictable, repeatable pattern necessary for

creating morph targets. Morph capping can generate long, thin faces that do

not render or deform as well as those created with grid capping.

Loft Compound Object | 729

Grid Arranges cap faces in a rectangular grid trimmed at the shape boundaries.

This method produces a surface of evenly sized faces that can be deformed

easily by other modifiers.

Roadway lofted with capping turned off

730 | Chapter 6 Creating Geometry

Roadway lofted with capping turned on

Options group

Shape Steps Sets the number of steps between each vertex of the cross-section

shapes. This value affects the number of sides around the perimeter of the

loft.

Loft Compound Object | 731

Left: Shape Steps=0.

Right: Shape Steps=4.

Path Steps Sets the number of steps between each main division of the path.

This value affects the number of segments along the length of the loft.

732 | Chapter 6 Creating Geometry

Frame lofted with Path Steps=1

Loft Compound Object | 733

Frame lofted with Path Steps=5

Optimize Shapes When on, the Shape Steps setting is ignored for straight

segments of cross-section shapes. If multiple shapes are on the path, only

straight segments that have a match on all shapes are optimized. Default=off.

734 | Chapter 6 Creating Geometry

Left: Optimize Shapes turned on

Right: Optimize Shapes turned off

Optimize Path When on, the Path Steps setting is ignored for straight

segments of the path. Curved sections respect the Path steps setting. Available

only with Path Steps mode. Default=off.

Loft Compound Object | 735

When Optimize Path is off, the lofted roadway uses more steps.

736 | Chapter 6 Creating Geometry

When Optimize Path is on, straight sections of the lofted roadway don't require

additional steps.

Adaptive Path Steps When on, analyzes the loft and adapts the number of

path divisions to generate the best skin. Main divisions along the path occur

at path vertices, shape locations, and deformation curve vertices. When off,

main divisions along the path occur only at path vertices. Default=on.

Contour When on, each shape follows the curvature of the path. The positive

Z axis of each shape is aligned with the tangent to the path at the shape's

level. When off, shapes remain parallel and have the same orientation as a

shape placed at level 0. Default=on.

Loft Compound Object | 737

Lofting the roadway with Contour off causes it to twist.

738 | Chapter 6 Creating Geometry

Roadway lofted with Contour turned on

Banking When on, shapes rotate about the path whenever the path bends

and changes height in the path's local Z axis. The bank amount is controlled

by 3ds Max. Banking is ignored if the path is 2D. When off, shapes do not

rotate about their Z axis as they traverse a 3D path. Default=on.

Loft Compound Object | 739

Roadway lofted with Banking turned on

Constant Cross Section When on, the cross sections are scaled at angles in

the path to maintain uniform path width. When off, the cross sections

maintain their original local dimensions, causing pinching at path angles.

740 | Chapter 6 Creating Geometry

Frame lofted with Constant Cross Section turned off

Loft Compound Object | 741

Frame lofted with Constant Cross Section turned on

Linear Interpolation When on, generates a loft skin with straight edges

between each shape. When off, generates a loft skin with smooth curves

between each shape. Default=off.

742 | Chapter 6 Creating Geometry

Left: Object lofted with Linear Interpolation turned off

Right: Object lofted with Linear Interpolation turned on

Flip Normals When on, reverses the normals 180 degrees. Use this option

to correct objects that are inside-out. Default=off.

Quad sides When on, and when two sections of a loft object have the same

number of sides, the faces that stitch the sections together are displayed as

quads. Sides between sections with different numbers of sides are not affected,

and are still connected with triangles. Default=off.

Transform Degrade Causes the loft skin to disappear during sub-object

shape/path transformations. For example, moving a vertex on the path causes

the loft to disappear. When off, you can see the skin during these Sub-Object

transformations. Default=off.

Display group

Skin When on, displays a loft's skin in all views using any shading level and

ignores the Skin In Shaded setting. When off, displays only the loft sub-objects.

Default=on.

Loft Compound Object | 743

Skin in Shaded When on, displays a loft's skin in shaded views regardless of

the Skin setting. When off, skin display is controlled by the Skin setting.

Default=on.

The loft object now retains the Skin and Skin In Shaded settings from one loft

object to the next one created.

Deformations

Select a Loft object. > Modify panel > Deformations rollout

Deformation controls let you scale, twist, teeter, bevel or fit shapes along the

path. The interface for all deformations is a graph. Lines with control points

on the graph represent the deformations along the path. Control points on

the graphs can be moved or animated for modeling purposes or for various

special effects.

Manually creating and placing shapes along the path to produce these models

would be a difficult task. Lofts solve this problem through the use of

deformation curves. The deformation curves define changes in scale, twisting,

teetering, and beveling along the path.

You gain access to loft deformation curves through the Modify panel's

Deformations rollout. Deformations are not available in the Create panel. You

must open the Modify panel after you’ve lofted to access the Deformations

rollout, which offers the following features:

■Each deformation button displays its own deformation dialog.

■You can display any or all of the deformation dialogs simultaneously.

■The button to the right of each deformation button is a toggle to enable

or disable the deformation's effect.

See also:

■Deformation Dialog on page 756

Procedures

To apply deformations to a loft:

1Select a loft object.

744 | Chapter 6 Creating Geometry

2Go to the Modify panel and choose Loft from the modifier stack display

if it's not already displayed.

3Expand the Deformations rollout.

4Click the deformation that you want to use.

The window for the selected deformation appears.

To toggle the deformation effect:

■Click Enable/Disable to the right of the deformation buttons.

Interface

Deform Scale on page 745

Deform Twist on page 747

Deform Teeter on page 749

Deform Bevel on page 752

Deform Fit on page 754

Deform Scale

Select a Loft object. > Modify panel > Deformations rollout > Scale

Loft Compound Object | 745

You can loft objects such as columns and bugles from a single shape that

changes only its scale as it travels along a path. Use Scale deformation when

you want to make these types of objects.

TIP By animating scale, a loft object can appear to travel along a path. Using this

technique, you can create animations in which letters or lines write themselves

onto the screen.

These are the properties of Scale deformation curves:

■The two curves are red for X-axis scaling and green for Y-axis scaling.

■Default curve values are at 100%.

■Values greater than 100% make the shape larger.

■Values between 100% and 0% make the shape smaller.

■Negative values scale and mirror the shape.

See Deformation Dialog on page 756 for specific information on the dialog

controls.

Scale deformation curve dialog

746 | Chapter 6 Creating Geometry

Procedures

To use Scale deformation:

1Select a loft object.

2Click Loft in the modifier stack display.

3Click Scale on the Deformations rollout.

4Edit the deformation curves for the X axis and Y axis.

Deform Twist

Select a Loft object. > Modify panel > Deformations rollout > Twist

Twist deformation lets you create objects that spiral or twist along their length.

Twist specifies the amount of rotation about the path.

Twist deformation curve dialog

Loft Compound Object | 747

Using twist to deform the lofted roadway

These are the properties of Twist deformation curves:

■A single red curve determines shape rotation about the path.

■The default curve value is 0 degrees of rotation.

■Positive values produce counterclockwise rotation, when viewed from the

start of the path.

■Negative values produce clockwise rotation.

■Both twist deformation and banking produce rotation about the path.

Twist rotation is added to a shape after the banking angle is applied. You

can use Twist deformation to exaggerate or reduce the amount of banking.

See Deformation Dialog on page 756 for specific information on the dialog

controls.

Procedures

To use Twist deformation:

1Select a loft object.

2Click Loft in the modifier stack display.

3Click Twist on the Deformations rollout.

4Edit the single deformation curve to specify rotation about the path.

748 | Chapter 6 Creating Geometry

Deform Teeter

Select a Loft object. > Modify panel > Deformations rollout > Teeter

Teeter deformation rotates shapes about their local X axis and Y axis. Teetering

is what 3ds Max does automatically when you select Contour on the Skin

Parameters rollout. Use Teeter deformation when you want to manually control

contour effects.

Teeter deformation curve dialog

Loft Compound Object | 749

Roadway lofted with no teeter

750 | Chapter 6 Creating Geometry

Roadway lofted with teeter turned on. Teeter affects the X and Y axis orientation of

the shape in relation to the path.

These are the properties of Teeter deformation curves:

■The two curves are red for X-axis rotation and green for Y-axis rotation.

■Default curve values are at 0 degrees rotation.

■Positive values rotate the shape counterclockwise about the shape's positive

axis.

■Negative values rotate the shape clockwise about the shape's positive axis.

See Deformation Dialog on page 756 for specific information on the dialog

controls.

Procedures

To use Teeter deformation:

1Select a loft object.

2Click Loft in the modifier stack display.

Loft Compound Object | 751

3Click Teeter on the Deformations rollout.

4Edit the deformation curves for X axis and Y axis rotation.

Deform Bevel

Select a Loft object. > Modify panel > Deformations rollout > Bevel

Roadway with beveled edges

Nearly every object that you encounter in the real world is beveled. Because

it is difficult and expensive to manufacture a perfectly sharp edge, most objects

are created with chamfered, filleted, or eased edges. Use Bevel deformation to

simulate these effects.

NOTE Bevel is not available when loft output is set to Patch.

These are the properties of Bevel deformation curves:

■The single red curve is for bevel amount.

■Bevel values are specified in current units.

752 | Chapter 6 Creating Geometry

■The default curve value is 0 units.

■Positive values reduce the shape, bringing it closer to the path.

■Negative values add to the shape, moving it away from the path.

When shapes are nested, the bevel direction is reversed for interior shapes.

See Deformation Dialog on page 756 for specific information on the dialog

controls.

Normal and Adaptive Beveling

The Bevel Deformation dialog provides three types of beveling: Normal,

Adaptive Linear, and Adaptive Cubic. These are available from a flyout at the

right end of the dialog toolbar.

With normal beveling, the beveled shape remains parallel to the original,

regardless of the crotch angle of the shape. Steep crotch angles combined with

excessive bevel amounts result in overshooting at the crotch.

Adaptive beveling alters the length of the bevel shape based on the crotch

angle. Adaptive Linear alters the length-to-angle in a linear fashion. Adaptive

Cubic alters it more on steep angles than on shallow angles, producing a subtly

different effect. Both forms of adaptive beveling result in nonparallel beveled

edges, and both are less likely to produce invalid bevels due to overshoots at

the crotch.

To see the differences in the three types of beveling, loft a star shape along a

straight path and apply a bevel. When you switch among the three types of

beveling, you'll see the difference in the bevel outline. Alter one radius of the

star to examine the beveling with shallow and with sharp crotch angles.

Procedures

To use Bevel deformation:

1Select a loft object.

2Click Loft in the modifier stack display.

3Click Bevel on the Deformations rollout.

4Adjust the deformation curve.

Loft Compound Object | 753

Deform Fit

Select a Loft object. > Modify panel > Deformations rollout > Fit

Fit curves define a lofted shape.

Fit deformation lets you use two Fit curves to define the top and side profiles

of your object. Use Fit deformation when you want to generate loft objects

by drawing their profiles.

Fit shapes are really scale boundaries. As your cross-section shape travels along

the path, its X axis is scaled to fit the boundaries of the X-axis fit shape and

its Y axis is scaled to fit the boundaries of the Y-axis fit shape.

NOTE Fit is not available when loft output is set to Patch.

Procedures

To use Fit deformation:

1Select a loft object.

2Click Loft in the modifier stack display.

754 | Chapter 6 Creating Geometry

3Click Fit on the Deformations rollout.

4Select shapes in the viewport to use as fit curves.

Interface

Fit Deformation dialog

The Fit Deformation dialog contains different buttons than the other

deformations. For descriptions of the first eight buttons on the toolbar, see

Deformation Dialog on page 756 . The following descriptions apply to the tools

specific to Fit deformation, and are listed from left to right in the order they

appear on the toolbar.

Fit Deformation toolbar

Mirror Horizontally Mirrors the shape across the horizontal axis.

Mirror Vertically Mirrors the shape across the vertical axis.

Rotate 90 CCW Rotates the shape 90 degrees counterclockwise.

Rotate 90 CW Rotates the shape 90 degrees clockwise.

Delete Control Point Deletes the selected control point.

Loft Compound Object | 755

Reset Curve Replaces the displayed Fit curve with a rectangle 100 units wide

and centered on the path. If Make Symmetrical is on, both Fit curves are reset

even though only one might be displayed.

Delete Curve Deletes the displayed Fit curve. If Make Symmetrical is on,

both Fit curves are deleted even though only one might be displayed.

Get Shape Lets you select the shape to use for Fit deformation. Click Get

Shape, and then click the shape to use in a viewport.

Generate Path Replaces the original path with a new straight-line path.

Deformation Dialog

Select a Loft object. > Modify panel > Deformations rollout > Scale, Twist,

Teeter, Bevel, or Fit

The Deformation dialogs for Scale, Twist, Teeter, Bevel, and Fit use the same

basic layout. The buttons in the window's toolbar and prompt area perform

the following functions:

■Change deformation curve display.

■Edit control points (these can be animated).

■Navigate the Deformation dialog.

Editing Deformation Curves

A deformation curve starts as a straight line using a constant value. To produce

more elaborate curves, you insert control points and change their properties.

Use the buttons in the center of the Deformation dialog toolbar to insert and

change deformation curve control points (see Interface, later in this topic).

Control Point Types

Control points on a deformation curve can produce curves or sharp corners,

depending on the control point type. To change a control point type,

right-click the control point and choose one of these from the shortcut menu:

■Corner Non-adjustable linear control point producing a sharp corner.

■Bezier Corner Adjustable Bezier control point with discontinuous tangent

handles set to produce a sharp corner. This type produces a curve that

756 | Chapter 6 Creating Geometry

looks like the corner type but has control handles like the Bezier Smooth

type.

■Bezier Smooth Adjustable Bezier control point with locked continuous

tangent handles set to produce a smooth curve.

Selecting Control Points

Use the Move Control Point and Scale Control Point buttons with standard

selection techniques to select control points.

Procedures

To drag Bezier tangent handles:

1Select one or more Bezier Smooth or Bezier Corner control points to

display their tangent handles.

2Click one of the Move Control Point buttons.

3Drag any tangent handle.

■Only the tangent handle you drag is affected. Tangent handles on

other selected control points do not change.

■If the tangent handle you drag is part of a Bezier Smooth control

point, both handles move to maintain the Bezier Smooth type.

■If the tangent handle you drag is part of a Bezier Corner control point,

only that handle moves.

To move a control point using the Position and Amount fields:

1Select a single control point.

2Do one of the following:

■Move the control point horizontally by entering a value in the Position

field.

■Move the control point vertically by entering a value in the Amount

field.

Loft Compound Object | 757

To change the control point type:

You can change control point types at any time by right-clicking a selection

of one or more control points.

1Select one or more control points.

2Right-click any selected control point.

3Choose a control point type from the shortcut menu.

The following conditions apply to changing control point types:

■The first and last control points must use the Corner or Bezier Corner

type.

■Converting a Bezier Smooth point to a Bezier Corner point unlocks

the tangent handles but does not change their position. The curve

appears smooth until you drag one of the tangent handles.

■Converting a Bezier Corner point or inserted Bezier point to Bezier

Smooth locks the tangent handles and changes their position and

magnitude. The handles are rotated to the average between their two

angles. The handle magnitudes are averaged and set equal.

Interface

Toolbar

Buttons for working with a second curve are disabled for the Twist and Bevel

deformations, which use only one curve. The disabled buttons are Make

758 | Chapter 6 Creating Geometry

Symmetrical, Display X Axis, Display Y Axis, Display XY Axes, and Swap

Deform Curves.

Make Symmetrical You can apply the same deformation to both axes of a

shape using Make Symmetrical, which is both an action button and a curve

editing mode. Turning on Make Symmetrical has the following effect:

■When a single curve is displayed, it copies the displayed deformation curve

to the curve for the hidden axis.

■When both axes are displayed, the Apply Symmetry dialog is also displayed.

Click the button for the curve you want to apply to both axes.

■Changes you make to the selected curve are duplicated on the other curve.

When Make Symmetrical is not active, curve editing is applied only to the

selected curve.

Display X Axis/Y Axis/XY Axes You can display one or both deformation

curves using the curve display buttons near the upper-left corner of the

Deformation dialog.

Turn on the following buttons to display deformation curves:

■Display X Axis Displays only the X axis deformation curve in red.

■Display Y Axis Displays only the Y axis deformation curve in green.

■Display XY Axes Displays X axis and Y axis deformation curves together,

each using its own color.

Swap Deform Curves Copies curves between the X axis and Y axis. This

button has no effect when Make Symmetrical is on.

Click Swap Deform Curves to copy the X axis curve to the Y axis, and the Y

axis curve to the X axis. It doesn't matter which curve is currently displayed

or selected.

Move Control Points This flyout contains three buttons for moving control

points and Bezier handles:

■Move Control Point Changes the amount of deformation (vertical

movement) and the location of the deformation (horizontal movement).

■Move Vertical Changes the amount of deformation without changing

the location.

Loft Compound Object | 759

■Move Horizontal Changes the location of the deformation without

changing the amount.

If one control point is selected, you can move it by entering values in the

control point Position and Amount fields at the bottom of the Deformation

dialog.

You cannot move end points horizontally. Intermediate control points are

constrained horizontally to stay between the points on either side. The amount

of horizontal constraint is determined by the control point type.

■You can move corner control points very close together, until one is directly

above the other.

■You can move Bezier control points no closer than the length of their

tangent handles.

Moving Bezier Tangent Handles You can use the Move Control Point buttons

to drag a tangent handle's angle and magnitude on Bezier Smooth and Bezier

Corner vertices.

Dragging a tangent handle has the following constraints:

■You cannot move tangent angles beyond vertical. This prevents

deformation curves from doubling back on themselves.

■You cannot move tangent magnitudes beyond the preceding or next control

point on the path.

Pressing Shift while moving a Bezier Smooth tangent handle converts the

control point to a Bezier Corner type.

Scale Control Point Scales the value of one or more selected control points

with respect to 0. Use this function when you want to change only the

deformation amounts of selected control points while maintaining their

relative ratio of values.

■Drag downward to reduce values.

■Drag upward to increase values.

Insert Control Point This flyout contains buttons for inserting two control

point types.

Insert Corner Point Click anywhere on a deformation curve to insert a corner

control point at that location.

760 | Chapter 6 Creating Geometry

Insert Bezier Point Click anywhere on a deformation curve to insert a

modified Bezier control point at that location. The tangent handles of the

Bezier control point are set to maintain the shape of the curve before the point

was inserted.

If you are not sure which type of control point you need, or if you change

your mind, you can convert the point to another type by right-clicking the

point and selecting the type from the shortcut menu.

Both Insert Control Point buttons put you in insertion mode. Right-click or

choose another button to exit the mode.

Delete Control Point Deletes selected control points. You can also delete

selected points by pressing the DELETE key.

Reset Curve Deletes all but the end control points and sets the curves back

to their default values.

Bevel Type This flyout, available only in the Bevel Deformation dialog, lets

you choose Normal, Adaptive Linear or Adaptive Cubic as the bevel type. For

more information, see Deform Bevel on page 752 .

Deformation grid

The area in the Deformation dialog that displays the deformation curves is

called the deformation grid. This grid charts the value of the deformation

along the length of the path.

These are the main grid components:

Active area The light-colored area of the grid defines the first and last vertex

boundaries of the path. The ends of the deformation curve lie on each

boundary and cannot be moved off the boundary.

Horizontal lines Mark deformation values on the vertical scale. The following

table lists each deformation curve type and the meaning of the deformation

values.

Deformation ValueDeformation Type

PercentageScale

Rotation AngleTwist

Rotation AngleTeeter

Loft Compound Object | 761

Deformation ValueDeformation Type

Current UnitsBevel

The thick horizontal line at 0 represents the deformation value at the loft

path.

Vertical lines Mark levels of the path. The levels displayed vary with the

Adaptive Path Steps setting on the Skin Parameters rollout on page 727 .

If Adaptive Path Steps is on, levels are displayed at all path vertices and shape

locations.

If Adaptive Path Steps is off, levels are displayed only at path vertices.

Path ruler Measures the length of the path. The values on the ruler measure

percentage along the path. You can drag the path ruler vertically in the

Deformation dialog.

Deformation curves You can see one or two curves in the Deformation dialog,

based on the deformation type and the curve display setting. The curves are

color-coded by axis.

A red curve displays deformation along the shape's local X axis. A green curve

displays deformation along the shape's local Y axis.

Control Point fields At the bottom of the Deformation dialog are two edit

fields. When a single control point is selected these fields display the path

location and deformation amount of the control point.

Control Point Position The left field displays the location of the control

point on the loft path as a percentage of the total path length.

Control Point Amount The right field displays the deformation value of the

control point.

Deformation Dialog status bar

The Deformation dialogs have their own view navigation buttons in the

lower-right corner. These give you controls for zooming and panning the view

of the deformation grid as you edit the curve values. The status bar also displays

information about the current tool and the selected control point.

Numeric fields These two fields are accessible only if a single control point

is selected. The first gives the point's horizontal position, and the second gives

its vertical position, or value. You can edit these fields with the keyboard.

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Lock Aspect This button is present only in the Fit Deformation dialog. When

active, it restricts zooming to vertical and horizontal at the same time.

Zoom Extents Changes the view magnification so the entire deformation

curve is visible.

Zoom Horizontal Extents Changes the view magnification along the path

length so the entire path area is visible in the dialog.

Zoom Vertical Extents Changes the view magnification along the deformation

values so the entire deformation curve is displayed in the dialog.

Zoom Horizontally Changes magnification along the path length.

■Drag to the right to increase magnification.

■Drag to the left to decrease magnification.

Zoom Vertically Changes magnification along the deformation value.

■Drag upward to increase magnification.

■Drag downward to decrease magnification.

Zoom Changes magnification along both the path length and the

deformation value, preserving the curve aspect ratio.

■Drag upward to increase magnification.

■Drag downward to decrease magnification.

Zoom Region Drag a region on the deformation grid. The region is then

magnified to fill the deformation dialog.

Pan Drag in the view to move in any direction.

Scroll bars Drag the horizontal and vertical scroll bars to pan the view in a

single direction.

Path Commands

Select a Loft object. > Modify panel > Modifier stack display > Sub-object level

> Path > Path Commands

The Path Commands rollout appears only when you are modifying an existing

loft object and have selected Path from the Sub-Object list. The Put command

allows you to make a copy or instance of the loft path.

Loft Compound Object | 763

Interface

Put group

Put Places the path into the scene as a separate object (as a Copy or Instance).

Shape Commands

Select a Loft object. > Modify panel > Modifier stack display > Sub-object level

> Shape > Shape Commands rollout

These controls let you align and compare shapes along the loft path.

Interface

Path Level Adjusts the shape's position on the path.

764 | Chapter 6 Creating Geometry

Compare Displays the Compare dialog on page 765 in which you can

compare any number of cross-section shapes.

Reset Undoes rotation and scale of the shape performed with the Select and

Rotate or Select and Scale.

Delete Deletes the shape from the loft object.

Align group

The six buttons in this group let you align the selected shape in relation to

the path. Looking down at a shape from the viewport in which it's created,

the orientation is left to right along the X axis, and top to bottom along the

Y axis.

You can use a combination of these buttons for placements such as corner

alignment. The operations are additive. In other words, you can use both

Bottom and Left to place the shape in the lower-left quadrant.

Center Centers the shape on the path, based on the bounding box of the

shape.

Default Returns the shape to its position when first placed on the loft path.

When you use Get Shape, the shape is placed so that the path goes through

its pivot point. This is not always the same as the center of the shape.

Therefore, clicking Center is different than clicking Default.

Left Aligns the left edge of the shape to the path.

Right Aligns the right edge of the shape to the path.

Top Aligns the top edge of the shape to the path.

Bottom Aligns the bottom edge of the shape to the path.

Put group

Put Puts the shape into the scene as a separate object.

Compare Dialog

Select a Loft object. > Modify panel > Modifier stack display > Sub-object level

> Shape > Shape Commands rollout > Compare button

The Compare dialog lets you compare any number of cross-section shapes in

a loft object for purposes of making sure their first vertices are properly aligned.

If shapes' first vertices aren't aligned, unexpected lofting results can occur.

Loft Compound Object | 765

Interface

Pick Shape Lets you select shapes to display from the selected loft object.

Click the Pick Shape button in the upper-left corner of the dialog. Then, in

the viewport, select the shapes to display. Select a shape a second time to

remove it from the display.

When you position the mouse cursor over a shape in the loft object, the cursor

image changes to show whether the shape appears in the dialog window: a +

sign appears if the shape isn't selected (indicating that if you select the shape,

766 | Chapter 6 Creating Geometry

it will be added to the dialog window), and a - sign appears if the shape is

already selected.

With each shape, the Compare dialog displays the first vertex as a small square.

For correct lofting, the first vertices of all shapes on the path need to be in

the same position.

Reset Removes all shapes from the display.

Dialog controls

You can scroll the Compare dialog with the scroll bars at the bottom and right

sides. You can also use the buttons in the lower-right corner to perform View

Extents, Pan, Zoom, and Zoom Region functions.

Align group

While the Compare dialog is open, you can affect the shapes' positions in the

dialog window with the Shape Commands rollout > Align group buttons. Turn

off Pick Shape, select a shape in the viewport, and then click the Align group

buttons. See Shape Commands on page 764 for further information.

Mesher Compound Object

Create panel > Geometry > Compound Objects > Object Type rollout > Mesher

Create menu > Compound > Mesher

The Mesher compound object converts procedural objects to mesh objects on

a per-frame basis so that you can apply modifiers such as Bend or UVW Map.

It can be used with any type of object, but is designed primarily to work with

particle systems on page 2923 . Mesher is also useful for low-overhead instancing

of objects with complex modifier stacks.

Procedures

To use a Mesher object:

1Add and set up a particle system.

2Click the Create panel> Geometry > Compound Objects > Object Type

rollout > Mesher button.

3Drag in a viewport to add the Mesher object. The size doesn't matter, but

the orientation should be the same as that of the particle system.

Mesher Compound Object | 767

4Go to the Modify panel, click the Pick Object button, and then select the

particle system.

The Mesher object becomes a clone of the particle system, and shows the

particles as mesh objects in the viewports no matter what the particle

system's Viewport Display setting is.

5Apply a modifier to the Mesher object, and set its parameters. For example,

you might apply a Bend modifier and set its Angle parameter to 180.

6Play the animation.

Depending on the original particle system and its settings, as well as any

modifiers applied to the Mesher object, you might be getting unexpected

results. This typically occurs because the bounding box for the modifier,

as applied to the particle system, is recalculated at each frame. For

example, with a bent Super Spray particle system set to spread out over

time, as the particles stream away and separate, the bounding box becomes

longer and thicker, potentially causing unexpected results. To resolve

this, you can use another object to specify a static bounding box.

7To use another object's bounding box to limit the modified Mesher object,

first add and set up the object. Its position, orientation, and size are all

used in calculating the bounding box.

8Select the Mesher object, and go to the Mesher stack level.

9In the Parameters rollout, turn on Custom Bounding Box, click the Pick

Bounding box button, and then select the bounding box object.

The particle stream uses the new, static bounding box.

TIP You can use any object as a bounding box, so it is often fastest to use

the particle system itself. Move to the frame where the particle system is the

size you want and pick it.

In the following illustration, you can see a Super Spray particle system

(left) and a Mesher object derived from the Super Spray (right). A Bend

modifier is applied to the Mesher. In the center is a box object being used

as a custom bounding box. The bounding box applied to the Bend

modifier is visible as an orange wireframe when the modifier is highlighted

in the stack.

768 | Chapter 6 Creating Geometry

Using a custom bounding box with a bent particle system

To modify the particles aspect of the Mesher, edit the original particle

system.

To modify the custom bounding box, move, rotate, or scale the bounding

box object, and then reapply it using the Mesher object.

At this point, both particle systems will render. The original particle

system must exist in order to be able to be used by the Mesher object, so

if you want only the Mesher replica to render, hide the original system

before rendering.

Mesher Compound Object | 769

Interface

Parameters rollout

Pick Object Click this button and then select the object to be instanced by

the Mesher object. After doing so, the name of the instanced object appears

on the button.

770 | Chapter 6 Creating Geometry

Time Offset The number of frames ahead of or behind the original particle

system that the Mesher's particle system will run. Default=0.

Build Only At Render Time When on, the Mesher results do not appear in

the viewports, but only when you render the scene. Default=off.

Use this option to reduce the amount of computation required for the viewport

display.

Update After editing the original particle system settings or changing the

Mesher Time Offset setting, click this button to see the changes in the Mesher

system.

Custom Bounding Box When on, Mesher replaces the dynamic bounding

box derived from the particle system and modifier with a static bounding box

of the user's choice.

Pick Bounding Box To specify a custom bounding box object, click this

button and then select the object.

The custom bounding box appears as an orange wireframe when the modifier

is highlighted in the stack.

TIP You can use any object as a bounding box, so it is often fastest to use the

particle system itself. Move to the frame where the particle system is the size you

want and pick it.

(coordinate values) Displays the coordinates of the opposite corners of the

custom bounding box.

Use All PFlow Events When on, and you've applied Mesher to a Particle

Flow on page 2713 system, Mesher automatically creates mesh objects for every

event on page 7770 in the system.

To use only certain events, turn this off and specify the events to use with the

PFlow Events group controls (see following).

PFlow Events group

When the Mesher object is applied to a Particle Flow system, use these controls

to create meshes for specific events in the system. Mesher does not create

meshes for the remaining events.

[list box] Displays all Particle Flow events currently affected by Mesher.

Add Lets you specify Particle Flow events to be affected by Mesher.

Mesher Compound Object | 771

If the Mesher object is applied to a Particle Flow system, when you click Add,

an Add PF Events dialog opens listing all events in the system. Highlight the

events to add, and then click OK. The events now appear in the list.

Remove Deletes highlighted events from the list.

ProBoolean/ProCutter Compound Objects

The ProBoolean and ProCutter compound objects provide you with modeling

tools for combining 2D and 3D shapes in ways that would be difficult or

impossible otherwise. The ProBoolean compound object on page 774 takes a

3ds Max mesh and adds extra intelligence to it prior to performing Boolean

operations. First it combines the topologies, then it determines coplanar

triangles and removes incident edges. The Booleans are then performed not

on triangles but N-sided polygons. Once the Boolean operations are completed,

the result is retriangulated and sent back into 3ds Max with coplanar edges

hidden. The result of this extra work is twofold: The reliability of the Boolean

object is extremely high, and the resulting output is much cleaner in terms

of having fewer small edges and triangles.

772 | Chapter 6 Creating Geometry

Advantages of ProBoolean over the legacy 3ds Max Boolean compound object

include:

■Better quality mesh - fewer small edges, fewer narrow triangles.

■Smaller mesh - fewer vertices and faces.

■Easier and faster to use - unlimited objects per Boolean operation.

■Cleaner-looking mesh - coplanar edges remain hidden.

■Integrated decimation and quad meshing

In addition, ProCutter on page 792 is an excellent tool for exploding, breaking

apart, assembling, sectioning, or fitting together objects such as a 3D puzzle.

See the following illustration for an example of a goblet shattering.

ProBoolean/ProCutter Compound Objects | 773

See also:

■ProBoolean Compound Object on page 774

■ProCutter Compound Object on page 792

■Quad Meshing and Smoothing on page 799

ProBoolean Compound Object

Select an object. > Create panel > Geometry > Compound Objects > Object

Type rollout > ProBoolean

A Boolean object combines two or more other objects by performing a Boolean

operation or operations on them. ProBoolean adds a range of functionality

to the traditional 3ds Max Boolean object, such as the ability to combine

multiple objects at once, each using a different Boolean operation. ProBoolean

can also automatically subdivide the Boolean result into quadrilateral faces,

which lends itself well to smoothing edges with MeshSmooth on page 1460

and TurboSmooth on page 1750 .

Materials,Textures,Vertex Colors

ProBoolean and ProCutter transfer texture coordinates, vertex colors, optionally

materials, and maps from the operands to the final results. You can choose

to apply the operand material to the resulting faces, or you can retain the

original material. If one of the original operands had material maps or vertex

colors, the resulting faces derived from that operand maintain those graphical

774 | Chapter 6 Creating Geometry

attributes. However, when texture coordinates or vertex colors are present, it

is impossible to remove coplanar faces, so the resulting mesh quality will be

lower. We suggest that you apply textures after the ProBoolean operations.

ProBoolean provides two options for applying materials. You can see these

two options in the Apply Material group on the Parameters panel (see above

illustration). The default choice is Apply Operand Material. This option applies

the operand material to the resulting faces. Choosing Retain Original Material

causes the resulting faces to use the material of the first selected object in the

Boolean operation.

You can see the difference in the following illustration. The Boolean operation

starts with a red box and a blue sphere. The box is used as the base object and

the sphere is the subtracted operand. Using the default Apply Operand Material

option gives the result shown in the center of the illustration. Choosing Retain

Original Material yields the result shown on the right side of the illustration.

Supported Boolean Operations

ProBoolean supports Union, Intersection, Subtraction, and Merge. The first

three operations work similarly to their counterparts in the standard Boolean

compound object. The Merge operation intersects and combines two meshes

without removing any of the original polygons. This can be useful for cases

in which you need to selectively remove parts of the mesh.

Also supported are two variants of the Boolean operations: Cookie Cutter and

Imprint. Cookie Cutter performs the specified Boolean operation but does not

add the faces from the operands into the original mesh. It can be used to cut

ProBoolean/ProCutter Compound Objects | 775

a hole in a mesh or to get the portion of a mesh inside of another object. The

Imprint option inserts (imprints) the intersection edges between the operands

and the original mesh without removing or adding faces. Imprint only splits

faces and adds new edges to the mesh of the base object (original selected

object).

Editing the Boolean Object

When you access a ProBoolean or ProCutter object from the Modify panel,

you can add operands to the existing set. You can also remove and transform

(move, rotate, etc.) operands.

Polygon Reduction

ProBoolean and ProCutter have a built-in decimation function. Typically,

decimation is of better quality if it is integrated with the Boolean operations.

The reason for this is that the Boolean object contains meta-information about

which edges are intersection edges. The decimation function takes this

information into account and uses it to properly maintain intersection edges.

Text, Lofts and NURBS

When performing Boolean operations with text objects on page 569 , make

sure characters don't intersect each other and that each letter is closed. Also,

it's easy to inadvertently create loft objects on page 715 and NURBS objects

on page 2152 in such a way as to have self-intersections. With loft objects, check

the ends and points where the loft curve bends.

See also:

■ProCutter Compound Object on page 792

Procedures

To create a ProBoolean compound object:

1Set up objects for the Boolean operation. For example, to subtract spherical

shapes from a box, create the box and spheres and arrange the spheres

so that their volumes intersect the box where the subtractions should

take place.

2Select the base object. In the example in step 1, you would select the box.

776 | Chapter 6 Creating Geometry

3On the Create panel > Geometry section, choose Compound Objects

from the drop-down list, and then click ProBoolean.

4On the Parameters rollout, choose the type of Boolean operation you

want to use: Union, Intersection, Subtraction, etc. Also choose how the

software will transfer the next operand you pick into the Boolean object:

Reference, Copy, Move, or Instance. You can also choose to retain the

original material, or keep the default Apply Material choice: Apply

Operand Material.

5Click the Start Picking button.

6Pick one or more objects to participate in the Boolean operation.

7As you pick objects, you can also change, for each newly picked object,

the Boolean operation (Merge, etc.) and options (Cookie or Imprint), as

well as how the next operand is transferred to the Boolean (Reference,

Copy, etc.) and the Apply Material choice. You can continue picking

operands as long as the Start Picking button stays pressed in. Each of the

objects you pick is added to the Boolean operation.

When the Modify panel is active, you can add objects to a selected

ProBoolean object by clicking the Start Picking button and then picking

the objects to add.

Example: To change an existing Boolean with sub-object operations:

ProBoolean offers a great deal of flexibility in combining various Boolean

operations simultaneously, plus the ability to change the way operands

combine both as you build the Boolean object and after the fact.

1Start by adding a box, a sphere, a smaller box, and a cylinder, as shown

in the following illustration.

ProBoolean/ProCutter Compound Objects | 777

Top: Front viewport

Bottom: Perspective viewport

2Select the box.

3On the Create panel > Geometry section, choose Compound Objects

from the drop-down list, and then click ProBoolean.

4On the Parameters rollout, in the Operation group, choose Intersection.

5On the Pick Boolean rollout, click Start Picking, and then click the sphere.

The result is the intersection of the sphere and the box; that is, a single

object that represents the common volume both objects occupy. In this

case, it's the overlap of the sphere and the box. Although neither has a

778 | Chapter 6 Creating Geometry

material at this point, the result uses the default color originally assigned

by the software, at random, to the box when it was created.

Note that Start Picking stays active (yellow). This means you can continue

picking objects to incorporate into the Boolean object, optionally

changing the operation as you go.

6Set Operation to Union, and then click the small box.

The result is the union (adding) of the small box with the intersection

of the sphere and larger box. Again, the original object's color is assigned

to the result.

7Set Operation to Subtraction, and then click the cylinder.

The cylinder's intersecting volume is subtracted from the previous Boolean

result.

ProBoolean/ProCutter Compound Objects | 779

Note that the entire history of operands and operations used to build the

Boolean object is listed in the hierarchy view list at the bottom of the

Parameters rollout. Box01 starts the Boolean with Union, Sphere01 is

then incorporated with Intersection, Box02 is incorporated with Union,

and finally Cylinder01 is incorporated with Subtraction.

NOTE The operation for the first object in the list has no effect on the Boolean

object, but if you move it to another position in the list it does. You'll see an

example of this at the end of this exercise.

You can use the list and the other controls in the Sub-object Operations

group to change the results.

8In the list, highlight the Subtr - Cylinder01 entry, and then set Operation

to Union.

9In the Sub-object Operations group, click the Change Operation button.

As a result of the change of operation, the cylinder appears in the Boolean

object as an additive volume instead of a subtractive one. Also, its entry

in the list changes to “Union - Cylinder01”, showing that the Boolean

operation for the cylinder is now Union.

780 | Chapter 6 Creating Geometry

You can also change the order of the operations, which can affect the

results.

10 In the list, click the Union - Cylinder01 entry to remove the highlighting,

and then highlight the entry 1: Inter - Sphere01.

Note that its position in the list, 1, appears in the editable field next to

the Reorder Ops button.

11 Change the value in the field from 1 to 3, and then click the Reorder Ops

button.

The Inter - Sphere01 item jumps to the end of the list.

The Boolean object changes significantly. The new order in the list tells

you how this shape was achieved: The two boxes and the cylinder were

all combined with Union, adding their volumes together, and then the

sphere was incorporated into that result with Intersection, leaving only

the volume shared by all four objects.

ProBoolean/ProCutter Compound Objects | 781

Interface

Modifier stack

With an unmodified ProBoolean object selected, the modifier stack shows a

single, expandable entry: ProBoolean.

Expanding this entry (by clicking the + icon) reveals a single subsidiary branch:

Operands.

To transform operands in the ProBoolean object independent of the entire

object, click the Operands branch to highlight it.

782 | Chapter 6 Creating Geometry

You can then select one or more operands, either by using standard selection

methods in the viewport, or by highlighting their names in the hierarchy

view on page 789 list at the bottom of the Parameters rollout.

When one, and only one, operand is selected, the object type (not its name)

appears as a separate stack entry below the ProBoolean entry. Clicking this

entry provides direct access to the operand's parameters on the Modify panel.

If Parameters rollout > Display is set to Result, selecting an operand displays

the operand's axis tripod or transform gizmo in the viewport, although the

operand itself is not visible by default.

ProBoolean/ProCutter Compound Objects | 783

To view the operand, set Parameters rollout > Display to Operands.

Whether or not the operands are visible, you can transform and animate them

at the Operands sub-object level, as with any other object in 3ds Max.

You can also transform and animate the base object; that is, the first object

in the hierarchy view list.

Pick Boolean rollout

Start Picking Click this and then click each operand to transfer to the Boolean

object in turn. Before picking each operand, you can change the

Reference/Copy/Move/Instance choice, the Operation options, and the Apply

Material choice.

784 | Chapter 6 Creating Geometry

TIP When you're adding many operands to a Boolean object using the default

settings, calculating the result each time you pick an object can slow down the

process. To maintain optimum feedback, set Parameters rollout > Display to

Operands. Then, when you're finished, set it back to Result. Alternatively, on the

Advanced Options rollout set Update to Manually, and then click the Update

button to view the results after performing the Boolean operations.

Choose a radio button to specify how the next operand you pick is transferred

to the Boolean object:

■Reference The Boolean operation uses a reference on page 7910 to the

picked operand, so the object remains after being incorporated into the

Boolean object. Future modifications to the originally picked object will

also modify the Boolean operation. Use Reference to synchronize

modifier-induced changes to the original operand with the new operand,

but not vice-versa.

■Copy The Boolean operation uses a copy of the picked operand. The

selected object is unaffected by the Boolean operation, but a copy of it

participates in the Boolean operation.

■Move The picked operand becomes part of the Boolean operation and

is no longer available as a separate object in the scene. This is the default

choice.

■Instance The Boolean operation makes an instance on page 7818 of the

selected object. Future modifications of the selected object will also modify

the instanced object participating in the Boolean operation and vice-versa.

ProBoolean/ProCutter Compound Objects | 785

Parameters rollout

Operation group

These settings determine how the Boolean operands interact physically.

Union Combines two or more separate entities into a single Boolean object.

Intersection Creates a "new" object from the physical intersection between

the original objects; the non-intersecting volumes are removed.

Subtraction Removes the volume of a selected object from the original object.

Merge Combines objects into a single object without removing any geometry.

New edges are created where the objects intersect.

NOTE In the following illustration, the display property Backface Cull was turned

off so that all edges are visible.

786 | Chapter 6 Creating Geometry

Left: Original object (box) and operand (small box)

Center: Union operation; part of the smaller box is removed.

Right: Merge operation, showing new edges at intersection

Cookie Cuts the faces of the original mesh shape, affecting only those faces.

The faces of the selected operand are not added to the Boolean result.

1. Original object (box) and operand (sphere)

2. Standard Subtraction operation

3. Subtraction with Cookie on

4. Standard Intersection operation

5. Intersection with Cookie on

Imprint Prints the outline of the shape (or intersection edges) onto the

original mesh object.

Left: Original object (box) and operand (text)

Center: Standard Subtraction operation

ProBoolean/ProCutter Compound Objects | 787

Right: Subtraction with Imprint

NOTE The result of the Imprint operation is always the same; the main Operation

choice has no effect on it.

Display Choose one of the following display modes:

■Result Displays only the result of the Boolean operations, not the

individual operands.

Choosing Result also activates the ProBoolean level in the modifier stack

on page 782 .

■Operands Displays the operands that define the Boolean result. Use this

mode to edit the operands and modify the result.

Choosing Operands also activates the Operands level in the modifier stack

on page 782 .

Also, when picking many operands, use this mode to avoid having to

recalculate the result each time, and then set Display back to Result at the

end.

Apply Material Choose one of the following material application modes:

■Apply Operand Material New faces created by the Boolean operation

acquire the material of the operand.

■Retain Original Material New faces created by the Boolean operation

retain the material of the original object.

Sub-object Operations group

These functions operate on operands highlighted in the hierarchy view list

(see following).

NOTE For these operations, you need not be at the Operands sub-object level in

the modifier stack.

Extract Selected Based on the chosen radio button (Remove, Copy, or Inst;

see following), Extract Selected applies the operation to the highlighted

operand in the hierarchy view list. Three modes of extraction are available:

■Remove Removes the operand or operands highlighted in the hierarchy

view list from the Boolean result. It essentially undoes the addition of the

highlighted operand(s) to the Boolean object. Each extracted operand

becomes a top-level object again.

788 | Chapter 6 Creating Geometry

■Copy Extracts a copy of the operand or operands highlighted in the

hierarchy view list. The original operand remains part of the Boolean result.

■Inst Extracts an instance of the operand or operands highlighted in the

hierarchy view list. Subsequent modifications to this extracted operand

also modify the original operand, thus affecting the Boolean object.

Reorder Ops Changes the ordering of the highlighted operand in the

hierarchy view list. The reordered operand is moved to the position listed in

the text field next to the Reorder Ops button.

Change Operation Changes the type of operation (see Operation group on

page 786 ) for the highlighted operand. To change the operation type, highlight

the operand in the hierarchy view, then choose the operation type radio

option, and then click Change Operation.

Hierachy View

The hierarchy view, found at the bottom of the Parameters rollout, displays

a list of all of the Boolean operations that define the selected mesh. Each time

you perform a new Boolean operation, the software adds an entry to the list.

You can highlight operands for modification by clicking them in the hierarchy

view list. To highlight multiple contiguous items in the list, click the first,

and then Shift+click the last. To highlight multiple non-contiguous entries,

use Ctrl+click. To remove highlighting from a list entry, Alt+click the

highlighted item.

At the ProBoolean level in the modifier stack, you can perform only sub-object

operations on page 788 on highlighted items. At the Operands sub-object level,

you can transform highlighted operands as well as perform sub-object

operations; see Modifier stack on page 782 for details.

ProBoolean/ProCutter Compound Objects | 789

Advanced Options rollout

Update group

These options determine when updates are performed on the Boolean object

after you make changes. Choose one of the following:

■Always Updates occur as soon as you make changes to the Boolean object.

■Manually Updates occur only when you click the Update button.

■When Selected Updates occur whenever the Boolean object is selected.

■When Rendering Updates are applied to the Boolean object only at render

time, or when you click Update.

Update Applies changes to the Boolean object. Available with all options

except Always.

790 | Chapter 6 Creating Geometry

NOTE When you first create a ProBoolean object with Manually or When Rendering

active, no operands, including the base object, are visible until you update at least

once. Thereafter, the base object is visible, but no subsequently picked operands

are until you update again.

Decimation % The percentage of edges to remove from the polygons in the

Boolean object, thus reducing the number of polygons. For example, a

Decimation % setting of 20.0 removes 20 percent of the polygon edges.

1. Decimation %=0.0

2. Decimation %=30.0

3. Decimation %=60.0

4. Decimation %=80.0

Quadrilateral Tessellation group

These options enable quadrilateral tessellation of the Boolean object. This

makes the object suitable for editing subdivision surfaces on page 1926 and for

smoothing meshes. It also makes the object suitable for conversion to Editable

Poly format.

For further discussion of this option, see the topic Quad Meshing and

Smoothing on page 799 .

Make Quadrilaterals When on, changes the tessellation of the Boolean object

from triangles to quadrilaterals.

NOTE When Make Quadrilaterals is on, the Decimation setting has no effect.

Quad Size % Determines the size of the quadrilaterals as a percentage of the

overall Boolean object length.

ProBoolean/ProCutter Compound Objects | 791

Planar Edge Removal group

This option determines how the polygons on planar faces are handled. Choose

one of the following:

■Remove All Removes all extra coplanar edges on a face such that the face

itself will define the polygon.

■Remove Only Invisible Removes invisible edges on each face.

■No Edge Removal No edges are removed.

ProCutter Compound Object

Select an object. > Create panel > Geometry > Compound Objects > Object

Type rollout > ProCutter

The ProCutter Compound object lets you perform specialized Boolean

operations, primarily for the purpose of breaking apart or subdividing volumes.

The results of ProCutter operations are particularly suitable for use in dynamics

simulations where an object explodes or is shattered by impact with a force

or another object.

792 | Chapter 6 Creating Geometry

Following is a list of ProCutter features:

■Break apart a stock object into elements of an editable mesh or into separate

objects using cutters that are either solids or surfaces.

■Use one or more cutters on one or more stock objects at the same time.

■Perform a volume decomposition of a set of cutter objects.

■Use a single cutter many times without maintaining the history.

See also:

■ProBoolean Compound Object on page 774

Procedures

To use ProCutter:

1Select an object to use as a cutter.

2Activate the ProCutter compound object.

3On the Cutter Picking Parameters rollout, click Pick Cutter Objects, and

then select additional cutters.

4On the Cutter Picking Parameters rollout, click Pick Stock Objects, and

then select objects to be cut by the cutter objects.

5In the Cutter Parameters rollout > Cutter Options group, choose the parts

of the originals you wish to keep: Stock Outside Cutters, Stock Inside

Cutters, Cutters Outside Stock.

6To get separate objects to manipulate or animate, collapse the result to

an Editable Mesh on page 1990 object and use the Explode tool set to

180.0. Alternatively, use Auto Extract Mesh and Explode By Elements,

described below.

ProBoolean/ProCutter Compound Objects | 793

Interface

Cutter Picking Parameters rollout

Pick Cutter Objects When on, objects you select are designated as cutters,

used to subdivide stock objects.

Pick Stock Objects When on, objects you select are designated as stock

objects; that is, objects that are subdivided by cutters.

Choose a radio button to specify how the next object you pick is transferred

to the ProCutter object:

■Reference The Boolean operation uses a reference on page 7910 to the

picked operand, so the object remains after being incorporated into the

Boolean object. Future modifications to the originally picked object will

also modify the Boolean operation. Use Reference to synchronize

modifier-induced changes to the original operand with the new operand,

but not vice-versa.

■Copy The Boolean operation uses a copy of the picked operand. The

selected object is unaffected by the Boolean operation, but a copy of it

participates in the Boolean operation.

■Move The picked operand becomes part of the Boolean operation and

is no longer available as a separate object in the scene. This is the default

choice.

■Instance The Boolean operation makes an instance on page 7818 of the

selected object. Future modifications of the selected object will also modify

the instanced object participating in the Boolean operation and vice-versa.

Cutter Tool Mode group

These options let you use the cutter as a sculpting tool, cutting the same object

repeatedly in different places. You can also get separate objects without having

to go through Editable Mesh conversion.

794 | Chapter 6 Creating Geometry

Auto Extract Mode Automatically extracts the result when you select a stock

object. It does not maintain the stock as a sub-object, but edits it and replaces

the object with the result of the cut. This lets you quickly cut, move the cutter,

and cut again.

Explode By Elements When Auto Extract is on, detaches each element into

a separate object automatically. Has no effect when Auto Extract is off.

This convenient option makes it unnecessary to convert the ProCutter object

to Editable Mesh format and then use Explode, as mentioned in this procedure

on page ? . This is useful when cutting up an object. For example, you could

use it to slice a loaf of bread. You use the cutter to cut a piece off, move the

cutter, and then cut again.

Parameters rollout

You can choose any combination of the three cutting options to get the desired

result. If you have non-closed meshes, the orientation of the mesh might

determine which part of the stock is considered to be inside or outside the

cutter.

Stock Outside Cutter The result contains the parts of the stock outside of

all of the cutters. This option gives you a similar result to a Boolean subtraction

of the cutters from the stock objects. The gold part of the object in the

following illustration results from this option.

ProBoolean/ProCutter Compound Objects | 795

Stock Inside Cutter The result contains the parts of the stock inside one or

more cutters. This option gives you similar results to a Boolean intersection

of the cutters and the stock objects. There is some difference because each

cutter is treated individually. The green, blue and red parts of the object on

the left side of the following illustration are the results of this option.

Cutters Outside Stock The result contains the parts of the cutters that are

not inside the stock objects. Note that the cutters will cut each other if they

intersect also. You can see in the following illustration. The parts on the right

side of the following illustration that are not present on the left side are results

of this option.

Cylinder and sphere as cutters and box as stock

Left: Keeping stock inside and outside cutters

Right: Keeping stock inside/outside cutters and cutters outside stock

Display Choose one of the following display modes:

■Show Result Displays the result of the Boolean operations.

■Show Ops Displays the operands that define the Boolean result. Use this

mode to edit the operands and modify the result.

Apply Material Choose one of the following material application modes:

■Apply Operand Material New faces created by the Boolean operation

acquire the material of the operand.

■Retain Original Material New faces created by the Boolean operation

retain the material of the original object.

796 | Chapter 6 Creating Geometry

Sub-object Operations group

These functions operate on operands highlighted in the hierarchy view list

(see following).

Extract Selected Based on the chosen radio button (Remove, Copy, or Inst;

see following), Extract Selected applies the operation to the highlighted

operand in the hierarchy view list. Three modes of extraction are available:

■Remove Removes the operand or operands highlighted in the hierarchy

view list from the Boolean result. It essentially undoes the addition of the

highlighted operand(s) to the Boolean object. Each extracted operand

becomes a top-level object again.

■Copy Extracts a copy of the operand highlighted in the hierarchy view

list. The original operand remains part of the Boolean.

■Inst Extracts an instance of the operand highlighted in the hierarchy

view list. Subsequent modifications to this extracted operand also modify

the original operand, thus the Boolean object.

Hierachy View

The hierarchy view displays a list of all operands: cutters and stock objects.

You can select and edit objects using the hierarchy view, as with ProBoolean.

ProBoolean/ProCutter Compound Objects | 797

Advanced Options rollout

Update group

These options determine when updates are performed on the Boolean object

after you make changes. Choose one of the following:

■Always Updates occur as soon as you make changes to the Boolean object.

■Manually Updates occur only when you click the Update button.

■When Selected Updates occur whenever the Boolean object is selected.

■When Rendering Updates are applied to the Boolean object only at render

time, or when you click Update.

Update Applies changes to the Boolean object. Available with all options

except Always.

798 | Chapter 6 Creating Geometry

NOTE When you first create a ProCutter object with Manually or When Rendering

active, no operands, including the base object, are visible until you update at least

once. Thereafter, the base object is visible, but no subsequently picked operands

are until you update again.

Decimation % The percentage of edges to remove from the polygons in the

Boolean object, thus reducing the number of polygons. For example, a

Decimation % setting of 20.0 removes 20 percent of the polygon edges.

Quadrilateral Tessellation group

Make Quadrilaterals When on, changes the tessellation of the Boolean object

from triangles to quadrilaterals. This makes the object suitable for editing

subdivision surfaces on page 1926 and for smoothing meshes. It also makes the

object suitable for conversion to Editable Poly format.

Quad Size % Determines the size of the quadrilaterals as a percentage of the

overall Boolean object length.

Planar Edge Removal group

This option determines how the polygons on planar faces are handled. Choose

one of the following:

■Remove All Removes all extra coplanar edges on a face such that the face

itself will define the polygon.

■Remove Only Invisible Removes invisible edges on each face.

■No Edge Removal No edges are removed.

Quad Meshing and Smoothing

ProBoolean and ProCutter can re-mesh planar surfaces using a quadrilateral

meshing algorithm. This capability, in combination with the subdivision

surface tools in MeshSmooth, TurboSmooth, and Editable Poly, can produce

dramatic results.

It does require some level of expertise to understand what is possible and how

to achieve the best results using the quadrilateral tessellation. This topic shows

the basics of how to use quad meshing and also contains tips and tricks about

what works and how it works.

ProBoolean/ProCutter Compound Objects | 799

TIP You can apply quadrilateral tessellation to a mesh object without necessarily

performing an actual Boolean operation on it. First create an additional object

that's not touching the object you want to tessellate. Select the object to tessellate,

apply ProBoolean, turn on Make Quadrilaterals, and then subtract the other object.

You can then collapse the tessellated object to Editable Mesh/Poly if you like.

Quad Meshing Basics

ProBoolean of an object containing several primitives

To make a quadrilateral mesh, select a ProBoolean or ProCutter object, go to

the Modify panel, and expand the Advanced Options panel as shown following.

800 | Chapter 6 Creating Geometry

To get a result similar to the following illustration, turn on Make Quadrilaterals

check box:

ProBoolean/ProCutter Compound Objects | 801

Result of a quad mesh with Quad Size %=3.0

To change the size of the individual quadrilaterals, adjust the Quad Size %

parameter. Typically a value between 1 and 4 percent achieves the desired

results. The smaller the quad size, the smaller the resulting fillets or blends

between the surfaces when the mesh is smoothed. The default Quad Size value

is 3.0 percent. A Quad Size value of 2.0 percent produces the following result:

802 | Chapter 6 Creating Geometry

Quad meshing with Quad Size %=2.0

If you know that you have the desired result and don't plan to go back and

change the quad size or the original primitives, you can convert the object to

Editable Poly format and apply smoothing with the Subdivision Surface

settings. If this is not the case, however, and you plan to make further

adjustments, use the MeshSmooth on page 1460 or TurboSmooth on page 1750

modifier to retain the history of the ProBoolean object. The following

illustration shows the result of a MeshSmooth modifier with Subdivision

Amount > Iterations=1 applied to a ProBoolean object with Quad Size % set

to 3.0.

ProBoolean/ProCutter Compound Objects | 803

MeshSmooth modifier with NURMS and Iterations=1

804 | Chapter 6 Creating Geometry

Rendered image after MeshSmooth modifier applied

Quad Meshing Tips and Tricks

Sometimes the results of quad meshing can produce undesirable results in the

smoothed model.

Problem #1: Stripes along cylinders or bumpiness on other surface

Solution: Increase the number of subdivisions around cylinders or along other

surfaces.

ProBoolean/ProCutter Compound Objects | 805

Stripes and bumps with Quad Size %=2.0

To fix the problem depicted above, the number of sides on the two cylinders

was changed from 18 to 30 and the number of segments on the torus was

changed from 24 to 36. The following illustration shows the improved result:

Increasing the primitives' resolution fixes the problem.

Problem #2: Triangles along boundaries caused by conflicts with visible edges

from original mesh

Solution: Make sure Advanced Options rollout > Planar Edge Removal is set

to Remove All or create the original primitives without subdivisions on

coplanar faces.

806 | Chapter 6 Creating Geometry

Coplanar edges not removed from original box

When rendered, misshapen geometry results from the presence of coplanar edges.

ProBoolean/ProCutter Compound Objects | 807

Quad mesh with all coplanar edges removed

Problem #3: Poor alignment of original primitive meshes causes undesirable

results.

Solution: Rotate or move original primitives into position to maximize mesh

quality.

The following illustration shows the result of subtracting three spheres of the

same size from a box. The left-hand sphere is aligned properly so that there

are good quads along both boundaries. This should produce a good result

when smoothed. The middle sphere was lifted so that there is a strip of very

thin quads near the boundary. This produces very little smoothing along that

edge, as you can see in the rendered image. The right-hand sphere was rotated,

producing poor alignment and many triangles on the sphere as well as small

quads on the plane of the box. You can see the undesirable results in the

rendered image.

808 | Chapter 6 Creating Geometry

Quads produced by three spheres with different rotations and translations

ProBoolean/ProCutter Compound Objects | 809

Rendered image of smoothed three-sphere example

Dynamics Objects

Create panel > Geometry > Dynamics Objects

Create menu > Dynamics

Dynamics objects are similar to other mesh objects, except that they can be

made to react to the motion of objects to which they are bound, or they can

provide dynamic forces when included in a dynamics simulation on page 3775

The following topics describe the types of dynamics objects and how to create

and use them:

810 | Chapter 6 Creating Geometry

Spring Dynamics Object on page 820

Damper Dynamics Object on page 811

Damper Dynamics Object

Create panel > Geometry > Dynamics Objects > Object Type rollout > Damper

button

Create menu > Dynamics > Damper

The Damper object provides a dynamic object that can behave as either a

shock-absorber or an actuator. It consists of a base, a main housing, and a

piston, with an optional boot. The piston slides within the main housing,

providing different heights. The overall height can be affected by binding

objects, in the same way as the Spring dynamic object.

NOTE Damper is similar to Spring in many respects. See Spring object on page

820 for more detailed descriptions of similar parameters and procedures.

Procedures

To create a damper:

1Drag and release to specify the diameter.

2Move the mouse and click to specify the overall height of the damper.

To use a damper in a dynamics simulation:

The following must be in place to use the damper forces in a dynamics

simulation:

1Bind two objects to the ends of the damper, and choose Bound to Object

Pivots in the End Point Method group box at the top of the command

panel.

2In the dynamics simulation, add the damper to the Object List. (The

damper itself is not adjusted in the dynamics simulation, so all of the

dynamics parameters will be disabled for the damper object.)

3Include at least one of the bound objects or a parent of one of the bound

objects in the simulation. For example, you can bind two dummy objects

to the ends of a damper, and one of the dummies can be the child of an

Damper Dynamics Object | 811

object that’s included in the simulation. In this case, the dummy itself

does not need to be in the simulation.

NOTE Damper is an "ideal" object with no mass. While it can be used in

dynamics simulations, it cannot participate directly in collisions or effects. As

a result, when you assign a damper object to a dynamics simulation, and

then view it in the Edit Object dialog, all of the parameter settings are

disabled.

812 | Chapter 6 Creating Geometry

Interface

End Point Method group

Free Damper/Actuator Choose this when using the damper as a simple

object that’s not bound to others or used in a dynamics simulation.

Bound to Object Pivots Choose this option when binding the damper to

two objects, using the buttons described next.

Damper Dynamics Object | 813

Binding Objects group

Use these controls to pick the objects to which the damper is bound. To

complete the binding, you must select two binding objects, and then click

Bound to Object Pivots.

Piston (label) Displays the name of the object bound to the piston of the

damper.

Pick Piston Object Click this button and then select the object to be bound

to the piston of the damper.

Base (label) Displays the name of the object bound to the base of the damper.

Pick Base Object Click this button and then select the object to be bound

to the base of the damper.

Free Damper Parameters group

Pin-to-Pin Height Use this field/spinner to specify the distance between the

bottom center of the base and the top center of the piston when the damper

is not bound.

Common Damper Parameters group

Renderable When on, the object appears in the rendering; when off, the

object does not appear.

Material IDs are assigned to the damper object as follows:

1: Base

2: Main housing

3: Piston

4: Boot Stop (appears only if you enable Boot Parameters)

5: Boot (appears only if you enable Boot Parameters)

Generate Mapping Coords Sets up the required coordinates for applying

mapped materials to the object. Default=on.

814 | Chapter 6 Creating Geometry

Cylinder Parameters group

Provides parameters for the base and main cylinder of the damper.

Base Dia The diameter of the base, or "mount" of the damper.

Height The height of the base.

Main Dia The diameter of the main housing of the damper.

Height The height of the main housing.

Sides The number of sides of both the base and the main housing.

Fillet 1 The size of the fillet on the lower edge of the main housing.

Fillet Segs The number of segments for Fillet 1. The higher this setting, the

rounder the fillet profile appears.

Fillet 2 The size of the fillet on the upper edge of the main housing.

Damper Dynamics Object | 815

Fillet Segs The number of segments for Fillet 2. The higher this setting, the

rounder the fillet profile appears.

Inside Dia Specifies the inside diameter of the main housing, which is actually

a tube rather than a cylinder.

Smooth Cylinder When on, smoothing is applied to both the base and the

main housing.

Piston Parameters group

Provides parameters for the piston of the damper.

Diameter The diameter of the piston.

Height The height of the piston.

Sides The number of sides in the piston.

Smooth Piston When on, smoothing is applied to the piston.

816 | Chapter 6 Creating Geometry

Boot Parameters group

The boot is an optional component of the damper that’s similar to the rubber

"accordion" boot found on various types of dampers, such as shock absorbers.

The boot acts like a bound dynamic object, in that one of its ends is bound

to the main housing, while the other is bound to the piston. Thus, as the

piston moves within the housing, the boot expands and contracts to follow.

Enable Turn this on to add the boot to the damper.

Min Dia The minimum diameter of the boot. This and the next parameter

affect the depth of the accordion folds in the boot.

Max Dia The maximum diameter of the boot.

Sides The number of sides making up the boot.

Folds The number of accordion folds (bulges) along the height of the boot.

Resolution The number of segments in each fold.

Damper Dynamics Object | 817

Stop Dia The diameter of the stop, which is the ring at the top of the boot.

Stop Thick The thickness (height) of the stop ring.

Setback The distance of the stop ring from the top of the piston.

Stop Fillet The size of the fillet on the upper edge of the stop ring.

Fillet Segs The number of segments the stop fillet. The higher this setting,

the round the fillet profile appears.

Smooth Boot When on, smoothing is applied to the boot.

818 | Chapter 6 Creating Geometry

Dynamics Parameters group

Unlike the Spring object, the damper can also be used as an actuator. Basically,

a damper absorbs force (like a shock absorber) while an actuator applies force.

The parameters in this group box, available only when End Point Method is

set to Bound to Object Pivots, specify how forces are applied by the damper

object in a dynamics simulation.

Damper Dynamics Object | 819

Damper Parameters Provides parameters for a damper type of object.

Specifically, this simulates a viscous linear damper, which provides linear

resistance to motion (between the two binding objects) proportional to the

rate at which the damper experiences displacement. The faster it gets hit, the

harder it fights back. Push it slowly, and there’s almost no resistance.

■Object is Damper Select this option to use the damper object as a damper

rather than an actuator.

Drag Specifies the force per unit linear speed, measured in one of the methods

specified below.

■Drag is measured in Lets you specify the measurement of drag to use:

Pounds per in(ch)/sec or Newtons per m(eter)/sec.

■Damper works in Provides directional options for the damper.

Compression Only The damper reacts only to compression forces.

Extension Only The damper reacts only to expansion forces.

Both The damper reacts to both compression and expansion forces.

Actuator Parameters Provides parameters for an actuator. When used as an

actuator, the damper object exerts force between the two binding objects. A

real-world example might be the thrusting piston in a log splitter. When used

in a simulation, the force is applied by adjusting the value in the Force spinner.

You can see the result only after solving the dynamics simulation.

■Object is Actuator Choose this when using the damper object as an

Actuator.

Force Specifies the amount of force exerted between the two bound objects.

Positive values push the objects apart, while negative values pull them together.

■Force is measured in Lets you specify the measurement of force to use:

Pounds per inch or Newtons per meter.

Spring Dynamics Object

Create panel > Geometry > Dynamics Objects > Object Type rollout > Spring

button

Create menu > Dynamics > Spring

820 | Chapter 6 Creating Geometry

The Spring object is a dynamics object in the shape of a coiled spring that lets

you simulate a flexible spring in dynamics simulations. You can specify the

overall diameter and length of the spring, the number of turns, and the

diameter and shape of its “wire.” When used in a dynamics simulation, the

compression and extension pressure of the spring are calculated as well.

Procedures

To create a spring:

1Drag and release to specify the outside diameter.

2Move the mouse and click to specify the overall length of the spring.

To use a spring in a dynamics simulation:

The following must be in place to use the spring forces in a dynamics

simulation:

1Bind two objects to the ends of the spring, and choose Bound to Object

Pivots in the End Point Method group box at the top of the command

panel.

2In the dynamics simulation, add the spring to the Object List. (The spring

itself is not adjustable in the dynamics Edit Object dialog, so all of the

dynamics parameters will be disabled for the spring object.)

3Include at least one of the bound objects or a parent of one of the bound

objects in the simulation. For example, you can bind the ends of a spring

to two dummy objects, and one of the dummies can be the child of an

object that’s included in the simulation. The dummy without a parent

will be stationary and the spring will pass its force through the other

dummy to its parent.

NOTE Spring is an "ideal" object with no mass. While it can be used in

dynamics simulations, it cannot participate directly in collisions or effects. A

spring can only exert force on other objects in simulations. As a result, when

you assign a spring object to a dynamics simulation, and then view it in the

Edit Object dialog, all of the parameter settings are disabled.

Spring Dynamics Object | 821

Interface

Spring Parameters rollout

End Point Method group

Free Spring Choose this when using the spring as a simple object that’s not

bound to other objects or used in a dynamics simulation.

Bound to Object Pivots Choose this when binding the spring to two objects,

using the buttons described next.

Binding Objects group

Use these controls to pick the objects to which the spring is bound. "Top" and

"Bottom" are arbitrary descriptors; the two bound objects can have any

positional relationship to each other. To complete the binding, select two

binding objects, and then click Bound to Object Pivots.

822 | Chapter 6 Creating Geometry

Each end point of the spring is defined by the center of the overall diameter

and the center of the wire. This end point is placed at the pivot point of the

object to which it is bound. You can adjust the relative position of the binding

object to the spring by transforming the binding object while the Affect Object

Only button is turned on in the Hierarchy > Pivot panel.

Top (label) Displays the name of the "top" binding object.

Pick Top Object Click this button and then select the "top" object.

Bottom (label) Displays the name of the "bottom" binding object.

Pick Bottom Object Click this button and then select the "bottom" object.

Free Spring Parameters group

Height Use this field/spinner to set the straight-line height or length of the

spring when it is not bound. This is not the actual length of the spring's wire.

Spring Dynamics Object | 823

Common Spring Parameters group

Diameter The overall diameter of the spring, as measured at the center of

the wire. (The diameter of the wire itself has no effect on this setting.)

Turns The number of full 360-degree turns in the spring.

CCW/CW Specifies whether the coils of the spring are counterclockwise

(CCW) or clockwise (CW).

Automatic Segments Choose this option to force each turn of the spring to

contains the same number of segments, as specified in the Segs/Turn spinner.

Thus, if you increase the number of turns, the number of segments also

increases.

Segs/Turn This spinner lets you specify the number of segments in each

360-degree turn of the spring.

824 | Chapter 6 Creating Geometry

Manual Segments When this option is chosen, the length of the spring

contains a fixed number of segments, no matter how many turns in the spring.

Thus, as you increase the number of turns, you must manually increase the

number of segments to maintain a smooth curve.

Segments This spinner lets you specify the total number of manual segments

in the spring.

Smoothing Provides various methods of smoothing the object. The options

here work the same as those in the Torus primitive on page 370 .

■All All surfaces are smoothed.

■Sides Smoothing runs along the length of the wire, but not around its

perimeter.

■Segments Smoothing runs around the perimeter of the wire, but not

along its length.

■None No smoothing is applied.

Renderable When on, the object appears in the rendering; when off, the

object does not appear.

Generate Mapping Coords Assigns mapping coordinates to the object.

Default=on.

Spring Dynamics Object | 825

Wire Shape group

Provides three different types of wire cross-sections for the spring: round,

rectangular, or D-shaped. Each type has its own set of parameters.

Round Wire Specifies a round wire for the spring.

■Diameter The diameter of the wire.

■Sides The number of sides that make up the cross section.

826 | Chapter 6 Creating Geometry

Rectangular Wire Specifies a rectangular wire.

■Width Determines the width of the cross section.

■Depth Determines the depth of the cross section.

■Fillet When combined with Fillet Segs (below), this lets you fillet (round)

the corners of the cross section.

■Fillet Segs Specifies the number of segments in the fillet.

■Rotation Rotates the angle of the cross section along the entire length

of the spring.

D-Section Wire Specifies a D-shaped wire.

■Width Determines the width of the cross section.

■Depth Determines the depth of the cross section.

■Round Sides Specifies the number of segments that make up the rounded

side of the D-shape.

■Fillet When combined with Fillet Segs (below), this lets you fillet (round)

the corners of the cross section.

■Fillet Segs Specifies the number of segments in the fillet.

■Rotation Rotates the angle of the cross section along the entire length

of the spring.

Spring Dynamics Object | 827

Dynamics Parameters group

These parameters specify the forces that the spring contributes to a dynamic

simulation.

Relaxed Hgt Specifies the height (or length) at which the spring is "relaxed"

and therefore contributes no force--either compression or extension. For

example, if the placement of the binding objects stretches the spring to a

length of 50 units but the Relaxed Len is set to 30, then an extension force is

in effect because the spring is stretched further than its relaxed length.

Constant k The amount of force exerted per unit change in length with

respect to the Relaxed Hgt value. This could also be described as the measure

of force-per-units-change in length as compared to the Relaxed Length. For

example, if your spring is set to a Spring Constant of k=10 lb per in, and you

stretch it to be ten inches longer than the Relaxed Hgt value, it will try to

close with a force of 100 pounds. If you compress it two inches shorter than

the Relaxed Hgt value, it will push back with 20 pounds of force.

Spring constant is in Lets you specify the measurement of force to use:

Pounds per inch or Newtons per meter.

828 | Chapter 6 Creating Geometry

Spring works in Lets you specify the type of force you want the spring to

exert. While most springs actually provide both compression and extension

force, if your simulation requires only one, you can save calculation time by

using one instead of both.

■Compression Only This type of spring provides only expansive force

when its length is shorter than the specified Free Length.

■Extension Only Provides contractive force when its length is greater than

the specified Free Length.

■Both Provides both expansive and contractive force, depending on the

variation from Relaxed Hgt.

Enable Nonlinearity When on, the compression and extension of the spring

are non-linear, based on the assumption that a spring has physical limits to

the amount it can stretch or contract. Thus, the further the spring gets from

the Relaxed Hgt setting, the less linear the feedback. The non-linear

compression is calculated using the relationship between the coil dimensions,

wire diameter, and length. Extension compares the relationship between the

wire diameter and overall spring diameter.

Systems

Create panel > Systems

A system combines objects, linkages, and controllers to produce an object set

that has behavior as well as geometry. Systems help you create animations

that would be much more difficult or time-consuming to produce using

features independently. Systems can range from simple object generators to

full-scale subsystem programs.

Systems | 829

■Bones on page 831 creates a hierarchically linked set of bones and joints.

You can transform and animate bones using both forward and inverse

kinematics. See Animating with Forward Kinematics on page 3279 and

Inverse Kinematics (IK) on page 3299 .

■Ring Array on page 853 creates a ring of boxes.

■Sunlight on page 5024 creates and animates a directional light that follows

the geographically correct angle and movement of the sun over the earth

at a given location.

■Daylight on page 5024 creates an assembly with a sky and a sun. Using the

Get location function you can create and animate a light that follows the

geographically correct angle and movement of the sun over the earth at a

given location.

■Biped on page 4069 creates a two-legged character skeleton designed for

animation.

Systems are primarily intended for plug-in on page 7896 component software.

Additional systems might be available if your configuration includes plug-in

systems.

You can externally reference system objects in your scene. For more

information, see XRef Objects on page 6732 .

Procedures

To create a system:

1On the Create panel, click Systems.

830 | Chapter 6 Creating Geometry

The Systems panel is displayed.

2On the Object Type rollout, choose a system to create.

3Drag in a viewport to create the system.

Bones System

Create panel > Systems > Bones button

Animation menu > Bone Tools > Create Bones

A Bones system is a jointed, hierarchical linkage of bone objects that can be

used to animate other objects or hierarchies. Bones are especially useful for

animating character models that have a continuous skin mesh. You can

animate bones with forward or inverse kinematics. For inverse kinematics,

bones can use any of the available IK solvers on page 3307 , or through

Interactive on page 3383 or applied IK on page 3386 .

Dinosaur character modeled using bones

Bones System | 831

Bones are renderable objects. They have several parameters, such as taper and

fins, that can be used to define the shape the bone represents. The fins make

it easier to see how the bone is rotating.

For animation, it is very important that you understand the structure of a

bone object. The bone's geometry is distinct from its link. Each link has a

pivot point at its base. The bone can rotate about this pivot point. When you

move a child bone, you are really rotating its parent bone.

It might be useful to think of bones as joints, because it is their pivot

placements that matter, more than the actual bone geometry. Think of the

geometry as a visual aid that is drawn lengthwise from the pivot point to the

bone's child object. The child object is usually another bone.

Bones system seen alone and inside a wireframe model

Any hierarchy can display itself as a bone structure (see Using Objects as

Bones on page 843 ), by simply turning on Bone On in the Bone Editing Tools

rollout on page 845 .

See also:

■Bone Tools on page 845

832 | Chapter 6 Creating Geometry

Creating Bones

You start creating bones by clicking the Create Bones button on the Bone

Editing Tools rollout on page 845 , or by clicking the Bones button in the

Systems category on the Create panel.

To create bones, do the following.

1Your first click in a viewport defines the start joint of the first bone.

2The second click in a viewport defines the start joint of the next bone.

Visually only one bone is drawn at this point because bones are visual

aids drawn between two pivot points. It is the actual pivot point’s

placement that is important.

3Each subsequent click defines a new bone as a child of the previous bone.

The result of multiple clicks is a single chain of bones.

4Right-click to exit bone creation.

This creates a small “nub” bone at the end of the hierarchy, which is used

when assigning an IK chain. If you are not going to assign an IK chain

to the hierarchy, you can delete the small nub bone.

Creating a simple chain of three bones

3ds Max lets you create a branching hierarchy of bones. To create a branching

hierarchy, such as legs branching from a pelvis, do the following:

1Create a chain of bones, and then right-click to exit bone creation.

Bones System | 833

2Click Bones (or Create Bones) again, and then click the bone where you

want to begin branching. The new chain of bones branches from the

bone you click.

WARNING The behavior of a branching bone hierarchy is not always intuitive.

NOTE You can also use Select And Link on page 3268 to connect one bone hierarchy

to its branches. However, except for this one special case, using Select And Link

with bones is not recommended . To edit an existing bone structure, whether

branching or not, use the Bone Tools on page 845 instead.

Assigning IK Controllers to Bones

By default, bones are not assigned inverse kinematics (IK). Assigning an IK

solver can be done in one of two ways. Typically, you create a bone hierarchy,

then manually assign an IK solver. This allows for very precise control over

where IK chains are defined.

The other way to assign an IK solver is more automatic. When you create

bones, choose IK solver from the list in the IK Chain Assignment rollout, and

then turn on Assign To Children. When you exit bone creation, the chosen

IK solver is automatically applied to the hierarchy. The solver extends from

the first bone in the hierarchy to the last.

For more information about IK, see Introduction to Inverse Kinematics on

page 3299 .

Setting the Initial Position of Bones

When you first create a bones system, the position of the bones is the initial

state. Before you assign an IK solver or method, you can change the initial

state of the bones by moving, rotating, or stretching the bones individually.

Bone Color

By default, bones are assigned the color specified for Bones in the Colors

panel on page 7505 of the Customize User Interface dialog on page 7489 . Choose

Object as the Element and then choose Bones in the list. You can change the

color of individual bones by selecting the bone, clicking the active color swatch

next to the bone’s name in the Create panel or Modify panel, and then

selecting a color in the Object Color dialog on page 327 .

You can also use the Bone Tools on page 845 to assign bone colors, or to assign

a color gradient to a bone hierarchy.

834 | Chapter 6 Creating Geometry

Bone Fins

Fins are visual aids that help you clearly see a bone’s orientation. Fins can also

be used to approximate a character's shape. Bones have three sets of fins: side,

front, and back. By default, fins are turned off.

Bones can have fins.

Bones System | 835

Bones with various fin configurations

Renderable Bones

Bones can be renderable, though by default, they are not. To make a bone

renderable, turn on the Renderable check box in the bone’s Object Properties

dialog on page 245 .

836 | Chapter 6 Creating Geometry

Bones can be renderable.

Object Properties for Bones

In addition to visual properties, bones have behavioral properties. The controls

for these are located on the Bone Tools floater on page 845 .

You can use these controls to turn other kinds of objects into bones.

Using Constraints with Bones

You can apply constraints on page 3212 to bones as long as an IK solver or

method is not controlling the bones. If the bones have an assigned IK

controller, you can constrain only the root of the hierarchy or chain. However,

applying position controllers or constraints to a linked bone can cause

undesirable effects, such as breaking of the bone chain.

Bones System | 837

The “nub” bone at the end of the chain has a Spring controller applied to it. The Spring

controller is connected to an animated sphere.

Right: The sphere's movement breaks the bone chain.

To avoid this problem, don't apply position controllers directly to child bones.

Instead, create an IK chain and apply the controller to the IK chain's end

effector.

838 | Chapter 6 Creating Geometry

A IK chain has been applied, connecting the end nub to its parent bone. The IK chain's

end effector is connected to the ball by a Spring controller.

Right: Now when the sphere moves, the IK chain prevents the bones from breaking.

Constraints and controllers that affect orientation only, such as Orientation

or Look At, do not present this problem when applied to child bones.

Procedures

To create a bones system:

1 On the Create panel, click Systems, and then click Bones.

You can also access Create Bones through the Bone Tools rollout.

2Click in a viewport.

This creates a joint that is the base of the bone's hierarchy.

3Drag to define the length of the second bone.

Bones System | 839

4Click to set the length of the second bone, and then drag to create the

third bone. Drag and click to continue creating new bones.

5Right-click to end creation.

3ds Max creates a small “nub” bone at the end of the hierarchy. This

bone is used when assigning an IK chain.

The first bone you create is at the top of the hierarchy. The last bone you

create is at the bottom. For more about linked objects, see the Hierarchy

Panel on page 7453 .

To create a bones hierarchy with an IK solver automatically applied:

1 In the Create panel, click Systems, and then click Bones.

2In the IK Chain Assignment rollout, select an IK solver from the list.

3Turn on Assign To Children.

4In a viewport, click and drag to create the bones. Right-click to end bone

creation.

After the bones are created, the chosen IK solver is applied to them.

To edit the appearance of a bone:

1Select a bone.

2 Click the Modify tab on the command panel.

3Change settings in the Bone Parameters rollout.

To change the length of bones after they’ve been created:

IMPORTANT Repositioning a bone affects its length visually. More importantly,

it affects the bone’s pivot position. The length of the bone is only a visual aid

drawn between each bone’s pivot point. A bone has only one pivot. The bone

you see visually is connecting its pivot point to the next bone’s pivot point.

1Choose Animation menu > Bone Tools.

2On the Bone Tools dialog, click Bone Edit Mode.

3Move the child of the bone you want to change. The length of its

immediate parent changes to reach the child bone.

840 | Chapter 6 Creating Geometry

4Turn off Bone Edit Mode when you are finished editing the bones.

To add fins to bones:

1Select the bone.

2Choose Animation menu > Bone Tools.

3Select the bones to which you want to add fins.

4In the Fin Adjustment Tools rollout, turn on Side Fins, Front Fin or Back

Fin.

5Adjust the size and appearance of the fins with the appropriate spinners.

NOTE You can also add fins to an individual bone on the Modify panel.

Interface

IK Chain Assignment rollout (creation time only)

Provides the tools to quickly create a bone chain with an IK solver

automatically applied. Also allows for bone creation with no IK solver.

IK Solver drop-down list Specifies the type of IK solver to be automatically

applied if Assign To Children is turned on.

Assign To Children When on, assigns the IK solver named in the IK solver

list to all the newly created bones except the first (root) bone. When off,

assigns a standard PRS Transform controller on page 3145 to the bones.

Default=off.

Bones System | 841

NOTE Choosing the SplineIKSolver and turning on Assign To Children causes the

Spline IK Solver dialog on page 3376 to appear after bones have been created.

Assign To Root When on, assigns an IK solver to all the newly created bones

including the first (root) bone.

Turning on Assign To Children also automatically turns on Assign To Root.

Bone Parameters rollout (creation and modification time)

These controls change the appearance of the bones.

842 | Chapter 6 Creating Geometry

Bone Object group

Width Sets the width of the bone to be made.

Height Sets the height of the bone to be made.

Taper Adjusts the taper of the bone shape. A Taper of 0 produces a

box-shaped bone.

Bone Fins group

Side Fins Lets you add a set of fins to the sides of the bones you create.

■Size Controls the size of the fin.

■Start Taper Controls the start taper of the fin.

■End Taper Controls the end taper of the fin.

Front Fin Lets you add a fin to the front of the bone you create.

■Size Controls the size of the fin.

■Start Taper Controls the start taper of the fin.

■End Taper Controls the end taper of the fin.

Back Fin Lets you add a fin to the back of the bone you create.

■Size Controls the size of the fin.

■Start Taper Controls the start taper of the fin.

■End Taper Controls the end taper of the fin.

Generate Mapping Coords Creates mapping coordinates on the bones. Since

the bones are renderable, they can also have materials applied, which can use

these mapping coordinates.

Using Objects as Bones

Select a linked object or multiple objects linked to each other. > Animation

menu > Bone Tools > Object Properties rollout > Bone On toggle

Bones System | 843

You can use arbitrary objects such as cylinders or boxes as bones, controlling

their animation as if they were bones in a bones system on page 831 . You can

apply an IK solver on page 3307 to the boned objects.

To use objects as bones, select them and then turn on the Bone On toggle on

the Object Properties rollout of the Bone Tools dialog on page 845 .

WARNING Turning on Freeze Length has no visible effect unless you transform

the child of the object to which Freeze Length is applied.

Once you've set objects to function as bones, applying an IK solution behaves

as it does for standard bone objects. The geometry of the boned objects can

stretch or squash during animation.

Procedures

To use objects as bones:

1 Link the objects you want to display as bones.

2 Select all of these objects.

NOTE You can set a single object to work as a bone, but this doesn't have

much use.

3Choose Animation menu > Bone Tools.

The floating Bone Tools dialog is displayed.

4On the Object Properties rollout, turn on Bone On.

3ds Max now treats the selected objects as bones.

5 Select the object to use as the start of the IK chain.

6Choose Animation > IK Solvers > HI Solver.

You can choose a different IK solver, but the HI Solver is the preferred

choice.

7Click to select the end of the IK chain.

Now when you transform the boned objects, their movement is governed

by the IK solver.

844 | Chapter 6 Creating Geometry

Bone Tools

Animation menu > Bone Tools

This command opens the Bone Tools floater, which provides functions for

working with bones. The floater contains three rollouts, described in these

topics:

Bone Editing Tools Rollout on page 845

Fin Adjustment Tools Rollout on page 849

Object Properties Rollout (Bone Tools) on page 851

Bone Tools Rollouts

Bone Editing Tools Rollout

Animation menu > Bone Tools > Bone Tools floater > Bone Editing Tools

rollout

Controls on the Bone Editing Tools rollout let you create and modify bone

geometry and structure, and set bone color for one or more bones.

See also:

■Bones System on page 831

Bones System | 845

Interface

Bone Pivot Position group

Bone Edit Mode Lets you change the lengths of bones and their positions

relative to one another.

When this button is on, you can change the length of a bone by moving its

child bone. In effect, you can scale or stretch a bone by moving its child bone

while in this mode. You can use this tool both before and after assigning an

IK chain to the bone structure.

When Bone Edit Mode is on, you cannot animate, and when Auto Key or Set

Key is on, Bone Edit Mode is unavailable. Turn off Auto/Set Key to edit bones.

NOTE Moving a bone in Bone Edit mode affects the length of both the child and

its parent . If the bones aren't spatially aligned in the usual way (for example, if

you are using other objects as bones), this might have unexpected results.

846 | Chapter 6 Creating Geometry

Bone Tools group

Create Bones Begins the bone-creation process. Clicking this button is the

same as clicking Create panel > Systems > Bones on page 831 .

Create End Creates a nub bone at the end of the currently selected bone. If

the selected bone is not at the end of a chain, the nub is linked in sequence

between the currently selected bone and the next bone in the chain.

Remove Bone Removes the currently selected bone. The bone’s parent bone

is stretched to reach the removed bone’s pivot point, and any children of the

removed bone are linked to its parent. Any IK chains that included the removed

bone will remain intact.

Connect Bones Creates a connecting bone between the currently selected

bone and another bone. When you click this button, a dotted line appears in

the active viewport from the first selected bone. Move the cursor to another

bone to create a new connecting bone. The first selected bone will become a

parent to the connecting bone, which is in turn a parent to the second selected

bone.

Delete Bone Deletes the currently selected bone, removing all its parent/child

associations. A nub is placed at the end of the deleted bone’s parent. Any IK

chains that included this bone become invalid.

Reassign Root Makes the currently selected bone the root (parent) of the

bone structure.

If the current bone is the root, clicking this has no effect. If the current bone

is the end of the chain, the chain is completely reversed. If the current bone

is in the middle of the chain, the chain becomes a branching hierarchy.

Refine Splits a bone in two. Click Refine, and then click a bone where you

want it to split.

Mirror Opens the Bone Mirror dialog (see following), which lets you create

mirror copies of selected bones without changing the sign of the bones' scale.

Instead, Mirror flips one of the bone axes: Y or Z. You can specify the mirroring

axis and the flip axis with the dialog controls.

Bones System | 847

Bone Mirror Dialog

Opens when you click the Mirror button. Use it to specify the mirroring axis,

the flip axis, and an offset value.

While the dialog is open, you can see a preview of the mirrored bone(s) in the

viewports. Click OK to create the bones, or Cancel to prevent creation.

Mirror Axis Choose an axis or plane about which the bones will be mirrored:

X/Y/Z or XY/YZ/ZX.

Bone Axis to Flip To avoid creating a negative scale, choose the bone axis

to flip: Y or Z.

Offset The distance between the original bones and the mirrored bones. Use

this to move the mirrored bones to the other side of the character.

Bone Coloring group

Selected Bone Color Sets the color for selected bones.

Apply Gradient Applies a gradient color across several bones based on the

Start Color and End Color values. This option is available only when two or

more bones are selected. The Start Color is applied to the highest parent bone

in the selected chain, while the End Color is applied to the last child object

in the selected chain. Intermediate colors in the gradient are applied to bones

in between.

Start Color Sets the starting color for the gradient.

End Color Sets the ending color for the gradient.

848 | Chapter 6 Creating Geometry

Fin Adjustment Tools Rollout

Animation menu > Bone Tools > Bone Tools floater > Fin Adjustment Tools

rollout

Controls on the Fin Adjustment Tools rollout are for adjusting some aspects

of bone geometry, including fins.

Interface

Bones System | 849

Absolute Sets the fin parameters as absolute values. Use this option to set

the same fin values for all selected bones.

Relative Sets the fin parameters relative to their current values. Use this

option to retain size relationships between bones with different-sized fins.

Copy Copies the bone and fin settings for the currently selected bone, in

preparation for pasting to another bone.

Paste Pastes the copied bone and fin settings to the currently selected bone.

Bone Objects group

Width Sets the width of the bone.

Height Sets the height of the bone.

Taper Adjusts the taper of the bone shape. A Taper with a 0 value produces

a box-shaped bone. Higher values pinch the bone where it joins its child bone,

while lower values expand that end of the bone.

Fins group

Side Fins Adds side fins to selected bones.

■Size Controls the size of the fin.

■Start Taper Controls the start taper of the fin.

■End Taper Controls the end taper of the fin.

Front Fin Adds front fins to selected bones.

■Size Controls the size of the fin.

■Start Taper Controls the start taper of the fin.

■End Taper Controls the end taper of the fin.

Back Fin Adds fins to the backs of selected bones.

■Size Controls the size of the fin.

■Start Taper Controls the start taper of the fin.

■End Taper Controls the end taper of the fin.

850 | Chapter 6 Creating Geometry

Object Properties Rollout (Bone Tools)

Animation menu > Bone Tools > Bone Tools floater > Object Properties rollout

Controls on the Object Properties rollout for bones let you turn other objects

into bones. They also control bone rigidity and alignment.

NOTE You can reset the scale of bones with the Reset Scale option.

Interface

Bone On/Off When turned on, the selected bone or object behaves as a

bone. Turning this option off causes the object to stop behaving like a bone:

there is no auto alignment or stretching. Default=on for bone objects, off for

other kinds of objects.

NOTE Turning this option on doesn't immediately cause objects to align or stretch.

However, future transforms of children can cause rotation and stretching.

Freeze Length When turned on, the bone maintains its length. When turned

off, the bone's length is based on the translation of its child bone. This option

is available only if Bone On is on. Default=on.

WARNING When you turn on Freeze Length, this has no visible effect unless you

transform the child of the object to which Freeze Length is applied.

Auto-Align When turned off, the bone's pivot point doesn't align to its child

object. The translation of a child bone will not be converted into rotation of

the parent. Instead, the child is allowed to move away from the parent's X

axis. This option is available only if Bone On is on. Default=on.

Bones System | 851

NOTE Changing the Auto-Align state does not have an immediate visual effect

on the skeleton. It affects future behavior when bones are moved.

Correct Negative Stretch When turned on, any stretching of the bone that

results in a negative scale factor will be corrected to a positive number. This

option is available only if Bone On is on. Default=on.

Realign Causes the bone's X axis to realign and point at the child bone (or

the average pivot of multiple children). Normally this alignment is maintained,

and there is no need to use this option. However, it is possible for the bones

to come out of alignment by turning off Auto-Align and moving a child bone.

Use Realign to align the bone back to its child. This option is available only

if Bone On is on.

Reset Stretch Stretches the bone to reach its child object if the child has

been moved away from the bone. This option is available only if Bone On is

on.

Reset Scale Resets a stretched bone's internally calculated scale to 100% on

each axis. Using this option avoids unexpected behavior due to objects which

are both linked and scaled. This option has no visual effect on the bone. This

option is available only if Bone On is on.

Stretch Factor Information

Under the Correct Negative Stretch options is a text display giving information

about the number of bones selected and the respective stretch factor for all

three axes. If more than one bone is selected, the Stretch Factor text displays

undefined.

NOTE The Stretch Factor text only updates when you are in Bone Edit Mode on

page 845 .

Stretch and Axis Options

Stretch Determines what kind of stretch takes place when the child bone is

transformed and Freeze Length is off. Default=Scale.

■None No stretch takes place.

■Scale Lets the bone scale. The stretch happens along one axis.

■Squash Lets the bone squash. The bone gets fatter as it gets shorter, and

thinner as it gets longer.

852 | Chapter 6 Creating Geometry

Axis Determines the axis used for the stretch.

■X/Y/Z Choose the axis for scaling or squashing.

■Flip Flips the stretch along the selected axis.

Ring Array System

Create panel > Systems > Ring Array button

The Ring Array object consists of a dummy object on page 2531 surrounded

by a ring of boxes. You can arrange the boxes in the ring along a sine curve,

vary their number, and animate the ring array's parameters. You can also

replace the boxes with other objects using Track View, as described in the

Procedures section, below.

Example of ring array

Procedures

To create the ring array system:

1 On the Create panel, click Systems, and then click Ring

Array.

2Drag in a viewport to set the center and radius of the array.

A dummy object appears at the center. By default, four boxes are evenly

spaced in a circle around it.

To animate the ring array:

1 Turn on Auto Key.

2Move to a nonzero frame.

Ring Array System | 853

3Adjust the ring array parameters.

You can't animate the number of boxes in the ring.

4Repeat steps 2 and 3 for additional keyframes.

NOTE To animate the ring array after creation, use the Motion panel, not

the Modify panel.

To put other kinds of objects in the ring:

You can use either version of Track View: Curve Editor or Dope Sheet.

1In the Track View Controller window, click the name of object container

of the object to put in the ring.

The name highlights.

854 | Chapter 6 Creating Geometry

2Still in the Controller window, right-click and choose Copy from the

menu.

3Highlight the object container of one of the ring array boxes.

Ring Array System | 855

4Right-click and choose Paste.

5In the Paste dialog, choose Copy or Instance. Optionally, to replace all

the boxes with the copied object, turn on Replace All Instances. Click

OK.

The box or boxes are replaced with the copied object.

TIP To see the replacement objects, you might need to refresh the viewports.

856 | Chapter 6 Creating Geometry

Top: Object substituted for boxes in array

Bottom: The result

Ring Array System | 857

Interface

These parameters control ring arrays. To adjust and animate the ring array

after creation, select one of the array objects (not the dummy), and then go

to the Motion panel, not the Modify panel.

Radius Sets the radius of the ring. You set the initial Radius value when you

drag to create the ring array.

Amplitude Sets the amplitude of the ring's sine curve, in active units.

Amplitude is a height offset from the local origin of the center dummy object.

Cycles Sets the number of cycles in the ring's sine curve. When Cycles is 0.0,

the ring is flat. When Cycles is 1.0, the ring is tilted. Greater values increase

the number of peaks in the curve.

Phase Offsets the phase of the wave. That is, it has the effect of moving the

wave along the circumference of the ring. Whole values have no effect; only

fractional values do.

Number Sets the number of boxes in the ring.

858 | Chapter 6 Creating Geometry

Moving, Rotating, and

Scaling Objects

To change an object’s position, orientation, or scale, click one of the three transform buttons

on the main toolbar or choose a transform from a shortcut menu. Apply the transform to a

selected object using the mouse, the status bar Coordinate Display fields, a type-in dialog, or

any combination of the above.

The column can be moved, rotated, and scaled.

These topics describe how to use and animate transforms, with procedures:

Using Transforms on page 862

859

Using Transform Gizmos on page 865

Transform Type-In on page 874

Animating Transforms on page 877

Transform Managers on page 879

Specifying a Reference Coordinate System on page 881

Choosing a Transform Center on page 882

Using the Axis Constraints on page 884

Transform Commands on page 887

Transform Coordinates and Coordinate Center on page 896

Transform Tools on page 909

Scaling and Dimensions

If you scale an object and later check its base parameters in the Modify panel, you see the

dimensions of the object before it was scaled. The base object exists independently of the

scaled object that is visible in your scene.

You can use the Measure utility on page 2597 to measure the current dimensions of an object

that has been scaled or changed by a modifier.

See also:

■Creating Copies and Arrays on page 953

■Using +Clone on page 968

Axis Tripod and World Axis

Two visual aids in 3ds Max give you information about your current orientation

in the workspace.

Axis Tripod

If no transform tool is active, an axis tripod appears in the viewports whenever

you select one or more objects, to assist you visually in your transforms. When

a transform tool is active, the transform gizmo on page 865 appears instead,

unless you've turned it off.

860 | Chapter 7 Moving, Rotating, and Scaling Objects

The axis tripod appears when the transform gizmo is inactive.

The axis tripod consists of three lines, labeled X, Y, and Z, and shows you

three things:

■The orientation of the tripod reveals the orientation of the current reference

coordinate system.

■The location of the junction of the three axis lines shows you where your

transform center is.

■The highlighted red axis lines show you the axis or axes to which the

transform is constrained. For example, if only the X axis line is red, you

can move objects only along the X axis.

World Axis

In the lower-left corner of each viewport you can find the world axis, which

shows the current orientation of the viewport with respect to world coordinate

system. The world axis colors are red for X, green for Y, and blue for Z. You

can toggle the display of the world axis in all viewports by turning off Display

Axis Tripod and World Axis | 861

World Axis, on the Viewports panel on page 7545 of the Preference Settings

dialog.

The world axis shows the

current viewport orientation.

See also:

■Using Transform Gizmos on page 865

■Transform Managers on page 879

Using Transforms

Changing a model by changing its position, rotation, or scale

862 | Chapter 7 Moving, Rotating, and Scaling Objects

A transform is an adjustment of an object’s position, orientation, or scale,

relative to the 3D world (or world space) in which you’re working. You can

apply three types of transform to an object:

■Position on page 888

■Rotation on page 889

■Scale on page 891

This section presents these brief topics designed to help you quickly start

learning how to transform objects, and how to animate your transforms:

Using Transform Gizmos on page 865

Animating Transforms on page 877

Transform Managers on page 879

Specifying a Reference Coordinate System on page 881

Choosing a Transform Center on page 882

Using the Axis Constraints on page 884

Failure to Move or Rotate

In some cases, an object might fail to move or rotate, even when the proper

button is on and the object is selected. This could be due to one of the

following reasons:

■The object is frozen. See Selecting Objects on page 131 .

■A transform controller has been assigned to the object. See Animation

Controllers on page 3058 .

■Inverse Kinematics mode is on and the preference called Always Transform

Children of the World is off. See Introduction to Inverse Kinematics (IK)

on page 3299 .

Using Transforms | 863

Procedures

To transform an object using the Main toolbar :

1 On the Main toolbar , click one of the three transform

buttons: Select And Move on page 888 , Select And Rotate on page 889 ,

or Select And Scale on page 891 . These buttons are usually referred to as

Move, Rotate, and Scale.

2Position the mouse over the object you want to transform.

■If the object is already selected, the cursor changes to indicate the

transform.

■If the object is not selected, the cursor changes to a small plus sign to

show that the object can be selected.

3Drag the mouse to apply the transform.

If you drag the mouse over an unselected object, it becomes selected and

is also transformed.

You can use the Transform gizmo to easily restrict transforms to one or

two axes. See Using Transform Gizmos on page 865 .

To cancel a transform:

■Right-click while you’re dragging the mouse.

To transform an object from the quad menu:

1Right-click a selected object. The quad menu on page 7300 lists the three

transforms.

2Choose one of the transforms. The equivalent transform button is selected

on the main toolbar.

3Drag the object to apply the transform.

To use transform type-in:

1Choose Tools menu > Transform Type-In to display the dialog.

2Apply a transform to a selected object.

864 | Chapter 7 Moving, Rotating, and Scaling Objects

3You can do any of the following, switching from one to the other as

required.

■Type a value in an axis field and press Enter to apply the transform

change to the selection.

■Drag a spinner in an axis field to update the selection.

■Drag the object to apply the transform and read the resulting change

in the dialog.

For example, if Move is active, the dialog fields read out both the absolute

and offset positions of the selected object in world space. If no object is

selected, the fields turn gray.

To use transform type-in on the status bar:

1Select an object or a group of objects.

2On the Main toolbar , choose a transform (Move, Rotate, or Scale) to

perform on the objects.

3On the status bar, you can do any of the following, switching from one

to another as required:

■ Type a value in an axis field and press Enter to apply the

transform change to the selection. The Absolute/Offset toggle, to the

right of the X, Y, and Z fields, lets you switch between entering values

that are absolute (in world space) or offset (relative to the selection's

present position, orientation, and dimensions).

■Drag a spinner in an axis field to update the selection.

■Drag the object to apply the transform and read the resulting change

in the X, Y, and Z fields.

TIP To see the Z field, drag the transform type-in portion of the toolbar

while a pan hand is visible.

Using Transform Gizmos

Select an object. > main toolbar > Click any transform button to display the

object’s Transform Gizmo icon.

Using Transform Gizmos | 865

Move gizmo

Rotate gizmo

866 | Chapter 7 Moving, Rotating, and Scaling Objects

Scale gizmo

The Transform gizmos are viewport icons that let you quickly choose one or

two axes when transforming a selection with the mouse. You choose an axis

by placing the mouse over any axis of the icon, and then drag the mouse to

transform the selection along that axis. In addition, when moving or scaling

an object, you can use other areas of the gizmo to perform transforms along

any two axes simultaneously. Using a gizmo avoids the need to first specify

a transform axis or axes on the Axis Constraints toolbar on page 7288 , and also

lets you switch quickly and easily between different transform axes and planes.

A Transform gizmo appears when one or more objects are selected and one

of the transform buttons ( Select And Move on page 888 , Select And Rotate

on page 889 , or Select And Scale on page 891 ) is active on the main toolbar.

Each transform type uses a different gizmo. By default, each axis is assigned

one of three colors: X is red, Y is green, and Z is blue. The corners of the Move

gizmo are assigned the two colors of the related axes; for example, the corner

for the XZ plane is red and blue.

When you position the mouse over any axis, it turns yellow to indicate that

it’s active. Similarly, position the mouse over one of the plane handles, and

both associated axes turn yellow. You can now drag the selection along the

indicated axis or axes. Doing so changes the Axis Constraints toolbar "Restrict

to ..." setting on page 884 .

Move Gizmo

The Move gizmo includes plane handles, and the option to use a center box

handle.

Using Transform Gizmos | 867

You can select any of the axis handles to constrain movement to that axis. In

addition, the plane handles allow you to constrain movement to the XY, YZ,

or XZ planes. The selection hotspot is within the square formed by the plane

handles. You can change the size and offset of the handles and other settings

on the Gizmos panel on page 7570 of the Preferences dialog on page 7534 .

The Move gizmo with the YZ axes selected.

You can constrain translation to the viewport plane by dragging the center

box. To use this optional control, turn on Move In Screen Space on page 7572

Rotate Gizmo

The Rotate gizmo is built around the concept of a virtual trackball. You can

rotate an object freely, about the X, Y, or Z axis, or about an axis perpendicular

to the viewport.

868 | Chapter 7 Moving, Rotating, and Scaling Objects

The axis handles are circles around the trackball. Drag anywhere on one of

them to rotate the object about that axis. As you rotate about the X, Y, or Z

axis a transparent slice provides a visual representation of the direction and

amount of rotation. If you rotate more than 360°, the slice overlaps and the

shading becomes increasingly opaque. The software also displays numerical

data to indicate a precise rotational measurement.

Using Transform Gizmos | 869

In addition to XYZ rotation, you can also use free rotation or the viewport

handle to rotate objects.

Drag inside the Rotate gizmo (or the outer edge of the gizmo) to perform free

rotation. Rotation should behave as if you were actually spinning the trackball.

The outermost circle around the Rotate gizmo is the Screen handle, which

lets you rotate the object on a plane parallel to the viewport.

You can adjust settings for the Rotate gizmo on the Gizmos panel on page

7570 of the Preferences dialog on page 7534

Scale Gizmo

The Scale gizmo includes plane handles and scaling feedback through the

stretching of the gizmo itself.

The plane handles let you perform uniform and non-uniform scaling without

changing your selection on the main toolbar:

■To perform Uniform scaling, drag in the center of the gizmo.

870 | Chapter 7 Moving, Rotating, and Scaling Objects

The Transform gizmo with Uniform scaling selected.

■To perform non-uniform scaling, drag on a single axis or a plane handle.

Using Transform Gizmos | 871

Top: The Scale gizmo with the YZ plane handle selected

Bottom: Non-uniform scaling on the YZ plane

NOTE To perform a Squash operation, you must choose Select and Squash on

page 894 on the main toolbar.

The Scale gizmo provides feedback by changing its size and shape; in the case

of a uniform scale operation, it will grow or shrink as the mouse moves, and

during non-uniform scaling, the gizmo will stretch and deform while dragging.

However, once the mouse button is released, the gizmo returns to its original

size and shape.

You can adjust settings for the Scale gizmo on the Gizmos panel on page 7570

of the Preferences dialog on page 7534

Notes

Using a Transform gizmo sets the default axis constraint to the last axis or

plane you used.

872 | Chapter 7 Moving, Rotating, and Scaling Objects

If Lock Selection Set is on, you can drag anywhere in the viewport to transform

the object. Dragging an axis, however, still applies the constraint along that

axis.

See also:

■Gizmos Preferences on page 7570

Procedures

Example: To explore use of the transform gizmo:

1 Reset the program, then create a sphere, and then click the Select

and Move button.

The Transform gizmo appears at the center of the sphere. Because the

default axis constraint on the Axis Constraints toolbar is XY Plane, the

X and Y shafts of the Transform gizmo are yellow (active), while the Z

shaft is blue.

2 Use Arc Rotate on page 7395 to adjust the Perspective view for a

better view of the Transform gizmo. When you’re done, right-click to

return to Select and Move .

3Point to any part of the sphere away from the Transform gizmo, and drag

to confirm that the sphere is locked to the XY plane.

4Point to the Z-axis shaft, and drag.

The Z shaft turns yellow, the X and Y shafts turn red and green,

respectively, and the sphere moves along the Z axis.

5Point to the Y shaft, and drag.

The Y shaft turns yellow, and the sphere moves along only the Y axis.

6Point to the red-and-green corner mark opposite the ends of the X and

Y axes, and drag.

The sphere moves along the XY plane.

7Press the Spacebar to turn on Selection Lock on page 7324 .

8Drag the mouse anywhere in a viewport away from the selection.

The sphere moves along the XY plane.

Using Transform Gizmos | 873

9Point to the X shaft, and drag.

The sphere moves along only the X axis.

Experiment with other transformations, such as rotation and scale. Try different

reference coordinate systems. Experiment with sub-object transformations.

Interface

Change default colors Customize menu > Customize User Interface dialog

> Colors panel on page 7505 > Gizmos Element > Active Transform Gizmo and

Transform Gizmo X/Y/Z.

Enable/disable Transform Gizmo Customize menu > Preferences > Gizmos

panel on page 7570 > On check box.

NOTE When you turn off the Transform gizmo in Preferences, the standard axis

tripod appears instead. To toggle display of either the gizmo or the tripod, press

the X key or use Views menu > Show Transform Gizmo.

There are additional controls for each Gizmo in the Gizmos panel on page

7570 of the Preferences dialog.

Transform Type-In

Status bar > Transform Type-In

Edit menu > Transform Type-In

F12

Main toolbar > Right-click Select And Move, Select And Rotate, or one of the

Select And Scale buttons.

Transform Type-In is a dialog that lets you enter precise values for move,

rotate, and scale transforms on page 7958 . You can use Transform Type-In with

anything that can display an axis tripod or Transform gizmo.

You can also use the Transform Type-In boxes on the status bar on page 7308

. To use the Transform Type-In boxes on the status bar, simply enter the

appropriate values in the boxes and press Enter to apply the transformation.

You can alternate between entering absolute transform values or offset values

by clicking the Relative/Absolute Transform Type-In button to the left of the

transform boxes.

874 | Chapter 7 Moving, Rotating, and Scaling Objects

If you choose Transform Type-In from the Edit menu, press F12, or right-click

one of the transform toolbar buttons, Transform Type-In pops up as a dialog.

The title of the dialog reflects the active transform. If Rotate is active, the

dialog's title is Rotate Transform Type-In and its controls affect rotation. If

Scale is active, its title is Scale Transform Type-In, and so on. You can enter

either absolute transform values or offset values.

In most cases, both absolute and offset transforms use the active reference

coordinate system on page 896 . The exceptions are View, which uses the World

coordinate system, and Screen, which uses World for absolute moves and

rotations. Also, absolute scaling always uses the Local coordinate system. The

dialog labels change to show the reference coordinate system being used.

When you use the Transform Type-In at a sub-object level, you transform the

transform gizmo of the sub-object selection. So, for example, the absolute

position values represent the absolute world position of the transform gizmo.

If you've selected a single vertex, it's the absolute world position of the vertex.

If multiple vertices are selected, the Transform gizmo is placed at the center

of the selection, so the position you specify in the Transform Type-In sets the

absolute position of the center of the selected vertices.

When multiple vertices are selected in Local transform mode, you end up with

multiple transform gizmos. In this case, only the Offset control is available.

Because the axis tripods are not scaled, the Absolute Scale control is not

available at the sub-object level. Only Offset is available.

When you use the Transform Type-In for Absolute rotation, the state of the

Center flyout is respected. You can perform absolute rotations about the pivot

point of the object, the selection center, or transform coordinate center. See

Choosing a Transform Center on page 882 .

Using Type-In with Sub-Object Selection

You can use Transform Type-In with any sub-object selection or gizmo. The

transform affects the axis tripod for the selection.

Absolute and offset world coordinates are those of the object's or selection's

coordinate system, whose origin is indicated by the axis tripod. If multiple

vertices are selected, the tripod is at the center of the selection and its location

is given in world coordinates.

Because axis tripods cannot be scaled, Absolute Scale fields are unavailable

when you are at a sub-object level.

See Basics of Creating and Modifying Objects on page 317 for information on

sub-object selection and gizmos.

Transform Type-In | 875

Procedures

To use transform type-in:

1Select an object or a group of objects.

2Choose a transform to perform on the objects (Move, Rotate, or Scale).

3You can do any of the following, switching from one to another as

required:

■Type a value in an axis field and press Enter to apply the transform

change to the object in the viewport.

■Drag a spinner in an axis field to update the object in the viewport.

■Drag the object to apply the transform and read the resulting change

in the axis fields.

For example, if Move is active, the fields read out both the absolute

positions of the selected object in world space. If no object is selected,

the fields turn gray.

Interface

Status bar

Absolute/Offset Mode Transform Type-In When this is off, the

software treats values you enter into the X, Y, and Z fields as absolutes. When

this is on, the software applies transform values you enter as relative to current

values; that is, as an offset. Default=off.

X, Y, and Z Display and accept entry for values of position, rotation, and

scale along each axis.

Absolute group (Dialog)

876 | Chapter 7 Moving, Rotating, and Scaling Objects

X, Y, and Z Display and accept entry for absolute values of position, rotation,

and scale along each axis. Position and rotation are always displayed, as world

scale is always local.

Offset group (Dialog)

X, Y, and Z Display and accept entry for offsets of the position, rotation,

and scale values along each axis.

Displayed offset values revert to 0.0 after each operation. For example, if you

enter 45 degrees in a Rotate Offset field, when you press Enter, the software

rotates the object 45 degrees from its previous position, increases the Absolute

field value by 45 degrees, and resets the Offset field to 0.0.

Offset labels reflect the active reference coordinate system. The Offset can be

Offset: Local, Offset: Parent, and so on. If you use Pick to select the reference

coordinate system of a particular object, the Offset will be named with that

object.

Animating Transforms

You can animate changes in position, rotation, and scale (transforms) by

turning on the Auto Key button and then performing the transform at any

frame other than frame 0. This creates a key for that transform at the current

frame.

Example: To animate an object moving among three points:

1 Turn on the Auto Key button on page 3007 .

The Auto Key button and the highlight border around the active viewport

both turn red.

2Drag the time slider to frame 25.

3Move the object from its current position (point A) to another location

(point B).

The software creates Move keys at frames 0 and 25. These appear on the

track bar on page 7315 . The establishing key at frame 0 describes the object’s

original position, at point A. The key at frame 25 describes the object’s

position at point B.

4Drag the time slider to frame 50.

Animating Transforms | 877

5Move the object from point B to a third location (point C).

The software creates a Move key at frame 50 that describes the object’s

position at point C.

6Click the Auto Key button to stop recording.

7 Click the Play button on page 7355 .

The object moves from point A to point B over frames 0 to 25, and then

proceeds to point C over frames 26 to 50.

8 The Play button has turned into a Stop button; click Stop to stop

playback.

You can combine different transforms in a single animation sequence, so that

an object appears to move as it rotates and changes in size.

See Animation Concepts and Methods on page 3002 for more information on

animation techniques.

An object animated among three points

878 | Chapter 7 Moving, Rotating, and Scaling Objects

Transform Managers

3ds Max provides three controls, collectively referred to as the transform

managers, for modifying the action of the transform tools.

The transform manager controls are as follows:

■The Reference Coordinate System drop-down list on page 896 , which

controls the orientation of the transform axes, is found to the right of the

Move, Rotate, and Scale transform buttons on the main toolbar.

■The Transform Center flyout on page 904 , which controls the center about

which the software applies the transform, is found to the right of the

Reference Coordinate System drop-down list.

■The Axis Constraint setting on page 884 lets you restrict the transform to

a single axis or two axes (that is, a plane). The axis constraint tools appear

on the Axis Constraints toolbar, which is off by default. You can open the

toolbar by right-clicking an empty spot on the main toolbar and choosing

Axis Constraints from the menu.

TIP You can also restrict transforms with the transform gizmos on page 865 .

Definitions

Certain terms are used in the description of transforms and the transform

managers.

■An axis is a straight line along which an object is moved or scaled, or about

which an object is rotated. When you work in 3D, you use three axes,

labeled X, Y, and Z, which are oriented 90 degrees from each other.

■A coordinate system specifies the orientation of the X, Y, and Z axes used

by a transform.

For example, in the World coordinate system, as seen from the Front view,

the X axis runs horizontally from left to right, the Y axis runs from back

to front, and the Z axis runs vertically, from bottom to top.

On the other hand, each object carries its own Local coordinate system.

If the object has been rotated, its Local coordinate system might be different

from the world coordinate system.

■The transform center, or pivot point, is the spot about which a rotation takes

place, or to and from which scaling occurs.

Transform Managers | 879

Using the transform managers, you can specify any combination of axes,

transform coordinate systems, and transform centers.

Axis Tripod Icon

■An axis tripod appears in the viewports when you select one or more

objects, to assist you visually in your transforms. This tripod consists of

three lines, labeled X, Y, and Z, and shows you three things:

■The orientation of the tripod reveals the orientation of your coordinate

system.

■The location of the junction of the three axis lines shows you where your

transform center is.

■The highlighted red axis lines show you the axis or axes to which the

transform is constrained. For example, if only the X axis line is red, you

can move objects only along the X axis.

NOTE The Transform gizmo supplants the axis tripod for selections when a

transform mode is active. Besides providing all of the above functions, it lets

you specify the transform axis or axes without explicitly setting constraints;

see Using the Axis Constraints on page 884 . For more on the Transform gizmo,

see Using Transform Gizmos on page 865 .

You can toggle the display of the axis tripod in all viewports by choosing

Views menu > Show Transform Gizmo, or by pressing the X key.

Transform Manager Settings

The state of the three transform managers (coordinate system, center, and

axis constraints) is stored with each type of transform. When you switch from

Move to Rotate to Scale, the transform managers change to whatever

combination they were in when you last used that transform.

For example, if you click Rotate and set the transform managers to Local,

Selection Center, and Y constraint, when you click Move, the controls might

shift to View, Pivot Point, and XY constraint (whichever combination was set

the last time you used Move). When you go back to Rotate, the controls revert

to Local, Selection Center, and Y constraint.

880 | Chapter 7 Moving, Rotating, and Scaling Objects

TIP To avoid surprises, always click the transform button first, and then set the

transform managers. If, instead, you first set the transform managers, their settings

are likely to change as soon as you choose a new transform button. One way to

remember this is always to set the transform and managers by working from left

to right on the toolbar. Alternatively, you can turn on Customize menu >

Preferences > General tab > Reference Coordinate System group > Constant, which

keeps the transform manager settings the same for all transforms.

Specifying a Reference Coordinate System

The reference coordinate system determines the orientation of the X, Y, and

Z axes used by the transform. The type of transform system you use affects all

transform operations.

You specify the transform coordinate system using the Reference Coordinate

System list on page 896 .

Creating a Local Axis

While modeling, it’s often helpful to have a temporary, movable local axis so

you can rotate or scale about an arbitrary center.

NOTE This technique does not work for animation. See Choosing a Transform

Center on page 882 for animation tips.

TIP As an alternative to this method, you can use the Working Pivot on page 3402

To create an adjustable local axis:

1Create a Point helper object on page 2544 .

2From the Transform Coordinate System list, choose Pick, and then click

the point object.

The name of the point object appears in the list as the active coordinate

system.

Now you can use the point object’s coordinate system as an adjustable axis.

Specifying a Reference Coordinate System | 881

To use the adjustable axis:

1Place the point object where you want the rotate or scale transform to

be centered.

2Select the object you want to transform.

3Choose the point object’s name in the Transform Coordinate System

drop-down list.

4From the Use Center flyout on page 904 choose Use Transform Coordinate

Center. For more information, see Choosing a Transform Center on page

882 .

5Proceed with the transform.

Choosing a Transform Center

The transform center affects scale and rotation transforms, but has no effect

on position transforms.

The software lets you choose from three types of transform center using the

Use Center flyout on page 904 on the main toolbar . When you change the

transform center, the junction of the axis tripod icon moves to the location

you specify.

By default, 3ds Max sets the transform center to Use Pivot Point center for

single objects. When you select multiple objects, the default transform center

changes to Use Selection Center, because selection sets have no pivot point.

You can change the transform center in either case, and the program

remembers and restores the transform center setting separately for selections

of single and multiple objects (during the current session).

For example, you might select a single object and choose Use Transform

Coordinate Center, and then select multiple objects and choose Use Pivot

Point Center. When you next select a single object, the program switches back

to Use Transform Coordinate Center. Then, when you select multiple objects,

the center switches back to Pivot Point.

882 | Chapter 7 Moving, Rotating, and Scaling Objects

1. User selects single object.

2. User clicks Use Transform Coordinate Center from Use Center flyout on Main toolbar.

3. User adds second object to selection.

4. Transform center changes to Use Selection Center when selection set contains more

than one object.

5. User clicks Use Pivot Point Center while multiple objects still selected.

6. User selects single object.

7. Transform center returns to Use Transform Coordinate Center (see step 2).

8. User selects multiple objects.

9. Transform center returns to Use Pivot Point Center (see step 5).

Transforming About Snapped Points

While the transform center choices are often useful at the object level, they

are not usually convenient when transforming sub-object selections. You can

override the active transform center and perform the current transform about

a temporary point by using snaps. When Snaps is active, and your selection

is locked, the point you snap to will set the point about which the transform

is performed. Using this technique, you can:

■Move relative to two snap points.

■Rotate about a snapped point.

■Scale about a snapped point.

For more details, see Snap Settings on page 2578 .

Animation and the Transform Center

Because of the nature of keyframing, you can animate rotation and scale

transforms properly only by using an object’s local pivot point. For example,

while modeling, you can rotate an object that’s offset from the world origin

around the world center coordinate system. The object sweeps around the

origin in a large arc. However, if you attempt to animate this, the object rotates

about its local axis and moves in a straight line from one end of the arc to the

other.

To avoid this discrepancy, if the Auto Key button is on and either the Rotate

or Scale button is active, the Use Center flyout is unavailable and set to Use

Pivot Point. When the Auto Key button is off, all transforms use the center

settings previously described.

Choosing a Transform Center | 883

You can override this behavior by turning off Local Center During Animate

on page 7567 in the Animation Preferences settings.

Keep in mind that this affects only the center of the transform. The orientation

of the selected transform coordinate system is still in effect.

Animating "Off-Center"

You can animate a rotation or scale about an off-center point by linking your

object as the child of a dummy helper object, and then rotating or scaling the

dummy.

Another technique is to offset the pivot point of your object using the

Hierarchy panel.

For information about linking, dummy objects, and the Hierarchy panel, see

Hierarchies on page 3256 .

Using the Axis Constraints

Axis Constraints toolbar > Restrict to X, Y, Z, or a plane

Keyboard >

F5 restricts to X

F6 restricts to Y

F7 restricts to Z

F8 cycles through the three plane restrictions

The Restrict to ... buttons, also called the Axis Constraint buttons, are located

on the Axis Constraints toolbar on page 7288 , which is off by default. You can

turn it on by right-clicking an empty spot on the main toolbar and choosing

Axis Constraints from the pop-up menu. These buttons let you specify one

or two axes about or along which the transform takes place. They help you

avoid transforming an object in a direction you didn't intend.

NOTE It's generally easier to use the Transform gizmos than these buttons; see

Using Transform Gizmos on page 865 . However, it is helpful to understand the

concepts explained below.

884 | Chapter 7 Moving, Rotating, and Scaling Objects

Axis Constraint buttons

Only one axis constraint can be active at a time. When a button is turned on,

transforms are constrained to the specified axis (or plane). For example, if you

turn on the Restrict To X button, you can rotate an object only about the X

axis of the current transform coordinate system.

The axis or axes to which you’re constrained are highlighted in red on the

axis tripod icon in viewports, or in yellow on the Transform gizmo.

NOTE By default, axis constraints don't apply when using Snap. You can override

this by turning on Snaps Use Axis Constraint Toggle on the Axis Constraints

toolbar on page 7288 , or by turning on Use Axis Constraints in Snap Options on

page 2587 .

NOTE Constraints are set on a transform-by-transform basis, so select the transform

before you select the axis constraint. If you do not want the constraints to change,

turn on Customize menu > Preferences > General tab > Reference Coordinate

System group > Constant.

The axis constraints are stored separately at object and sub-object levels. If

you set these three controls one way while in sub-object mode and another

way while in object selection level, when you return to sub-object mode,

they're restored to the way they were previously set. For example, if you're

using XY constraints at object level, then switch to sub-object level and use

Z constraint, when you return to object level, XY will be restored.

Using the Axis Constraints | 885

Restrict to Plane Flyout

The Restrict To Plane flyout, available from the Axis Constraints toolbar, lets

you limit all transformations (move, rotate, scale) to the XY, YZ, or ZX planes

(by default, parallel with the Top view).

You can also select planar constraint by using the Move Transform Gizmo

on page 865 . Instead of dragging one of the axis indicators, drag one of the

plane indicators near the center of the gizmo.

When you move an object along a plane that is head-on to your view, the

object moves along the single available axis shown in the view.

Reset Transform Utility

Utilities panel > Utilities rollout > Reset XForm button

Use the Reset Transform utility to push object rotation and scaling values onto

the modifier stack and align object pivot points and bounding boxes with the

World coordinate system. Reset Transform removes all Rotation and Scale

values from selected objects and places those transforms in an XForm modifier.

To reset the transform of a group, use the Transform button in the Reset group

box of the Hierarchy > Pivot command panel.

Procedures

To reset an object's transform:

1Select an object.

2On the Utilities panel, click Reset XForm.

3On the Utilities panel > Utilities rollout, click the More button and choose

Reset XForm.

886 | Chapter 7 Moving, Rotating, and Scaling Objects

4On the Reset Transform rollout, click Reset Selected.

Object rotation and scaling are now carried by an XForm modifier placed

at the top of the modifier stack.

When you apply the Reset Transform utility, an XForm modifier on page

1922 that carries the rotation and scale values is placed at the top of the

Modifier Stack display. You can apply other modifiers above and below

the XForm modifier. You can select the XForm modifier and add other

Move, Rotate, and Scale transforms. You can delete the XForm modifier

to completely remove the transforms from the object. You can collapse

the object to absorb the rotation and scale values into the object mesh.

Interface

Reset selected Removes all Rotation and Scale values from selected objects

and places those transforms in an XForm modifier.

Transform Commands

The basic transform commands are the most straightforward way to change

an object's position, rotation, or scale. These commands appear on the default

main toolbar on page 7284 . They are also available from the default quad

menu on page 7300 .

Select and Move on page 888

Transform Commands | 887

Select and Rotate on page 889

Select and Uniform Scale on page 892

Select and Non-Uniform Scale on page 893

Select and Squash on page 894

See also:

■Moving, Rotating, and Scaling Objects on page 859

■Using +Clone on page 968

■Transform Type-In on page 874

Select and Move

Main toolbar > Select and Move

Right-click an object. > quad menu > Transform quadrant > Move

Edit menu > Select and Move

Use the Select And Move button or the Move command on the Edit or quad

menu to select and move objects.

To move a single object, you do not need to select it first. When this button

is active, clicking an object selects it and dragging the mouse moves it.

The direction of the movement is determined both by your mouse and by the

current reference coordinate system. To restrict object movement to the X, Y,

or Z axis, or to any two axes, click the appropriate button on the Axis

Constraints toolbar on page 7288 , use the Transform gizmo on page 865 , or

right-click the object, and select the constraint from the Transform submenu.

888 | Chapter 7 Moving, Rotating, and Scaling Objects

Moving an object

See also:

■Move Gizmo on page 867

Select and Rotate

Main toolbar > Select and Rotate

Right-click an object. > quad menu > Transform quadrant > Rotate

Edit menu > Select and Rotate

Use the Select and Rotate button or the Rotate command on the Edit or quad

menu to select and rotate objects.

To rotate a single object, you don't need to select it first. When this button is

active, clicking an object selects it and dragging the mouse rotates it.

Select and Rotate | 889

When you are rotating an object about a single axis (as is usually the case),

don't rotate the mouse, expecting the object to follow the mouse movement.

Just move the mouse straight up and straight down. Up rotates the object one

way, down rotates it the opposite way.

The center of rotation is determined by the Transform Center setting on page

896 .

To restrict rotation about the X, Y, or Z axis, or to any two axes, click the

appropriate button on the Axis Constraints toolbar on page 7288 , use the

Transform gizmo on page 865 , or right-click the object, and select the

constraint from the Transform submenu.

Rotating an object

See also:

■Rotate Gizmo on page 868

Procedures

This procedure illustrates the intuitive usage of the default Euler XYZ rotation

controller on page 3076 .

890 | Chapter 7 Moving, Rotating, and Scaling Objects

To animate object rotation interactively:

1Add an object.

2 Move the time slider on page 7312 to a

frame other than 0 and turn on Auto Key on page 7344 .

3 Choose Select And Rotate.

4Rotate the object on any axis by any amount.

5Move the time slider to a later frame.

6Rotate the object on the same axis by an amount greater than 180 degrees.

7Play back the animation.

The rotation plays back exactly as you recorded it.

Select and Scale

Main toolbar > Select and Scale flyout

Right-click an object. > quad menu > Transform quadrant > Scale

Edit menu > Select and Scale

The Select And Scale flyout on the main toolbar provides access to three tools

you can use to change object size. These are, from top to bottom:

Select and Uniform Scale on page 892

Select and Non-Uniform Scale on page 893

Select and Squash on page 894

Select and Scale | 891

In addition, the Scale command is available on the Edit menu and the

Transform quadrant of the quad (right-click) menu; this activates whichever

scale tool is currently chosen in the flyout.

NOTE The Smart Scale command activates the Select And Scale function and,

with repeated invocations, cycles through the available scaling methods. By default,

Smart Scale is assigned to the R key; you can use Customize User Interface on

page 7489 to assign it to a different keyboard shortcut, a menu, etc.

Select and Uniform Scale

Main toolbar > Select and Uniform Scale (on Select And Scale flyout)

Right-click an object. > Scale (selects current toolbar Scale mode)

The Select And Uniform Scale button, available from the Select And Scale

flyout on page 891 , lets you scale objects by the same amount along all three

axes, maintaining the object's original proportions.

Uniform scale does not change an object's proportions.

892 | Chapter 7 Moving, Rotating, and Scaling Objects

To scale a single object, you don't need to select it first. When this tool is

active, clicking an object selects it and dragging the mouse scales it.

See also:

■Scale Gizmo on page 870

Select and Non-Uniform Scale

Main toolbar > Select and Non-Uniform Scale (on Select And Scale flyout)

Right-click an object. > Scale (selects current toolbar Scale mode)

The Select And Non-Uniform Scale button, available from the Select And

Scale flyout on page 891 , lets you scale objects in a non-uniform manner

according to the active axis constraint.

Non-uniform scale can change proportions with different values for different axes.

Select and Non-Uniform Scale | 893

You can restrict the objects' scaling about the X, Y, or Z axis, or to any two

axes, by first clicking the appropriate button on the Axis Constraints toolbar

on page 7288 , or with the Transform gizmo on page 865 .

To scale a single object, you don't need to select it first. When this tool is

active, clicking an object selects it and dragging the mouse scales it.

IMPORTANT Avoid applying non-uniform scale at the object level. Non-uniform

scaling is applied as a transform and changes the axes of the object, so it affects

other object properties. It also alters the properties passed hierarchically from

parent to child. When you perform other operations on the object, such as rotation,

inverse kinematic calculations, and other positioning operations, you might not

get the results you expect. To recover from these problems, use the Hierarchy

panel's Reset Scale button or the Utilities panel's Reset XForm utility. Either of these

options will reset the axes to use the non-uniform scale as the fundamental scale

for the object.

As an alternative to non-uniform scaling, consider using the XForm modifier

on page 1922 .

See also:

■Scale Gizmo on page 870

Select and Squash

Main toolbar > Select And Squash (on Select And Scale flyout)

Right-click an object. > Scale (selects current toolbar Scale mode)

The Select And Squash tool is useful for creating different phases of the “squash

and stretch”-style animation often found in cartoons. The Select And Squash

tool, available from the Select And Scale flyout on page 891 , lets you scale

objects according to the active axis constraint. Squashing an object always

involves scaling down on one axis while simultaneously scaling up uniformly

on the other two (or vice-versa).

894 | Chapter 7 Moving, Rotating, and Scaling Objects

Squash scales two axes in opposite directions, maintaining the object's original volume.

You can restrict object scaling to the X, Y, or Z axis, or to any two axes, by

first clicking the appropriate button on the Axis Constraints toolbar on page

7288 .

When the Select And Squash tool is active, clicking an object selects it and

dragging the mouse scales it.

IMPORTANT Avoid using Select And Squash at the object level. The non-uniform

scaling that it effects is applied as a transform and changes the axes of the object,

so it affects other object properties. It also alters the properties passed hierarchically

from parent to child. When you perform other operations on the object, such as

rotation, inverse kinematics calculations, and other positioning operations, you

may not get the results you expect. To recover from these problems, use the

Hierarchy panel's Reset Scale button or the Utilities panel's Reset XForm utility.

Either of these options will reset the axes to use the non-uniform scale as the

fundamental scale for the object.

As an alternative to non-uniform scaling with Select And Squash, consider

using the XForm modifier on page 1922 .

Select and Squash | 895

See also:

■Scale Gizmo on page 870

Transform Coordinates and Coordinate

Center

Controls for setting the coordinate system and the active center for transforms

to use are on the default main toolbar on page 7284 .

Reference Coordinate System on page 896

Use Pivot Point Center on page 905

Use Selection Center on page 907

Use Transform Coordinate Center on page 908

See also:

■Moving, Rotating, and Scaling Objects on page 859

Reference Coordinate System

Main toolbar > Reference Coordinate System list

896 | Chapter 7 Moving, Rotating, and Scaling Objects

The Reference Coordinate System list lets you specify the coordinate system

used for a transformation (Move, Rotate, and Scale). Options include View,

Screen, World on page 7975 , Parent, Local on page 7830 , Gimbal, Grid, Working

on page 3402 , and Pick.

In the Screen coordinate system, all views (including perspective views) use

the viewport screen coordinates.

View is a hybrid of World and Screen coordinate systems. Using View, all

orthographic views use the Screen coordinate system, while perspective views

use the World coordinate system.

TIP The coordinate system is set on a transform-by-transform basis, so choose the

transform before you specify the coordinate system. If you do not want the

coordinate system to change, turn on Customize menu > Preferences > General

panel > Ref. Coord. System group > Constant.

Interface

View In the default View coordinate system, X, Y, and Z axes are the same

in all orthogonal viewports. When you move an object using this coordinate

system, you are moving it relative to the space of the viewport.

■X always points right.

■Y always points up.

■Z always points straight out of the screen toward you.

Reference Coordinate System | 897

Different orientations of the View coordinate system:

1. Top viewport.

2. Front viewport.

3. Left viewport.

4. Perspective viewport.

Screen Uses the active viewport screen as the coordinate system.

■X is horizontal, running in a positive direction toward the right.

■Y is vertical, running in a positive direction upward.

■Z is depth, running in a positive direction toward you.

Since the Screen mode depends on the active viewport for its orientation,

the X, Y, and Z labels on an axis tripod on page 860 in an inactive viewport

show the orientation of the currently active viewport. The labels on that

tripod change when you activate the viewport it is in.

898 | Chapter 7 Moving, Rotating, and Scaling Objects

The coordinate system in Screen mode is always relative to the point of view.

World Uses the world coordinate system. Seen from the front:

■X runs in a positive direction to the right.

■Z runs in a positive direction upward.

■Y runs in a positive direction away from you.

Reference Coordinate System | 899

The World coordinate system is always fixed.

Parent Uses the coordinate system of the parent of the selected object. If

the object is not linked to a specific object, it's a child of the world, and the

parent coordinate system is the same as the world coordinate system.

900 | Chapter 7 Moving, Rotating, and Scaling Objects

Example of a Parent object coordinate system

Local Uses the coordinate system of the selected object. An object's local

coordinate system is carried by its pivot point on page 7895 . You can adjust

the position and orientation of the local coordinate system, relative to its

object, using the options on the Hierarchy command panel.

When Local is active, the Use Transform Center button is inactive and all

transforms use the local axis as the center of transformation. In a selection

set of several objects, each uses its own center for the transform.

Reference Coordinate System | 901

Local uses an individual coordinate system specific to each object.

Gimbal The Gimbal coordinate system is meant to be used with the Euler

XYZ Rotation controller on page 3076 . It is similar to Local, but its three rotation

axes are not necessarily orthogonal to each other.

When you rotate about a single axis with the Local and Parent coordinate

systems, this can change two or three of the Euler XYZ tracks. The Gimbal

coordinate system avoids this problem: Euler XYZ rotation about one axis

changes only that axis's track. This makes function curve editing easier. Also,

absolute transform type-in with Gimbal coordinates uses the same Euler angle

values as the animation tracks (as opposed to Euler angles relative to the World

or Parent coordinate system, as those coordinate systems require).

For move and scale transforms, Gimbal coordinates are the same as Parent

coordinates. When the object does not have an Euler XYZ Rotation controller

assigned, Gimbal rotation is the same as Parent rotation.

The Euler XYZ controller can be the active controller in a List controller, too.

Grid Uses the coordinate system of the active grid.

902 | Chapter 7 Moving, Rotating, and Scaling Objects

Using an active grid coordinate system.

Working Uses the coordinate system of the working pivot on page

3402 . You can use this coordinate system at any time, whether or not the

working pivot is active. When Use Working Pivot on page 3405 is on, this is

the default coordinate system.

Pick Uses the coordinate system of another object in the scene.

After you choose Pick, click to select the single object whose coordinate system

the transforms will use. The object's name appears in the Transform Coordinate

System list.

Because the software saves an object's name in the list, you can pick an object's

coordinate system, change the active coordinate system, and then use the

object's coordinate system again at a later time. The list saves the four most

recently picked object names.

When using Pick to specify an object as a reference coordinate system, you

can press H to open the Pick Object dialog, which works like Select From

Scene on page 168 , and pick the object from there.

NOTE You can pick objects within an XRef scene as coordinate reference system.

Reference Coordinate System | 903

Using another object as the coordinate system

Use Center Flyout

Main toolbar > Use Center flyout

The Use Center flyout provides access to three methods you can use to

determine the geometric center for scale and rotate operations. They are, from

top to bottom:

Use Pivot Point Center on page 905

Use Selection Center on page 907

904 | Chapter 7 Moving, Rotating, and Scaling Objects

Use Transform Coordinate Center on page 908

See also:

■Choosing a Transform Center on page 882

Use Pivot Point Center

Main toolbar > Use Pivot Point Center (on Use Center flyout)

The Use Pivot Point Center option, available from the Use Center flyout on

page 904 , lets you enable rotation or scaling of one or more objects around

their respective pivot points on page 7895 . When Auto Key on page 7344 is

active, Use Pivot Point Center is automatically chosen and no other option is

available.

The axis tripods on page 860 show the centers that are currently being used.

NOTE The transformation center mode is set on a transform-by-transform basis,

so select the transform before you select the center mode. If you do not want the

center setting to change, turn on Customize menu > Preferences > General tab >

Reference Coordinate System group > Constant.

Use Pivot Point Center | 905

Applying a rotation with the Pivot Point rotates each object around its own local axis.

Rotating Multiple Linked Objects

When rotating a chain of linked on page 3267 objects (that is, a hierarchy)

with Use Pivot Point Center active, the rotation is applied equally to each

906 | Chapter 7 Moving, Rotating, and Scaling Objects

object in the chain. This results in a accumulated rotations, which makes it

easy to animate such effects as fingers curling.

Use Selection Center

Main toolbar > Use Selection Center (on Use Center flyout)

The Use Selection Center button, available from the Use Center flyout on

page 904 , lets you enable rotation or scaling of one or more objects around

their collective geometric center. If you transform multiple objects, the software

calculates the average geometric center of all the objects and uses that for the

transform center.

The axis tripod on page 860 shows the center that is currently being used.

Use Selection Center | 907

NOTE The transformation center mode is set on a transform-by-transform basis,

so select the transform before you select the center mode. If you do not want the

center setting to change, turn on Customize menu > Preferences > General tab >

Reference Coordinate System group > Constant.

With the Selection Center option, an averaged coordinate system is used to rotate the

objects.

Use Transform Coordinate Center

Main toolbar > Use Transform Coordinate Center (on Use Center flyout)

The Use Transform Coordinate Center button, available from the Use Center

flyout on page 904 , lets you enable rotation or scaling of an object or objects

around the center of the current coordinate system. When you designate

another object as the coordinate system with the Pick function (see Specifying

a Reference Coordinate System on page 881 ), the coordinate center is the

location of that object's pivot.

The axis tripod on page 860 shows the center that is currently being used.

908 | Chapter 7 Moving, Rotating, and Scaling Objects

NOTE The transformation center mode is set on a transform-by-transform basis,

so select the transform before you select the center mode. If you do not want the

center setting to change, turn on Customize menu > Preferences > General tab >

Reference Coordinate System group > Constant.

An example of the World coordinate center

Transform Tools

The transform tools can transform objects according to certain conditions.

Some of them, such as Array, can also create copies of objects.

These tools (except for Array, Snapshot, Spacing Tool, and Clone And Align)

are available on the default main toolbar on page 7284 ; the remainder are on

the Extras toolbar on page 7290 . Also, they all appear on the default Tools

menu on page 7260 .

Mirror Selected Objects on page 911

Transform Tools | 909

Array on page 915

Snapshot on page 921

Spacing Tool on page 925

Clone and Align Tool on page 933

Align on page 938

Quick Align on page 944

Normal Align on page 945

Place Highlight on page 948

Align Camera on page 950

Align to View on page 951

See also:

■Moving, Rotating, and Scaling Objects on page 859

■Using +Clone on page 968

■Creating Copies and Arrays on page 953

910 | Chapter 7 Moving, Rotating, and Scaling Objects

Array Flyout

Extras toolbar > Array flyout

The Array flyout, available from the Extras toolbar on page 7290 , provides

access to various tools for creating arrays of objects. These are, from top to

bottom:

Array on page 915

Snapshot on page 921

Spacing Tool on page 925

Clone and Align Tool on page 933

Mirror Selected Objects

Main toolbar > Mirror Selected Objects

Tools menu > Mirror

Clicking Mirror displays the Mirror dialog, which enables you to move one

or more objects while mirroring their orientation. The Mirror dialog also allows

you to mirror the current selection about the center of the current coordinate

system. You can create a clone with the mirror dialog at the same time. If you

mirror a hierarchical linkage, you have the option to mirror the IK limits.

Array Flyout | 911

Mirroring an object

The Mirror dialog uses the current reference coordinate system on page 896 ,

as reflected in its name. For example, if Reference Coordinate System is set to

Local, the dialog is named Mirror: Local Coordinates. There is one exception:

If Reference Coordinate System is set to View, Mirror uses Screen coordinates.

As you adjust the various settings in the Mirror dialog, you see the results in

the viewports.

For more information on using Mirror, see Mirroring Objects on page 996 .

Procedures

To mirror an object:

1Make any object selection.

2 Click Mirror on the Main toolbar, or choose Tools menu > Mirror.

The Mirror dialog opens.

3Set the mirror parameters in the dialog and click OK.

912 | Chapter 7 Moving, Rotating, and Scaling Objects

The active viewport changes to show the effect of each parameter as you

set it. When you click OK, the software creates the choice of mirror that

you see previewed.

To make a clone using mirror:

1Make any object selection

2 Click Mirror on the Main toolbar, or choose Tools menu > Mirror.

The Mirror dialog opens.

3In the Clone Selection group, choose Copy, Instance, or Reference.

4Make any additional settings as desired and then click OK.

Mirror Selected Objects | 913

Interface

Mirror Axis group

The mirror axis choices are X, Y, Z, XY, XZ, and YZ. Choose one to specify

the direction of mirroring. These are equivalent to the option buttons on the

Axis Constraints toolbar on page 7288 .

Offset Specifies the distance of the mirrored object's pivot point on page

7895 from the original object's pivot point.

Clone Selection group

Determines the type of copy made by the Mirror function. Default is No Clone.

No Clone Mirrors the selected object without making a copy.

914 | Chapter 7 Moving, Rotating, and Scaling Objects

Copy Mirrors a copy of the selected object to the specified position.

Instance Mirrors an instance on page 7818 of the selected object to the

specified position.

Reference Mirrors a reference on page 7910 of the selected object to the

specified position.

If you animate on page 3002 the mirror operation, mirroring generates a Scale

key. If you set Offset to a value other than 0.0, mirroring also generates Position

keys.

Mirror IK Limits Causes the IK constraints to be mirrored (along with the

geometry) when you mirror the geometry about a single axis. Turn this off if

you don't want the IK constraints to be affected by the mirror command.

The end effectors used by the IK are not affected by the Mirror command. To

successfully mirror an IK hierarchy, first delete the end effectors: Go to the

Motion panel > IK Controller Parameters rollout > End Effectors group and,

under Position, click the Delete button. After the mirror operation, create the

new end effector using the tools on the same panel.

Array

Extras toolbar > Array

Tools menu > Array

The Array command displays the Array dialog, which enables you to create

an array of objects based on the current selection.

Array | 915

A one-dimensional array

The items in the Array Dimensions group let you create one-, two-, and

three-dimensional arrays. For example, a row of five objects is a

single-dimension array, even though it takes up three-dimensional space in

the scene. An array of objects that's five rows by three columns is a

two-dimensional array, and an array of objects that's five rows by three

columns by two levels is a three-dimensional array.

TIP You can preview the array by turning on the Preview button. With Preview

on, changing the array settings updates the viewports in real time.

For more information on using Array, see Arraying Objects on page 981 .

Procedures

To create an array:

1Select the objects to array.

2 Click the Array button, or choose Tools > Array.

916 | Chapter 7 Moving, Rotating, and Scaling Objects

3Choose Tools > Array.

4On the Array dialog, select the type of object to output: Copy, Instance,

on page 7818 or Reference on page 7910 ).

5In the Preview group, click the Preview button to turn it on.

This lets you see the results of the array operation in the viewports, with

changes appearing in real time.

6In the Array Transformation group, click the arrows to set Incremental

or Totals array parameters for Move, Rotate, and Scale.

7Enter coordinates for the Array Transformation parameters.

8Indicate whether you want a 1D, 2D, or 3D array.

9Set Count to the number of copies on each axis.

10 Enter the appropriate values in the numeric fields for Incremental Row

Offsets.

11 Click OK.

The current selection is duplicated the specified number of times, with

each object transformed as indicated.

To replace an array:

1Undo the array to replace, using Edit > Undo Create Array, or press Ctrl+Z.

2Change the coordinate system and transform center, if needed.

3 Click the Array button, or choose Tools > Array, and adjust any

parameters on the Array dialog that is displayed.

4Choose Tools > Array, and adjust any parameters on the Array dialog that

is displayed.

5Click OK to create a new array, which replaces the previous version.

Repeat these steps to fine-tune the array.

Example: To create an array of objects that numbers 5 x 4 x 3:

1Create a teapot with a radius of 10 units.

2Choose Tools > Array to display the Array dialog.

Array | 917

3In the Incremental set of parameters, set Move X (the upper-left field) to

50. This causes each object in the array to be positioned 50 units apart

on the X axis.

4In the Array Dimensions group, choose the 3D button to enable all the

spinners in that group.

5Set the 1D Count spinner to 5, the 2D Count spinner to 4, and the 3D

Count spinner to 3.

This creates a row of 5 objects that are 50 units apart, and then 4 rows

of those five objects, and then 3 rows of the 5 x 4 matrix of objects,

resulting in a box array.

6In the 2D row, set the Y spinner to 80.

7In the 3D row, set the Z spinner to 100.

8Click OK.

A box array of teapots appears. The first dimensional array is five teapots

created along the X world axis, 50 units apart (as specified in the Array

Transform group). The second dimensional array is four layers created

along the Y world axis, 80 units apart (as specified in the Array

Dimensions group). The third dimensional array is three layers created

along the Z world axis, 100 units apart. The total number of objects in

the array is 60.

Example: To create a 360-degree array:

1Reset 3ds Max.

2Near the top of the Front viewport (away from its center), create a long,

thin box at the twelve-o'clock position (as if the viewport were a clock

face).

3Choose Use Transform Coordinate Center on the Main toolbar.

4Choose Tools > Array.

5Click the arrow button to the right of the Rotate label to enable the three

Rotate fields in the Totals section.

6Set the Z parameter to 360.0.

7In the Array Dimensions group, choose 1D and set Count to 12.

8Click OK.

The software creates an array of 12 boxes in a full circle.

918 | Chapter 7 Moving, Rotating, and Scaling Objects

Interface

Array Transformation group

Specifies which combination of the three transforms to use to create the array.

You also specify the extent, along the three axes, for each transform. You can

specify the extent of the transform in increments between each object, or in

totals for all objects. In either case, the distances are measured between the

pivot points of the objects. The arrays occur using the current transform

settings, so the group title changes depending on the transform settings.

Click the left or right arrow button for Move, Rotate, or Scale to indicate

whether you want to set Incremental or Total array parameters.

Incremental

Move Specifies the distance between each arrayed object along the X, Y, and

Z axes, in units.

Rotate Specifies the degree of rotation about any of the three axes for each

object in the array, in degrees.

Scale Specifies the percentage of scale along any of the three axes for each

object in the array, in percentages.

Totals

Move Specifies the overall distance, along each of the three axes, between

the pivot points of the two outer objects in the resulting array. For example,

Array | 919

if you're arraying 6 objects and set Move X total to 100, the six objects will

be arrayed in a row that's 100 units between the pivot points of the two outer

objects in the row.

Rotate Specifies the total degrees of rotation applied to the objects along

each of the three axes. You can use this, for example, to create an array that

totals 360 degrees.

Re-Orient Rotates the generated objects about their local axes while rotating

them about the world coordinates. When clear, the objects maintain their

original orientation.

Scale Specifies the total scale of the objects along each of the three axes.

Uniform Disables the Y and Z spinners and applies the X value to all axes,

resulting in a uniform scale.

Type of Object group

Determine the type of copies made by the Array function. The default is Copy.

Copy Arrays copies of the selected object to the specified position.

Instance Arrays instances of the selected object to the specified position.

Reference Arrays references of the selected object to the specified position.

Array Dimensions group

Lets you add to the Array Transformation dimension. The additional

dimensions are positional only. Rotation and scale are not used.

1D Creates a one-dimensional array, based on the settings in the Array

Transformation group.

Count Specifies the total number of objects along this dimension of the

array. For 1D arrays, this is the total number of objects in the array.

2D Creates a two-dimensional array.

Count Specifies the total number of objects along this second dimension of

the array.

X/Y/Z Specifies the incremental offset distance along each axis of the second

dimension of the array.

3D Creates a three-dimensional array.

Count Specifies the total number of objects along this third dimension of

the array.

920 | Chapter 7 Moving, Rotating, and Scaling Objects

X/Y/Z Specifies the incremental offset distance along each axis of the third

dimension of the array.

Total in Array Displays the total number of entities that the array operation

will create, including the current selection. If you're arraying a selection set,

the total number of objects will be the result of multiplying this value times

the number of objects in the selection set.

Preview Toggles a viewport preview of the current array settings. Changing

a setting updates the viewports immediately. If the update slows down feedback

with large arrays of complex objects, turn on Display As Box.

Display as Box Displays the array-preview objects as bounding boxes instead

of geometry.

Reset All Parameters Resets all the parameters to their default settings.

Snapshot

Extras toolbar > Snapshot (on Array flyout)

Tools menu > Snapshot

Choosing Tools > Snapshot displays the Snapshot dialog. This enables you to

clone an animated object over time.

Snapshot | 921

Using an ice-cream cone animated along a path, Snapshot creates a stack of cones.

Snapshot spaces the clones equally in time. Adjustments in Track View let

you space the clones equally along the path instead (see the second procedure,

below).

Like other clone techniques, Snapshot creates copies, instances, or references.

You can also choose a mesh option for use with particle systems.

Particle Snapshots

You can clone particle systems as static mesh objects. You can also produce

clones of the particles themselves as meshes, when using the Snapshot dialog

> Clone Method > Mesh option. This works with all configurations of particle

systems, including those using MetaParticles. Usage is the same as with other

types of objects.

Procedures

To clone an object over time:

1Select an object with an animation path.

922 | Chapter 7 Moving, Rotating, and Scaling Objects

Snapshot also shows the effect of any other transform animations, such

as rotate or scale as well as parametric modifier animation.

2 Click the Snapshot button on the Extras toolbar > Array flyout, or

choose Tools menu > Snapshot.

3Set parameters in the dialog, and click OK.

To space clones evenly by distance:

1Select an object with an animated position.

2Open Track View and find the Position track for the original object.

3Click Assign Controller and check that the track is using a Bezier Position

controller. Do one of the following:

■If the track is already using a Bezier Position controller, proceed to

step 4.

■If the track is not using a Bezier Position controller, change the

controller on page 3515 , then proceed to step 4.

4Select all the transform keys and right-click one of the selected keys to

display the Key Info dialog on page 3052 .

5Click Advanced to expand the dialog.

6Click Normalize Time.

7Set Constant Velocity on.

8Choose Tools menu > Snapshot.

The Snapshot dialog appears.

9Set parameters in the dialog, and click OK.

Snapshot | 923

Interface

Snapshot group

Single Makes a clone of the geometry of the object at the current frame.

Range Makes clones of the geometry of the object along the trajectory over

a range of frames. Specify the range with the From/To settings and the number

of clones with the Copies setting.

From/To Specifies the range of frames to place the cloned object along the

trajectory.

Copies Specifies the number of clones to place along the trajectory. They

are evenly distributed over the time period, but not necessarily over the spatial

distance along the path.

924 | Chapter 7 Moving, Rotating, and Scaling Objects

Clone Method group

With the Copy, Instance, and Reference methods, the clone retains any

animation within the object, so all the clones will be animated in the same

way.

Copy Clones copies of the selected object.

Instance Clones instances on page 7818 of the selected object. Not available

with particle systems.

Reference Clones references on page 7910 of the selected object. Not available

with particle systems.

Mesh Use this to create mesh geometry out of particle system. Works with

all kinds of particles.

Spacing Tool

Extras toolbar > Spacing Tool (on Array flyout)

Tools menu > Spacing Tool

The Spacing tool lets you distribute objects based on the current selection

along a path defined by a spline or a pair of points.

The distributed objects can be copies, instances on page 7818 , or references

on page 7910 of the current selected object. You define a path by picking a

spline or two points and by setting a number of parameters. You can also

specify how the spacing between objects is determined and whether the pivot

points of the objects align to the tangent of the spline.

Spacing Tool | 925

The Spacing tool distributes the vases along the sides of the curved street. The vases

are all the same distance from each other; fewer appear on the shorter side.

TIP You can use compound shapes containing multiple splines as the spline path

for distributing objects. Before creating shapes, turn off Start New Shape on the

Create panel. Then create your shapes. The software adds each spline to the current

shape until you click the Start New Shape button so that it's turned on. When you

select the compound shape so that the Spacing tool can use it as a path, objects

are distributed along all of the splines of the compound shape. For example, you

might find this technique useful in spacing light standards along a path defined

by separated splines.

You can pick splines within an XRef scene as path reference.

For more information, see Using the Spacing Tool on page 998 .

Procedures

To distribute objects along a path:

1Select the objects to distribute.

926 | Chapter 7 Moving, Rotating, and Scaling Objects

2 Click Spacing Tool, or choose Tools menu > Spacing Tool.

NOTE The Spacing tool is also available on rollouts for various components

of the Railing object on page 447 .

3On the Spacing Tool dialog, click Pick Path or Pick Points to specify a

path.

If you click Pick Path, select a spline from your scene to use as the path.

If you click Pick Points, pick a start and an end to define a spline as the

path. When you're finished with the Spacing tool, the software deletes

this spline.

4Choose a spacing option from the Parameters list.

The parameters available for Count, Spacing, Start Offset, and End Offset

are dependent on the spacing option you choose.

5Specify the number of objects to distribute by setting the value of Count.

6Depending on the spacing option you choose, adjust the spacing and

offsets.

7Under Context, choose Edge to specify that spacing be determined from

the facing edges of each object's bounding box, or choose Centers to

specify that spacing be determined from the center of each object's

bounding box.

8Turn on Follow if you want to align the pivot points of the distributed

objects to the tangent of the spline.

9Under Type of Object, select the type of object to output (copy, instance

on page 7818 , or reference on page 7910 ).

10 Click Apply.

Spacing Tool | 927

Interface

The Spacing tool gives you a choice of two basic methods for setting spacing:

using a path, or specifying endpoints explicitly.

Pick Path Click this, and then click a spline in the viewport to use as the

path. The software uses the spline as the path along which to distribute objects.

Pick Points Click this, and then click a start and an end to define a path on

the construction grid. You can also use object snap to specify points in space.

The software uses these points to create a spline as the path along which to

distribute objects. When you're finished with the Spacing tool, the software

deletes the spline.

Parameters group

Count The number of objects to distribute.

Spacing Specifies the space in units between the objects. The software

determines this spacing based on whether you chose Edges on page 932 or

Centers on page 932 .

928 | Chapter 7 Moving, Rotating, and Scaling Objects

Start Offset The number of units specifying an offset from the start of the

path. Clicking the lock icon locks the start offset value to the spacing value

and maintains the count.

End Offset The number of units specifying an offset from the end of the

path. Clicking the lock icon locks the end offset value to the spacing value

and maintains the count.

Distribution drop-down list This list contains a number of options for how

to distribute the objects along the path, as follows:

■Free Center Distributes equally spaced objects along a straight line toward

the end point of the path, beginning at the start of the path. A spline or

a pair of points defines the path. You specify the number of objects and

the spacing.

■Divide Evenly, Objects at Ends Distributes objects along a spline. The

group of objects is centered at the middle of the spline. The Spacing tool

evenly fills the spline with the number of objects you specify and

determines the amount of space between objects. When you specify more

than one object, there are always objects at the ends of the spline.

■Centered, Specify Spacing Distributes objects along a path. The group

of objects is centered at the middle of the path. The Spacing tool attempts

to evenly fill the path with as many objects as it can fit along the length

of the path using the amount of space you specify. Whether there are

objects at the ends of the path depends on the length of the path and the

spacing you provide.

■End Offset Distributes the number of objects you specify along a straight

line. The objects begin at an offset distance that you specify. This distance

is from the end of the spline to its start point, or from the second pair of

points to the first point. You also specify the spacing between objects.

■End Offset, Divide Evenly Distributes the number of objects you specify

between the start of a spline or a pair of points and an end offset that you

specify. The software always places an object at the end or its offset. When

you specify more than one object, there is always an object placed at the

start. The Spacing tool attempts to evenly fill the space with the objects

between the end offset and the start.

■End Offset, Specify Spacing Distributes objects toward the start of a spline

or a pair of points, starting at the end or its offset. The software always

places an object at the end or its offset. You specify the spacing between

objects and the offset from the end. The Spacing tool attempts to evenly

Spacing Tool | 929

fill the space with as many objects as it can fit between the end or its offset

and the start. There might not always be an object placed at the start.

■Start Offset Distributes the number of objects you specify along a straight

line. The objects start at an offset distance that you specify. This distance

is from the start of the spline to its end point, or from the first of a pair of

points to the second. You also specify the spacing between objects.

■Start Offset, Divide Evenly Distributes the number of objects you specify

between the end of a spline or a pair of points, starting at an offset that

you specify from the start. The software always places an object at the start

or its offset. When you specify more than one object, there is always an

object placed at the end. The Spacing tool attempts to evenly fill the space

with the objects between the start or its offset and the end.

■Start Offset, Specify Spacing Distributes objects toward the end of a

spline or a pair of points, starting at the start. The software always places

an object at the start or its offset. You specify the spacing between objects

and the offset from the start. The Spacing tool attempts to evenly fill the

space with as many objects as it can fit between the start or its offset and

the end. There might not always be an object placed at the end.

■Specify Offsets and Spacing Distributes as many equally spaced objects

as possible along a spline or between a pair of points. You specify the

spacing between objects. When you specify offsets from the start and end,

the software distributes equally spaced objects between the offsets. There

might not always be an object placed at the start and ends.

■Specify Offsets, Divide Evenly Distributes the number of objects you

specify along a spline or between a pair of points. If you specify one object

the software places it at the center of the path. If you specify more than

one object the software always places an object at the start offset and the

end offset. If you specify more than two objects the software evenly

distributes the objects between the offsets.

■Space from End, Unbounded Distributes the number of objects you

specify along a straight line from the end toward the start of a spline or a

pair of points. You specify the spacing between objects. The software locks

the end offset so that it's the same as the spacing.

■Space from End, Specify Number Distributes the number of objects you

specify toward the start of a spline or a pair of points, starting at the end.

The Spacing tool determines the amount of space between objects based

on the number of objects and the length of the spline or the distance

between the pair of points. The software locks the end offset so that it's

the same as the spacing.

930 | Chapter 7 Moving, Rotating, and Scaling Objects

■Space from End, Specify Spacing Distributes as many equally spaced

objects as possible toward the start of a spline or a pair of points, starting

at the end. You specify the spacing between objects. The software locks

the end offset so that it's the same as the spacing.

■Space from Start, Unbounded Distributes the number of objects you

specify along a straight line toward the end of a spline or a pair of points,

starting at the start. You specify the spacing between objects. The software

locks the start offset so that it's the same as the spacing.

■Space from Start, Specify Number Distributes the number of objects you

specify toward the end of a spline or a pair of points, starting at the start.

The Spacing tool determines the amount of space between objects based

on the number of objects and the length of the spline or the distance

between the pair of points. The software locks the start offset so that it's

the same as the spacing.

■Space from Start, Specify Spacing Distributes as many evenly spaced

objects as possible toward the end of a spline or a pair of points, starting

at the start. You specify the spacing between objects. The software locks

the start offset so that it's the same as the spacing.

■Specify Spacing, Matching Offsets Distributes as many evenly spaced

objects as possible along a spline or between a pair of points (and their

offsets). You specify the spacing. The software locks the start and end offsets

so that they're the same as the spacing.

■Divide Evenly, No Objects at Ends Distributes the number of objects you

specify along a spline or between a pair of points (and their offsets). The

Spacing tool determines the amount of space between objects. The software

locks the start and end offsets so that they're the same as the spacing.

Spacing Tool | 931

Context group

1. Edge-to-edge spacing

2. Center-to-center spacing

Edges Use this to specify that spacing is determined from the facing edges

of each object's bounding box.

Centers Use this to specify that spacing be determined from the center of

each object's bounding box.

Follow Use this to align the pivot points of the distributed objects to the

tangent of the spline.

Type of Object group

Determines the type of copies made by the Spacing tool. The default is Copy.

You can copy, instance on page 7818 , or reference on page 7910 objects.

932 | Chapter 7 Moving, Rotating, and Scaling Objects

Copy Distributes copies of the selected object to the specified position.

Instance Distributes instances of the selected object to the specified position.

Reference Distributes references of the selected object to the specified

position.

TIP You can use compound shapes containing multiple splines as the spline path

for distributing objects. Before creating shapes, turn off Start New Shape under

Shapes on the Create panel. Then create your shapes. 3ds Max adds each spline

to the current shape until you click the Start New Shape button so that it's checked.

When you select the compound shape so that the Spacing tool can use it as a

path, objects are distributed along all of the splines of the compound shape. For

example, you might find this technique useful in spacing light standards along a

path defined by separated splines.

Clone and Align Tool

Extras toolbar > Clone and Align Tool (on Array flyout)

Tools menu > Clone and Align

The Clone And Align tool lets you distribute source objects based on the

current selection to a second selection of destination objects. For example,

you can populate several rooms simultaneously with the same furniture

arrangement. Similarly, if you import a CAD file that contains 2D symbols

that represent chairs in a conference room, you can use Clone And Align to

replace the symbols with 3D chair objects en masse.

The distributed objects can be copies, instances on page 7818 , or references

on page 7910 of the current selected object. You determine the number of clones

or clone sets by specifying any number of destination objects. You can also

specify position and orientation alignment of the clones on one, two, or three

axes, with optional offsets.

You can use any number of source objects and destination objects.

You can pick objects within an XRef scene as destination objects.

With multiple source objects, Clone And Align maintains the positional

relationships among the members of each cloned group, aligning the selection

center with the destination's pivot.

Clone and Align Tool | 933

Procedures

To use the Clone And Align tool:

1Create or load an object or objects to be cloned, as well as one or more

destination objects.

2Select the object or objects to be cloned.

3Open the Clone And Align dialog.

NOTE The order of steps 2 and 3 can be reversed.

4Do either of the following:

■Click Pick once and then click each destination object in turn. Next,

click Pick again to turn it off.

■Click Pick List and then use the Pick Destination Objects dialog to

pick all destination objects simultaneously.

5On the Clone Parameters rollout, choose the type of clone, and, if

appropriate, how to copy the controller. For details, see Clone Options

Dialog on page 965 .

6Use the Clone Parameters rollout settings to specify position, orientation,

and scale options.

7At any time, when Pick is off, you can change the source selection in a

viewport. This causes the dialog to lose focus; click it again to regain focus

and refresh the viewport preview of the clone operation.

8To make the clones permanent, click Apply, and then click Cancel or the

close button (X, in upper-right corner) to close the dialog.

934 | Chapter 7 Moving, Rotating, and Scaling Objects

Interface

The Clone and Align tool takes the form of a non-modal dialog; it remains

open while you work in the viewports. While the dialog is active, the results

of the current settings appear as a preview in the viewports. Because of the

Clone and Align Tool | 935

dialog's non-modal nature, you can change the selection of source and

destination objects on the fly and see the results immediately in the viewports.

When the dialog focus is lost by activating another dialog or clicking in a

viewport (that is, its title bar is gray rather than blue), the preview no longer

appears in the viewports. To make the cloned objects permanent, click Apply

when the dialog is active.

Source and Destination Parameters rollout

Designate source objects by selecting them in a viewport. If you do this with

the Clone And Align dialog open, the dialog loses focus; click the dialog to

regain focus and update the settings.

Destination Objects [label] This read-only field shows the number of

destination objects. To change this value, use Pick, Pick List, and Clear.

Pick When on, each object you click in the viewports is added to the list of

destination objects. Click again to turn off after picking all destination objects.

To qualify as a valid destination object, an object must:

■not have been designated as a source or destination object.

■be selectable (frozen objects can't be selected).

■not be a temporary cloned object.

Pick List Opens the Pick Destination Objects dialog, which lets you pick all

destination objects simultaneously, by name. In the dialog, highlight the

destination objects, and then click Pick.

Clear All Removes all destination objects from the list. Available only when

at least one destination object is designated.

Source Objects [label] This read-only field shows the number of source

objects. To change this value, keep the dialog open, make sure Pick is off, and

then select source objects in the viewports. When you click the dialog, the

field updates.

Link to Destination Links each clone as a child of its destination object.

Clone Parameters rollout

These settings let you determine the type of clone to create, and, if appropriate,

how to copy the controller. For details, see Clone Options Dialog on page 965

936 | Chapter 7 Moving, Rotating, and Scaling Objects

Align Parameters rollout

The Align Position and Align Orientation group names are followed by the

current reference coordinate system on page 896 , in parentheses, which they

use as the coordinate system for positioning and aligning the clones. When

the View coordinate system is active, alignment uses the World coordinate

system.

The Offset parameters always use each destination object's Local coordinate

system.

Align Position group

X/Y/Z Position Specifies the axis or axes on which to align the clones'

position. Turning on all three options positions each set of clones at the

respective destination object's location.

X/Y/Z Offset The distance between the destination object's pivot and the

source object's pivot (or source objects' coordinate center). For an Offset value

to take effect, the respective Position check box must be on.

Align Orientation group

X/Y/Z Orientation Specifies the axis or axes about which to align orientation.

Turning on all three options aligns each set of clones' orientation fully with

that of the respective destination object.

X/Y/Z Offset The angle by which the source objects are rotated away from

the destination object's orientation about each axis. For an Offset value to

take effect, the respective Orientation check box must be on.

Match Scale Use the X Axis, Y Axis, and Z Axis options to match the scale

axis values between the source and destination.

This matches only the scale values you'd see in the coordinate display on

page 7325 . It does not necessarily cause two objects to be the same size. Matching

scale causes no change in size if none of the objects has previously been scaled.

Reset All Parameters Returns all settings in the Align Parameters rollout to

their default values.

Apply Generates the clones as permanent objects. After clicking Apply, you

can use Clone And Align to generate additional clones, using the results of

previous clonings as source or destination objects if you like.

Cancel Aborts the current cloning operation and closes the dialog.

Clone and Align Tool | 937

Align Flyout

Main toolbar > Align flyout

The Align flyout, available from the Main toolbar on page 7284 , provides access

to six different tools for aligning objects. These are, from top to bottom:

Align on page 938

Quick Align on page 944

Normal Align on page 945

Place Highlight on page 948

Align Camera on page 950

Align to View on page 951

Align

Main toolbar > Align (on Align flyout)

Keyboard > Alt+A

Interface on page 943

938 | Chapter 7 Moving, Rotating, and Scaling Objects

Clicking Align , available from the Align flyout on page 938 , then selecting

an object, displays the Align dialog, which lets you align the current selection

to a target selection. The name of the target object appears in the title bar of

the Align dialog. When performing sub-object alignment, the title bar of the

Align dialog reads "Align Sub-Object Selection."

Aligning objects along an axis

Left: X position, center

Upper right: Y position, minimum

Lower right: Y position, maximum

You can align the position and orientation of the bounding box on page 7736

of the source object to the bounding box of a target object.

You can use the Align tool with any selection that can be transformed. If an

axis tripod is displayed, you can align the tripod (and the geometry it

represents) to any other object in the scene. You can use this to align an

object’s pivot point.

Align | 939

You can use objects within an XRef scene as references with all alignment

tools on the Align flyout, except Align to View.

When performing sub-object alignment, the Current Object options and the

Match Scale boxes are disabled. If you plan to align orientation for sub-objects,

first switch to Local transform mode on the main toolbar so that the axis

tripod is properly aligned with your sub-object selection.

Other alignment tools on the Align flyout are Quick Align on page 944 ,

Normal Align on page 945 , Place Highlight on page 948 , Align to Camera on

page 950 , and Align to View on page 951 .

Procedures

To align an object with a point object:

1Create a point helper object and position it at a target location in your

scene. Rotate it as necessary to adjust final orientation.

2Select a source object.

3 On the Main toolbar, click Align, or choose Tools > Align.

The Align cursor appears attached to a pair of cross hairs.

4Move the cursor over the point object and click.

The Align Selection dialog appears. If necessary, move the dialog out of

the way so you can see the active viewport.

5In the Align Position group, turn on X Position.

The selected source object shifts to align with the X axis of the point

object.

6Turn on Y Position and Z Position.

The source object moves so its center is at the point object.

7Turn on X Axis, Y Axis, and Z Axis in the Align Orientation group to

reorient the object to match the coordinates of the point.

To align objects by position and orientation:

1Select a source object (the object to move into alignment with the target

object).

940 | Chapter 7 Moving, Rotating, and Scaling Objects

2 On the Main toolbar, click Align, or choose Tools > Align.

The Align cursor appears. When over an eligible target object, the cursor

also shows crosshairs.

3Position the cursor over the target object and click.

The Align Selection dialog appears. By default, all options in the dialog

are turned off.

4In the Current Object and Target Object groups, choose Minimum, Center,

Pivot Point, or Maximum.

These settings establish the points on each object that become the

alignment centers.

5Begin alignment by turning on any combination of X Position, Y Position,

and Z Position.

The source object moves in relation to the target object, along the axes

of the reference coordinate system. Setting all three moves the objects as

close as possible, given the Current Object and Target Object settings.

6In the Align Orientation group, turn on any combination of X Axis, Y

Axis, or Z Axis.

The source object realigns accordingly. If the objects already share an

orientation, turning on that axis has no effect. Once two axes are aligned

in orientation, the third is automatic.

To align a gizmo to another object:

1Display the gizmo level of the Sub-Object selection.

2 On the Main toolbar, click Align, or choose Tools > Align.

3Choose Tools > Align.

4Click to select a target object in the viewport. (You can select the same

object containing the gizmo to align the gizmo to a part of its own object.)

5Use the available settings in the Align dialog to adjust the transformation

of the gizmo.

Align | 941

To align a sub-object selection of geometry to another object:

1Do one of the following:

■Convert the object to an editable mesh, and then make the sub-object

selection at any level.

■Apply a Mesh Select or Poly Select modifier, make a sub-object

selection, apply an XForm modifier (The Mesh/Poly Select modifier

by itself doesn't allow transforms.), and then activate the Gizmo

sub-object level of the XForm modifier.

2 On the Main toolbar, click Align, or choose Tools > Align, and

then select a target object.

3Use the Align dialog controls to perform the alignment.

942 | Chapter 7 Moving, Rotating, and Scaling Objects

Interface

Align Position group

X/Y/Z Position Specifies the axis or axes on which to perform the alignment.

Turning on all three options moves the selection to the target object's location.

Current Object/Target Object groups

Specify the points on the objects' bounding boxes to use for the alignment.

You can choose different points for the current object and the target object.

For example, you can align the current object's pivot point on page 7895 with

the center of the target object.

Align | 943

Minimum Aligns the point on the object's bounding box with the lowest X,

Y, and Z values with the chosen point on the other object.

Center Aligns the center of the object's bounding box with the chosen point

on the other object.

Pivot Point Aligns the object's pivot point with the chosen point on the

other object.

Maximum Aligns the point on the object's bounding box with the highest

X, Y, and Z values with the chosen point on the other object.

Align Orientation (Local) group

These settings let you match the orientation of the local coordinate systems

between the two objects on any combination of axes.

This option is independent of the position alignment settings. You can leave

the Position settings alone and use the Orientation check boxes to rotate the

current object to match the orientation of the target object.

Position alignment uses world coordinates on page 7975 , while orientation

alignment uses local coordinates. on page 7830

Match Scale group

Use the X Axis, Y Axis, and Z Axis options to match the scale axis values

between the two selected objects. This matches only the scale values you'd

see in the Transform Type-In on page 874 . It does not necessarily cause two

objects to be the same size. There will be no change in size if neither of the

objects has previously been scaled.

Quick Align

Main toolbar > Quick Align (on Align flyout)

Tools menu > Quick Align

Keyboard > Shift+A

Quick Align lets you instantly align the position of the current selection to

that of a target object. If the current selection is a single object, Quick Align

uses the two objects' pivots on page 7895 . If the current selection comprises

944 | Chapter 7 Moving, Rotating, and Scaling Objects

multiple objects or sub-objects, Quick Align aligns the source's selection center

on page 907 with the pivot of the target object.

Procedures

To use Quick Align:

1Select one or more objects or sub-objects to align.

2Press Shift+A or choose Quick Align from the Tools menu or Main toolbar

> Align flyout.

The mouse cursor turns into a “lightning-bolt” symbol. When positioned

over an acceptable alignment target, a crosshairs symbol also appears.

3Click an object to which to align the selection from step 1.

The alignment is performed.

Normal Align

Main toolbar > Normal Align (on Align flyout)

Tools menu > Normal Align

Keyboard > Alt+N

Normal Align uses the Normal Align dialog to align two objects based on the

direction of the normal on page 7863 of a face or selection on each object. To

open the Normal Align dialog, select the object to be aligned, click a face on

the object, and then click a face on a second object. Upon releasing the mouse,

the Normal Align dialog appears.

If you use Normal Align while a sub-object selection is active, only that

selection is aligned. This is useful when aligning sub-object selections of faces,

since otherwise there's no valid face normal for the source object.

Normal Align respects smoothing groups and uses the interpolated normal,

based on face smoothing. As a result, you can orient the source object face to

any part of the target surface, rather than having it snap to face normals.

For an object with no faces (such as helper objects, space warps, particle

systems, and atmospheric gizmos), Normal Align uses the Z axis and origin

of the object as a normal. Thus, you can use a Point object on page 2544 with

Normal Align.

Normal Align | 945

Other alignment tools on the Align flyout are Align on page 938 , Quick Align

on page 944 , Place Highlight on page 948 , Align to Camera on page 950 , and

Align to View on page 951 .

Procedures

To align normals:

1Select a source object. This is the object that moves during alignment.

2 Click Normal Align on the Main toolbar, or choose Tools > Normal

Align.

3Drag across the surface of the source object.

The Normal Align cursor appears, attached to a pair of cross hairs. A blue

arrow at the cursor indicates the current normal.

4Move the cursor and blue arrow until you locate the normal you want

to use, then release.

The blue arrow remains as reference to the source normal.

5Drag across the surface of the target object.

A green arrow at the cursor indicates the current normal.

6Move the cross hairs and green arrow until you locate the normal you

want to use as a target, then release.

The source object moves into alignment with the target normal, and the

Normal Align dialog appears.

7Do one of the following:

■Click OK to accept the alignment.

■Using the dialog, make modifications to the alignment before clicking

OK.

■Click Cancel Align to cancel the alignment procedure.

946 | Chapter 7 Moving, Rotating, and Scaling Objects

Interface

The Normal Align dialog lets you adjust or cancel the current alignment, and

contains the following controls:

Position Offset group

Lets you translate the source object perpendicular to the normal on the X, Y

or Z axes.

X/Y/Z These three fields let you affect how much of an offset will be given

to the selected faces.

Rotation Offset group

Lets you rotate the source object about the normal's axis. You see the rotation

in real time.

Angle This field lets you define the angle for the rotational offset.

Flip Normal Determines whether the source normal matches the target

normal's direction. This defaults to off, since you usually want the two normals

to have opposing directions. When you turn this on or off, the source object

flips 180 degrees.

Normal Align | 947

OK/Cancel Align The Cancel button is labeled Cancel Align to make it clear

that you're not only canceling the settings in the dialog, but canceling the

original transform on page 7958 of the source object.

Place Highlight

Main toolbar > Place Highlight (on Align flyout)

Tools menu > Place Highlight

Keyboard > Ctrl+H

Place Highlight, available from the Align flyout on page 938 , enables you to

align a light or object to another object so that its highlight or reflection can

be precisely positioned.

In Place Highlight mode, you can click and drag the mouse around in any

viewport. Place Highlight is a viewport-dependent function, so use the viewport

that you're going to be rendering. As you drag the mouse in the scene, a ray

is shot from the mouse cursor into the scene. If it hits a surface, you see the

surface normal on page 7863 at that point on the surface.

When you designate a surface, any selected objects are positioned along a line

that represents the ray reflected off the surface about the surface normal. The

objects are positioned along this line based on their original distance from

the surface point. For example, if the object is 100 units from the surface point

before being moved, it will be positioned 100 units from the surface point

along the reflected ray.

If the object is a light, the position of the highlight on the surface of the object

will be the surface point that you've chosen.

TIP Place Highlight works with any kind of selected object. It can be used to move

objects based on a combination of face normals and initial distance from the face.

You can also use Place Highlight with a selection set that contains more than one

object. All objects maintain their initial distance from the face. In this case it has

nothing to do with highlights, but is simply being used to position objects.

NOTE Highlight rendering depends on the material's specular properties and the

type of rendering you use.

948 | Chapter 7 Moving, Rotating, and Scaling Objects

Place Highlight aligns a camera and a spotlight to the same face.

Other alignment tools on the Align flyout are Align on page 938 , Quick Align

on page 944 , Normal Align on page 945 , Align to Camera on page 950 , and

Align to View on page 951 .

Procedures

To position a light to highlight a face:

1Make sure the viewport you plan to render is active, and that the object

you want to highlight is visible in it.

The result of Place Highlight depends on what is visible in the viewport.

2Select a light object.

Place Highlight | 949

3 Click Place Highlight, or choose Tools > Place Highlight.

Choose Tools > Place Highlight.

If the button is not visible on the toolbar, choose it from the Align flyout.

4Drag over the object to place the highlight.

When you place an omni, free spot, or directional light, the software

displays a face normal for the face the mouse indicates.

When you place a target spotlight, the software displays the light's target

and the base of its cone.

5Release the mouse when the normal or target display indicates the face

you want to highlight.

The light now has a new position and orientation. You can see the

highlight illumination in shaded viewports that show the face you chose,

and when you render those views.

Align Camera

Main toolbar > Align Camera button (on Align flyout)

Tools menu > Align Camera

Align Camera, available from the Align flyout on page 938 , lets you align a

camera to a selected face normal.

Align Camera works similarly to Place Highlight on page 948 , except that it

operates on face normals instead of the angle of incidence, and occurs when

you release the mouse button instead of dynamically acting during the mouse

drag. Its purpose is to let you align a Camera viewport to a specified face

normal.

Other alignment tools on the Align flyout are Align on page 938 , Quick Align

on page 944 , Normal Align on page 945 , Place Highlight on page 948 , and

Align to View on page 951 .

Procedures

To use Align Camera:

1Select the camera used for the viewport you want to align.

950 | Chapter 7 Moving, Rotating, and Scaling Objects

2 Click Align Camera or choose Tools menu > Align Camera.

3In any viewport, drag the mouse over an object surface to choose a face.

The chosen face normal appears as a blue arrow beneath the cursor.

4Release the mouse to perform the alignment.

The software moves the camera so it faces and centers the selected normal

in the camera viewport.

Align to View

Main toolbar > Align to View (on Align flyout)

Tools menu > Align to View

Align to View, available from the Align flyout on page 938 , displays the Align

To View dialog, which lets you align the local axis of an object or sub-object

selection with the current viewport.

You can use Align to View with any selection that can be transformed.

Other alignment tools on the Align flyout are Align on page 938 , Quick Align

on page 944 , Normal Align on page 945 , Place Highlight on page 948 , and

Align to Camera on page 950 .

Procedures

To align the local axis of a selection with the current viewport:

1Select the objects or sub-objects to align.

2 Click Align to View.

3Specify the local axis of the selected object to align with the current

viewport's Z axis.

4Select the Flip check box when you switch the direction of the alignment.

The alignment takes place while the dialog is displayed.

5Click OK to complete the process.

Align to View | 951

Interface

The Align to View dialog contains the following options:

Align X, Align Y, Align Z Specifies which local axis of the selected object will

be aligned with the current viewport's Z axis.

Flip Switches the direction of the alignment.

952 | Chapter 7 Moving, Rotating, and Scaling Objects

Creating Copies and

Arrays

With 3ds Max, you can quickly create multiple versions of one or more selected objects during

a transform operation. You do this by holding down the Shift key as you move, rotate, or scale

the selection.

Portico created from arrays of columns

953

The general term for duplicating objects is cloning. This section presents all the methods

and choices available for cloning objects. In addition to the transform method, the tools

include the following:

■Array lets you set all three transforms, in all three dimensions, at the same time. The

results are precise linear and circular arrays in 2D or 3D space.

■Mirror produces a "reflected" clone about one or more axes. If you mirror an object without

cloning, the result is a "flip" of the geometry, optionally to a new location.

■Snapshot lets you create clones equally spaced over time or distance, based on an

animation path.

■Spacing Tool distributes objects based on the current selection along a path defined by a

spline or pair of points.

You can animate any of the cloning techniques. These topics supply overview information,

as well as specifics of animation for each of them:

Techniques for Cloning Objects on page 958

Overview of Copies, Instances, and References on page 955

Using +Clone on page 968

■Cloning with Shift+Move on page 970

■Cloning with Shift+Rotate on page 972

■Cloning with Shift+Scale on page 975

Animating +Rotate and +Scale on page 977

Cloning Objects Over Time with Snapshot on page 979

Arraying Objects on page 981

■Using the Array Dialog on page 983

■Creating Linear Arrays on page 989

■Creating Circular and Spiral Arrays on page 993

Mirroring Objects on page 996

Using the Spacing Tool on page 998

954 | Chapter 8 Creating Copies and Arrays

Overview of Copies, Instances, and References

To duplicate an object, you use one of three methods. For all three methods,

the original and clone (or clones) are identical at the geometry level. Where

the methods vary is in the way they handle modifiers (for example, Bend or

Twist).

An object can be a copy of another.

Copy method: Creates a completely separate clone from the original. Modifying

one has no effect on the other.

Instance method: Creates a completely interchangeable clone of the original.

Modifying an instanced object is the same as modifying the original.

Reference method: Creates a clone dependent on the original up to the point

when the object is cloned. Changing parameters for modifiers that were applied

to the object before the object was referenced, will change both objects.

However, a new modifier can be applied to one of the reference objects, and

it will affect only the object to which it is applied.

Depending on the method used to create them, cloned objects are called copies,

instances, or references.

Overview of Copies, Instances, and References | 955

The following discussion focuses on how you might use these methods.

Copies

Copies are the most familiar kind of clone object. When you copy an object,

you create a new, independent master object and data flow resulting in a new,

named object. The copy duplicates all of the data of the original object at the

time it is copied. The copy has no connection to the original object.

Example of Using Copied Objects

If you modeled a basic head shape and wanted to create a group of individual

characters, you would probably make a copy of the basic head shape each

time you started a new character. You could then model an individual nose,

mouth, and other features.

Copying Actively Linked Objects

When you copy objects that are actively linked through the File Link Manager

on page 6783 , the software automatically converts the copies to editable mesh

objects. If your selection contains several objects that instance another object,

the resulting copies also instance the same object.

Instances

Instances are alike not only in geometry, but also in every other way as well.

Instancing an object results in multiple named objects based on a single master

object. Each named object instance has its own set of transforms, space warp

bindings, and object properties, but it shares the object modifiers and master

object with the other instances. The data flow for an instance branches just

after evaluating object modifiers.

When you change one instance by applying or adjusting a modifier, for

example, all the other instances change with it.

Within 3ds Max, instances derive from the same master object. What you’re

doing "behind the scenes" is applying a single modifier to a single master

object. In the viewport, what you see as multiple objects are multiple instances

of the same definition.

Example of Using Instanced Objects

If you wanted to create a school of swimming fish, you might begin by making

many instanced copies of a single fish. You could then animate the swimming

956 | Chapter 8 Creating Copies and Arrays

motion by applying a Ripple modifier to any fish in the school. The whole

school would swim with exactly the same motions.

Instances of Actively Linked Objects

Creating instances of actively linked objects is not recommended. Reliability

issues can arise if the instanced object is deleted in the linked file.

References

References are based on the original object, as are instances, but can also have

their own unique modifiers. Like instances, references share, at minimum,

the same master object and possibly some object modifiers.

The data flow for a reference branches just after the object modifiers but then

evaluates a second set of object modifiers unique to each reference. When you

create references, 3ds Max displays a gray line, called the derived-object line, at

the top of the modifier stack for all clones. Any modification made below the

line is passed on to other references, and to the original object. New modifiers

added above the line are not passed on to other references. Changes to the

original object, such as in its creation parameters, are passed on to its

references.

This effect is useful for maintaining an original that will affect all its references,

while the references themselves can take on individual characteristics.

All shared modifiers reside below the derived-object line and are displayed in

bold. All modifiers unique to the selected reference reside above the

derived-object line and are not bold. The original object does not have a

derived object line: its creation parameters and modifiers are all shared, and

all changes to this object affect all references.

The results of changing or applying a modifier to a named object reference

depends on where in the modifier stack it is applied:

■Applying a modifier to the top of the modifier stack affects only the selected

named object.

■Applying a modifier below the gray line affects all references branching

above that line.

■Applying a modifier at the bottom of the modifier stack affects all references

derived from the master object.

Overview of Copies, Instances, and References | 957

References of Actively Linked Objects

Creating references of actively linked objects is not recommended. Reliability

issues can arise if the referenced object is deleted in the linked file.

Example of Using Referenced Objects

In the example of modeling heads, you might want to keep a family

resemblance in your characters. You could model basic features on the original,

then model specifics on each reference.

At some point, if you wanted to see what your characters would look like as

"cone-heads," you could apply a Taper modifier to the original head, and have

all the other characters take on the same feature. You could give the original

character a very pointed head, then apply a separate Taper to some referenced

characters to reduce the point toward normal.

For swimming fish, you might choose to make all members of the school as

referenced objects based on a single, original fish. You could still control the

swimming motion from the original fish, and also add modifiers to individual

fish in the school to vary their behavior.

Techniques for Cloning Objects

3ds Max provides several techniques for copying or duplicating objects; cloning

is the general term for this process. These techniques can be used to clone any

selection set.

■Clone

■Shift+Clone

■Snapshot

■Array

■Mirror

■Spacing Tool

■Clone and Align Tool

958 | Chapter 8 Creating Copies and Arrays

Shared Features

While each technique has distinct uses and advantages in cloning objects, in

most cases the cloning techniques share some similarities in how they work:

■You can apply a transform when you clone. New objects are moved, rotated,

or scaled as they are created.

■The transform is relative to the current coordinate system, axis constraint,

and transform center.

■When cloning creates new objects, you have the choice of making them

copies, instances, or references.

Each of the following items is discussed later in this chapter.

Clone

Using the Clone command on the Edit menu is the easiest method for copying

an object in place; no transformation is involved. See Clone on page 965 .

Techniques for Cloning Objects | 959

Shift+Clone

Shift+Clone clones an object when you transform it.

You can clone an object as you transform it interactively in the viewport. The

process is referred to as SHIFT+Clone on page 968 : the technique of holding

down the Shift key while transforming a selected object with the mouse.

Quick and versatile, this technique is probably the one you’ll use most often

to duplicate objects. Snap settings give you precise results.

How you set the center and axes for the transforms determines the arrangement

of the cloned objects. Depending on the settings, you can create both linear

and radial arrays.

You need a working knowledge of transform features to take full advantage

of Shift+Clone. See Using Transforms on page 862 .

960 | Chapter 8 Creating Copies and Arrays

Snapshot

Using an ice-cream cone animated along a path, Snapshot creates a stack of cones.

Snapshot on page 921 clones an animated object over time. You can create a

single clone on any frame, or space multiple clones along the animation path.

The spacing is a uniform time interval; it can also be a uniform distance.

Techniques for Cloning Objects | 961

Array

A one-dimensional array

Array creates repeating design elements: for example, the gondolas of a Ferris

wheel, the treads of a spiral stair, or the battlements along a castle wall.

Array gives you precise control over all three transforms and in all three

dimensions, including the ability to scale along one or more axes. It is the

combination of transforms and dimensions, coupled with different centers,

that gives you so many options with a single tool. A spiral stair, for example,

would be a combination of Move and Rotate around a common center. Another

array using Move and Rotate might produce the interlocked links of a chain.

See Arraying Objects on page 981 .

962 | Chapter 8 Creating Copies and Arrays

Mirror

Mirroring an object

Mirror produces a symmetrical copy around any combination of axes. There

is also a "No Clone" option that performs the mirror operation without

copying. The effect is a flip or move of the object to a new orientation.

Mirror has an interactive dialog. As you change settings, you see the effect in

the active viewport; in other words, a preview of what the mirror will look

like.

There is also a Mirror modifier that gives you parametric control of the mirror

effect.

See Mirroring Objects on page 996 .

Techniques for Cloning Objects | 963

Spacing Tool

The Spacing Tool distributes the vases along the sides of the curved street.

The Spacing Tool distributes along a path defined by a spline or pair of points.

You define a path by picking a spline or two points and by setting a number

of parameters. You can also specify how the spacing between objects is

determined and whether the insertion points of the objects align to the tangent

of the spline.

See Spacing Tool on page 925 .

Clone and Align Tool

The Clone And Align tool lets you distribute source objects based on the

current selection to a second selection of destination objects. For example,

you can use Clone And Align to populate several rooms simultaneously with

the same furniture arrangement. Similarly, if you import a CAD file that

contains 2D symbols that represent chairs in a conference room, you can use

Clone And Align to replace the symbols with 3D chair objects en masse.

See Clone and Align Tool on page 933 .

964 | Chapter 8 Creating Copies and Arrays

Clone

Make a selection. > Edit menu > Clone

Make a selection. > Hold down Shift key. > Move, rotate, or scale the selection

with the mouse.

Clone creates a copy, instance, or reference of an object.

With the Clone command you can create copies, instances, or references of

a selected object or a set of objects.

The Clone command on the Edit menu creates a single copy of your selection.

Alternatively, you can clone multiple copies by holding down the Shift key as

you move on page 888 , rotate on page 889 , or scale on page 891 your selection.

Either method displays the Clone Options dialog on page 965 .

Clone Options Dialog

Make a selection. > Edit menu > Clone

Clone | 965

Make a selection. > Hold down Shift key. > Move, rotate, or scale the selection

with the mouse.

Clone creates a copy, instance on page 7818 , or reference on page 7910 of a

selected object or set of objects. The Clone command on the Edit menu creates

a single copy. You can clone multiple copies by holding down the Shift key

as you transform the selection.

Procedures

To clone an object without transforming it:

1Select an object, or set of objects.

2From the Edit menu, choose the Clone command.

3The Clone Options dialog opens.

NOTE All options are present except Number Of Copies.

4Change the settings or accept the defaults, and then click OK.

Each new, cloned object occupies the same space as the original. Select

a clone by name to move or modify it.

To clone and transform an object:

1On the main toolbar, click the Move, Rotate, or Scale

button.

2Select an object, multiple objects, group, or sub-object.

3Hold down the Shift key and drag the selection.

As you drag your selection, the clone is created, selected, and transformed.

The original object is deselected and unaffected by the transform.

When you release the mouse button, the Clone Options dialog displays.

4Change the settings or accept the defaults, and then click OK.

966 | Chapter 8 Creating Copies and Arrays

Interface

Object group

Copy Places a copy of the selected object at the specified position.

Instance Places an instance of the selected object at the specified position.

Reference Places a reference of the selected object at the specified position.

Controller group

Lets you choose to copy or instance the transform controllers on page 7712 of

the original object’s child objects. This option is available only when the

selection you are cloning includes two or more hierarchically linked objects

on page 7806 .

When cloning non-linked objects, transform controllers are simply copied.

Also, when cloning linked objects, the highest-level cloned object's transform

controller is simply copied. This option applies only to the transform

controllers of objects at levels below the top of the cloned hierarchy.

Copy Copies the cloned objects' transform controllers.

Clone Options Dialog | 967

Instance Instances the cloned objects' transform controllers below the top

level of the cloned hierarchy. With instanced transform controllers, you can

change the transform animation of one set of linked children, and

automatically have the change affect any cloned sets.

This allows you to animate all clones identically with a single animation setup.

For example, consider a scene containing three objects named Torso, Thigh,

and Calf. The objects are linked hierarchically so that Torso is the parent of

Thigh and Thigh is the parent of Calf. Say you select all three objects and then

clone them, and choose Clone Options > Controller > Instance. Thereafter, if

you transform either Thigh or Calf object, the corresponding object in the

other hierarchy is transformed identically, along with any child objects.

However, if you transform either Torso object, the other hierarchy is not

affected.

Number of Copies Specifies the number of copies of the object you want to

create. Available only when you Shift+Clone an object.

Using Shift+Clone to generate multiple copies applies the transform successively

to each additional copy. If you Shift+Move an object and specify two copies,

the second copy is offset from the first copy by the same distance that the

first copy is offset from the original. For Rotate, two copies of the rotated

object are created, with the second copy rotated twice as far as the first. For

Scale, two copies of the scaled object are created, with the second copy scaled

from the first copy by the same percentage that the first copy was scaled from

the original.

Name Displays the name of the cloned object.

You can use this field to change the name; additional copies use the same

name followed by a two-digit number, starting at 01 and incrementing by

one for each copy. So, for instance, if you Shift+Move an object and then

specify the name building and two copies, the first copy will be named building

and the second will be named building01.

Using Shift+Clone

Shift+Clone is the primary way to duplicate objects in 3ds Max. You hold

down the Shift key and drag during any of the standard transform operations:

Move, Rotate, or Scale.

968 | Chapter 8 Creating Copies and Arrays

To Shift+Clone an object:

1On the main toolbar, click the Move, Rotate, or Scale

button.

2Select a transform coordinate system and constraints. Each transform

carries its own settings. To avoid surprises, always click the transform

button first, and then set your transform coordinate system and

constraints.

NOTE You can also use the Transform Gizmo to set axis constraints.

3Select the object or set of objects you want to clone. The selection can

be a single object, multiple objects, a group, or a sub-object selection.

4Hold down the Shift key and drag the selection to apply the transform.

As you drag, a clone is created and selected; it is now the object being

transformed. The original object is no longer selected and is unaffected

by the transform.

When you release the mouse button, the Clone Options dialog appears. Change

settings in this dialog or accept the defaults, and then click OK.

Shift+Clone uses the Clone Options dialog on page 965 for any transform you

choose.

See also:

■Cloning with +Move on page 970

■Cloning with +Rotate on page 972

■Cloning with +Scale on page 975

Animating Shift+Clone

You can animate any Shift+Clone operation. See Animating with Shift+Rotate

and Shift+Scale on page 977 .

Cloning Without Transforming

Cloning objects with Shift+Clone requires transforming them at the same

time, by moving, rotating, or scaling them. In some cases, you might want to

Using Shift+Clone | 969

clone an object without transforming it in any way. The Edit menu Clone

command gives you this option, which lets you create only one clone at a

time.

To clone objects without transforming:

1Select the object or objects to clone.

2Choose Edit menu > Clone. The Clone Options dialog appears. This is

the same dialog used with Shift+Clone except that there's no Number Of

Copies setting. The Clone command lets you create only one copy.

3Change settings in this dialog or accept the defaults, and click OK.

NOTE The cloned object occupies the exact same space as the original, and

is selected when cloning is complete. Use Select By Name on page 168 to

select the original or reselect the clone.

Cloning with Shift+Move

Cloning objects while moving them is quick and easy. It produces a linear

array of two or more objects.

970 | Chapter 8 Creating Copies and Arrays

Shift+Move creates a clone in a different location.

To clone with Shift+Move:

1Click the Move button on the main toolbar.

2Choose a coordinate system and axis constraint.

3Make the selection you want to clone.

4Hold down Shift and drag to move a clone of the selection away from the

original.

5Choose the number of copies you want to make on the Clone Options

dialog, and whether you want them to be copies, instances, or references.

Cloning with Shift+Move | 971

About Arrays Created with Shift+Move

Multiple clones produced by Shift+Move form an equally spaced linear array

with these characteristics:

■The line of the array runs from the center of the original through the

centers of the clones.

■The distance between each neighboring pair of copies is the same the

distance between the original and the first clone.

By using snaps as you move the selection, you can make precise arrays.

An example of the Shift+Move array is a picket fence. From a single picket,

you can generate long runs of fencing. You can array the fence along a major

axis of the home grid, then group the pickets, rotate them to a particular angle,

and move them into position.

You can also make three-dimensional arrays with Shift+Move. The main choice

is the combination of axes to allow movement off the construction plane. For

example, to build a stairway, you can create a box that forms the top step,

then use Shift+Move to copy it diagonally downward, using an array to create

a downward flight.

Cloning with Shift+Rotate

Cloning objects while rotating them produces a variety of effects, depending

on how you set up the transformation.

972 | Chapter 8 Creating Copies and Arrays

Shift+Rotate creates a clone with a different orientation.

To clone with Shift+Rotate:

1Click the Rotate button on the main toolbar.

2Choose a coordinate system, transformation center, and axis constraint.

3Make the selection you want to clone.

4Hold down the Shift key and drag to rotate the selection.

5Choose the number of copies you want to make on the Clone Options

dialog, and whether you want them to be copies, instances, or references.

Effects of Transform Settings

Where you locate the transform center determines how 3ds Max positions

clones when using Shift+Rotate.

■For all settings, the direction of rotation is constrained by the active axis

or axes of the viewport’s coordinate system.

Cloning with Shift+Rotate | 973

■Each clone is rotated from the previous one by the same amount as the

first clone from the original.

Local Pivot at Center

An object’s default pivot point is often located at its center or its base. When

you use Shift+Rotate around an object’s default pivot point, the clones overlap

evenly as each one is rotated the same amount. This is true for multiple objects

with a local-pivot setting, since each object uses its own local center.

Clones of a circular object, like a sphere or cylinder, can be overlaid exactly

on the original. You might need to move them away from the original to see

them.

With angle snap on page 2523 set to divide a circle evenly, you can produce

complex symmetrical objects from simple ones. For example, you can clone

a tetrahedron around one axis, then clone the new set about another axis to

produce a faceted star.

Local Pivot at a Distance

When you separate the local pivot from the original, clones create a wheel-like

arrangement. Long shapes like petals or blades, cloned with the center near

one end, can create flowers or propellers. See Adjust Pivot Rollout on page

3399 .

You can move the local pivot any distance from the object, creating large

circular arrays. Since direct animation is limited to the local pivot, this is a

key technique in animating circular arrays. See Animating +Rotate and +Scale

on page 977 .

Selection Center

For either single or multiple objects, the selection center is the geometric

center of the bounding box on page 7736 enclosing the entire selection. Clones

are arrayed around this center, forming wheel-like arrays.

For a single object, this center is usually different from its local center, but

the effects are similar to those based on a local pivot.

Coordinate Center

Using the coordinate center, Shift+Rotate can produce circular arrays of any

size.

974 | Chapter 8 Creating Copies and Arrays

The rotation takes place around the center of the home grid, the screen, or

whichever coordinate system you choose. While clones can be created this

way, the process cannot be directly animated. For details on overcoming this

limitation, see Animating +Rotate and +Scale on page 977 .

Cloning with Shift+Scale

Cloning objects while scaling them can produce a variety of nested objects

and arrays, depending on the center you choose.

Shift+Scale creates a clone of a different size.

To clone with Shift+Scale:

1Click a Scale button on the main toolbar.

2Choose a coordinate system, axis constraint, and transform center.

3Make the selection you want to clone.

4Hold down Shift and drag to scale the selection.

Cloning with Shift+Scale | 975

5Use the Clone Options dialog to choose the number of clones you want

to make and whether you want them to be copies, instances, or references.

Effects of Transform Settings

Transform settings determine how 3ds Max distributes clones of a selection

during Shift+Scale. In all scaling operations, the transform center acts as the

center of scaling:

■When clone objects decrease in size, they shrink toward the transform

center.

■When clone objects increase in size, they expand away from the transform

center.

The distance between cloned objects is scaled like the clones themselves, based

on the initial distance from the original to the first clone. The spacing increases

or decreases proportionately with respect to the transform center.

Nested Copies

When the selection center is used as the transform center for a single object,

scaling occurs symmetrically around that center, producing nested copies.

■As you scale in toward the center, smaller and smaller copies are created.

■In the other direction, the original object is enclosed by increasingly larger

copies.

Variations are possible, depending on the type of scale and axis limitations.

For example, you can scale a flat box into a progressively stepped pyramid by

using Squash on page 894 and cloning inward on the Z axis.

Offset Centers

For Shift+Scale, any center other than the local pivot has the effect of creating

an array of progressively scaled objects. Again, objects scale down in size

toward the center, while increasing in size further away. However, this effect

is limited by the particular scale option and the axis constraints, as discussed

next.

976 | Chapter 8 Creating Copies and Arrays

Axis Constraints

Uniform Scale is unaffected by axis constraints, which you can set with the

Transform Gizmo. Copies are always arrayed in or out from the center of the

current coordinate system.

For Non-Uniform Scale and Squash, scaling occurs only along the axis or axes

set with the restricted axes.

NOTE The Restrict To ... buttons (also called the Axis Constraints buttons) are

available on the Axis Constraints toolbar on page 7288 , which is off by default.

You can toggle display of this toolbar by right-clicking an empty area of a toolbar

and choosing Axis Constraints from the Customize Display right-click menu on

page 7479 .

Animating Shift+Rotate and Shift+Scale

When the Auto Key button on page 7344 is on, the transform center defaults

to local pivot, and the Use Center flyout on page 904 on the toolbar is

unavailable. If you choose one of the other centers and activate Auto Key, the

center returns to the local pivot. This means you can’t directly animate about

a non-local pivot center with Shift+Rotate and Shift+Scale. For example, you

can't use this method to create clones in an arc or circular array around a

common center.

Using Non-Local Centers

To use a center separate from the object you’re cloning, you can do any of

the following:

■Use a dummy object.

■Offset the local pivot.

■Change the default animation center.

Using a Dummy Object as Center

In this procedure, you use the axis tripod of the dummy object as the center

for rotation or scale.

Animating Shift+Rotate and Shift+Scale | 977

To use a dummy object as center:

1Create a dummy object on page 2531 at the center of rotation or scaling.

2 Link the object or objects you want to clone to the dummy object,

which becomes the parent.

3Select both the dummy and the objects, then transform them with

Shift+Rotate or Shift+Scale.

■For Shift+Rotate, the dummy’s center becomes the pivot.

■For Shift+Scale, the dummy and selected objects scale together toward

the center of the dummy.

For details of dummy object use in hierarchies, see Using Dummy Objects on

page 3288 .

Offsetting the Local Pivot

In this procedure, you move the object’s pivot to the center of rotation or

scale. This works much like using a dummy object.

To offset the local pivot:

1Select the object whose pivot you wish to move.

2 On the Hierarchy command panel, choose Pivot and then turn

on Affect Pivot Only.

3Move the local pivot of the original object to another location in your

scene.

4On the Hierarchy panel, click Affect Pivot Only again to turn it off.

Shift+Rotate or Shift+Scale now animates around the offset center. This

works with the default setting for local center.

NOTE Moving the local pivot can adversely affect linking and inverse kinematics.

If this is a possibility, consider changing the default axis instead of moving the

local pivot.

978 | Chapter 8 Creating Copies and Arrays

To change the default axis while animating:

In this procedure, you set 3ds Max to allow animation of transforms about

any center on the Use Center flyout.

1Choose Customize menu > Preferences and click the Animation tab of

the Preference dialog.

2In the Animate group, turn off Local Center During Animate.

This changes the default and makes all the transform center options

available when animating. You can now animate around either the

selection or transform coordinate center, as well as local pivot.

NOTE Changing the default setting animates the rotation you see in viewports

as a rotation plus translation, which might not be the effect you wanted.

Cloning Objects Over Time with Snapshot

The Snapshot tool on page 921 lets you clone an object along its animation

path. You can make a single clone at any frame, or multiple clones spaced

over a selected number of frames.

Cloning Objects Over Time with Snapshot | 979

Using car models animated along paths, Snapshot creates an image of a collision.

Snapshot can also clone a particle system's particles.

Snapshot spaces the clones equally in time. Adjustments in Track View let

you space the clones equally along the path instead.

Like other clone techniques, Snapshot creates copies, instances, or references.

You can also choose a mesh option.

To clone an object with Snapshot, the object must already be animated. You

can use Snapshot from any frame on the path. The Auto Key button has no

effect on Snapshot, since Snapshot creates static clones, not animation. This

is the general procedure:

To clone an object with Snapshot:

1Select an object with an animation path, or a particle system. The

animation can result from applying transforms, controllers, or any

combination of effects.

2 On the Array flyout on page 911 click Snapshot, or choose Tools

menu > Snapshot to display the Snapshot dialog.

980 | Chapter 8 Creating Copies and Arrays

NOTE The Array flyout is on the Extras toolbar, which is off by default. You

can toggle display of this toolbar by right-clicking an empty spot on the main

toolbar and choosing Axis Constraints from the Customize Display right-click

menu on page 7479 .

3Set parameters in the dialog, and click OK.

Arraying Objects

Array is a dedicated tool for cloning and precisely transforming and positioning

groups of objects in one or more spatial dimensions. For each of the three

transforms (move, rotate, and scale), you can specify parameters for individual

objects in the array, or for the array as a whole. Many results you can get with

Array would be laborious or impossible using Shift+Clone techniques.

A one-dimensional array

Creating an Array

This is the general procedure. For more details, see these topics:

Arraying Objects | 981

Using the Array Dialog on page 983

Creating Linear Arrays on page 989

Creating Circular and Spiral Arrays on page 993

To create an array:

1Select one or more objects to be in the array.

2Choose a coordinate system and transform center.

3 Click Array on the Array flyout, or choose Array on page 915 from

Tools menu.

The Array dialog appears.

NOTE The Array flyout is on the Extras toolbar, which is off by default. You

can toggle display of this toolbar by right-clicking an empty spot on the main

toolbar and choosing Axis Constraints from the Customize Display right-click

menu on page 7479 .

4Set array parameters on this dialog, then click OK.

Reuse of Array Settings

Generally you should approach Array creation as an iterative process. The

dialog settings are not interactive, so you get feedback only after creating the

array. By revising the current settings and repeating the array, you develop a

solution that meets your needs.

After creating an array and checking its result, you can undo the array using

Edit menu > Undo Create Array or Ctrl+Z. This leaves the original selection

set in place.

Repeating an Array

When you create an array, object selection moves to the last copy or set of

copies in the array. By simply repeating current settings, you create a seamless

continuation of the original array.

During a session, 3ds Max maintains all the dialog settings for your current

array.

Array settings are saved only during the current session, not with the file. Be

sure you’ve finished an array before you quit 3ds Max.

982 | Chapter 8 Creating Copies and Arrays

General Considerations

When you create an array, keep these points in mind:

■Array is relative to the current viewport settings for coordinate system and

transform center.

■Axis constraints do not apply, because Array allows you to specify

transforms along all axes.

■You can animate array creation. By changing the default Animate

preferences setting, you can activate all the transform center buttons,

allowing direct animation around either the selection or coordinate center,

as well as local pivot. For information about changing the default setting,

see the procedure, To change the default axis while animating on page

? .

■To make an array of a hierarchically linked object, select all the objects in

the hierarchy before you click Array.

Using the Array Dialog

The Array dialog provides two main control areas where you set the important

parameters: Array Transformation and Array Dimensions.

You can set parameters in any order, but in practice it’s useful to start with

Array Transformation. This creates the basic building block for the larger array,

as defined by Array Dimensions.

These topics discuss specific strategies for using these controls:

Creating Linear Arrays on page 989

Creating Circular and Spiral Arrays on page 993

Using the Array Dialog | 983

See also:

■Array on page 915

Array Transformation

This area lists the active coordinate system and transform center. It’s where

you set the transforms that define the first row of the array. You decide here

on the distance, rotation, or scale of individual elements, and along what

axes. You then repeat this row in other dimensions to produce the finished

array.

Move, Rotate, and Scale Transforms

You set Move, Rotate, and Scale parameters along any of the three axes of the

current coordinate system.

■Move is set in current units. Use a negative value to create the array in the

negative direction of the axis.

■Rotate is set in degrees. Use a negative value to create the array in a

clockwise direction around the axis.

■Scale is set as a percentage. 100 percent is full size. Settings below 100

decrease the size, and above 100 increase it.

984 | Chapter 8 Creating Copies and Arrays

Incremental and Totals

For each transform, you have the choice of whether to apply the transforms

successively to each newly created element in the array or to the overall array.

For example, if you set Incremental > X > Move to 120.0 and Array Dimensions

> 1D > Count to 3, the result is an array of three objects, each of whose

transform centers is 120.0 units apart. However, if you set Totals > X > Move

to 120.0 instead, the three elements are spaced 40.0 units apart for a total

array length of 120.0 units.

■Click arrows on either side of the transform labels to choose between

Incremental or Totals.

Incremental and Totals settings are toggles for each transform. When you set

a value on one side, the other side is unavailable. However, the unavailable

value updates to show the equivalent setting.

Incremental: Parameters set on this side apply to individual objects in the

array. Here are examples:

■An Incremental Move X setting of 25 specifies a spacing of 25 units on the

X axis between centers of arrayed objects.

■An Incremental Rotate Z setting of 30 specifies a progressive rotation of

30 degrees on the Z axis for each object in the array. In the finished array,

each object is rotated 30 degrees farther than the one before it.

Totals: Parameters set on this side apply to the overall distance, number or

degrees, or percentage scale in the array. Here are examples:

■A Totals Move X setting of 25 specifies a total distance of 25 units on the

X axis between the centers of the first and last arrayed objects.

■A Totals Rotate Z setting of 30 specifies a combined rotation of 30 degrees

on the Z axis divided equally among every object in the array.

Type of Object

Copy Creates new array members as copies of the originals.

Instance Creates new array members as instances of the originals.

Reference Creates new array members as references of the originals.

For further information, see Overview of Copies, Instances, and References

on page 955 .

Using the Array Dialog | 985

Array Dimensions

The Array Dimensions controls determine the number of dimensions used in

the array and the spacing between the dimensions.

Count: The number of objects, rows, or layers in each dimension.

1D: One-dimensional arrays form a single line of objects in 3D space, like a

line of columns. 1D Count is the number of objects in a row. Spacing for these

objects is defined in the Array Transformation area.

A one-dimensional array, with 1D Count=6

2D: Two-dimensional arrays form a layer of objects along two dimensions,

like the rows of squares on a chess board. 2D Count is the number of rows in

the array.

986 | Chapter 8 Creating Copies and Arrays

A two-dimensional array, with 1D Count=7 and 2D Count=4

3D: Three-dimensional arrays form multiple layers of objects in 3D space, like

neatly stacked boxes. 3D Count is the number of layers in the array.

Using the Array Dialog | 987

A three-dimensional array, with 1D Count=10, 2D Count=6, 3D Count=3

Incremental Row Offsets

These parameters become available when you choose a 2D or 3D array. These

are distances along any of the three axes of the current coordinate system.

■If you set a Count value for 2D or 3D, but no row offsets, the array is created

with overlapping objects. You need to specify at least one offset distance

to prevent this.

■If some objects appear to be missing from the array, it is possible that some

objects have been created exactly on top of other objects in the array. To

determine whether this has occurred, use Select By Name on page 168 to

see the full listing of objects in your scene. If objects are on top of one

another and you don't want this effect, click Ctrl+Z to undo the array, and

try again.

988 | Chapter 8 Creating Copies and Arrays

Creating Linear Arrays

A linear array is a series of clones along one or more axes. A linear array can

be anything from a line of trees or cars to a stairway, a picket fence, or a length

of chain. Any scene requiring repeated objects or shapes is a candidate for a

linear array.

Examples of linear arrays

For an explanation of interface terms used here, see Using the Array Dialog

on page 983 . For the basic steps in making an array, see Arraying Objects on

page 981 .

Creating Simple Linear Arrays

The simplest 2D linear array is based on moving a single object along a single

axis. These are the basic choices to make on the Array dialog.

Make these choices in the Array Transformation group:

■Use Incremental Move settings where you know the spacing you want

between objects.

Creating Linear Arrays | 989

■Use Totals Move settings when you know the overall space or volume you

want the array to occupy.

■For either of these two types of arrays, enter a value for one axis. Leave the

other transforms at their default values.

Make these choices in the Array Dimensions group:

■Choose 1D.

■Enter a Count value for the number of objects in the array. The Total In

Array field updates to show you the current total of objects in the array

you are designing.

■Click OK to create a linear array along the chosen axis, with the number

of objects specified by Count.

2D and 3D Linear Arrays

Arrays in 2D and 3D have the same Array Transformation group setup as 1D,

with the addition of Incremental Row Offsets settings for moving the additional

dimensions apart.

■Set 2D or 3D and enter a Count value.

If you set 3D, the 2D values also become available. Both Count values are

1 by default, which has the same effect as 1D. Set the 2D and 3D Count

values greater than 1 to produce a more complex array.

■Set a nonzero value for at least one Incremental Row Offsets setting for 2D

and 3D. Otherwise, there will be no separation between the 1D row and

the new clones.

A wide variety of linear arrays are possible. Experiment with moving along all

three axes and varying the row offsets in 2D and 3D.

990 | Chapter 8 Creating Copies and Arrays

Using Rotation in Linear Arrays

Linear array with elements rotated about their Y axis

You can rotate elements in a linear array by applying a Rotate value for a

specified axis. When you add rotation to a linear array, the choice of transform

center becomes important.

Creating Linear Arrays | 991

Using Scale in Linear Arrays

Linear array with progressive scaling

When you apply a Scale factor, 3ds Max scales each copy from the previous

copy. Objects in the array become progressively smaller or larger, as in the

illustration.

992 | Chapter 8 Creating Copies and Arrays

Scale and Movement in Nested Arrays

Using only Scale settings and the local pivot of an object produces nested

arrays, like Russian dolls, just as it does when you Shift+Scale from the local

pivot. However, with the Array tool, you can add movement as well. This

means you can create increasingly larger or smaller copies and array them at

the same time.

Using Uniform Scaling

By default, all axes are available for scaling.

If you turn on Uniform, only the Scale X field is active; the Y and Z fields are

unavailable. The X value is applied as uniform scaling on all axes of the arrayed

objects.

Creating Circular and Spiral Arrays

Creating circular and spiral arrays typically involves some combination of

moving, scaling, and rotating copies along one or two axes and around a

common center. The effects can vary from the uniform radial arrangement

of bolts on a wheel hub to the complex geometry of a spiral staircase. You can

model many circular patterns with these techniques.

See Using the Array Dialog on page 983 for an explanation of interface terms

used here. See Arraying Objects on page 981 for the basic steps in making an

array.

Using a Common Center

Both circular and spiral arrays require a common center for the arrayed objects.

This can be the world center, the center of a custom grid object, or the center

of the object group itself. You can also move the pivot point of an individual

object and use that as the common center.

Creating Circular and Spiral Arrays | 993

Circular Arrays

A circular array

Circular arrays are similar to linear arrays, but based on rotation around a

common center rather than movement along an axis. The following procedure

makes a circle of objects on the XY plane of the home grid with the Z axis as

the center.

To create a circular array:

1On the main toolbar, choose a transform center to become the center of

the array. In this case, choose Use Transform Coordinate Center so the

center of the grid becomes the array center.

2Select an object and position it at some distance from the center of the

grid.

This distance is the radius of the finished circle.

3 Choose Array from the Array flyout or the Tools menu to display

the Array dialog.

994 | Chapter 8 Creating Copies and Arrays

NOTE The Array flyout is on the Extras toolbar, which is off by default. You

can toggle display of this toolbar by right-clicking the main toolbar and

choosing Axis Constraints from the Customize Display right-click menu on

page 7479 .

4On the Array dialog, enter 360 in the Totals Rotate Z field.

This is the total rotation for the array, a complete circle. To create a partial

circle, enter a smaller value.

5Choose 1D and enter a Count value (this can be any number) and click

OK.

3ds Max arrays that number of clones within the total rotational angle

you specify.

Spiral Arrays

A spiral array

The simplest spiral arrays are rotated circular arrays with a movement along

the central axis. The same circle is formed, but now the circle rises upward.

Creating Circular and Spiral Arrays | 995

If Z is the central axis, enter a value for Incremental Move Z. Each clone is

then moved upward this amount as the circle is formed.

Rotation in Spiral Arrays

In spiral arrays, the direction of rotation determines the direction of the spiral:

which way it winds up or down.

Enter a positive rotation for a counterclockwise spiral.

Enter a negative rotation for a clockwise spiral.

Reorienting an Array

By default, each object, when copied into the array, rotates around its own

center to follow the main rotation around the common center. This is

controlled by the Re-Orient option.

To cause objects to maintain their original orientation while being rotated,

turn off Re-Orient. In effect, objects remain "facing the same direction" as the

original object.

Mirroring Objects

The Mirror tool uses a dialog that either creates a mirrored clone of a selected

object, or mirrors the orientation of the object without creating a clone. You

can preview the effects of settings before committing to the operation.

996 | Chapter 8 Creating Copies and Arrays

Mirroring an object

This is the general procedure for mirroring an object. Begin by selecting the

object.

■Click the Mirror button on the main toolbar, or choose Tools menu

> Mirror. This displays the Mirror dialog. The title bar indicates the

coordinate system currently in use.

For information on the Mirror dialog options, see Mirror Selected Objects

on page 911 .

Mirrored Arrays

You can combine the Mirror and Array tools by using them in succession. An

entire array can be mirrored, or you can set up mirrored objects before creating

an array.

Mirroring Objects | 997

Animating Mirror

When you use Mirror with Auto Key turned on, you see the transition occur

as the mirrored object moves into place. For example, a cylinder mirrored to

the other side of an axis appears to flatten and reshape itself. The object is, in

fact, scaled from 100% to 0% to –100%. This effect is not visible unless the

mirror operation is animated.

Mirror Modifier

The Mirror modifier on page 1471 provides a parametric method of mirroring

an object or sub-object selection within the modifier stack. You can apply the

Mirror modifier to any type of geometry. You can animate the mirror effect

by animating the modifier’s gizmo.

Using the Spacing Tool

The Spacing Tool distributes objects based on the current selection along a

path defined by a spline or pair of points. The distributed objects can be copies,

instances, or references of the current selected object. You define a path by

picking a spline or two points and by setting a number of parameters. You

can also specify how the spacing between objects is determined and whether

the insertion points of the objects align to the tangent of the spline.

998 | Chapter 8 Creating Copies and Arrays

The Spacing Tool distributes the vases along the sides of the curved street. The vases

are all at the same distance from each other; fewer of them appear on the shorter

side.

For details on the Spacing Tool parameters, see Spacing Tool on page 925 .

To distribute objects along a path:

1Select one or more objects to distribute.

2 Choose Spacing tool from the Array flyout or the Tools menu.

NOTE The Array flyout is on the Extras toolbar, which is off by default. You

can toggle display of this toolbar by right-clicking an empty area on the main

toolbar and choosing Axis Constraints from the Customize Display right-click

menu on page 7479 .

3On the Spacing Tool dialog, click Pick Path or Pick Points to specify a

path.

If you click Pick Path, select a spline from your scene to use as the path.

Using the Spacing Tool | 999

If you click Pick Points, click a start point and an end point to define a

spline as the path. When you’re finished with the Spacing Tool, 3ds Max

deletes this spline.

4From the drop-down list at the bottom of the Parameters group, choose

a spacing option.

The parameters available for Count, Spacing, Start Offset, and End Offset

depend on the spacing option you choose.

5Specify the number of objects to distribute by entering a Count value, or

by using the spinner.

6Depending on the spacing option you choose, adjust the spacing and

offsets.

7In the Context group, choose one of the following:

■Edges specifies that spacing be determined from the facing edges of

each object’s bounding box.

■Centers specifies that spacing be determined from the center of each

object’s bounding box.

8To align the insertion points of the distributed objects to the tangent of

the spline, turn on Follow.

9In the Type Of Object group, choose the type of object to output (copy,

instance, or reference) and click Apply.

1000 | Chapter 8 Creating Copies and Arrays

Modifiers

Modifiers provide a way for you to sculpt and edit objects. They can change the geometry of

an object, and its properties.

Example: effects of the Twist modifier on an object

The modifiers you apply to an object are stored in a stack on page 7850 . By navigating up and

down the stack, you can change the effect of the modifier, or remove it from the object. Or

you can choose to “collapse” the stack and make your changes permanent.

There are other general things to know about using modifiers:

■You can apply an unlimited number of modifiers to an object or part of an object.

1001

■When you delete a modifier, all its changes to the object disappear.

■You can move and copy modifiers to other objects using controls in the modifier stack

display on page 7427 .

■The order or sequence in which you add modifiers is important. Each modifier affects

those that come after it. For instance, adding a Bend modifier on page 1139 before a

Taper on page 1739 can give you distinctly different results than if you first added the

Taper followed by the Bend.

See also:

■List of Available Modifiers on page 1011

■Using the Modifier Stack on page 1020

■Modifier Stack Controls on page 7427

How Modifiers Differ from Transforms

Modifiers and transforms differ in how they affect an object and the order in which they

are applied to an object.

Transforms

The transform is the most basic of 3D manipulations. Unlike most modifiers, transforms

are independent of an object’s internal structure, and they always act in world space on

page 7976 . An object can carry any number of modifiers, but it always has only a single set

of transforms.

The transforms of an object are expressed as a matrix of values that contain the following

information:

■Position of the object center in world space

■Rotation of the object in world space

■Scale of the object along its local axes

The matrix is called the transformation matrix, and its information relates directly to the

transforms Move, Rotate, and Scale. Applying one of these transforms alters the values in

the transformation matrix.

Transforms have the following properties. They are:

■Applied to the entire object.

1002 | Chapter 9 Modifiers

■Independent of their order of application. No matter how many times you transform

an object, the results are stored as one set of values in the matrix.

■Applied after all object-space modifiers have been evaluated, but before the world-space

modifiers. See Using the Modifier Stack on page 1020 .

Most transforms produce equal displacement along one or more axes of an object, or part

of an object. For Move on page 888 , Rotate on page 889 , and Uniform Scale on page 892

transforms, the displacement is equal along all three axes. When you rotate a box, all sides

remain parallel. In general, all vertices keep the same relative position to one another. The

exceptions are Squash on page 894 and Non-Uniform Scale on page 893 , which displace

axes by different amounts.

TIP Use the XForm modifier on page 1922 if you want to transform an object at a specific location

in the stack (that is, after some object-space modifiers but before others), or if you want to

transform a sub-object selection. See Modifying at the Sub-Object Level on page 1029 .

Modifiers

Most modifiers allow you to perform operations on the internal structure of an object in

object space on page 7868 . For example, when you apply a modifier such as Twist on page

1765 to a mesh object, the position of each vertex of the object is changed in object space to

produce the twisting effect.

Modifiers can operate at the sub-object level, and are dependent on the internal structure

of the object when the modifier is applied.

Modifiers have the following properties. They are:

■Applied to all of an object or part of an object (using a sub-object selection).

■Dependent on the order of application. Applying a Bend followed by a Twist produces

a result different from applying a Twist followed by a Bend.

■Displayed as individual entries in the modifier stack, where you can turn them on or

off, and change the order in which they're applied.

Some modifiers operate in world space. These use world-space coordinates, and are applied

to the object after all object-space modifiers and transforms have been applied. Otherwise,

they have the same overall properties as object-space modifiers.

| 1003

Transforms, Modifiers, and Object Data Flow

Once you have defined an object, 3ds Max evaluates changes affecting the

base object and displays the result in the scene. What these changes are, and

the order in which they are evaluated, is called the object data flow.

Diagram of data flow

1004 | Chapter 9 Modifiers

Master Object

Master object refers to an object defined by a set of creation parameters and

the original position and orientation of its pivot point. You never see the

master object. What you see in the viewport is always the result of at least the

following data flow:

Master Object

-> Object Transforms

-> Object Properties

Transforms, Modifiers, and Object Data Flow | 1005

Object creation parameters in the Modify panel and Track View

1006 | Chapter 9 Modifiers

An example of master objects with different creation parameters.

Object-Space Modifiers

The object-space modifiers on page 1132 are the next group evaluated in the

data flow. Each modifier is evaluated in the order it was placed on the modifier

stack. The modifications all occur in the object’s object space and the result

is called the modified object.

Transforms, Modifiers, and Object Data Flow | 1007

Object modifiers in the Modify panel and Track View

1008 | Chapter 9 Modifiers

The effect of modifiers on a master object.

Object Transforms

Once the modified object has been evaluated, it is transformed within the

world coordinate system. Transforms cover the position, rotation, and scale

changes applied from the transform buttons on the toolbar .

The method of evaluating all modifiers first and then evaluating the combined

transforms has ramifications for the way you work with 3ds Max. The effect

of transforms is independent of the order in which they are applied. The order

in which you apply modifiers, on the other hand, does affect the resulting

geometry. If you want to apply a transform that is evaluated in a specific order

in the modifier stack, use the XForm modifier on page 1922 .

Transforms, Modifiers, and Object Data Flow | 1009

Transforming a modified object

Space Warps

Space warps on page 2603 are evaluated after transforms. They distort objects

bound to the space warp based on the position of the object in world space.

For example, a Wave space warp on page 2695 causes the surface of an object

to undulate in the form of a wave. As the object or the space warp moves

through world space, the waves move across the object’s surface.

Like space warps, world-space modifiers on page 1043 are evaluated after

transforms. A world-space modifier is like a space warp bound to a single

object.

Object Properties

Object properties are the last to be evaluated before the object is displayed.

These are values specific to an object such as its name or settings you specify

on the Object Properties dialog on page 245 , such as shadow-casting

properties; and materials you have applied to the object.

This is the end of the data flow, and the result is the named object you see in

your scene.

1010 | Chapter 9 Modifiers

Right-click an object and choose Properties to display its Object Properties

dialog.

Object Properties affect the look of an object's rendered output.

List of Available Modifiers

Following is a list of the modifiers, listed in alphabetical order.

NOTE The availability of certain modifiers depends on the current selection. For

example, Bevel and Bevel Profile appear in the Modifier List drop-down menu only

when a shape or spline object is selected. For the conditions under which a specific

modifier is available, see the path annotation at the top of the modifier's topic in

this reference.

Affect Region Modifier on page 1133

Attribute Holder Modifier on page 1136

Bend Modifier on page 1139

Bevel Modifier on page 1142

List of Available Modifiers | 1011

Bevel Profile Modifier on page 1150

Camera Map Modifier (Object Space) on page 1154

Camera Map Modifier (World Space) on page 1043

Cap Holes Modifier on page 1159

Cloth Modifier on page 1178

CrossSection Modifier on page 1259

Delete Mesh Modifier on page 1266

Delete Patch Modifier on page 1267

Delete Spline Modifier on page 1269

Disp Approx Modifier on page 1270

Displace Modifier on page 1274

Displace Mesh Modifier (World Space) on page 1045

Displace NURBS Modifier (World Space) on page 1047

Edit Mesh Modifier on page 1283

Edit Normals Modifier on page 1284

Edit Patch Modifier on page 1290

Edit Poly Modifier on page 1293

Edit Spline Modifier on page 1376

Extrude Modifier on page 1377

Face Extrude Modifier on page 1381

FFD (Free-Form Deformation) Modifiers on page 1383

FFD (Free-Form Deformation) (Box/Cyl) Modifier on page 1389

FFD (Free-Form Deformation) Select Modifier on page 1395

Fillet/Chamfer Modifier on page 1396

Flex Modifier on page 1400

Garment Maker Modifier on page 1228

Hair And Fur Modifier on page 1049

HSDS Modifier on page 1420

Lathe Modifier on page 1430

1012 | Chapter 9 Modifiers

Lattice Modifier on page 1435

Linked XForm Modifier on page 1440

LS Colors Modifier (World Space) on page 1118

LS Mesh Modifier on page 1442

MapScaler Modifier (Object Space) on page 1443

MapScaler Modifier (World Space) on page 1120

Material Modifier on page 1445

MaterialByElement Modifier on page 1448

Melt Modifier on page 1451

Mesh Select Modifier on page 1455

MeshSmooth Modifier on page 1460

Mirror Modifier on page 1471

Morpher Modifier on page 1473

MultiRes Modifier on page 1493

Noise Modifier on page 1501

Normal Modifier on page 1509

NSurf Sel Modifier on page 1513

Normalize Spline Modifier on page 1511

Optimize Modifier on page 1515

PatchDeform Modifier (World Space) on page 1123

PathDeform Modifier (World Space) on page 1123

PatchDeform Modifier on page 1525

Patch Select Modifier on page 1520

PathDeform Modifier on page 1528

Physique Modifier on page 4589

Point Cache Modifier on page 1533

Point Cache Modifier (World Space) on page 1129

Poly Select Modifier on page 1541

Preserve Modifier on page 1550

List of Available Modifiers | 1013

Projection Modifier on page 1556

Projection Holder Modifier on page 1574

Push Modifier on page 1574

Relax Modifier on page 1575

Renderable Spline Modifier on page 1580

Ripple Modifier on page 1583

Select By Channel Modifier on page 1587

Shell Modifier on page 1588

Skew Modifier on page 1596

Skin Modifier on page 1600

Skin Morph Modifier on page 1636

Skin Wrap Modifier on page 1648

Skin Wrap Patch Modifier on page 1657

Slice Modifier on page 1658

Smooth Modifier on page 1665

Spherify Modifier on page 1668

Spline IK Control Modifier on page 1670

Spline Select Modifier on page 1673

Squeeze Modifier on page 1676

STL Check Modifier on page 1678

Stretch Modifier on page 1681

Subdivide Modifier on page 1688

Substitute Modifier on page 1691

Surface Mapper Modifier (World Space) on page 1129

Surface Modifier on page 1695

SurfDeform Modifier on page 1707

SurfDeform Modifier (World Space) on page 1132

Sweep Modifier on page 1709

Symmetry Modifier on page 1735

1014 | Chapter 9 Modifiers

Taper Modifier on page 1739

Tessellate Modifier on page 1743

Trim/Extend Modifier on page 1746

TurboSmooth Modifier on page 1750

Turn To Mesh Modifier on page 1756

Turn To Patch Modifier on page 1758

Turn To Poly Modifier on page 1761

Twist Modifier on page 1765

Unwrap UVW Modifier on page 1769

UVW Map Modifier on page 1849

UVW Mapping Add Modifier on page 1871

UVW Mapping Clear Modifier on page 1871

UVW XForm Modifier on page 1872

VertexPaint Modifier on page 1876

Vertex Weld Modifier on page 1874

Volume Select Modifier on page 1910

Wave Modifier on page 1918

XForm Modifier on page 1922

Using Modifiers

This section contains a number of topics intended to help you learn how to

use modifiers and the Modify panel. These include:

Using the Modify Panel on page 1016

Using the Modifier Stack on page 1020

Editing the Stack on page 1023

Edit Modifiers and Editable Objects on page 1027

Modifying at the Sub-Object Level on page 1029

Using the Stack at the Sub-Object Level on page 1032

Using Modifiers | 1015

Modifying Multiple Objects on page 1034

How Instanced Modifiers Work on page 1040

Using the Modify Panel

After adding objects to your scene from the Create panel, you often move to

the Modify panel to change an object’s original creation parameters and to

apply modifiers. Modifiers are the basic tools for reshaping and adjusting

primitive geometry.

NOTE You can float on page 7761 or dismiss the command panel using the

Customize Display right-click menu on page 7479 . The default setting is to display

the command panel docked at the right of your screen. If it is not displayed or

you want to change its location and docking or floating status, right-click in a

blank area on any toolbar, and choose from the shortcut menu.

The Modify panel stays in view until you click another command panel tab.

The panel updates to show the options and controls that are available for the

currently selected object or modifier.

Using Modifiers

Once you’ve applied modifiers to an object, you can use the Modifier Stack

on page 7427 to find a particular modifier, change its parameters, edit its

sequence in the modifier stack, copy its settings to another object, or delete

it entirely.

You can find a complete, alphabetical list of modifiers in List of Available

Modifiers on page 1011 .

General Guidelines

You can generally do the following with the Modify panel:

■Modify anything you can select. This includes any object or set of objects,

or any part of an object down to the sub-object level. For example, you

can use the Mesh Select modifier to select a single face, then apply a Taper

modifier to it.

■Apply an unlimited number of modifiers to an object or part of an object.

The order or sequence in which you make modifications is important.

Each modification affects those that come after it. See Using the Modifier

Stack on page 1020 .

1016 | Chapter 9 Modifiers

NOTE Some modifiers can be applied only to certain types of objects.

Modifier Sub-Object Levels

In addition to its own set of parameters, a modifier typically has one or more

sub-object levels that you access through the modifier stack on page 1020 . The

most common of these are a gizmo and a center.

Gizmo Displays in viewports as a wireframe that initially surrounds the

selected object. A gizmo acts like a mechanical apparatus that transfers its

modification to the object it’s attached to. To alter the effect of the modifier

on the object, you can move, scale, and rotate the gizmo as you would any

object.

Center The center is the modifier's pivot point on page 7895 . You can move

a modifier’s center, which alters the effect of the modifier on the object.

Parametric Deformations and Other Modifier Types

One set of object-space modifiers is known as parametric deformations

(“parametric deforms” on the Modifiers menu). Twist on page 1765 and Bend

on page 1139 are examples. Parametric deformations alter the selection passed

to them without explicitly depending on topology.

Many other types of modifiers, however, perform operations on the explicit

topology of sub-object selections. The Edit modifiers and Select modifiers are

examples. When a topology-dependent modifier is present on the stack, you

can adversely affect its results if you visit previous stack operations and change

the number or order of sub-objects (such as faces or vertices) in the selection.

If you try to do this, a warning alerts you to the situation.

Using the Modify Panel | 1017

You can safely edit the stack beneath the topology-dependent modifier, as

long as you do not add or remove sub-objects from the selection on which it

operates.

Procedures

To use the Modify panel:

1Select an object in your scene.

2 Click the Modify tab to display the Modify panel.

The name of the selected object appears at the top of the Modify panel,

and fields change to match this object.

The objects creation parameters appear in rollouts on the Modify panel,

below the modifier stack display. You can use these rollouts to change

the creation parameters for an object. As you change them, the object

updates in the viewports.

3Apply a modifier to an object (described in the next procedure).

After you apply a modifier, it becomes active, and rollouts below the

modifier stack display settings specific to the active modifier.

To apply a modifier to an object:

1Select the object.

2Do one of the following:

■Choose a modifier from the Modifier List. This is a drop-down list at

the top of the Modify panel.

1018 | Chapter 9 Modifiers

TIP You can use the mouse or keyboard to choose a modifier from the

Modifier List. To use the keyboard, first open the list with the mouse, and

then type the first letter in the modifier's name. From there you can use

the arrow keys or the method described in the following paragraph to

highlight the desired modifier, and then press Enter to assign the modifier.

In many cases, several modifier names start with the same letter. You

can go directly to a particular modifier if you type the first few letters

(enough for a unique combination) in the desired modifier's name

quickly. For example, say you want to assign the Mirror modifier to

an object. Typing M goes to Mesh Select, which isn't anywhere near

Mirror in the Modifier list, but typing MI goes directly to Mirror.

■Choose a modifier from the Modifiers menu. This menu is organized

into sets by functionality.

Not all modifiers appear on the Modifiers menu.

■If the modifier buttons are visible on the Modify panel and the

modifier you want is one of them, click the button.

If the buttons are not visible but you want to use them, click

the Configure Modifier Sets button on page 7450 (below the modifier

stack display) and choose Show Buttons. A set of buttons with the

names of modifiers appears between the modifier list and the stack

display. Click Configure Modifier Sets again, choose the set of

modifiers you want to use (for example, Free-Form Deformations),

and then click the button for the modifier you want to apply.

Rollouts are now displayed below the modifier stack display, showing

settings for the modifier. As you change these settings, the object updates

in viewports.

To drag a modifier to an object:

1Select an object that already has a modifier you would like to use on

another object.

2To copy the modifier without instancing it, drag the modifier's name

from the stack display to the object in a viewport that you want to use

the same modifier. To move the modifier, use Shift+drag; this removes it

from the original object and applying it to the new one. To instance the

modifier, use Ctrl+drag; this creates an instanced modifier applied to both

the original object and the new one.

Using the Modify Panel | 1019

NOTE Instancing a modifier causes its name to be displayed in italics in the

modifier stack. This indicates that the modifier is instanced, meaning that a

change to the modifier parameters of one object will affect the other.

Using the Modifier Stack

The modifier stack and its editing dialog are the keys to managing all aspects

of modification. You use these tools to:

■Find a particular modifier and adjust its parameters.

■View and manipulate the sequence of modifiers.

■Copy, cut, and paste modifiers between objects, or sets of objects.

■Deactivate the effect of a modifier in the stack, the viewport display, or

both.

■Select a modifier’s components, such as gizmo or center.

■Delete modifiers.

See also:

■Editing the Stack on page 1023

■Modifier Stack Controls on page 7427

■Modifier Stack Right-Click Menu on page 7440

Examining the Modifier Stack

The modifier stack (or "stack" for short) is a list on the Modify panel. It contains

the accumulated history of a selected object and any modifiers you have

applied to it.

Internally, the software "evaluates" an object beginning at the bottom of the

stack and applies changes to the object by moving sequentially to the top of

the stack. You should therefore "read" the stack from bottom up to follow the

sequence used by the software in displaying or rendering the final object.

Here is an example of stack entries for a capsule object (an extended primitive):

1020 | Chapter 9 Modifiers

■At the bottom of the stack, the first entry always lists the object type (in

this case, Capsule). You click this entry to display the original object

creation parameters so you can adjust them. If you haven’t applied any

modifiers yet, this is the only entry in the stack.

■Object-space modifiers appear above the object type. You click a modifier

entry to display the modifier’s parameters so you can adjust them, or to

delete the modifier.

Modifiers are preceded by a plus or minus icon if they have sub-object

(or sub-modifier) levels. See Using the Stack at Sub-Object Level on page

1032 .

■At the top of the stack are world-space modifiers and space warps bound

to the object. (In the illustration, Displace Mesh is a world-space modifier.)

These always appear at the top, and are described as "bindings."

Basics of Using the Stack

With the stack feature, no modification has to be permanent. By clicking an

entry in the stack, you can go back to the point where you made that

modification. You can then rework your decisions, temporarily turn off the

modifier, or discard the modifier entirely by deleting it. You can also insert a

new modifier in the stack at that point. The changes you make ripple upward

through the stack, changing the current state of the object.

Using the Modifier Stack | 1021

Adding Multiple Modifiers

You can apply any number of modifiers to an object, including repeated

applications of the same modifier. As you start applying object modifiers to

an object, the modifiers "stack up" in the order they’re applied. The first

modifier appears just above the object type at the bottom of the stack.

■The program inserts a new modifier in the stack just above the current

selection, but always in the proper location. If you try to insert a

world-space modifier between two object-space modifiers, the program

automatically places it at the top of the stack.

■If you select the object type on the stack and apply a new object-space

modifier, it appears just above the object type and becomes the first

modifier evaluated.

Effect of Stack Sequence

The software applies modifiers in their stack order (beginning at the bottom

and carrying the cumulative change upward), so a modifier's location in the

stack can be critical.

The following figure shows the difference between the objects based entirely

on a reversal in the stack order of two modifiers. On the left-hand tube, a

Taper modifier is applied before a Bend modifier, and on the right-hand tube,

the Bend is applied first.

Results of reversing stack order of two modifiers

Using the Buttons

The Modifier Stack rollout has the following buttons to help you manage the

stack:

1022 | Chapter 9 Modifiers

Pin Stack Locks the stack and all Modify panel controls to the selected

object’s stack. You can continue to edit the object even if you select a different

object in the viewports.

Show End Result When on, shows the effect of the entire stack on the

selected object. When off, shows the effect of the stack only up to the currently

highlighted modifier.

Make Unique Makes an instanced object unique, or an instanced

modifier unique to a selected object. See details in Editing the Stack on page

1023 . This option is also available from the Modifier Stack right-click menu on

page 7440 .

Remove Modifier Deletes the current modifier from the stack,

eliminating all changes caused by that modifier.

Configure Modifier Sets Click to display a pop-up menu that lets you

configure how to display and choose modifiers on the Modify panel.

Editing the Stack

You can copy, cut, and paste modifiers within an object’s stack, or into the

stacks of other objects. Among other features, you can give modifiers explicit

names to help you remember the intended effect.

To edit the stack:

1Choose an item in the stack.

2Right-click.

This displays the Modifier Stack right-click menu on page 7440 , which is

briefly introduced in this topic.

Editing the Stack | 1023

Rearranging and Sharing Modifiers

To rearrange modifiers:

The easiest way to move a modifier to a different location in the stack is simply

to drag it there. Alternatively, you can use the following cut/copy and paste

procedure.

1Choose one or more modifiers, right-click, and choose Copy or Cut.

2Choose a new location in the list, right-click, and choose Paste. The paste

occurs immediately above the new location.

To share modifiers with other objects:

1Choose one or more modifiers, right-click, and choose Copy.

2Select a different object or group of objects.

3Choose a location in the new stack, right-click, and choose Paste.

You can also drag from the modifier stack display to an object in a

viewport.

TIP Select world-space and object-space modifiers separately. Cut, Copy,

and Paste are disabled if both types are selected. If you try to paste a

world-space modifier into the section for object-space types, the paste occurs

at the top of the world-space section. The reverse is also true.

Unique and Instanced Modifiers

By default, pasted modifiers are unique: they lose all connection with the

modifier from which they were copied. Compare with an instanced modifier,

which is shared between two or more objects. Changing a parameter on an

instanced modifier automatically changes the same parameter on the other

instanced objects.

To create an instance of a modifier:

■After copying or cutting the modifier, right-click and choose Paste

Instanced.

In the stack, the name of an instanced modifier appears in italics.

Any instance of a modifier controls all other instances. Use this feature when

you want a number of objects to take on the same feature.

1024 | Chapter 9 Modifiers

For example, copying an instanced Bend modifier on page 1139 to a number

of trees would make them all bend identically. Changing Bend parameters on

any one tree would change the bend on all the others.

To remove the instancing from a modifier:

■ Select the instanced modifier and click Make Unique. This converts

the modifier from instanced to unique.

Using Make Unique with Multiple Items

Assume you have a group of trees all sharing the same instanced Bend modifier.

If you select two of them and click Make Unique on page 7446 , a message asks,

"Do you want to make the selected objects unique with respect to each other?"

■If you click Yes, the two trees become independent of one another. Each

has a unique copy of the modifier and can be bent separately.

■If you click No, the two trees continue to share the same instanced modifier,

but separately from the instance in the original group. The two trees can

be bent together.

See How Instanced Modifiers Work on page 1040 .

Collapsing the Stack

You can use Collapse All or Collapse To to collapse all or part, respectively,

of an object's stack to an editable object that preserves the cumulative effect

of the collapsed modifiers on the base object. You might choose to do this in

these cases:

■You’ve finished modifying an object and want to keep it as is.

■You want to discard an object's animation tracks. Alternatively, you can

Alt+right-click a selected object and choose Delete Selected Animation.

■You want to simplify a scene and save some memory.

NOTE In most cases, collapsing all or part of the stack will save memory. However,

collapsing some modifiers, such as Bevel, increases file size and memory use.

After you collapse an object’s stack, you can no longer parametrically adjust

either its creation parameters or the individual modifiers affected by the

Editing the Stack | 1025

collapse. Animation tracks that were assigned to such parameters also

disappear.

Collapsing the stack does not affect the object’s transforms; it affects

world-space bindings only if you use Collapse To. Collapsing the stack does

not save memory if the stack contains no modifiers.

TIP Before you use either Collapse option, use File menu > Save Selected to

preserve a copy of the original parametric object.

To collapse the stack:

1Right-click the modifier stack display.

2If modifiers have been applied to the object, choose Collapse To or

Collapse All.

Collapse To Collapses the stack, up to and including the chosen

modifier, into an editable object. Modifiers on the stack above the chosen

modifier are not affected, and you can still adjust them individually.

The resultant object type depends on the uppermost modifier that outputs

a specific geometry type, if any. If the stack contains no such modifier,

the result is an editable mesh on page 1990 . If the collapsed portion of

the stack contains a modifier that outputs a specific geometry type, and

no other such modifier is above it, the result is that type of object. For

example, if the topmost such collapsed modifier is Edit Poly, the resultant

object is Editable Poly.

Collapse All Collapses the entire stack into an editable object, other

than world-space bindings. Any world-space bindings on the stack are

left intact.

The resulting stack list shows a single entry: Editable Mesh, unless any

modifiers on the stack output a different type of geometry. For example,

if the topmost such modifier is Edit Poly, the resultant object is Editable

Poly.

If no modifiers are applied to the object, choose one of the Convert To

options:

■Editable Mesh

■Editable Spline

■Editable Patch

■Editable Poly

■NURBS

1026 | Chapter 9 Modifiers

NOTE Depending on the object type, not all Convert To options might be

available.

Edit Modifiers and Editable Objects

To achieve highly detailed modeling effects, you can directly transform,

modify, and align the geometry of objects at a sub-object level on page 7940 ,

using the Modify panel on page 7425 . The following table shows the different

object types and their respective sub-objects.

Sub-Object GeometryObject Type

Vertex, Edge, Face, Polygon, ElementMesh

Vertex, Edge, Border, Polygon, Ele-

ment

Poly

Vertex, Segment, SplineSpline

Vertex, Edge, Patch, Element, HandlePatch Surface

Curve CV or Point, CurveNURBS Curve

Surface CV or Point, SurfaceNURBS Sur-

face

With the exception of NURBS, to gain access to an object's sub-objects, in

most cases you must first either convert the object into an editable object, or

apply any of various modifiers to the object, such as Edit Mesh/Spline/Patch

or Mesh/Spline Select. The Select modifiers simply let you specify sub-objects

for modification by subsequently applied modifiers. The distinctions between

Edit Modifiers and Editable Objects | 1027

transforming an object into an editable object and applying an Edit modifier

to it are as follows:

DisadvantageAdvantageMethod

Lose creation

parameters

More efficient

Can animate

sub-objects

Editable object

Less efficient

Cannot ani-

mate sub-ob-

jects

Keep creation

parameters

Edit/Select mod-

ifier

To convert a parametric object to an editable object, see any of the following

topics:

Editable Mesh Surface on page 1990

Editable Poly Surface on page 2038

Editable Spline on page 590

Editable Patch Surface on page 1934

To apply an Edit modifier, see any of the following topics:

Edit Mesh Modifier on page 1283

Edit Spline Modifier on page 1376

Edit Patch Modifier on page 1290

To apply a Select modifier, see the following topics:

Mesh Select Modifier on page 1455

Poly Select Modifier on page 1541

Spline Select Modifier on page 1673

Volume Select Modifier on page 1910

Patch Select Modifier on page 1520

1028 | Chapter 9 Modifiers

Modifying at the Sub-Object Level

To achieve highly detailed modeling effects, you can directly transform,

modify, and align the geometry of objects at the sub-object level on page 7940

Sub-objects are the pieces that make up objects, such as vertices and faces.

You can also access and transform the sub-object components of modifiers.

The particular geometry available at sub-object level depends on the object

type. See Edit Modifiers and Editable Objects on page 1027 for details on each

object type.

Modifying at the Sub-Object Level | 1029

In a row of column sub-objects, a single column has been modified at the sub-object

level.

1030 | Chapter 9 Modifiers

Making a Sub-Object Selection

These are the general steps in setting up an object for sub-object selection. See

Edit Modifiers and Editable Objects on page 1027 for more information.

1Convert the object into an editable object such as an editable mesh,

editable spline, editable poly, and so on. (Some modifiers you can apply

to the object, such as Edit Mesh, Mesh Select or Spline Select, also have

sub-object levels.)

TIP Work in a wireframe viewport so you can see the geometry.

2 On the modifier stack display, click the plus icon to the left of the

name of the modifier or editable object. This expands the object's

hierarchy, showing the names of the sub-object levels at which you can

work.

3On the stack display, choose the kind of sub-object geometry you want

to work with: for example, Vertex, Face, or Edge. Each sub-object selection

level has rollouts with their own sets of options.

The sub-object level highlight is yellow by default.

4Use standard selection techniques to select sub-object geometry, from a

single sub-object to the entire object. By default, the sub-object selection

highlights in red.

Once you make a sub-object selection of geometry, you can do any of the

following:

■Apply any options supplied for the kind of object and the selection level.

■Apply standard transforms: Move, Rotate, Scale. For more information, see

Transforming a Sub-Object Selection, following.

■Apply object-space modifiers (Bend, Taper, and Twist, for example) to

perform useful modeling operations.

■Apply object-space modifiers (UVW Map or Smooth, for example) to

perform useful surfacing operations.

■Bind a space warp on page 2603 to the selection. The rest of the object is

unaffected by the warping.

■Use the toolbar commands Align on page 938 , Normal Align on page 945

, and Align To View on page 951 with face selections.

Modifying at the Sub-Object Level | 1031

Transforming a Sub-Object Selection

Using an editable mesh, poly, patch, or spline, you can directly transform any

sub-object selection. However, “Select” modifiers like Mesh Select on page

1455 and Spline Select on page 1673 enable only selection.

To transform a sub-object selection made with a Select modifier:

1Add an XForm modifier on page 1922 to the stack, following (or somewhere

above) the Select modifier.

2In the stack, open the Select modifier and make a sub-object selection.

3Choose XForm in the stack. You then transform the XForm gizmo, which

applies the transform to the selection.

Selecting and Transforming Modifier Components

Most modifiers have sub-object components, such as a gizmo and center. Like

sub-object geometry, these components can be accessed and transformed at

sub-object level, directly modifying the object’s shape.

Other modifiers, like those for free-form deformation, have control points

and lattices at a sub-object level. Moving these components creates the

modeling effects of the modifier.

Using the Stack at the Sub-Object Level

With editable objects such as meshes and splines, or modifiers with sub-object

levels such as Mesh Select and Spline Select, you can continue to model a

single sub-object selection by applying any number of other modifiers. When

you go back and change the original selection, the new selection is "passed

up the stack" to the modifiers that follow.

Editable meshes and splines have "built-in" sub-object selection at their base

level. But the selections you make with Mesh Select and Spline Select work

exactly the same way on the stack.

This topic uses meshes for its examples. You can apply the same concepts to

editable splines, patches, and poly objects.

1032 | Chapter 9 Modifiers

Working at Two Levels

When you select an object and apply modifiers (for example, Bend and Taper),

you’re working with the object as a single unit, or "whole object", at the object

level.

When you make a sub-object selection, the stack display changes to show you

are no longer working with the whole object. Consider the effect of a Mesh

Select applied between Bend and Taper modifiers (Bend is below Taper). To

the right of the Mesh Select and Taper modifiers, a sub-object icon (similar to

the sub-object button in the Selection rollout) appears to show that sub-object

selection is now in effect.

The vertex sub-object selection made at the Mesh Select level is passed up the

stack to the Taper modifier. This means the Taper modifier is applied only to

the vertices selected at the Mesh Select level.

Sub-object icon (in this case, for Vertex) to the right of modifier names in the stack

display

Sub-object selection carries upward through the stack. If you add more

modifiers, each shows the sub-object icon to indicate this state.

By learning to "read the stack," you can move back and forth between the

object and sub-object levels while you work on an object.

Returning to Whole-Object Level

When you finish modeling a certain sub-object selection, you can return to

work on the whole object.

To return the stack to object level:

1At any point in the stack, apply another Mesh Select modifier.

2Leave this Mesh Select modifier at the top level (the object level, which

highlights in gray). Any modifiers already on the stack above this modifier

no longer show the sub-object icon. Any modifiers you add above the

second Mesh Select now apply to the whole object.

Using the Stack at the Sub-Object Level | 1033

3To continue sending the sub-object selection up the stack, delete the

second Mesh Select.

Naming Sub-Object Selections

Sub-object selections are often quite complex, involving a great many small

elements that would be difficult to select a second time. For this reason, it’s

a good idea to name important selection sets using the Named Selection Sets

list on page 146 on the Main toolbar.

Named sub-object selections only appear at the type of level where they were

first named. For example, if you select a set of vertices, you can name the

selection at that vertex sub-object level. Then, when you later go to retrieve

the named selection, you can access it only from the same modifier's vertex

sub-object level.

Copying Sub-Object Selections

Once you name a sub-object selection set, you can copy it between modifiers

in the same stack, or to the stack of another object of the same type. Editable

meshes and Mesh Select (and their spline , patch, and poly counterparts) have

buttons for Copy and Paste at each level of geometry, in the Modify panel >

Selection rollout.

To copy/paste named sub-object selections:

1Make a sub-object selection.

2In the Selection rollout, click Copy. From the dialog, choose any available

named selection set for that level of geometry.

3Go to another Select modifier or to an editable mesh or poly, at the same

level of geometry. Click Paste to complete the copy.

Modifying Multiple Objects

You can apply modifiers to multiple objects. In general, the process is parallel

to modifying a single object. You make a selection set and apply an available

modifier. The modifier then appears on a special stack that refers only to the

commonality of that selection set.

1034 | Chapter 9 Modifiers

Top: Original objects

Bottom: Single modifier applied to objects

Modifying Multiple Objects | 1035

The Principle of Commonality

When you select multiple objects, 3ds Max determines what the particular

selected set of geometry has in common, if anything. Given any "commonality"

among objects, 3ds Max presents the options as available modifiers.

Unavailable modifiers represent areas where commonality does not hold.

You can apply modifiers to different categories of objects, depending on the

modifier. For example, you might apply Bend to both a 3D object and a 2D

shape. You can apply Mesh Select to a spline primitive and convert it to a

mesh, but the reverse is not true: Spline Select is restricted to objects of the

spline category.

To modify multiple objects:

1Select two or more objects.

For selection sets, the name at the top of the Modify panel changes to

read "Multiple Selected." If the objects are grouped, the group name

appears.

2Choose the kind of pivot point you want to use. See Using Pivot Points,

(below).

3Apply a modifier and adjust its parameters.

If you apply a Mesh Select modifier, you can select geometry on one or

more of the objects to use as a sub-object selection set.

Using Pivot Points

The first item in the Modifier List is a toggle called Use Pivot Points. This

toggle is available only when multiple objects are selected.

■When on, the program uses the pivot point of each object as the center

of a modifier’s operation. For example, if you bend a line of trees around

the Z axis, each bends along its own trunk.

■When off, the program calculates a central pivot point for the entire

selection set, and modifies the selection as a whole. For a Z-axis bend, trees

at the end of a line would deform more than those at the center where the

pivot is located.

IMPORTANT Choose the pivot setting before you apply the modifier. You

can’t change the pivot point afterward, although you can delete the modifier

and start over without deselecting the selection set.

1036 | Chapter 9 Modifiers

Original objects

Modifying Multiple Objects | 1037

Single modifier applied to all objects

1038 | Chapter 9 Modifiers

Single modifier applied with Use Pivot Points activated

Instanced Modifiers

When you apply a modifier to multiple objects, each object receives an

identical version of the modifier. These are called instanced modifiers. They

are interchangeable. A change to any one of the instances affects all the other

instances. How Instanced Modifiers Work on page 1040 covers instanced

modifiers in detail.

TIP Sometimes you might apply modifiers to a selection set, perform some other

operations, and select the set again, only to find its modifier stack is empty. This

happens if you applied another modifier to an individual object in the original

selection set. When you select the set again, the modifier stack is empty because

all members of the set no longer have all modifiers in common. You can still access

the instanced modifiers by selecting a single object in the set. The individual

object’s stacks still contain the modifiers you applied to the set as a whole.

Modifying Multiple Objects | 1039

How Instanced Modifiers Work

When you apply a modifier to a selection set, the same modifier is carried on

the stack for each individual object. These are instanced modifiers: they are all

exactly the same, and a change to the instance for any one object will change

all the others.

In the stack, the name of an instanced modifier appears in italic.

Objects sharing a single instanced modifier

Identifying Instanced Modifiers

You can quickly lose track of which objects share the same modifier. An option

on the Views menu highlights those objects.

To identify objects sharing instanced modifiers:

1Select an object with an instanced modifier. Choose the instanced

modifier in its stack.

2Choose Views menu > Show Dependencies. Other objects with instances

of the same modifier appear in a distinctive color (purple by default).

1040 | Chapter 9 Modifiers

Adjusting Instanced Modifiers

You can make changes to an entire set of objects from a single instance. This

is a major advantage of instanced modifiers.

To adjust instanced modifiers:

1Select any object in a set of objects with instances of the same modifier.

2Choose the instanced modifier in its stack.

The single object highlights and the appropriate gizmos appear for the

entire selection set. Adjustments to this modifier now affect the entire

set.

Changing the parameter of an instanced modifier for one object affects all the

objects sharing the modifier.

Making Instanced Modifiers Unique

At some point in your work, you might want to turn a modifier instance into

a local copy that affects only a single object. To do so, click Make Unique on

page 7446 on the Modify panel. This button appears beneath the modifier stack

How Instanced Modifiers Work | 1041

display. (Make Unique is also available as a pop-up menu choice when you

right-click the instanced modifier's name in the stack display.)

To make an instanced modifier unique:

1Select an object with an instanced modifier.

2Choose the instanced modifier in its stack.

3 Click Make Unique beneath the modifier stack display. The modifier

is no longer listed in italic text and if Show Dependencies is set, the

highlight disappears from the other objects.

The modifier is now separate from the set of instanced modifiers.

Adjustments you make to this modifier no longer affect other objects. Its

parameters and gizmo remain unchanged from their original, instanced

settings until you adjust them.

To make multiple modifier instances unique:

1Select two or more objects with the same instanced modifier. The stack

now shows what the objects have in common.

2Choose the instanced modifier in the stack.

There can be more than one instanced modifier in this stack. Click the

one you want to make unique for each of the selected objects.

3 Click Make Unique.

4Right-click and choose Make Unique from the menu. The modifier is no

longer listed in italic text and if Show Dependencies is set, the highlight

disappears from the other objects.

5Click Yes to make the two objects become independent of one another.

Click No for the two objects to continue to share the same instanced

modifier, but separate from the instance in the original group.

The parameters for this modifier disappear, because the objects no longer

share the modifier. For each object, the modifier is now separate from

the set of instanced modifiers.

As with a single object, the parameters and gizmo are unchanged in the now

unique modifiers.

■To access the unique modifiers, select the objects individually.

1042 | Chapter 9 Modifiers

NOTE If both the object and the modifier are instances, you can choose either

in the stack before you click Make Unique.

World-Space Modifiers (WSMs)

World-space modifiers act as object-specific space warps. They are carried with

the object, but like space warps use world space on page 7976 rather than object

space for their effects. World-space modifiers eliminate the need for binding

to a separate space-warp gizmo, making them convenient for modifying a

single object or selection set.

You apply world-space modifier like you apply standard object-space modifier.

You can access world-space modifiers from the Modifiers menu, the Modifier

List in the Modify panel, and applicable modifier sets on page 7449 . A

world-space modifier is indicated by either an asterisk or the letters “WSM”

next to its name. (The asterisk or “WSM” distinguishes the world-space version

from the object-space version of the same modifier, if one exists.)

When you assign a world-space modifier to an object, it appears at the top of

the modifier stack, listed as a binding, in the same area as the space warp

bindings.

For a list of world-space modifiers, see List of Available Modifiers on page 1011

World-Space Modifiers and Earlier Space Warps

3ds Max 1 provided PathDeform and MapScaler space warps. In subsequent

versions, these were replaced by comparable world-space modifiers. When

you open a v1 MAX file in a later version of 3ds Max, objects bound to the

v1 space warps are automatically assigned the corresponding world-space

modifiers.

Camera Map Modifier (World Space)

Modify panel > Select an object. > Modifier List > World-Space Modifiers > *

Camera Map

Select an object. > Modifiers menu > UV Coordinates > * Camera Map

World-Space Modifiers (WSMs) | 1043

The Camera Map world-space modifier is similar to the Camera Map modifier

on page 1154 , in that it applies UVW mapping coordinates to the object based

on a specified camera. As a result, if you assign the same map as a Screen

environment to the background as you apply to the object, the object is

invisible in the rendered scene.

The main difference between the world-space version of Camera Map and the

object-space version is that, when you move the camera or the object using

the object-space version, the object becomes visible, because the UVW

coordinates are fixed to the object's local coordinates. When you move the

camera or object using the world-space version, the object remains invisible

because world coordinates are used instead.

Interface

Current Camera Object group

Label Names the current camera used for mapping. If there is no current

camera, reads "None."

Pick Camera Click this button, and then select the camera you want used

for mapping.

Channel group

Map Channel Specifies use of a map channel on page 7836 . Map channels

are specified in the Material Editor on page 5188 .

1044 | Chapter 9 Modifiers

Vertex Color Channel Specifies use of the Vertex Color Channel (see UVW

Map Modifier on page 1849 ).

Displace Mesh Modifier (World Space)

Select an object. > Modify panel > Modifier List > World-Space Modifiers > *

Displace Mesh

The Displace Mesh world-space modifier (World Space) lets you see the effect

of displacement mapping on page 5391 on editable mesh objects on page 1990

and objects with a Disp Approx modifier on page 1270 applied to them. If a

displacement map is applied to the object, the mesh shows the effect of the

displacement map. Displace Mesh replaces the mesh with its displaced version.

There are two main reasons for using Displace Mesh:

■As a visualization aid to see the effect of a displacement map in viewports,

and to compare the placement of displaced objects with other objects in

the scene.

For example, if you use an animated displacement map to create waves on

a water surface, you might temporarily apply Displace Mesh to see where

the ripples meet the waterline of a boat.

When you use Displace Mesh in this way, usually you delete it once you've

obtained the effect you want.

■To obtain an editable mesh created from a displacement map

To use the Displace Mesh this way, you apply it to the object that has a

displacement map, then apply the Snapshot command on page 921 from

the Tools menu, and choose Mesh as the clone method.

Snapshot creates a permanently displaced mesh. As it does for other kinds

of objects, Snapshot also leaves the original, displacement-mapped object

in the scene. After applying Snapshot, you can delete the original object,

or you can keep it in your scene to use for other purposes.

TIP Use Disp Approx to displace editable meshes. Use Displace Mesh for

previewing, as in the first item, but avoid using Snapshot. The mesh created

by using Displace Mesh and Snapshot can have a high polygon count. This

makes it slow to use interactively, and can cause smoothing problems, where

the underlying mesh edges are visible.

Displace Mesh Modifier (World Space) | 1045

Interface

The rollout for Displace Mesh lets you choose which surface approximation

settings are used to produce the mesh.

Update Mesh Updates the mesh if you have changed the displacement

mapping and want to see the results of the change. The mesh isn't updated

automatically because that can become extremely time consuming.

1046 | Chapter 9 Modifiers

Custom Settings When turned off, Displace Mesh uses default settings to

subdivide the mesh for the purposes of displacement mapping. When turned

on, the subdivision controls in this rollout are enabled. Default=off.

Subdivision Displacement Subdivides mesh faces to accurately displace the

map, using the method and settings you specify in the Subdivision Presets

and Subdivision Method group boxes. When turned off, the modifier applies

the map by moving vertices in the mesh, the way the Displace modifier on

page 1274 does. Default=on.

Split Mesh Affects the seams of displaced mesh objects; also affects texture

mapping. When on, the software splits the mesh into individual faces before

displacing them; this helps preserve texture mapping. When off, the software

uses an internal method to assign texture mapping. Default=on.

TIP This parameter is required because of an architectural limitation in the way

displacement mapping works. Turning Split Mesh on is usually the better technique,

but it can cause problems for objects with clearly distinct faces, such as boxes, or

even spheres. A box's sides might separate as they displace outward, leaving gaps.

And a sphere might split along its longitudinal edge (found in the rear for spheres

created in the Top view) unless you turn off Split Mesh. However, texture mapping

works unpredictably when Split Mesh is off, so you might need to add a Displace

Mesh modifier and make a snapshot on page 921 of the mesh. You would then

apply a UVW Map modifier on page 1849 and then reassign mapping coordinates

to the displaced snapshot mesh.

Subdivision Presets group and Subdivision Method group

The controls in these two group boxes specify how the modifier applies the

displacement map when Custom Settings and Subdivision Displacement are

both turned on. They are identical to the surface approximation controls on

page 2469 for NURBS surfaces.

Displace NURBS Modifier (World Space)

Select a NURBS object. > Modify panel > Modifier List > World-Space Modifiers

> * Displace NURBS

The Displace NURBS world-space modifier (World Space) converts a NURBS

on page 2152 object into a mesh. If a displacement map is applied to the object,

Displace NURBS Modifier (World Space) | 1047

the mesh shows the effect of the displacement map in viewports. There are

two main reasons for using Displace NURBS:

■As a visualization aid to see the effect of a displacement map in viewports

When you use Displace NURBS this way, you usually delete the modifier

once you've obtained the effect you want.

■To obtain an editable mesh created from a displacement map on a NURBS

object

To use Displace NURBS this way, you apply it to the object that has a

displacement map, then use the Snapshot command on page 921 from

the Tools menu, and choose Mesh as the Clone Method.

Snapshot creates a permanently displaced mesh. As it does for other kinds

of objects, Snapshot also leaves the original, displacement-mapped object

in the scene. After applying Snapshot, you can delete the original object,

or you can keep it in your scene to use for other purposes.

Interface

The rollout for Displace NURBS lets you choose which surface approximation

settings are used to produce the mesh.

1048 | Chapter 9 Modifiers

Animated Displacement Map If you use an animated displacement map on

the mesh, turn on this toggle to have the NURBS Modifier correctly update

the mesh as the displacement map animates.

You can apply a displacement map on page 5391 using the Material Editor on

page 5188 .

Update Mesh Click to update the mesh if you have changed the displacement

mapping and want to see the results of the change. The mesh isn't updated

automatically because that could become extremely time consuming.

Viewport Uses the tessellation that the NURBS object currently uses in

viewports.

Renderer Uses the tessellation that the NURBS object currently uses for the

renderer.

Custom Set the tessellation directly in the Tessellation Method group box.

Base Surface, Surface Edge, Displaced Surface, and Lock These controls are

the same as in the surface approximation controls on page 2469 for NURBS

objects.

Tessellation Method group

The controls in this group are the same as the surface approximation controls

for NURBS objects.

Ignore Surface Settings When turned off, Displace NURBS uses the surface

approximation settings for surface sub-objects. When turned on, Displace

NURBS uses the settings in the Tessellation Method group and overrides

settings for surface sub-objects. Default=off.

Auto Weld All vertices closer than the Threshold value are automatically

welded together. This can simplify the mesh geometry. It is useful to turn this

on when you have increased the Merge value in order to eliminate gaps

between surface edges in the approximation of the NURBS object.

Hair And Fur Modifier

Modify panel > Make a selection. > Modifier List > World-Space Modifiers >

Hair And Fur

The Hair And Fur modifier is the heart of the Hair And Fur feature. You apply

it to any object that you want to grow hair from: either a mesh object or a

spline object. If object is a mesh, the hair grows from the entire surface unless

Hair And Fur Modifier | 1049

you make a sub-object selection. If the object is a spline, hair grows between

the splines.

When you select an object modified by Hair And Fur, hair is displayed in

viewports. The hair itself as displayed in the viewports is not selectable, though

hair guides are selectable when you work at the Guides sub-object level or style

hair (see below).

NOTE Hair And Fur renders only in Perspective and Camera views. If you attempt

to render an orthographic view, 3ds Max displays a warning that says the hair will

not appear.

Components of the Hair And Fur Feature

Hair And Fur in 3ds Max has a few different components in the interface:

■The Hair And Fur modifier is the main component. This is where you style

the hair guides, and set parameters for size and coloration, kinkiness,

frizziness, and so on.

■The Hair And Fur render effect on page 6386 more directly controls how

hair is rendered. Typically you don't need to change the render effect

parameters, unless you have special rendering requirements.

A Hair And Fur render effect is automatically added to your scene when

you apply the Hair And Fur modifier.

■A Hair Light Attributes rollout on page 5076 appears for all supported lights

when a Hair And Fur render effect is active using the scanline renderer,

and the render effect's Use All Lights At Render Time toggle is turned on.

Controls on this rollout let you fine-tune how hair shadows appear under

specific lights.

The following light types are not supported when rendering hair with the

“buffer” method (see “Lighting Considerations,” below): Skylight, mr Area

Omni, mr Area Spot, IES Sun, IES Sky, mr Sky and mr Sun. However, mr

Area Omni, mr Area Spot, mr Sky, and mr Sun are supported for hair when

you use the “mr prim” method and the mental ray renderer.

NOTE For the purposes of rendering shadows in hair, Direct lights are treated

as point (omni) lights.

■There is also a Hair And Fur render element on page 6163 , which you can

use when you are doing your own compositing.

1050 | Chapter 9 Modifiers

Growth Objects

You can grow Hair either from a surface or from splines.

To grow hair from a surface, select the object and then apply the Hair And

Fur modifier. You can use either geometric primitives or an editable surface

type such as Polymesh.

To grow hair from splines, you can draw several splines and combine them

into a single object (or turn off Start New Shape during creation), and then

apply the Hair And Fur modifier. You will see some preview interpolated hairs

appear in viewports. The order of the spline sub-objects is important because

Hair uses this order to interpolate hair in between the splines. If the

interpolation seems incoherent, you might need to physically rearrange the

splines.

Using a spline emitter, Hair interpolates hair growth between pairs of splines in logical,

numerical order.

Left: Splines in sequential order result in predictable hair growth.

Right: Splines in nonsequential order can produce undesirable results.

TIP To check the numerical order of splines, go to the Editable Spline level of the

modifier stack and access the Spline sub-object level. Then click each spline in turn

and check its ID number at the bottom of the Selection rollout. It also can help

to make sure that each spline's first vertex is where the hair roots should be.

Guide Hairs

Storing and manipulating millions of dynamic, simulated hairs is demanding

on today’s technology. Therefore, just as standard 3D graphics technology

uses boundaries such as surfaces to describe solid objects, Hair uses hair

“guides” to describe basic hair shape and behavior.

Hair And Fur Modifier | 1051

Guides (yellow) occur at each polygon corner.

Hairs (red) are interpolated between guides.

When the growth object is a surface, Hair And Fur generates guide hairs at

the corners of polygons. When the growth object is a spline, the spline

sub-objects are themselves the guides.

For surface-grown hair, you can manipulate the guides with styling tools on

page 1070 to form a “control volume” that gets populated by interpolated hairs.

The hairs can then be further manipulated with distorting controls such as

Kink on page 1104 and Frizz on page 1099 , which can be driven by maps or solid

textures.

1052 | Chapter 9 Modifiers

Frizz settings affect the hairs but not the guides.

By default, a percentage of hairs are displayed in the viewports, but

surface-grown guides do not appear except when you are working at the Guides

sub-object level. You can adjust the viewport display of guides and hairs with

settings on the Display rollout on page 1116 .

Guides are also used to calculate dynamics. After this calculation, hair

interpolation takes place when you render. This is when parameters such as

Frizz, as well as displacement and coloration, are calculated. You don't have

control of every single hair, but this two-phase process makes the creation of

realistic hair computationally feasible on a typical computer.

Styling Hair

The Hair And Fur modifier's growth settings have a great effect on the hair’s

appearance and behavior, but you can also manipulate the guides directly (or

in other words, style the hair).

For surface-grown hair, use the tools on the Styling rollout on page 1070 . First,

select the surface whose hair you want to edit, and then on the Modify panel,

Hair And Fur Modifier | 1053

either click the Style Hair button on the Styling rollout or choose the Guides

sub-object level from the Selection rollout on page 1059 or the modifier stack

display.

After guides have been styled, hair is interpolated between neighboring guide pairs.

1054 | Chapter 9 Modifiers

Mesh-based hair guides before and after styling.

With spline growth, you style the hair by editing the growth splines in the

viewports.

Style spline-based hair by manipulating the splines.

Copying and Pasting Hair

You can copy and paste a Hair And Fur modifier from one stack to another,

but you need to line up the objects as closely as possible, because Hair uses

proximity to determine how to position copied guides. If the objects have

significantly different geometry, the transfer of guides can be inaccurate.

Hair And Fur Modifier | 1055

Copying and pasting the Hair And Fur modifier automatically adjusts the hair

scaling. Copying from a large object to a small object, for instance, results in

a smaller default size in the copied modifier.

If you copy an object that has Hair And Fur in its modifier stack, Hair will also

copy the modifier’s data to a new modifier that will track the new object.

Textures,Vertex Maps, and Shaders

You can control many Hair And Fur modifier parameters with maps. If you

apply a map to a parameter that is not a color, such as Density, Hair uses the

texture as a grayscale map that is multiplied by the parameter value (0.0 to

100.0) .

You apply a map by clicking the square button to the right of the parameter.

After applying a map, the letter “M” appears on the button. To place this map

in the first slot in the Material Editor, Shift+click the button. To disable the

map temporarily, Ctrl+click the button. A disabled map is indicated by a

lower-case “m”.

Lighting Considerations

When you render using the default “buffer” method, Hair And Fur provides

its own default lighting (a single omni light), unless you have one or more

supported lights in the scene.

Supported lights for the scanline renderer and “buffer” method include

spotlights, omni lights, direct lights (which are treated as omni lights for hair

purposes), and photometric lights except for IES Sun and IES Sky. Supported

lights for the mental ray renderer and “mr prim” method include the lights

supported by the scanline renderer, and these mental ray light types: mr Area

Omni Light, mr Area Spotlight, mr Sky, and mr Sun.

If supported lights exist in the scene, by default they are used to light the hair,

and the internal default omni light is not used. This is because in the Hair

And Fur render effect on page 6386 , the Use All Lights At Render Time option

is on by default. Also, any supported lights set to cast shadow-mapped shadows

will cast shadows from rendered hair.

For Hair’s “buffer” render to consider only certain lights, select the lights you’d

like Hair to use, go to the Hair And Fur render effect, turn off Use All Lights

At Render Time, and then click Add Hair Properties. This causes only the

designated lights to illuminate the hair. It also adds a Hair Light Attr rollout

on page 5076 to each of the designated lights. This lets you fine-tune the light's

shadow settings for Hair.

1056 | Chapter 9 Modifiers

With the “buffer” method, you can also raytrace your scene.

NOTE The other rendering methods provided are “geometry” and “mr prim.”

The “geometry” method creates actual geometry for the rendered hair at render

time. The “mr prim” method uses a mental ray shader to generate hair, and is for

use only with the mental ray renderer. Use the Hair And Fur render effect to choose

the rendering method.

Loading and Saving

Hair And Fur data in your scene is automatically saved when you save your

MAX scene file. The state data for the hair can consume quite a bit of space,

so your scene file will probably be significantly larger than it was before you

applied hair.

Animating Hair

You cannot keyframe hair styling. You can keyframe Modify panel parameters

to create special effects such as hair growing. But to animate hair motion, you

can use the Frizz Animation parameters or use dynamics.

To animate frizz, use the Frizz Anim. on page 1104 , Anim. Speed, and Frizz

Anim. Dir. parameters. It's not necessary to keyframe these to create animation;

just set them to values other than the defaults.

To animate with dynamics, use the Dynamics rollout on page 1109 . See To

generate a precomputed dynamics simulation with Hair on page ? . A gravity

force is built in to Hair And Fur. You can add space warps to act as external

forces (for example, Wind).

See also:

■Hair and Fur Render Effect on page 6386

■Hair and Fur Render Element on page 6163

■Hair Light Attr(ibutes) Rollout on page 5076

Hair And Fur Modifier | 1057

Procedures

To use the Hair And Fur modifier:

This procedure lists the essential steps for growing hair on an object. For more

information, see other Hair And Fur topics in this help, and the tutorials in

the Autodesk 3ds Max Tutorials, available from Help menu > Tutorials.

1Apply the Hair And Fur modifier to a mesh or spline object.

The hairs appear in the viewports as brown lines.

2Set the modifier parameters according to the desired results (see Interface

on page 1058 ). Available settings include the number of hairs, length,

thickness, and coloring.

3Activate a Perspective or Camera viewport, and then render the scene.

Hair cannot render in an orthogonal viewport.

To apply hair to a limited area of a high-resolution object:

An efficient working method for applying hair to part of a high-poly-count

object is to use a low-poly proxy object.

1Create the object to which you wish to apply hair.

2Make a copy of the object in the same location as the original, remove

any geometry where hair shouldn't grow, and reduce the polygon count.

For example, you could use the MultiRes modifier on page 1493 .

3If the original object is to move, make the low-resolution proxy object a

child of the original object.

4Apply the Hair And Fur modifier to the low-resolution proxy object and

adjust as necessary.

5Make the low-resolution proxy object non-renderable (see General Panel

(Object Properties Dialog) on page 245 ). The hair will still render.

Interface

You control the Hair And Fur modifier from a series of rollouts on the Modify

panel. See these topics:

Selection Rollout (Hair and Fur) on page 1059

Tools Rollout (Hair and Fur) on page 1061

Styling Rollout (Hair and Fur) on page 1070

1058 | Chapter 9 Modifiers

General Parameters Rollout (Hair and Fur) on page 1084

Material Parameters Rollout (Hair and Fur) on page 1091

mr Parameters Rollout (Hair and Fur) on page 1098

Frizz Parameters Rollout (Hair and Fur) on page 1099

Kink Parameters Rollout (Hair and Fur) on page 1104

Multi Strand Parameters Rollout (Hair and Fur) on page 1107

Dynamics Rollout (Hair and Fur) on page 1109

Display Rollout (Hair and Fur) on page 1116

Selection Rollout (Hair and Fur)

Select an object with the Hair And Fur modifier applied. > Modify panel >

Selection rollout

The Selection rollout provides tools for accessing different sub-object levels

and display settings and for creating and modifying selections, and displays

information about selected entities.

When you first apply the Hair And Fur modifier to an object, the entire object

is affected by the modifier. You can specify that the only part of an object

should grow hair by accessing a sub-object level and making a selection.

Clicking a button here is the same as choosing a sub-object level in the modifier

stack display. Click the button again to turn it off and return to the Object

selection level.

Interface

NOTE Controls on this rollout are available only when the growth object is a mesh.

If the growth object is a spline, the Selection controls have no effect, and sub-object

levels for the Hair And Fur modifier are not visible in the modifier stack.

Hair And Fur Modifier | 1059

Guides Accesses the Guides sub-object level, which lets you edit the

styling guides using tools on the Styling rollout on page 1070 . When you click

Guides, the Style Hair button on the Styling rollout is automatically turned

on, and vice versa.

Face Accesses the Face sub-object level, which lets you select a triangular

face beneath the cursor; region selection selects multiple triangular faces within

the region.

Polygon Accesses the Polygon sub-object level, which lets you select

polygons beneath the cursor. Region selection selects multiple polygons within

the region.

Element Accesses the Element sub-object level, which lets you select

all contiguous polygons in an object by clicking once. Region selection lets

you select multiple elements.

By Vertex When on, you can select a sub-object only by selecting a vertex

that it uses. When you click a vertex, all sub-objects that use the selected

vertex are selected.

Ignore Backfacing When on, using the mouse to select sub-objects affects

only those facing you. When off (the default), you can select any sub-objects

under the mouse cursor, regardless of their visibility or facing. If there are

more than one sub-object under the cursor, repeated clicking cycles through

them. Likewise, with Ignore Backfacing off, region selection includes all

sub-objects, regardless of the direction they face.

NOTE The state of the Backface Cull setting on the Display panel does not affect

sub-object selection. Thus, if Ignore Backfacing is off, you can still select sub-objects,

even if you can't see them.

Named Selection Set group

Copy Places a named selection into the copy buffer.

Paste Pastes a named selection from the copy buffer.

1060 | Chapter 9 Modifiers

TIP You can use this to grow hair from an existing selection lower on the stack.

However, because the Hair And Fur modifier outputs an editable mesh, the copied

sub-object selection should be from a mesh-based modifier. For example, if your

base object is an editable poly, you can use tools such as Ring, Loop, and Grow

to make a procedural edge selection, and then Ctrl+click the Polygon button on

the Selection rollout to convert the selection to polygons. Next, apply a Mesh

Select modifier ( not Poly Select), and go to the Polygon sub-object level; the

Mesh Select modifier inherits the Editable Poly selection. Use the Named Selection

Sets field on the main toolbar to name the selection, and then use the Mesh Select

modifier's Copy function on the named selection. Finally, apply the Hair And Fur

modifier, go to the Poly sub-object level, and paste the selection.

Update Selection Recalculates the area from which hair is grown, based on

the current sub-object selection, and refreshes the display.

When you access a sub-object level within the Hair modifier and make a

selection, the area of hair growth doesn't automatically update. Click Update

Selection to view the results of a change in sub-object selection.

Tools Rollout (Hair and Fur)

Select an object with the Hair And Fur modifier applied. > Modify panel >

Tools rollout

This rollout provides tools for accomplishing a variety of tasks with Hair,

including creating a hairstyle from an existing spline object, resetting the hair,

and loading and saving general presets for the modifier as well as specific

hairdos. Here you can also specify an object from the current scene to be used

as hair, such as a flower or group of flowers for creating a garden.

Using Instanced Hair

Besides the built-in hair strands, which are created at render time, you can

assign any source object as hair strands, using the Instance Node controls on

the Tools rollout. For example, in the following illustration, the original

orientation of the source object affects its orientation when it is used as hair

strands.

Hair And Fur Modifier | 1061

Rotating the source object affects the hair orientation.

The next illustration shows how increasing the Frizz Root value creates greater

amounts of distortion in the resulting instanced hairs. This image also shows

how a raised pivot in the source object causes the root of the hair to go below

the surface of the growth object (the red square). Compare this with the

previous illustration, in which the pivot rests at the base of the source object.

Frizz causes the instanced hairs to change shape.

The next illustration shows the effect of the Merge Material check box. On

the left side, Merge Material was left on, with the result that the flower model

1062 | Chapter 9 Modifiers

retained its original material and coloring when used as hair. On the right,

Merge material was turned off, so the flower-hairs took on the material of the

flower pot growth object.

Left: Merge Material on

Right: Merge Material off

In the next illustration, the Root Thick setting, from left to right, is 2.0, 10.0,

20.0, and 30.0. With instanced geometry, the Root Thick value affects the

thickness of the resulting object uniformly along its height, while the Tip

Thick value has no effect. (The Root Thick and Tip Thick settings are on the

General Parameters rollout on page 1084 .)

Hair And Fur Modifier | 1063

Increasing Root Thick affects the overall thickness of the hair geometry.

From left to right: Root Thick = 2.0, 10.0, 20.0, and 30.0

The final illustration, below, shows how the instanced hair aligns itself

faithfully to the guides, no matter how they're styled. The styled hair was

brushed from the center, and the instances align perfectly in all directions,

face up, without twisting or other distortion. This makes it easy to style

instances as scales, for example.

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Top left: The original styled hair

Top right: The instanced hair (arrows) conforms to the styling.

Bottom: Close-up view of instanced hair

Interface

Hair And Fur Modifier | 1065

Recomb From Splines Lets you use a spline object to style the hair. Click

this button and then select an object that is made up of spline curves. Hair

will turn the curves into guides and populate each guide of the selected growth

mesh with a replica of the closest curve.

This tool is particularly useful for creating a specific style and length, such as

short hair with a part on the side, without having to manually groom the hair

in the Style dialog. For optimal control, position the splines fairly closely

together and use as many as possible.

Hair and guides are recombed by the spline object (white).

Reset Rest Performs an averaging of hair guides using the growth mesh’s

connectivity.

This function is particularly useful after using Recomb From Splines. It's also

advantageous when you change the size ratios of polygons in the growth

object. For example, if you stretch part of the mesh by moving some vertices,

by default the larger polygons will contain fewer hairs per unit area. Use Reset

Rest to redistribute the number of hairs on the surface for more even coverage.

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Left: Even hair distribution before resizing polygons

Center: Uneven hair distribution after moving edges, altering polygon size ratios

Right: After using Reset Rest, distribution is again evened out.

Regrow Hair Discards any styling information, resetting the hair to its default

state, retaining all current Modify panel settings.

Presets group

Lets you load and save hair presets. Each preset contains all current Modify

panel settings (except Display settings), but not any styling information.

Load Opens the Hair Presets dialog, which contains a list of presets in the

form of named swatches. To load a preset, double-click its swatch. Several

sample presets are included with 3ds Max.

Hair And Fur Modifier | 1067

Hair And Fur Presets dialog

Save Creates a new preset. You're prompted for a preset name; after entering

one, Hair renders the swatch, as shown by a message on the status bar. You

can abort the creation of the preset by clicking the Cancel button on the status

bar during rendering. If you enter an existing preset name, Hair asks you to

confirm overwriting the preset.

Hairdo group

Lets you copy and paste hairdos. Each hairdo contains all the current Modify

panel settings (except Display settings) and styling information. This lets you

apply all hair settings from one object to another.

Copy Copies all hair settings and styling information into a paste buffer.

Paste Pastes all hair settings and styling information to the current

Hair-modified object.

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Instance Node group

Lets you specify an object to use as custom hair geometry. The hair geometry

is not instanced from the original object, but all hairs created from it are

instances of each other, to save memory.

NOTE Hair does not use animation from instance objects. If an object is animated,

Hair uses its state at the first animation frame.

Pick To specify a hair object, click the Pick button and then pick an object

to use. Thereafter, the button shows the name of the object you picked. To

use a different instance object, or to use a modified version of the original

object, click this button and then pick the new object.

TIP In order for the instances to be properly scaled and fit to the hair, place the

model's pivot at the “root” of the object. Hair will then scale your model

appropriately so that the height of each instance matches the length of the hair

it has been applied to. Any part of your model that extends below the pivot will

intersect the surface. This can be useful; if the hair grows at an oblique angle to

the growth surface, you can raise the pivot in the original model to make sure the

instanced hairs will extend all the way to the growth surface.

Also, bear in mind that the instancing engine will be deforming your model

as it fits it to the hairs. Make sure that your model has enough divisions along

the Z (vertical) axis for the deformation to look as smooth as it needs to; the

number of subdivisions should be approximately equal to the Hair Segments

value. Hair doesn't perform automatic subdivision on the geometry.

XTo stop using the instance node, click the Clear Instance button (labeled

“X”).

Merge Material When on, combines the material applied to the growth

object and the material applied to the hair object into a single Multi/Sub-Object

material and applies it to the growth object. When off, the growth object's

material is applied to the instanced hair. Default=on.

NOTE The merged material is instanced from the instance node, so that changing

the original material affects the resulting material applied to the hair.

Convert group

Use these controls to convert guides or hair generated by the Hair And Fur

modifier to 3ds Max objects that you can operate on directly.

Hair And Fur Modifier | 1069

Guides -> Splines Copies all guides to a new, single spline object. The original

guides are left intact.

Hair -> Splines Copies all hairs to a new, single spline object. The original

hairs are left intact.

Hair -> Mesh Copies all hair to a new, single mesh object. The original hairs

are left intact.

Render Settings Opens the Effects panel and rollout on page 6383 and adds

a Hair And Fur render effect on page 6386 to the scene, if one doesn't already

exist.

NOTE The Hair And Fur render effect settings are global, so even if you click Render

Settings to open the effect settings from different Hair And Fur modifiers, you'll

get the same render-effect settings.

Styling Rollout (Hair and Fur)

Select an object with the Hair And Fur modifier applied. > Modify panel >

Styling rollout

The Guides sub-object level of the Hair And Fur modifier on page 1049 lets you

style hair interactively in viewports. Interactive styling controls are on the

Styling rollout, which has a Style Hair button that you can also click to begin

styling.

Styling with Hair Guides

Styling tools aren't available until you click Style Hair to turn it on, or choose

the Guides sub-object level in either the Selection rollout or the modifier stack.

Each guide hair has 15 segments and 14 vertices (there's an additional,

non-selectable vertex at the root); for a tool to affect a guide, at least one of

its vertices must be selected. To select vertices, click Select (in the Styling

group) to turn it on, then use standard 3ds Max selection tools to select a

portion of the guides. For example, you might drag a selection rectangle to

select vertices on adjacent hair guides. By default, selected guides are displayed

as orange, and unselected guides are displayed as yellow.

Selections you make this way are constrained by the buttons at the top of the

Selection group: Select Hair By Ends, Select Whole Guide (the default), Select

Guide Vertices, or Select Guide By Root. As these names imply, the constraints

affect how the Hair Brush modifies hair guides. The best way to get a feel for

1070 | Chapter 9 Modifiers

the difference between selection constraints is to practice using the various

selection constraints with tools such as Translate. The Hair Brush uses a

combination of these constraints and IK to alter guide geometry.

Left: Hair guide before styling

Center: Translating while Select Whole Guide is active

Right: Translating while Select Hair By Ends is active

Once you've made a selection, typicall you will click Hair Brush (also in the

Styling group, to the left of Select), and then use the brush in conjunction

with one of the tools at the bottom of the Styling group: Translate, Stand,

Puff Roots, Clump, Rotate, or Scale.

While you style, only selected guides are affected, and in addition, only guides

that fall within the brush area are affected at any given time. You can change

the brush size using the slider in the Styling group, or by holding down

Ctrl+Shift and dragging the mouse.

The Hair Cut tool on the Styling rollout (between Hair Brush and Select) cuts

hair guides by scaling them based on the brush location.

Interface

NOTE Controls on this rollout are available only when the growth object is a mesh.

If the growth object is a spline, the Styling controls have no effect. Instead, you

can style the hair by editing the underlying spline object.

Hair And Fur Modifier | 1071

Style Hair / Finish Styling Click Style Hair to begin styling. Click Finish

Styling to turn off styling mode. When you turn this button on, a brush is

immediately available and by default the active tool is Translate. Turning on

Style Hair turns on the Guides sub-object level in the Selection rollout on

page 1059 , and vice versa.

Selection group

Select Hair by Ends You can select only the vertex at the end of each

guide hair.

Select Whole Guide (The default.) Selecting any vertex on a guide hair

selects all vertices on the guide hair. When you first turn on Style Hair, Hair

activates this mode and selects all vertices of all guide hairs.

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Select Guide Vertices You can select any vertices on a guide hair.

Select Guide by Root You can select only the vertex at the root of each

guide hair, and doing so selects all vertices on the guide hair.

Vertex display drop-down list Chooses how selected vertices are displayed

in viewports.

■Box Marker (The default.) Selected vertices display as small squares.

■Plus Marker Selected vertices display as small plus signs.

■X Marker Selected vertices display as small Xes.

■Dot Marker Selected vertices display as dots.

Selection Utilities The buttons labeled “Selection Utilities” are for handling

selections.

Invert Selection Inverts the vertex selection.

Keyboard shortcut: Ctrl+I

Rotate Selection Rotates the selection in space.

Expand Selection Expands the selection by growing its area

incrementally.

Hide Selected Hides selected guide hairs.

TIP If interactive styling in viewports seems to be slow, try hiding those guides

you aren't working on.

Show Hidden Unhides any hidden guide hairs.

Styling group

Hair Brush (The default.) In this styling mode, dragging the mouse affects

only selected vertices within the brush area.

Hair And Fur Modifier | 1073

While Hair Brush is on, a brush gizmo is displayed in viewports. In the active

viewport, the brush appears as a circle, but as you can see in the other

viewports, the brush is actually a three-dimensional cylindrical region.

In the active viewport, the brush appears to be a circle.

1074 | Chapter 9 Modifiers

Inactive viewports show the brush to be a cylindrical region.

Hair Cut Lets you trim the guide hairs. To cut hair, follow this suggested

procedure:

1In Selection mode, choose any selection method.

2Drag the mouse to select guide hairs to trim.

3 Turn on Hair Cut.

4Resize the brush using the slider.

5Position the brush circle over hairs to cut, and then click to cut the hairs.

Hairs with vertices inside the brush circle are shortened so that their

endpoints touch the brush circle.

Hair And Fur Modifier | 1075

NOTE Cutting hair doesn't actually remove vertices; it only scales the guide hairs.

You can restore guide hairs to their original length with Scale or one of the Pop

commands on page 1079 .

Left: Hair guides before cutting

Right: Hair guides after cutting

Select Goes into selection mode, where you can use 3ds Max selection

tools to select guide vertices according to the constraints chosen in the

Selection group (Whole Guide, Ends, and so on).

Distance Fade Available only for Hair Brush. When on, the effect of brushing

fades toward the edges of the brush, giving a gentler effect. When off, brushing

affects all selected vertices equally, giving a hard-edged effect. Default=on.

Ignore Back Hairs Available only for Hair Brush and Hair Cut. When on,

hairs on back faces are not affected by the brush. Default=off.

Brush size slider Drag this slider to change the size of the brush.

Keyboard shortcut: Ctrl+Shift+drag

The styling buttons below the Brush Size Slider are available only while Hair

Brush is on.

Translate Moves selected vertices in the direction that you drag the

mouse.

Stand Pushes selected guides toward a perpendicular orientation to the

surface.

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Left: Guide hairs before styling with Stand

Right: Guide hairs after styling with Stand (on the right)

Puff Roots Pushes selected guide hairs toward a perpendicular orientation

to the surface. The bias for this tool is closer to the root of the hair than to

the endpoint.

Left: Hair guides before puffing roots

Right: Hair guides after puffing roots

Clump Forces selected guides to move towards each other (drag

mouse leftward) or farther apart (drag mouse rightward).

Left: Hair guides before clumping

Right: Hair guides after clumping (at the right)

Hair And Fur Modifier | 1077

Rotate Rotate or swirls guide hair vertices around the cursor location

(at the center of the brush).

Left: Hair guides before rotating

Right: Hair guides after rotating (at the forelock)

Scale Scales selected guides larger (drag mouse rightward) or smaller

(drag mouse leftward).

Left: Hair guides at original lengths

Right: Hair guides after scaling shorter

Utilities group

Attenuate Length Scales selected guides according to the surface

area of underlying polygons. This is useful, for example, in applying fur to an

animal model, which typically has smaller polygons in areas with shorter hair.

For example, the polygons on an animals paws are usually smaller than the

ones on the chest, and the chest fur tends to be longer.

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Pop Selected Pops selected hairs out along the surface normal.

Left: Hair guides before using Pop Selected

Right: Hair guides after using Pop Selected

Pop Zero-Sized Works like Pop Selected, but only operates on

zero-length hairs.

Left: Hair guides on top of head were scaled to zero length.

Right: Using Pop Zero affects only the zero-length hair guides.

Recomb Makes a guide parallel to the surface, using the guide's

current direction as a hint.

Hair And Fur Modifier | 1079

Here’s a suggested procedure: Turn on Hair Brush, select guides using Select

Whole Guide, and then move the guides around not worrying about skin

penetration or hair shape. You’re just trying to indicate the direction of the

hair flow. Click Recomb frequently, and you will soon start to see hair flowing

smoothly wherever you want it to. Once you have this flow, you can do your

other styling. With the Recomb tool, you probably won't need to use Comb

Away. Once you have the flow as you like it, you can go in and start styling

in scale, cut guides, and move some of the tips around, “shaping” or “styling”

the hair.

Left: Hair guides in their default position

Right: Hair guides after clicking Recomb

Reset Rest Performs an averaging of hair guides using the growth

mesh’s connectivity.

This function is particularly useful after using Recomb.

Toggle Collisions When on, styling takes hair collisions into account.

When off, styling ignores collisions. Default=off.

For collisions to be used while styling, you need to have already added at least

one collision object using the Dynamics rollout on page 1109 . If no collisions

are specified, this button has no effect.

TIP If you collisions are enabled and styling interaction seems slow, try turning

off Toggle Collisions.

1080 | Chapter 9 Modifiers

Toggle Hair Toggles viewport display of generated (interpolated)

hair. This doesn't affect display of the hair guides. Default=on (hair is

displayed).

Lock Locks selected vertices with respect to the orientation to and

distance from the nearest surface. Locked vertices can be selected, but they

can't be moved.

This is useful for creating different types of hair shapes. For example, to make

a braid, you would comb hair down some straight tubes, and then lock the

vertices to the tubes. Then, in 3ds Max, when you twist the tubes, the hairs

will follow. Locked vertices are no longer dynamic, although they will follow

whatever the surface does, but if other vertices on the same guides aren't

locked, they can still move freely, as usual.

Unlock Unlocks all locked guide hairs.

Undo Reverses the most recent action.

Keyboard shortcut: Ctrl+Z

Hair Groups group

Split Selected Hair Groups Splits the selected guides into a group.

This can be useful for creating a part or a cowlick, for example.

Merge Selected Hair Groups Recombines selected guides.

If you don't use Split Selected Hair Groups, then when you render hair, the

generated hairs are interpolated across a styled part. When Split Selected Hair

Groups is on, there is no interpolation between the split group and other

hairs. To remove this effect and make the part less “clean,” click Merge Selected

Hair Groups.

Hair And Fur Modifier | 1081

Quad Menu for Hair Styling

While you are styling hair at the Guides sub-object level, right-clicking a

viewport displays a quad menu that contains shortcuts to many styling controls

that are also found on the Styling rollout on page 1070 .

Interface

Utilities quadrant

The first two choices are shortcuts to the buttons in the Hair Groups group:

■Merge Hairgroups on page 1081

■Split Hairgroups on page 1081

1082 | Chapter 9 Modifiers

The other choices in this quadrant are shortcuts to the buttons in the Utilities

group:

■Unlock on page 1081

■Lock on page 1081

■Toggle Hairs on page 1081

■Toggle Collisions on page 1080

■Reset Rest on page 1080

■Recomb on page 1079

■Pop Zerosized on page 1079

■Pop Selected on page 1079

■Attenuate on page 1078

Styling quadrant

The choices in this quadrant are shortcuts to most of the controls in the Styling

group:

■Ignore Back on page 1076

■Soft Falloff on page 1076

■Scale on page 1078

■Rotate on page 1078

■Clump on page 1077

■Puff on page 1077

■Stand on page 1076

■Translate on page 1076

■Cut on page 1075

To exit Cut mode and return to the hair brush, choose one of the other

styling modes in this quadrant.

TIP While the brush is active, you can resize it in viewports by holding down

Ctrl+Shift and dragging the mouse.

Hair And Fur Modifier | 1083

Selection Utils quadrant

These choices are shortcuts to the buttons under “Selection Utilities” in the

Selection group:

■Invert Selection on page 1073

■Rotate Selection on page 1073

■Expand Selection on page 1073

■Hide Selected on page 1073

■Show Hidden on page 1073

Selection quadrant

These choices are shortcuts to the buttons at the top of the Selection group

that constrain how you can select hair guides:

■Tip on page 1072

■Guide on page 1072

■Verts on page 1073

■Root on page 1073

General Parameters Rollout (Hair and Fur)

Select an object with the Hair And Fur modifier applied. > Modify panel >

General Parameters rollout

This rollout lets you set the hair count and density, the length, thickness at

the root and tip, and various other comprehensive parameters.

1084 | Chapter 9 Modifiers

Interface

Hair Count The total number of hairs generated by Hair. In some cases this

is an approximate count, but the actual count is usually very close to the

specified quantity. Default=15000. Range=0 to 10000000 (ten million).

Hair And Fur Modifier | 1085

Top: Hair Count=1000

Bottom: Hair Count=9000

By default, Hair normalizes density to surface area; that is, larger polygons

receive more hairs than smaller ones. If you edit the growth object in a way

that changes the polygon-size ratios, use Reset Rest on page 1066 to adjust the

hair distribution automatically.

Hair Segments The number of segments per hair. Default=5. Range=1 to

150.

This is equivalent to spline segments; with more segments, curly hair looks

more natural, but the generated mesh object is larger. For perfectly straight

hair, set Hair Segments to 1.

Left: Hair Segments=5

Right: Hair Segments=60

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Hair Passes Sets the number of transparency passes. Default=1. Range=1 to

20.

Hair's buffer render on page 6388 has a fairly novel way of handling hair

transparency. Instead of resolving actual hair transparency, the hair is rendered

multiple times (as opaque hair) with different random seeds. These buffers

are then blended together. As you increase the Hair Passes value, the

transparency (or wispiness) of the hair increases. In addition, increasing the

value increases the actual number of rendered hairs as well, although the

apparent density, or fill, seems about the same because of the additional

transparency. Render time also increases linearly.

Top: Hair Passes=1

Bottom: Hair Passes=4

NOTE For best results when using the “mr prim” hair rendering method (see

Hair and Fur Render Effect on page 6386 ) with the mental ray renderer, be sure to

set the Trace Depth > Max. Depth value (see Rendering Algorithms Rollout (mental

ray Renderer) on page 6118 ) higher than the Hair Passes value.

Density The numeric value sets the overall hair density; that is, it acts as a

percentage multiplier of the Hair Count value. Default=100.0. Range=0.0 to

100.0.

This attribute is also mappable via the map button to the right of the spinner.

Mapping lets you add a texture map to control the amount of hair. An area

of the map whose gray value is 50% will reduce the amount of hair grown in

Hair And Fur Modifier | 1087

that area by 50%. To change the overall hair count, use the Hair Count value

(see above).

Top: Density=100.0 + map

Bottom: The bitmap used to control density

TIP For optimal efficiency, use the Hair Count value to set the actual number of

hairs, leave Density at 100.0, and use mapping to create uneven hair distribution.

Simply lowering the Density value without specifying a map causes hairs to be

created and then discarded, which unnecessarily increases rendering time.

Scale Sets the overall scaling for the hairs. Default=100.0. Range=0.0 to 100.0.

At the default value of 100.0, the hairs are full size. Reduce this value to make

the hairs smaller. To make the hairs larger, use the styling tools on page 1070

. Default=100.0. Range=0.0 to 100.0.

This attribute is also mappable via the map button to the right of the spinner.

Mapping allows you to add a texture map to control the length of the hair.

An area of the map whose gray value is 50% will cut the hair grown in that

area to 50% of its original length, with no shape change.

1088 | Chapter 9 Modifiers

Scale value ramped from 0.0 (left) to 100.0 (right) using a linear gradient map

NOTE The default size of the hairs depends on the size of the object to which the

modifier is applied. The larger the object, the greater the initial size.

Cut Length The numeric value sets the overall hair length as a percentage

multiplier of the Scale value. Default=100.0. Range=0.0 to 100.0.

This attribute is also mappable via the map button to the right of the spinner.

Mapping allows you to add a texture map to control the length of the hair.

An area of the map whose gray value is 50% will cut the hair grown in that

area to 50% of its original length, with no shape change.

This parameter is more computationally expensive than a density map, since

each curve is re-parameterized on the fly, and should not be confused with a

density map. It’s really more useful as an animated effect for growing hair (for

example, creating a wolfman character).

Rand. Scale Introduces random scaling into the rendered hairs. Default=40.0.

Range=0.0 to 100.0.

Random Scale value ramped from 0.0 (left) to 100.0 (right) using a linear gradient map

Hair And Fur Modifier | 1089

At the default value of 40.0, 40 percent of the hairs are scaled down randomly

by varying amounts. At 0.0, no random scaling is introduced.

Root Thick Controls the thickness of the hair at its root. With instanced

hair, this controls the overall thickness as a multiplier of the original object's

dimensions on the X and Y axes in object space.

This setting affects both native hair and instanced hair. With instanced hair,

Root thick controls the overall thickness of the hair, not just at the root.

Tip Thick Controls the thickness of the hair at its tip.

This setting affects native hair only, not instanced hair. To create tapering in

instanced hair, apply the tapering when modeling the object to be instanced

within Hair.

Top: Root Thick=10.0, Tip Thick=0.0

Bottom: Tip Thick=10.0, Root Thick=0.0

Hair is translucent if its width is less than one pixel. Thin hair that rendered

as opaque in previous versions of the software might give unexpected results

when rendered in this version. On the other hand, setting Root Thick and Tip

Thick to small values (close to or less than 1.0) can be a good way to obtain

translucent hair.

Displacement Displaces the hair roots from the surface of the growth object.

Default=0.0. Range=–999999.0 to 999999.0.

When you render an object with a high polygon count, but use a low-polygon

proxy object to grow the hair, adjusting Displacement can help make the hair

seem to grow from the high-polygon object, rather than floating above it.

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Another use for this setting can be animating the hair falling onto or moving

away from the growth object.

Interpolate When on, hair growth is interpolated among the guide hairs,

and the surface is fully populated with hair according to the General Parameters

settings. When off, Hair generates only one hair per triangular face on the

growth object, up to the limit imposed by the Hair Count setting. Default=on.

Material Parameters Rollout (Hair and Fur)

Select an object with the Hair And Fur modifier applied. > Modify panel >

Material Parameters rollout

The parameters on this rollout apply to buffer-rendered hair on page 6388

generated by Hair. In the case of geometry-rendered hair on page 6388 , the

hair coloring is derived from the growth object. In the case of hair rendered

by “mr prim”, all parameters apply except Self Shadow and Geom. Shadow.

With instanced hair, Hair uses the material from the instanced object.

You can apply a map to any value by clicking the blank button to the right

of the parameter. Values in the map act as multipliers to the base value.

TIP If you apply a colored texture map to a color attribute such as Tip Color, start

by setting the base color to white. Because the map acts as a multiplier, not doing

so can lead to unexpected results. For example, if Tip Color is set to yellow and

you apply a blue texture map, the hair will be black: this is because if you multiply

those RGB values, they zero each other out.

Hair And Fur Modifier | 1091

Interface

Occluded Amb. Controls the bias of the ambient/diffuse contributions of

the illumination model. A setting of 100.0 renders the hair with flat lighting.

A value of 0.0 is lit only by scene light sources, typically resulting in a

higher-contrast solution. Default=40.0. Range=0.0 to 100.0.

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Left: Occluded Amb=0.0

Right: Occluded Amb=100.0

Both: Color=white, Self Shadow=50.0

Tip Fade Applies only to mr prim on page 6388 rendering (with the mental

ray renderer). When on, the hair fades to transparent toward its tip. When

off, the hair is equally opaque for its entire length.

Tip Color Hair color at the tips, farthest from the growth object surface. To

change the color, click the color swatch and use the Color Selector.

Root Color Hair color at the roots, closest to the growth object surface. To

change the color, click the color swatch and use the Color Selector.

Hair And Fur Modifier | 1093

Tip Color=red

Root Color=blue

Hue Variation=0.0

The Tip Color and Root Color attributes are also mappable via the map buttons

to the right of the spinners. These let you add texture maps to control the

hair coloring, separately at the tip and base. The UVW mapping used for the

texture is the same as that of the growth object.

For results closest to the map colors, set Tip Color and Root Color to white.

Alternatively, set a different color to tint the map coloring.

Left: The texture map used for the hair (center and right)

Center: The map applied to Tip Color and Root Color causes the hair to use the same

coloring.

Right: Setting Tip Color and Root Color to orange adds an orange tint to the hair.

Hue Variation The amount by which Hair varies the color of the hairs. The

default value results in natural-looking hair. Default=10.0. Range=0.0 to 100.0.

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Value Variation The amount by which Hair varies the brightness of the hairs.

The default value results in natural-looking hair. Default=50.0. Range=0.0 to

100.0.

Top: Hue/Value Variation=0.0

Middle: Value Variation=100.0

Bottom: Hue Variation=100.0

Mutant Color The color for mutant hairs. Mutant hairs are randomly selected,

based on the Mutant % value (see following), and receive this color.

One example of mutant hairs are the gray hairs that appear as we age.

Mutant % The percentage of hairs that receive the mutant color (see above).

You can animate the Mutant % value to produce, for example, a rapidly aging

character. Default=0.0. Range=0.0 to 100.0.

Hair And Fur Modifier | 1095

Left: Mutant %=30.0

Right: Mutant %=0.0

Both: Color=brown, Mutant Color=white

Specular The brightness of highlights on the hairs.

Glossiness The relative size of highlights on the hairs. Smaller highlights

result in glossier-looking hair.

The combined results of the Specular and Glossiness settings appear in a graph

to the right of the two parameters.

Left: Specular=0.0, Glossiness=0.0

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Center: Specular=100.0, Glossiness=75.0

Right: Specular=100.0, Glossiness=0.1

Specular Tint This color tints specular highlights. Click the color swatch to

use the Color Selector. Default=white.

Self Shadow Controls the amount of self-shadowing; that is, hairs casting

shadows on other hairs within the same Hair And Fur modifier. A value of 0.0

disables self shadowing, while a value of 100.0 results in maximum

self-shadowing. Default=100.0. Range=0.0 to 100.0.

Top: Self Shadow=0.0

Center: Self Shadow=50.0

Bottom: Self Shadow=100.0

NOTE You can adjust the shadow characteristics by changing the Hair Light Attr

rollout on page 5076 settings for lights that illuminate the hair.

Geom. Shadow The amount of shadow contribution hair receives from

geometry in the scene. Default=100.0. Range=0.0 to 100.0.

Geom. Mat. ID The material ID assigned to geometry-rendered hair on page

6388 . Default=1.

Hair And Fur Modifier | 1097

mr Parameters Rollout (Hair and Fur)

Select an object with the Hair And Fur modifier applied. > Modify panel > mr

Parameters rollout

Lets you assign a mental ray shader on page 5801 to generate hair. 3ds Max

passes the object's UV coordinate data, including map channels, to the mental

ray shader; strictly speaking, the shader generates hair from this UV and

mapping data, not from the object geometry itself. (Multiple map channels

are supported.)

When you use a mental ray shader for hair, you must render your scene using

the mental ray renderer on page 6039 and set the Hair And Fur render effect

on page 6386 method to “mr prim”.

IMPORTANT When you assign a mental ray shader, only the shader's own controls

apply to the generated hair. All other Hair And Fur settings are disregarded.

Aside from the “mr prim” option that you can choose as a render effect (see

Hair and Fur Render Effect on page 6386 ), no mental ray hair shaders are

provided with 3ds Max. This feature is meant to support third-party hair shader

products or custom-coded hair shaders.

Interface

Apply mr Shader When on, lets you apply a mental ray shader to generate

hair.

[shader button] Enabled only when “Apply mr Shader” is on. Click to display

a Material/Map Browser on page 5194 and assign the shader.

When no shader is assigned, this button is labeled “None”. When a shader is

assigned, the button's label shows the shader's name.

1098 | Chapter 9 Modifiers

Frizz Parameters Rollout (Hair and Fur)

Select an object with the Hair And Fur modifier applied. > Modify panel >

Frizz Parameters rollout

Frizz displacement is accomplished by doing a Perlin noise lookup at the hair's

rest position root, and then displacing the hair much the way bump mapping

displaces a surface normal. The frequency of the noise function is set by the

Frizz X/Y/Z Frequency parameters. The magnitude of the displacement is

controlled with Frizz Root and Frizz Tip. If you set dynamics mode on page

1113 to Live, the viewports show the effects of changing these settings in real

time.

Hair And Fur Modifier | 1099

1. Frizz Root/Tip=0.0

2. Frizz Root=50.0, Frizz X/Y/Z Freq=14.0

3. Frizz Root=150.0, Frizz X/Y/Z Freq=60.0

4. Frizz Tip=30.0, Frizz X/Y/Z Freq=14.0

5. Frizz Root=50.0, Frizz Root=100.0, Frizz X/Y/Z Freq=60.0

Frizz actually calculates two noise fields, both of which use the same frequency

settings and tip/root amplitudes. One of the noise fields is static relative to

the hair. The Anim parameters let you animate the second noise field through

the hair over time. This is useful for things like grassy fields, where it would

1100 | Chapter 9 Modifiers

be overkill to compute real dynamics. These parameters give you a similar

result, at a small fraction of the computational overhead.

All Frizz/Kink settings=0.0; this reference image provided for comparison with the Frizz

and Kink illustrations (below).

Hair And Fur Modifier | 1101

Interface

Frizz Root Controls the displacement of the hair at its root. Default=15.5.

Range=0.0 to 360.0.

Frizz Tip Controls the displacement of the hair at its tip. Default=130.0.

Range=0.0 to 360.0.

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Frizz Root=30.0, Frizz Tip=100.0, Frizz X/Y/Z Freq=14.0

Top: Styled

Bottom: Unstyled

Left: Differing values for Frizz Root and Frizz Tip result in curved hairs.

Right: When Frizz Root=Frizz Tip, the hairs are straight.

Hair And Fur Modifier | 1103

Frizz X/Y/Z Freq(uency) Controls the frequency of the frizz effect on each

of the three axes. Default=14.0. Range=0.0 to 100.0.

Like frizz, Frizz Anim displaces the hair with a noise field. The difference is

that you can move the noise field to create animated displacement, resulting

in wavy movement without having to resort to dynamics.

Frizz Anim. Sets the amplitude of the wavy motion. Default=0.0.

Range=–9999.0 to 9999.0.

Anim. Speed This multiplier controls the speed at which the animating noise

field moves through space. This value is multiplied by the X, Y, and Z

components of the Frizz Anim Dir attribute to determine the per-frame offset

of the animating noise field. Default=0.0. Range=-9999.0 to 9999.0.

Frizz X/Y/Z Anim. Dir(ection) Sets the direction vector of the frizz animation.

Default=0.0. Range=–1.0 to 1.0.

This vector is not normalized before use. This means that you can apply small

tweaks to the values to achieve fine control over the speed of the animation

on a given axis. To reduce confusion it’s a good idea to keep these directions

either –1, 0, or 1. Once you’ve got the animation close to what you want, you

can diverge from these and adjust the values to achieve the exact result you

need.

Kink Parameters Rollout (Hair and Fur)

Select an object with the Hair And Fur modifier applied. > Modify panel >

Kink Parameters rollout

Kink displacement works similarly to Frizz, but evaluates noise lookups along

the whole length of the guide. The result is a noise pattern that works on a

larger scale than the Frizz noise. The effect is similar to crimped hair.

1104 | Chapter 9 Modifiers

1. All settings=0.0 (no kink)

2. Kink Root=0.5 (rest=0.0)

3. Kink Tip=10.0, Kink Root=0.0, Kink X/Y/Z Freq=4.0,

4. Kink Tip=10.0, Kink Root=0.0, Kink X/Y/Z Freq=50.0,

Hair And Fur Modifier | 1105

Interface

Kink Root Controls the amount of kink displacement of the hair at its root.

Default=0.0. Range=0.0 to 100.0

Kink Root=0.5, Kink Tip=0.0, Kink X/Y/Z Freq=4.0

Top: Styled

Bottom: Unstyled

1106 | Chapter 9 Modifiers

Kink Tip Controls the amount of kink displacement of the hair at its tip.

Default=0.0. Range=0.0 to 100.0

Top: Styled, Kink Tip=10.0, Kink Root=0.5, Kink X/Y/Z Freq=50.0

Bottom: Unstyled, Kink Tip=10.0, Kink Root=0.0, Kink X/Y/Z Freq=50.0

Kink X/Y/Z Freq(uency) Controls the frequency of the kink effect on each

of the three axes. Default=0.0. Range=0.0 to 100.0.

Multi Strand Parameters Rollout (Hair and Fur)

Select an object with the Hair And Fur modifier applied. > Modify panel >

Multi Strand Parameters rollout

Some degree of clumping gets naturally created when you use Frizz at low

frequencies, but you can go a bit further here with the Multi Strand parameters.

For each hair that is normally rendered, Multi Strand renders a clump of

additional hairs scattered around the original hair. The Splay settings control

the degree of scattering at the roots and tips, and Multi Strand Count controls

the number of hairs to create for the clump. You can use Splay to shape the

clump by spreading or compressing the roots and tips.

Hair And Fur Modifier | 1107

TIP For each original hair, Multi Strand creates a cluster of hairs around that hair,

offset at the bottom by the Root Splay factor. The hair is offset in the plane tangent

to the root of the hair, which is not necessarily the surface of the object. To make

sure Multi Strand hairs actually make contact with the surface, make the growth

surface a bit smaller than the rendered surface.

1. Multi Strand Count=0, Hair Count=500

2. Multi Strand Count=10, Root Splay=0.1, Tip Splay=0.1, Hair Count=500

3. Multi Strand Count=10, Root Splay=0.4, Tip Splay=0.1, Hair Count=500

4. Multi Strand Count=10, Root Splay=0.0, Tip Splay=1.0, Hair Count=500

1108 | Chapter 9 Modifiers

Interface

Count The number of hairs per clump.

Root Splay Provides a random offset for each hair in a clump, at the root.

Tip Splay Provides a random offset for each hair in a clump, at the tip.

Randomize Randomizes the size of each hair in a clump.

Dynamics Rollout (Hair and Fur)

Select an object with the Hair And Fur modifier applied. > Modify panel >

Dynamics rollout

For hair to seem natural in an animation, it must respond to the motion of

the body it's attached to and to external influences such as wind and gravity.

Hair's Dynamics functions let the hair behave like real-world hair, in interactive

(Live) or Precomputed mode.

Designating Collision Surfaces

Hair dynamics uses guide hairs to calculate collision. To reduce computation,

you have to explicitly designate the objects with which hair will collide. The

object from which the hair grows is a special case: to have hair collide with

this object (for example, a human head), simply turn on Use Growth Object.

If there is a collision object that you want more than one Hair modifier to

interact with, you have to add that object as a collision object for each different

Hair And Fur modifier.

There are two different methods for calculating collision: Sphere and Polygon.

Spherical collision uses a bounding sphere for collision objects; polygonal

collision uses the collision object's actual geometry. The Polygon option is

more accurate, but the Sphere option is quicker to calculate.

Hair And Fur Modifier | 1109

Procedures

Example: To view hair dynamics in real time:

1Apply the Hair And Fur modifier to an object.

2On the Dynamics rollout (scroll the command panel down to view it),

set Mode to Live.

3Move the object around.

The hair moves realistically.

4On the Tools rollout, click Regrow Hair.

The hair resumes its default position, growing straight out of the object.

5 Click the Play Animation button.

6The hair settles and droops, as if affected by gravity. Note that, as the

animation repeats, the effects of gravity are cumulative; the hair animation

doesn't restart at the first frame.

7On the Tools rollout, click Regrow Hair again.

8Add a Wind space warp to the scene.

9On the Dynamics rollout, set Dynamics Params > Gravity to 0.0.

10 In the External Forces group (at the bottom of the Dynamics rollout),

click Add and then select the Wind space warp.

11 Play the animation again.

This time, the hair isn't affected by gravity, but simply blown by the

wind. Again, the effect is cumulative and the animation doesn't repeat.

All of this animation takes place only in real time; no keyframes are set,

so it can't be rendered. To learn how to set up a renderable dynamics

simulation with Hair, see the following procedure.

To generate a precomputed dynamics simulation with Hair:

1Apply the Hair And Fur modifier to an object.

2Set up the animation. It could simply be motion of the growth object,

or you could use the Dynamics rollout > External Forces group to add

space warps, such as Wind, that should affect the hair. Actually, because

the hair is affected by its own gravity by default, you don't need to set

up any explicit animation at all to see hair dynamics.

1110 | Chapter 9 Modifiers

3On the Modify panel > Dynamics rollout, use the Collisions group to set

objects the hair should collide with. Also set other simulation parameters

in the Dynamics Params group.

4In the Stat Files group, click the ellipsis (...) button. Use the Save As dialog

to specify the location and name of the stat files to be generated.

NOTE When you run the simulation, Hair will generate a separate stat file

for each animation frame.

IMPORTANT If you plan to render the animation with a networked render

farm, make sure the path you specify can be seen in exactly the same way

from each node on the render farm. If stat files aren’t found, hair will be stiff

and just oriented to the skin as it moves. If the wrong stat files are found, hair

can float right off an object.

TIP If using Windows XP, click the My Network Places button to set a path

using the Universal Naming Convention (UNC), even if it's on a local drive.

Such a path can be accessed readily by other computers on the network.

The path and stat file name appear in the text field next to the ellipsis

button.

5In the Simulation group, set the frame range for the simulation and then

click Run.

Hair runs the dynamics simulation and generates a stat file for each frame

in the animation. It also automatically sets the mode to Precomputed,

so when you play or render the animation, it reads the stat files and uses

the information for the hair positioning in each frame.

6Play the animation.

The dynamics simulation stored in the stat files appears in the viewports.

7In the Mode group, choose None, and then play the animation again.

The dynamics animation no longer appears. However, it's still stored in

the stat files, and will reappear if you choose Precomputed.

8Make sure Precomputed is on, and then render the animation.

Hair And Fur Modifier | 1111

Interface

1112 | Chapter 9 Modifiers

Mode group

Chooses the method Hair uses to generate dynamics. Live mode is suitable

for experimentation, but for best results when rendering animation with Hair,

use Precomputed mode.

■None Hair doesn't simulate dynamics.

■Live Hair simulates dynamics interactively in the viewports, but doesn't

generate animation keyframes or stat files for the dynamics. For best results

with Live mode, turn off Display rollout > Display Hairs group > As

Geometry.

For some methods of using live dynamics, see this procedure: Example:

To view hair dynamics in real time: on page 1110 .

If you press ESC while using live dynamics, 3ds Max displays a dialog that

asks whether you want to stop live dynamics. Both Freeze and Stop reset

the mode to None, but Freeze freezes the hair in its current position. You

can use this as a starting point for precomputed dynamics, or as a point

from which you style the hair.

■Precomputed Lets you generate stat files for rendering dynamics-animated

hair. Available only after setting a name and location for stat files (see

following and To generate a precomputed dynamics simulation with Hair:

on page 1110 ).

Stat Files group

Stat files let you record and play back a Hair-generated dynamics simulation.

For a workflow example, see this procedure: To generate a precomputed

dynamics simulation with Hair: on page 1110 .

Text field Displays the path and file name for the stat files.

... (ellipsis) button Click to choose a name prefix and location for stat files

using the Save As dialog.

Hair And Fur Modifier | 1113

Hair adds a four-digit frame number (with leading zeroes) and the file name

extension “.stat” to the name you provide (for example, hair_test0001.stat).

Delete all files Deletes stat files from the target directory. The files must have

the name prefix you assigned using the ... button.

TIP You can still use stat files even if you move them to another location. Follow

this procedure:

1Open the MAX file used to generate the stat files.

2On the Modify panel > Dynamics rollout, click the ... [ellipsis] button.

3Use the Save As dialog to navigate to the directory with the stat files, and

then click any stat file. Its name appears in the File Name field.

4Edit the File Name field to delete the four-digit extension after the stat

file name. For example, if the stat file name is test0033.stat , delete the

“0033” so that it reads test.stat .

5Click the Save button. The new stat file path appears in the Stat Files

field.

Now, when you play or render the animation, Hair uses the stat files as

originally generated.

Simulation group

Determines the extent of the simulation, and lets you run it. These controls

become available only after you choose Precomputed mode and specify stat

files in the Stat Files group. Set Start and End to the frames at which to begin

and end the simulation, and then click the Run button. The software then

computes the dynamics and saves the stat files.

Start The first frame to consider in calculating the simulation.

End The final frame to consider in calculating the simulation.

Run Click to run the simulation and generate the stat files within the frame

range indicated by Start and End.

To abort a simulation while it's running, click Cancel on the status bar.

Dynamics Params group

These controls specify the basic parameters for the dynamics simulation. The

Stiffness, Root Hold, and Dampen values can be mapped: click the map button

1114 | Chapter 9 Modifiers

to the right of the spinner to assign a map. Grayscale values in the map

multiply the parameter's value at that hair location.

Gravity Lets you specify a force that moves hair vertically in world space.

Negative values pull hair up while positive values pull it down. To cause hair

not to be affected by gravity, set the value to 0.0. Default=1.0. Range=–999.0

to 999.0.

Stiffness Controls the magnitude of the effect of dynamics. If you set Stiffness

to 1.0, the dynamics will have no effect. Default=0.4. Range=0.0 to 1.0.

Root Hold Comparable to stiffness, but affects the hair only at the roots.

Default=1.0. Range=0.0 to 1.0.

Dampen Dynamic hair carries velocity forward to the next frame. Increasing

dampening increases the amount by which these velocities are diminished.

Thus, a higher Dampen value means that hair dynamics will be less active

(the hair can also start to get “floaty”). Default=0.0. Range=0.0 to 1.0.

Collisions group

Use these settings to determine which objects hair collides with during a

dynamic simulation and the method by which collision is calculated.

■None Collisions are not considered during the dynamic simulation. This

can cause the hair to penetrate its growth object as well as other objects it

comes into contact with.

■Sphere Hair uses a spherical bounding box to calculate collisions. This

method is faster because it requires less computation, but can cause

inaccurate results. It's most effective when the hair is seen from a distance.

■Polygon Hair considers each polygon in the collision objects. This is the

slowest method, but the most accurate.

Use Growth Object When on, hair collides with the growth (mesh) object.

Objects list Lists the names of scene objects with which hair should collide.

Add To add an object to the list, click Add and then click the object in a

viewport.

Replace To replace an object, highlight its name in the list, click Replace,

then click a different object in a viewport.

Delete To remove an object, highlight its name in the list, then click Delete.

Hair And Fur Modifier | 1115

External Forces group

This group lets you specify space warps on page 2603 that will affect the hair

during the dynamics simulation. For example, you can add a Wind space

warp on page 2642 to cause the hair to be blown by a breeze.

NOTE Hair dynamics already has a built-in gravity force, so it's not necessary to

add one.

Objects list Lists the names of forces that dynamically affect the hair.

Add To add a space warp to the list, click Add and then click the warp's icon

in a viewport.

Replace To replace a space warp, highlight its name in the list, click Replace,

then click a different warp's icon in a viewport.

Delete To remove a space warp, highlight its name in the list, then click

Delete.

Display Rollout (Hair and Fur)

Select an object with the Hair And Fur modifier applied. > Modify panel >

Display rollout

These settings let you control how hairs and guides display in the viewports.

By default, Hair displays a small percentage of the hairs as lines. Alternatively,

you can display the hairs as geometry, and you can also choose to display the

guides.

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Interface

Display Guides group

Display Guides toggle When on, Hair displays guides in the viewports, using

the color shown in the color swatch. Default=off.

NOTE At the Guides sub-object level, guides always appear in the viewports.

Guide Color Click to display the Color Selector and change the color used

to display guides.

Guides do not reflect some settings made to the hair, such as Frizz. Use the

Guides display mainly to see where hair will appear on the growth object.

Hair places one guide at each vertex on the growth surface.

Display Hairs group

Display Hairs toggle When on, Hair displays hairs in the viewports.

Default=on.

Override When off, 3ds Max displays hairs using an approximation of their

rendered color. When on, displays hairs using the color shown in the color

swatch. Default=off.

Hair And Fur Modifier | 1117

Color swatch Click to display the Color Selector and change the color used

to display hairs when Override is on.

NOTE When hair is displayed as geometry (see below), the color setting is ignored.

Percentage The percentage of total hairs displayed in the viewports. Lower

this value to improve real-time performance in the viewports.

Max. Hairs The maximum number of hairs displayed in the viewports,

regardless of the Percentage value.

As Geometry When on, displays the hairs in the viewports as the actual

geometry to be rendered, rather than the default lines. Default=off.

LS Colors Modifier (World Space)

Select a Lightscape mesh object. > Modify panel > Modifier List > World-Space

Modifiers > * LS Colors

The LS Colors modifier converts Lightscape radiosity values to 3ds Max vertex

colors.

When a Lightscape model is imported into 3ds Max, the radiosity values are

kept as irradiances; that is, they describe the intensity of light falling on a

mesh in physical units. This modifier converts the physical units to RGB colors.

In conjunction with the Lightscape mesh modifier, this modifier can be used

to produce meshes suitable for game engines.

1118 | Chapter 9 Modifiers

Interface

Brightness Controls the brightness of the displayed image on your monitor.

The setting of this control does not affect the actual lighting levels in the

model. Default=50.0.

Contrast box Controls the contrast between light and dark regions in the

model. Default=50.0.

Daylight Determines whether you want natural daylight to be used in the

calculation. Default=on.

Exterior Scene Turn on for exterior daylight simulations. Default=off.

TIP Use the logarithmic exposure control on page 6540 to control the brightness

and contrast of the colors when you render.

Use exposure control When on, disregards the settings of Brightness,

Contrast, Daylight, and Exterior, and instead uses the settings of the active

exposure control. If no exposure control is active in the scene, this toggle is

disabled. Default=off.

The three radio buttons that follow choose how to handle irradiance values.

■Convert light falling on the surface When chosen, converts the irradiance

values directly to RGB values. In order to properly render the mesh, the

LS Colors Modifier (World Space) | 1119

vertex colors need to be interpolated and multiplied by the color of the

material on the mesh.

■Convert light reflecting from the surface When chosen, takes the

irradiance values and multiplies them by the material's ambient color,

then converts the result to RGB. To properly render the mesh, you need

to interpolate the vertex colors over the faces. If textures are displayed by

multiplying them by the vertex colors, they will not be correctly displayed

unless the material color is white.

By default, this is the active option.

■Convert light reflecting from the surface, except for textured

materials When chosen, takes the irradiance values and multiplies them

by the material's ambient color, and then converts the result to RGB, unless

a texture is applied to the material's ambient component. If the ambient

component has a map, this method converts the irradiance value directly

to the vertex color. To properly render the mesh, you need to interpolate

the vertex colors over the faces, unless the material is textured. If textures

are displayed by multiplying them by the vertex colors, they will be

correctly displayed.

Add to colors When on, the result of the color conversion is added to existing

vertex color values, if there are any. Default=off.

Use self-illumination When on, the material's self illumination is included

in the final vertex colors. Default=on.

MapScaler Modifier (World Space)

Select an object. > Modify panel > Modifier List > World-Space Modifiers >

MapScaler (WSM)

Select an object. > Modifiers menu > UV Coordinates > Map Scaler (WSM)

MapScaler maintains the scale of a map applied to an object. This lets you

resize the object without altering the scale of the map. Typically, you might

use this to maintain the size of a map regardless of how the geometry is scaled.

1120 | Chapter 9 Modifiers

MapScaler sets the scale of a map on an object.

This differs from the MapScaler (OSM) modifier on page 1443 , which maintains

the scale of the map with respect to the object size when scaled with a Select

And Scale tool. See the latter's definition for other differences between the

two versions.

NOTE This world-space modifier is for use primarily with vertically oriented objects,

such as walls in an architectural model, or objects with large, flat surfaces. While

you can apply the MapScaler to any object, the results are less realistic on curved

surfaces, especially complex ones, which can show cracks in the finished texture.

MapScaler Modifier (World Space) | 1121

Interface

Scale Represents the size of one repetition of the texture pattern. Size is

measured in current system units. Repetitions occur across the object in the

U and V directions. Default=1.0.

NOTE When the Use Real-World Texture Coordinates switch is active in the

General Preferences dialog on page 7536 , the scale setting defaults to 1.0. If Use

Real-World Texture Coordinates is turned off, scale defaults to 100.0.

U/V Offset Specify horizontal and vertical offsets respectively. Available only

when Wrap Texture is off.

Wrap Texture When on, Map Scaler attempts to wrap the texture evenly

around the object. This option requires more computing, but usually produces

the most satisfactory results. Default=on.

Wrap Using Smoothing Groups When turned on, textures are wrapped

around corners when they share the same smoothing groups. Curved walls

will map smoothly while sharp corners get a new texture origin. This switch

is only available when the Wrap Textures switch is turned on. Default=off.

1122 | Chapter 9 Modifiers

Channel Specifies the map channel on page 7836 . Default=1.

Up Direction group

World Z Axis Aligns the map with the Z axis of the world.

If you choose this option and then rotate the object, the mapping is not fixed

to the object.

Local Z Axis Aligns the map with the local Z axis of the object.

With this option, the mapping remains fixed to the object.

PatchDeform Modifier (World Space)

Select an object. > Modify panel > Modifier List > World-Space Modifiers > *

PatchDeform

The PatchDeform world-space modifier lets you deform an object based on

the contours of a patch object. It works the same as the PathDeform (World

Space) on page 1123 , but uses a patch instead of a curve. With the exception

of the Move to Patch button, its parameters are the same as those in the

object-space PatchDeform modifier on page 1525 .

PathDeform Modifier (World Space)

Select an object. > Modify panel > Modifier List > Animation Modifiers > *

PathDeform

The PathDeform world-space modifier deforms an object based on a shape,

spline or NURBS curve path. With the exceptions noted in the Interface section,

this world-space modifier works the same as the object-space PathDeform

modifier on page 1528 .

Procedures

The first two examples, below, demonstrate the basic differences in orientation

and the relationship between the object and its path when using the

PathDeform modifier and the PathDeform (WSM) modifier.

PatchDeform Modifier (World Space) | 1123

Example: To use the PathDeform modifier to curve text:

1In the Top viewport, create a circle that's 100 units in radius.

2In the Front viewport, create a text shape with six or seven letters, and a

size of 25.

3Apply an Extrude modifier to the text shape, and set the Amount to -5.0.

4On the Main toolbar, set the Reference Coordinate System to Local.

Looking at the axis tripod for the extruded text object, you can see that

its Z axis runs from back to front relative to world space.

5Apply a PathDeform on page 1528 object-space modifier to the text object.

Click the Pick Path button, and then select the circle.

A circular gizmo appears. The circle runs through the local Z axis of the

text object. Because of its orientation, its effect is minimal, but you can

see a slight wedge-shaped deformation from the top view.

6In the Path Deform Axis group, choose the Y option, and then the X

option.

The circle gizmo rotates to run through the specified axes, deforming the

text object differently with each change.

7Adjust the Percent spinner to view its effect, and then set it to zero. Try

the same with Stretch, Rotation, and Twist, and then restore them to

their original values.

TIP Use the Ctrl key with Twist to amplify the effect.

8Turn on Flip to switch the direction of the path, and then turn it off.

1124 | Chapter 9 Modifiers

9Go to the Gizmo sub-object level, and move the gizmo path around.

The text object is further deformed by its relative position to the gizmo.

10 Select the original circle shape, and change its radius.

The deformation of the text object alters because its gizmo is an instance

of the shape object.

Example: To use the PathDeform world space modifier:

This procedure continues from the previous one.

1Select the text object, and then remove the Path Deform modifier from

the stack.

2Apply a Path Deform (WSM) modifier.

3Click Pick Path, and select the circle.

The text object flips around and moves in world space. Note that its

orientation and deformation are difficult to analyze because there's an

offset distance between the path and the object.

4Click Move to Path.

The text object is transformed so that its local Z axis is aligned with the

path and its position is at the first vertex of the path.

In the following steps, you'll use various controls to re-orient the text

object so that it's at the front of the circle and readable from the Front

viewport.

5Choose the X option in the Path Deform Axis group to place the length

of the text object along the path.

6Adjust the Percent spinner to -25 to move the text to the front of the

circle.

7Adjust the Rotation spinner to -90 to rotate the text so it faces the Front

viewport.

8 Turn on Auto Key, go to frame 100, and set Percent to -125.

9Play the animation to watch the text run around the circle.

PathDeform Modifier (World Space) | 1125

Example: To create a growing vine:

1Use the Line tool and, optionally, Editable Spline to create a path along

which the vine will grow.

2Create a Cone, and apply the * Path Deform modifier.

1126 | Chapter 9 Modifiers

3Pick the path, and then click Move to Path. (The local Z axis of the cone

should be along the path.)

4 Go to frame 100, and turn on Auto Key.

5Increase the Stretch value to stretch the cone along the path until it

reaches the end. There won't be enough height segments in the cone,

but you can fix that in step 7.

6 Turn off Auto Key.

7In the stack, click Cone, and then in the Parameters rollout increase the

Height Segments setting until the stretched cone is smooth on the path.

8Play the animation.

The cone grows along the path, like a vine.

Interface

Since this is a world-space rather than an object-space modifier, the object is

affected in world space coordinates, and also affected by the relative position

of the path to the object. Thus, if you transform the object relative to the

path, or vice-versa, it has an affect on the deformation.

Generally speaking, the Path Deform world-space modifier leaves the path in

place while moving the object to the path, while the Path Deform object-space

modifier leaves the object in place while moving the path to the object.

PathDeform Modifier (World Space) | 1127

For all parameters except the following, refer to the PathDeform modifier on

page 1528 .

Path Deform group

Move to Path Moves the object from its original position to the start of the

path.

When you first pick a path, the object is deformed by the path based on the

offset distance between the first vertex in the path and the object's location.

Thus, as you adjust the Percent spinner, for example, the result will be distorted

depending on the offset distance.

IMPORTANT Using the Move To Path button applies a transform to the object

that's not removed if you later remove the Path Deform binding from the object.

However, you can undo on page 202 the transform immediately after it's been

performed.)

NOTE If the Auto Key button is on when you perform Move To Path, transform

keys are created.

1128 | Chapter 9 Modifiers

Point Cache Modifier (World Space)

Select an object. > Modify panel > Modifiers List > World–Space Modifiers >

* Point Cache

The world-space version of the Point Cache modifier works exactly the same

as the Point Cache modifier on page 1533 , except that it uses world-space

coordinates instead of local-space coordinates. Use this version when animating

with world-space modifiers such as PatchDeform (WSM) modifier on page

1123 or PathDeform (WSM) modifier on page 1123 .

Subdivide Modifier (World Space)

Make a selection. > Modify panel > Modifier List > World-Space Modifiers >

Subdivide

Make a selection. > Modifiers menu > Radiosity Modifiers > * Subdivide

The Subdivide (WSM) modifier is similar to the object-space Subdivide modifier

on page 1688 , and has the same parameters. In the world-space version of

Subdivide, the size limit is on the mesh after it is transformed into world space

coordinates.

Surface Mapper Modifier (World Space)

Make a selection. > Modify panel > Modifier List > World-Space Modifiers > *

Surface Mapper

The Surface Mapper (WSM) modifier takes a map assigned to a NURBS on

page 2152 surface and projects it onto the modified object or objects. Surface

Mapper is especially useful for seamlessly applying a single map to a group of

surface sub-objects within the same NURBS model. You can also use it for

other kinds of geometry.

The NURBS surface's map is projected onto the other geometry in the direction

of the NURBS surface's normals, or opposite the normals if the modified object

is on the other side of the NURBS surface.

Point Cache Modifier (World Space) | 1129

Procedures

To use the surface mapper world-space modifier:

1Create the NURBS surface to use for projection, and transform it so it

wraps the objects you want to map.

2 Use the Material Editor on page 5188 to assign a mapped material

to the NURBS surface.

3Select the objects you want to map.

4 Use the Material Editor to assign the same material to the objects

you want to map.

5Apply the Surface Mapper world-space modifier.

6In the Parameters rollout, turn on Pick NURBS Surface, and then click

the NURBS projection surface in a viewport.

The software now uses the NURBS surface's normals to project the texture

onto the modified objects.

TIP To fine-tune the map placement on the mesh, you can use the NURBS

surface's Edit Texture Surface dialog on page 2453 .

1130 | Chapter 9 Modifiers

Interface

Source Texture Surface group

These controls let you choose the NURBS surface to project.

Pick NURBS Surface Picks the NURBS surface to use for projection. Click to

turn on this button, then click the NURBS surface in an active viewport.

Surface Shows "<none>" before you pick a NURBS surface; shows the name

of the surface after you pick one.

Map Channels group

These controls let you choose which map channels on page 7836 to use.

Surface Mapper Modifier (World Space) | 1131

Input Channel Selects the NURBS surface map channel to use before

projection.

Output Channel Selects the modified object's map channel to use after

projection.

Update Options group

These controls let you choose how to update the mapping displayed in

viewports. They have no effect if Show Map In Viewport on page 5254 is turned

off.

Always Updates viewports whenever the mapping changes.

Manually Updates viewports only when you click Update.

Update Updates viewports. This is unavailable unless you've chosen

Manually.

SurfDeform Modifier (World Space)

Select an object. > Modify panel > Modifier List > World-Space Modifiers > *

Surf Deform

Select an object. > Modifiers menu > Animation Modifiers > * Surf Deform

The SurfDeform (WSM) modifier works the same as the PathDeform (WSM)

modifier on page 1123 , except that it uses a NURBS Point or CV surface instead

of a curve.

Object-Space Modifiers

Object-space modifiers directly affect an object's geometry in local object

space on page 7868 .

When you apply an object-space modifier, it appears directly above the object

with other object-space modifiers in the modifier stack on page 7427 . The order

in which the modifiers appear in the stack can affect the resulting geometry.

For a list of object-space modifiers, see List of Available Modifiers on page 1011

1132 | Chapter 9 Modifiers

Affect Region Modifier

Modify panel > Make a vertex sub-object selection. > Modifier List >

Object-Space Modifiers > Affect Region

Make a vertex sub-object selection. > Modifiers menu > Parametric Deformers

> Affect Region

The Affect Region modifier is a surface modeling tool, primarily used with

vertex sub-object selections while surface modeling. With Affect Region,

transforming a selection of vertices can also transform vertices in the region

that surrounds the selection. This can help you form a bubble or indentation

in the surface of an object. The easiest way to see this modifier's effect is with

a shallow, flat box object with plenty of subdivisions. The Affect Region

modifier has a two-part, arrow-shaped gizmo plus numeric controls.

When you apply the Affect Region modifier, it assigns an arrow-like gizmo

consisting of two points connected by a line. The base of the arrow is the start

point. The length and direction of the arrow defines the amount of movement

of the vertices. Any vertices within Falloff distance of the base of the arrow

are translated in the direction of the arrow.

Because no points on the mesh are directly selected, this modifier doesn't

depend on the topology of the input object. You can apply it to any renderable

object. However, you can limit the effect by using a selection modifier like

Mesh Select on page 1455 or Volume Select on page 1910 to pass a sub-object

selection up the stack.

NOTE The Affect Region modifier is ideal for simple animated effects, especially

when you need to use interactive parameters. However, for fine-tuned modeling,

you'll probably prefer the expanded capabilities of Soft Selection on page 1926 in

Editable Mesh on page 1990 , Editable Poly on page 2038 , Edit Mesh on page 1283 ,

Mesh Select on page 1455 , Volume Select on page 1910 , the HSDS modifier on

page 1420 , and NURBS on page 2172 .

Affect Region Modifier | 1133

Affect Region modifier applied

Procedures

Example: To form a bubble over the surface of a plane:

1Create a plane with 15 width and length segments.

2Set the length and width of the plane to 50 units.

3Apply the Affect Region modifier.

4In the Parameters group, set Falloff to 50.

5Adjust the parameters to achieve different effects.

Interface

NOTE The parameters of this modifier are similar to those of the Soft Selection

function on page 1926 of an Editable Mesh.

1134 | Chapter 9 Modifiers

Modifier Stack

Point sub-object level At this sub-object level, the base and tip of the gizmo

arrow are points that can be selected. You can select, translate, and animate

these two points together or individually.

For more information on the stack display, see Modifier Stack on page 7427 .

Parameters rollout

Affect Region Modifier | 1135

Parameters group

Falloff Sets the radius of affected vertices, in units, from the base of the gizmo

arrow. (Spinner value range: float, 0.0 to 999,999.0)

Ignore Back Facing Affects only those vertices whose face normals are in the

same general direction as the gizmo arrow. When turned off, all vertices in

the Falloff group are affected.

Curve group

Pinch Affects the tangency of the curve where it meets the arrow tip. Positive

values produce a pointed tip while negative values produce a dimple. (Spinner

value range: float, -999,999.0 to 999,999.0)

Bubble Changes the curvature of the affected vertices. A value of 1.0 produces

a half-dome. As you reduce this value, the sides of the dome slope more steeply.

Negative values lower the base of the curve below the base of the arrow gizmo.

(Spinner value range: float, -999,999.0 to 999,999.0)

Attribute Holder Modifier

Create or select an object. > Modify panel > Modifier List > Object–Space

Modifiers > Attribute Holder

Create or select an object > Modifiers menu > Animation > Attribute Holder

The Attribute Holder modifier is an empty modifier that provides a readily

accessible user interface on the Modify panel to which you can add custom

attributes on page 267 . It has no user interface of its own; the interface consists

solely of those attributes you assign to it. In essence, Attribute Holder is a

stripped-down version of Parameter Collector on page 285 that can collect

only custom attributes and appears on the Modify panel instead of a floating

dialog.

Procedures

Example: To collect different custom attributes in an Attribute Holder modifier:

Before undertaking this procedure, you should be familiar with basic usage of

the Parameter Wiring dialog on page 3249 .

1Add a small box to an empty scene. Make it about 20.0 units on a side.

2Apply a Taper modifier and an Attribute Holder modifier, in that order.

1136 | Chapter 9 Modifiers

In the modifier stack, the Attribute Holder modifier should be highlighted.

3From the Animation menu, choose Parameter Editor.

4In Parameter Editor, on the Attribute Rollout, make or ensure the

following settings:

■Add to Type=Selected Object's Current Modifier

■Parameter Type=Float

■UI Type=Slider

■Name=Box Height

5On the Float UI Options rollout, keep all the default settings.

6On the Attribute Rollout, click Add.

The Custom Attributes rollout appears on the Modify panel, containing

the new Box Height slider.

7Add another attribute:

■Add to Type=Selected Object's Current Modifier

■Parameter Type=Integer

■UI Type=Spinner

■Name=Box Height Segs

■Integer UI Options > Range=From 1 to 50.

8Add two more Float/Spinner attributes named Taper Amount and Taper

Curve.

The Attribute Holder modifier now has four custom attributes, but they

don't do anything because they're not connected. You'll use Parameter

Wiring to hook them up.

9Close the Parameter Editor dialog.

10 In the active viewport, right-click the box and choose Wire Parameters.

From the pop-up menu that appears, choose Modified Object > Box

(Object) > Height.

A rubber-band dashed line appears connecting the mouse cursor to the

box.

Attribute Holder Modifier | 1137

11 You can't connect this “wire” directly to the custom attribute, so just

left-click in an empty part of the viewport to open the Parameter Wiring

dialog.

The hierarchy list on the left side, Box01, is expanded to the box's Height

parameter, which is highlighted.

12 On the right side, expand this path: Object > Box01 > Modified Object

> Attribute Holder > Custom Attributes, and then click Box Height to

highlight it.

13 Click the Two-way Connection button (double-headed arrow), and then

click Connect.

14 Similarly, connect Height Segments on the left side to Box Height

Segments on the right.

15 Close the Parameter Wiring dialog.

16 Right-click the box again, choose Parameter Wiring, choose Modified

Object > Taper > Amount, and then left-click to open the Parameter

Wiring dialog.

The Amount parameter is highlighted on the left side of the dialog.

17 On the right side, click the Attribute Holder's Taper Amount parameter,

and then connect them.

18 Connect Curvature on the left side to Taper Curve on the right side, and

then close the dialog.

All the parameters are now hooked up.

19 Experiment with changing the values on the Custom Attributes rollout.

The Attribute Holder modifier lets you change the box's creation

parameters as well as the Taper modifier's settings without switching back

and forth in the modifier stack. In this way you can access, in one

convenient location, as many different parameters from different levels

in an object's modifier stack, or even from different objects, as you like.

You might notice that you can't set the taper to curve inward. You can

resolve this by reopening Parameter Editor, clicking Edit/Delete, and then

modifying the Taper Curve attribute to allow negative values. The change

takes effect immediately, with no rewiring required.

1138 | Chapter 9 Modifiers

Bend Modifier

Modify panel > Make a selection. > Modifier List > Object-Space Modifiers >

Bend

Make a selection. > Modifiers menu > Parametric Deformers > Bend

The Bend modifier lets you bend the current selection up to 360 degrees about

a single axis, producing a uniform bend in an object's geometry. You can

control the angle and direction of the bend on any of three axes. You can also

limit the bend to a section of the geometry.

Bend applied to a streetlight model

Procedures

To bend an object:

1Select an object and apply the Bend modifier.

2On the Parameters rollout, set the axis of the bend to X, Y, or Z. This is

the axis of the Bend gizmo, not the axis of the selected object.

Bend Modifier | 1139

You can switch between axes at any time, but the modifier carries only

one axis setting.

3Set the angle of the bend along the chosen axis.

The object bends to this angle.

4Set the direction of the bend.

The object swivels around the axis.

You can reverse angle and direction by changing a positive value to a negative

value.

To limit the bend:

1Turn on Limit Effect in the Limits group.

2Set values for the upper and lower limits. These are distances in current

units above and below the modifier's center, which is at zero on the

gizmo's Z axis by default. You can make the upper limit zero or positive,

and the lower limit zero or negative. If the limits are equal, the result is

the same as turning off Limit Effect.

The bend is applied between these limits. The surrounding geometry,

while unaffected by the bend itself, rotates to keep the object intact. This

is analogous to bending a pipe, where the unbent sections rotate but

remain straight.

3At the sub-object level, you can select and move the modifier's center.

The Limit settings remain on either side of the center as you move it. This lets

you relocate the bend area to another part of the object.

Interface

Modifier Stack

1140 | Chapter 9 Modifiers

Gizmo sub-object You can transform and animate the gizmo like any other

object at this sub-object level, altering the effect of the Bend modifier.

Translating the gizmo translates its center an equal distance. Rotating and

scaling the gizmo takes place with respect to its center.

Center sub-object You can translate and animate the center at this sub-object

level, altering the Bend gizmo's shape, and thus the shape of the bent object.

For more information on the stack display, see Modifier Stack on page 7427 .

Parameters rollout

Bend group

Angle Sets the angle to bend from the vertical plane. Range=-999,999.0 to

999,999.0.

Direction Sets the direction of the bend relative to the horizontal plane.

Range=-999,999.0 to 999,999.0.

Bend Modifier | 1141

Bend Axis group

X/Y/Z Specifies the axis to be bent. Note that this axis is local to the Bend

gizmo and not related to the selected entity. Default=Z.

Limits group

Limit Effect Applies limit constraints to the bend effect. Default=off.

Upper Limit Sets the upper boundary in world units from the bend center

point beyond which the bend no longer affects geometry. Default=0. Range=0

to 999,999.0.

Lower Limit Sets the lower boundary in world units from the bend center

point beyond which the bend no longer affects geometry. Default=0.

Range=-999,999.0 to 0.

Bevel Modifier

Select a shape. > Modify panel > Modifier List > Bevel

The Bevel modifier extrudes shapes into 3D objects and applies a flat or round

bevel to the edges. A common use for this modifier is to create 3D text and

logos, but you can apply it to any shape.

Bevel takes a shape as the base of a 3D object. You then extrude the shape up

to four levels and assign an outline amount for each level.

1142 | Chapter 9 Modifiers

Beveled text

Procedures

Example: To create beveled text:

This example produces typical 3D beveled text, with equal bevels in front and

back.

1Create text on page 569 using default settings.

Font=Arial, Size=100.0.

2Apply the Bevel modifier.

3Type -1.0 in the Start Outline field.

4For Level 1, do the following:

■Type 5.0 for Height.

■Type 2.0 for Outline.

5Turn on Level 2, and do the following:

■Type 5.0 for Height.

Bevel Modifier | 1143

■Type 0.0 for Outline.

6Turn on Level 3 and do the following:

■Type 5.0 for Height.

■Type -2.0 for Outline.

7If needed, turn on Keep Lines From Crossing.

1144 | Chapter 9 Modifiers

Interface

Parameters rollout

Bevel Modifier | 1145

Capping group

You can determine whether or not the beveled object is capped at either end

with the check boxes in the Capping group.

Start Caps the end with the lowest local Z value (bottom) of the object.

When turned off, the bottom is open.

End Caps the end with the highest local Z value (top) of the object. When

turned off, the end is left open.

Cap Type group

Two radio buttons set the type of cap used.

Morph Creates cap faces suitable for morphing.

Grid Creates cap faces in a grid pattern. This cap type deforms and renders

better than morph capping.

Surface group

Controls the side curvature, smoothing, and mapping of the surface.

The first two radio buttons set the interpolation method used between levels;

a numeric field sets the number of segments to interpolate.

Linear Sides When active, segment interpolation between levels follows a

straight line.

Curved Sides When active, segment interpolation between levels follows a

Bezier curve. For visible curvature, use multiple segments with Curved Sides.

Segments Sets the number of intermediate segments between each level.

Four-level bevels with 1 and 2 segments

1146 | Chapter 9 Modifiers

Bevels with linear and curved sides

Rounding and smoothing the bevel object sides

Smooth Across Levels Controls whether smoothing groups are applied to

the sides of a beveled object. Caps always use a different smoothing group

than the sides.

■When turned on, smoothing groups are applied to the sides. The sides

appear rounded.

■When turned off, smoothing groups are not applied. The sides appear as

flat bevels.

Generate Mapping Coordinates When turned on, mapping coordinates are

applied to the beveled object.

Bevel Modifier | 1147

Real-World Map Size Controls the scaling method used for texture mapped

materials that are applied to the object. The scaling values are controlled by

the Use Real-World Scale settings found in the applied material's Coordinates

rollout on page 5620 . Default=on.

Intersections group

Prevents sharp corners from overlapping neighboring edges.

Bevel works best with rounded shapes or shapes with corners greater than 90

degrees. Acute angles (less than 90 degrees) produce extreme bevels and often

overlap nearby edges.

Keep Lines From Crossing Prevents outlines from crossing over themselves.

This is accomplished by inserting extra vertices in the outline and replacing

sharp corners with a flat line segment.

Using Keep Lines From Crossing:

Left: Off

Right: On

Separation Sets the distance to be maintained between edges. The minimum

value is 0.01.

1148 | Chapter 9 Modifiers

Changing the Separation value

Bevel Values rollout

Contains the parameters that set the height and bevel amount of up to four

levels.

A beveled object requires a minimum of two levels: a start and an end. You

add more levels to vary the amount and direction of bevel from start to end.

You can think of bevel levels as layers on a cake. The Start Outline is the

bottom of the cake and the Level 1 parameters define the height and size of

the first layer.

Turning on Level 2 or Level 3 adds another layer to the beveled object with

the height and outline specifying the amount of change from the previous

level.

The last level on is always the top of the object.

You must always set the Level 1 parameters.

Bevel Modifier | 1149

Start Outline Sets the distance the outline is offset from the original shape.

A non-zero setting changes the original shape's size.

■Positive values make the outline larger.

■Negative values make the outline smaller.

Level 1 Includes two parameters that indicate the change from the Start

level.

Height Sets the distance of Level 1 above the Start level.

Outline Sets the distance to offset the Level 1 outline from the Start Outline.

Levels 2 and Level 3 are optional and allow you to change the bevel amount

and direction.

Level 2 Adds a level after Level 1.

Height Sets the distance above Level 1.

Outline Sets the offset distance of the Level 2 outline from Level 1.

Level 3 Adds a level after the previous level. If Level 2 is not on, Level 3 is

added after Level 1.

Height Sets the distance above the previous level.

Outline Sets the offset distance of Level 3 from the previous level.

Traditional beveled text uses all levels with these typical conditions:

■Start Outline can be any value, usually 0.0.

■Level 1 Outline is a positive value.

■Level 2 Outline is 0.0. No change from Level 1.

■Level 3 Outline is the negative of Level 1. Returns Level 3 to the same size

as the Start Outline.

Bevel Profile Modifier

Select a shape. > Modify panel > Modifier List > Bevel Profile

The Bevel Profile modifier extrudes a shape using another shape path as the

"beveling profile." It's a variation on the Bevel modifier on page 1142 .

1150 | Chapter 9 Modifiers

IMPORTANT Bevel Profile fails if you delete the original beveling profile. Unlike

a loft object, which incorporates the shape, Bevel Profile is simply a modifier.

NOTE Although this modifier might seem similar to a loft object with varying

scale settings, it's actually different because it uses different outline values as

distances between line segments rather than as scale values. This more complex

method of resizing a shape results in some levels having either more or less vertices

than others, and generally works better with text, for example.

Bevel Profile creates an object using an open spline.

Bevel Profile Modifier | 1151

Bevel Profile creates an object using a closed spline, yielding a different result.

Procedures

To use the Bevel Profile modifier:

1Create the shape you want to bevel (preferably in the Top viewport).

2In the Front (XZ) viewport, create a shape to use as the beveling profile.

3Select the first shape and apply the Bevel Profile modifier.

4Click the Pick Profile button in the Bevel Profile modifier, and then click

the profile shape.

1152 | Chapter 9 Modifiers

Interface

Modifier Stack

For more information on the stack display, see Modifier Stack on page 7427 .

Parameters rollout

Bevel Profile group

Pick Profile Selects a shape or NURBS curve to be used for the profile path.

Generate Mapping Coords Assigns UV coordinates.

Real-World Map Size Controls the scaling method used for texture mapped

materials that are applied to the object. The scaling values are controlled by

the Use Real-World Scale settings found in the applied material's Coordinates

rollout on page 5620 . Default=on.

Bevel Profile Modifier | 1153

Capping group

Start Caps the bottom of the extruded shape.

End Caps the top of the extruded shape.

Cap Type group

Morph Selects a deterministic method of capping that provides the same

number of vertices for morphing between objects.

Grid Creates gridded caps that are better for cap deformations.

Intersections group

Keep Lines From Crossing Prevents beveled surfaces from self intersecting.

This requires more processor calculation and can be time-consuming in

complex geometry.

Separation Sets the distance that sides should be kept apart to prevent

intersections.

Camera Map Modifier (Object Space)

Select one object. > Modify panel > Modifier List > Object-Space Modifiers >

Camera Map

Select one object. > Modifiers menu > UV Coordinates > Camera Map

The Camera Map modifier (object-space version) assigns planar mapping

coordinates based on the current frame and the camera specified in the Camera

Map modifier. This differs from the Camera Map (WSM) modifier on page

1043 that updates the object's mapping coordinates on every frame.

1154 | Chapter 9 Modifiers

Left: The texture of an object with a camera map modifier matches the background

when seen by the camera the modifier uses.

Right: When seen by a camera not used by camera map, the object’s texture is based

on object geometry.

Blending an Object into the Background

In the Procedures section (below), you'll be blending an object into the

background using the Camera Map modifier. If the background uses the same

image as the object's texture map, then the object blends with the background

at the frame where the modifier is applied and a camera is specified. The object

becomes visible if either the camera or object moves. In order to make the

illusion work, you must assign the same map to the background that you

assign to the object.

Mapping Coordinates

Because the accuracy of mapped objects depends partly on the complexity of

the mesh, the "blend to background" effect works best when applied to an

object with a relatively high density of triangular faces. The necessary density

also depends on the distance of the object from the camera.

Camera Map Modifier (Object Space) | 1155

A simple box might look fine when it occupies only a small portion of the

background, but up close the mapping will look distorted without adequate

tessellation. Some experimentation is required to get an ideal mapping and

still minimize the complexity of the geometry. (In general, for a box object

that's filling a quarter of the screen, a tessellation of 4x4x4 works well.)

NOTE When using the Camera Map modifier, apply the modifier to a single object

at a time. If it's applied to a selection set, only the first item in the selection will

be mapped properly.

Use Camera Map (WSM) on page 1043 if you want to move the camera and

maintain the match to the background.

Using the Plate Match/MAX R2.5 Rendering Filter

Prior to 3ds Max 3, the antialiasing affected only geometric edges, with the

filtering of bitmaps being controlled in the Bitmap Map parameters (pyramidal,

summed area, or no filtering). Antialiasing filters affect every aspect of the

object, filtering textures along with geometric edges. While antialiasing

provides superior results, it produces inconsistencies when rendering objects

that are supposed to match the environment background. This is because the

antialiasing filters do not affect the background by default. You can turn on

background antialiasing in Customize > Preferences > Rendering > Background

Antialiasing > Filter Background. To correctly match an object’s map to an

unfiltered background image, you need to use the Plate Match/MAX R2.5 filter

so the texture is not affected by the antialiasing.

There are three ways you can render objects in 3ds Max to blend seamlessly

into a background environment:

■By assigning a Matte/Shadow Material

■By assigning a 100% self-illuminated diffuse texture to an object using

Camera Mapping

■By assigning a 100% self-illuminated diffuse texture using

Environment/Screen projection

The Plate Match/MAX R2.5 antialiasing should be used whenever trying to

match foreground objects with an unfiltered background or when trying to

match the antialiasing qualities of the 3ds Max 2.5 renderer.

1156 | Chapter 9 Modifiers

Procedures

The following steps show how to apply the Camera Map modifier, and how

to set up your scene.

To apply the Camera Map modifier:

1Create a scene with a camera and one or more objects. Make sure the

object you want to map is visible in the Camera viewport.

2Select the object, and apply the Camera Map modifier.

Be sure to use the Object-Space version of the Camera Map modifier.

3If you have animation in the scene, move to the frame where you want

the object map to match the background. For example, if the camera is

animated, the mapping will match only at this frame.

4On the Camera Mapping rollout, click Pick Camera, and then select the

camera used for the rendered view.

To assign a background image to the Camera viewport:

NOTE This procedure is not necessary for successful rendering, but if you want

to see the effect in a viewport, follow these steps.

1Activate the Camera viewport and turn off the grid.

2Choose Views menu > Viewport Background.

3On the Viewport Background dialog that displays, click the Files button,

and choose the same bitmap that you plan to apply as a background for

the rendered scene, and as a diffuse map on the object.

4In the Aspect Ratio group, choose Match Rendering Output.

5Turn on Display Background, and click OK.

The dialog is dismissed and the map is displayed in the viewport.

To assign a mapped material to the object:

1In the Material Editor, create a standard material to whose Diffuse

component you've assigned the same bitmap as you assigned to the

background.

2At the Diffuse Map level of the material, turn on the Show Map In

Viewport button.

Camera Map Modifier (Object Space) | 1157

3Select the object, and click Assign Material To Selection.

The map on the object in the viewport matches the viewport background,

but the shading makes the object visible. To make the object truly

invisible, go to the next step.

4At the top level of the object's material, set Specular Level and Glossiness

to 0. Turn off Self Illumination Color, and set Self Illumination to 100.

The object is now camouflaged against the background.

To assign the background to the rendered background:

1Choose Rendering menu > Environment.

2In the Environment dialog that displays, click the button below

"Environment Map" to open the Material/Map Browser.

3Under the Browse From group box, choose Material Editor.

4Turn off Root Only, find the map in the list window, highlight it, and

choose OK.

5Choose Copy in the dialog, and click OK.

6In the Exposure Control rollout on the Environment dialog, make sure

the exposure is set to <no exposure control> or the turn off the Active

switch.

If this is not done, you will be able to see the object in the rendering.

7Render the Camera viewport.

The mapped object is camouflaged against the background in the rendered

scene.

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Interface

Pick Camera To apply the UVW coordinates, click this button, and then

select the camera through which you're going to view the scene.

Map Channel Turn on and choose a map channel to use. Map channels are

specified in the Material Editor.

Vertex Color Channel Uses the Vertex Color channel.

Cap Holes Modifier

Select a mesh object. > Modify panel > Modifier List > Cap Holes

Select a mesh object. > Modifiers menu > Mesh Editing > Cap Holes

Cap Holes Modifier | 1159

Cap Holes used to make the cake appear solid

The Cap Holes modifier builds faces in the holes in a mesh object. A hole is

defined as a loop of edges, each of which has only one face. For example, one

or more missing faces from a sphere would produce one or more holes. The

modifier works best on reconstructing planar holes, but can do a reasonable

job on non-planar holes as well.

NOTE This modifier can cap holes in a sub-object selection passed up the stack.

It caps any part of the hole that's adjacent to, or within the selected geometry,

whether vertex, edge, or face.

Tips

■If the Cap Holes modifier doesn't appear to work, remove it, apply a Mesh

Select modifier on page 1455 to select the faces surrounding the hole, then

apply Cap Holes to the sub-object selection.

■The Cap Holes modifier creates faces with invisible edges unless you turn

on All New Edges Visible before you apply it.

Procedures

Example: To cap a hole in a sphere:

1Create a sphere.

2Apply an Edit Mesh modifier to the sphere.

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3In the stack display, choose the Face selection level.

4Select and delete a contiguous group of faces.

5Turn off the Face selection level.

6Apply a Cap Holes modifier.

The hole you created should be filled.

TIP Turning on Smooth With Old Faces makes the cap less visible.

Interface

Smooth New Faces Assigns the same smoothing group number to all new

faces. If possible, this will be a smoothing group number not used elsewhere

in the object.

Smooth With Old Faces Smoothes new triangular faces using the smoothing

groups from bordering old faces. This smoothes only one level in from the

perimeter of the border of the hole, so you might need to use both this and

the Smooth New Faces option to properly smooth a large hole.

NOTE When Smooth With Old Faces is turned on, the faces in the capped holes

inherit a material face ID from one of the surrounding faces. When this item is

turned off, the faces in the capped holes are assigned a new ID.

Triangulate Cap Makes all of the edges visible in the new faces.

Cap Holes Modifier | 1161

Cloth and Garment Maker Modifiers

Laura by Georges Walser

Cloth provides you with advanced tools for creating realistic fabrics and

tailor-made clothing for characters and creatures. The Cloth system comprises

two modifiers:

■The Cloth modifier on page 1178 is responsible for simulating the motion

of cloth as it interacts with the environment, which may include collision

objects (a character or a table, for example) and external forces, such as

gravity and wind.

■The Garment Maker modifier on page 1228 is a specialized tool for creating

3D garments from 2D splines, similarly to the way real clothes are made,

by stitching together flat pieces of cloth.

You can model clothing in two ways: by creating the cloth objects with

standard 3ds Max modeling methods and applying the Cloth modifier to

them, or by designing virtual clothing patterns with splines and stitching

together these various virtual panels to form a full garment using the Garment

Maker modifier. With Garment Maker, you can even import spline patterns

from external applications and use these as your pattern panels.

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See also:

■Cloth Overview on page 1163

Cloth Overview

Cloth is an advanced cloth-simulation engine that lets you create realistic

garments for your characters and other creations. Cloth is designed to work

in concert with the modeling tools in 3ds Max and can turn just about any

3D object into clothing; it also allows you to build garments from scratch.

Before you begin working with Cloth, we recommend that you read this

overview. It provides background information on cloth-simulation technology,

so you can begin to grasp exactly the way Cloth works. It will give you a better

overall understanding of how to set up Cloth scenes, the way the cloth behaves,

and the array of advanced controls you will have at your disposal.

As an artist and creator, you can use this knowledge to tailor (no pun intended)

how Cloth will affect and interact with your scenes, and how you can best

take advantage of this software.

Cloth-Simulation Technology

Cloth simulation is the process of replicating the movement and deformation

of a piece of fabric or clothing to mimic how cloth would react in the real

world. To make cloth simulation work, first you need a cloth object, such as

a tablecloth or a pair of pants. Next, you need something for the fabric to

interact with. This can be a collision object such as a table top or character’s

leg, or a force such as wind or gravity.

Limitations

While Cloth is designed to help you create clothing for your models, you

should be aware that, by its very nature, cloth simulation is only an

approximation of how real fabric would react under certain circumstances;

this system does have some limitations.

One of the most important aspects of working with Cloth is the amount of

time it can take to create a simulation. If you're looking to create a fully

physically correct simulation, you might run into problems. Even with a fast

computer, cloth dynamics at that level of accuracy (and geometric detail)

could take virtually forever. So you must learn to scale your simulations back

Cloth and Garment Maker Modifiers | 1163

to a reasonable level. This doesn't mean you can't get believable clothing; it

simply means that there are tradeoffs you should be willing to make.

Tradeoffs

In order to create a believable simulation, you need to balance time against

quality and accuracy. The more time you have, the more accuracy and quality

your simulation can have. There's no reason to make a model with 10,000

polygons if you can define the form equally well with 3,000. The same rule

applies to cloth simulations.

Internal and External Forces

When simulating cloth, different forces come into play. Some internal forces

like bend, stretch, and shear allow the fabric to deform in a realistic manner.

External forces such as gravity, wind, and collisions make the cloth interact

with its environment. To obtain a good-looking simulation, most or all of

these things need to come into play. Without these forces, a piece of cloth

will remain a flat, lifeless plane.

Collision Detection

When putting a shirt or pair of pants on a character, you don't want any part

of the body to protrude through the fabric. The desired result is to have the

garment deform around the mesh (rather than through it) so there are no

intersections. This is done with collision detection; with Cloth, you tell the

simulation system which objects will act as cloth, and which ones will act as

collision objects.

Basically, virtual feelers are sent out from the vertices of the cloth objects to

see if there are any other objects that they might collide with. When one of

the feelers hits something, the simulation knows that it must deform the

fabric. It is important to remember that a cloth mesh with more vertices has

more feelers and can do a better job of collision detection. This is critical,

because if you are working with a high-poly character (collision object), you

will need to increase the density of your cloth, or the high-poly mesh will

protrude through the lower-poly cloth object. The reason is that there aren't

enough feelers to detect all of the detail in the collision object.

The alternative to this is to add one or more low-polygon proxy meshes for

the character so there doesn't need to be such high density cloth objects that

will slow down simulation. We'll cover the mesh density a bit more in the

next section.

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Lastly, if you are simulating with fast-moving cloth objects, you might need

to increase the Density value to give you the benefit of more feelers. You also

might adjust the Step size to check more often for collision objects in the way.

Clothing and Pattern Design Overview

Traditionally, sewing patterns are cut from flat pieces of cloth and stitched

together. The place where one piece of cloth is sewn to another is called a

seam. Patterns are generally symmetrical, where the left side of the garment

matches the right.

Skirt

The simplest is a skirt pattern with two pieces, with a similar shape for the

front and back. The back shape is a little larger than the front to account for

the hips and buttocks.

The shapes are sewn together at the sides to form a simple skirt.

Cloth and Garment Maker Modifiers | 1165

The bottom edge of a garment is called a hem. In the skirt pattern, the waistline

and hem are slightly curved. When a person puts on the skirt, the curve sits

flat on the waist, while the skirt falls in folds to the hem. Because both the

waistline and hem are curved, the skirt falls to the same length all the way

around.

Shirt

A shirt pattern is slightly more complicated. A simple T-shirt pattern is made

of two pieces, one for the front and another for the back. The collar on the

back piece is higher than the collar on the front. You sew seams up the sides

and at the shoulders, leaving the arm hole open.

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You can also add sleeves to the shirt. A sleeve pattern is bell-shaped.

It might not be immediately obvious how this pattern turns into a sleeve. The

large hump of the bell fits over the shoulder, to give room for it to move.

Cloth and Garment Maker Modifiers | 1167

Pants

A pants pattern has a curved shape at the top to accommodate the hips. The

longer straight edge is the outside seam, while the shorter edge is the inseam.

The curve near the top fits around the belly or buttocks, and under the crotch

area.

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Each piece is cut twice. The two front pieces are sewn together along the

crotch, and the two back pieces are sewn together in the same way. Then the

front is attached to the back at the outside seams and inseams.

Cloth and Garment Maker Modifiers | 1169

Darts

Darts are diamond-shaped holes inside a panel or V-shaped cutouts at an edge

of a garment panel (see figure below), which when closed up cause the garment

to assume a curved shape.

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Cloth and Garment Maker Modifiers | 1171

Darts used to be a common part of women's everyday clothing, especially in

blouses and dresses. However, darts are not needed with loose garments or

stretchy clothing. Today, they are used mostly in formal wear and tailored

garments.

Clothing Design and Techniques

One way to create clothing is to lay out a pattern and put it together with

Garment Maker. Garment Maker is a modifier that is used to make seams, lay

out cloth panels and define fabric densities. You can use Garment Maker to

create seams for the pattern either in a traditional, flat layout or in a visual,

easy-to-use 3D layout.

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In the real world, clothes are made by cutting out shapes from pieces of cloth

and sewing them together along seams with thread. Garment Maker emulates

this approach. First you must create a pattern that will define the shapes of

the panels. Clothing patterns typically use shapes that we don't encounter in

everyday life. Those of us who aren't an experienced clothing designers might

have a hard time creating these shapes from scratch. It's often best to start out

with a pattern made by somebody else. Cloth includes a variety of patterns

for shirts, pants, jackets and so forth. You can also buy software that will

generate these patterns in DXF format.

One program that does this is PatternMaker, available from

http://www.patternmaker.com. When you want to move beyond editing the

patterns included with Cloth, it's often helpful to use such applications to

help create patterns and familiarize yourself with the process .

Shirt pattern and shirt sewn together with Garment Maker

Modeling Clothing

Garment Maker is a useful tool for putting together patterns and adjusting

seams, but you can also achieve good results by modeling with the standard

3ds Max tools and using Cloth on top of these meshes. You can create clothing

with polygons, patches, or NURBS.

IMPORTANT Keep in mind that modeled clothing must not have any overlapping

vertices or interpenetrating faces. This type of geometry can cause the simulation

to fail. Using Garment Maker; you will not run into this problem. If you are careful

in creating your mesh, then this is an easy rule to follow.

Pros and Cons

Cloth and Garment Maker Modifiers | 1173

When designing clothing, Garment Maker is usually the best way to go. It lets

you define seams, seam strength, pleats, and other clothing parameters that

cannot be defined with clothing modeled via other methods. Either methods

lets you define separate portions of your clothing with different fabrics, but

Garment Maker gives you greater control over this. The advantage to using

modeled clothing is that it can sometimes be a faster setup with familiar

methods and it’s a great way to repurpose older clothing models you have

made in the past. Using polygon-modeled clothing can result in overly regular

creases and folds. Garment Maker uses a Delaunay mesh, which tends to avoid

this problem. However, the irregular triangulation can result in rendering

artifacts for low-resolution clothes, so it is advisable to apply the HSDS modifier

after Cloth on garments created with Garment Maker and subdivide all the

triangles once.

NOTE MeshSmooth does not give good results with Garment Maker meshes.

Left: Garment Maker Delaunay mesh

Right: Modeled quad mesh

How Cloth Works

Cloth exists within 3ds Max as a pair of modifiers: Garment Maker and Cloth.

Between these two, you can turn just about any 3D object into a cloth object,

or you can create clothing in a more traditional method from 2D patterns,

and then sew the panels together. However, before getting into the specifics

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of the two modifiers, it's useful to discuss how to preplan for using Cloth. This

includes how geometry affects Cloth behavior as well as the density of the

meshes you use as fabric.

Effect of Geometry on Cloth

Ideally, the way you model your cloth should not affect how it behaves.

However, in practice, the nature of the cloth geometry impacts the simulation.

First of all, the density of the mesh defines how fine the folds are that can

develop. If you create a plane with only nine vertices, when you drape it over

a sphere, you are obviously not going to get much detailed folding.

In addition to this aspect, there is the nature of the edges in the mesh. Folding

can occur only at edges between triangles, so the regularity or irregularity of

the mesh also dictates the resulting deformation. For example, a plane all of

whose triangle hypotenuse edges are aligned will result in a cloth with folds

aligned along those edges. Garment Maker creates meshes with an irregular

layout (but with fairly equal-sized and close-to-equilateral triangles) that avoids

this folding bias. However, this can also result in rendering artifacts with

low-resolution cloths, so it is advisable to apply the HSDS modifier after Cloth

on garments created with Garment Maker and subdivide all the triangles once.

NOTE MeshSmooth does not give good results with Garment Maker meshes.

Left: A low-density shirt.

Right: The same shirt with HSDS applied, above Cloth in the modifier stack

NOTE There should never be any modifiers that can alter topology between

Garment Maker and Cloth. For example, you can use Unwrap UVW, but not

modifiers such as Edit Mesh, MeshSmooth, or HSDS.

Cloth and Garment Maker Modifiers | 1175

The type of geometry you work with can have a great impact on how the cloth

will react. You're probably accustomed to using triangular and quadrilateral

polygons for modeling. Garment Maker uses a Delaunay mesh subdivision

that promotes non-uniform deformation. When using quad polygons for cloth

simulation be careful of getting uniform or symmetrical results.

Left: A quad mesh

Right: A Delaunay mesh

Cloth Mesh Density

It is important to think about how dense your mesh has to be to achieve the

result you want. Making the mesh too dense will slow down the system, while

having your mesh at too low resolution might not give you the folds or detail

you want to see.

For example, if you applied a Bend modifier to a cylinder with only a few

height segments, the result would be angular and unsmooth. On the other

hand, if you created the cylinder with 1,000 height segments, you'd be wasting

resources. The same is true for Cloth. You must find a balance between level

of detail and performance that is appropriate for your scene.

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Low, medium, and high-density meshes and the way they deform

Notes on the HSDS Modifier

Using the HSDS modifier to add detail to your model can be an effective

solution that lets you simulate with a lower resolution mesh, and still get

high-quality results. However, if you choose to use the HSDS modifier on top

of your Cloth garments, you may want to apply an Edit Mesh modifier below

it to weld the vertices together along the seams. This prevents the mesh from

coming apart at the seams as it is subdivided.

Shown above is how the modifier stack should look when using HSDS. The

intermediate Edit Mesh modifier is used to weld the panel edge vertices

together. If you want to preserve the seam creases, you should apply further

Cloth and Garment Maker Modifiers | 1177

Mesh Select and Smooth modifiers to reselect the panels and apply different

smoothing groups across the garment.

Pattern-Making Software

Below is a list of traditional pattern-making software that you can use to create

patterns for import into 3ds Max and use with Cloth. After ensuring that your

Internet connection is active, click the software names to display the makers'

Web sites.

■http://www.fashioncad.net/index.htmlFashion CAD

■http://www.patternmaker.comPatternMaker

■http://www.wildginger.com/products/cameo.htmWild Ginger Software

■http://www.autometrix.comAutometrix

■AccuMark Pattern Design

■http://www.tukatech.comTUKATECH

See also:

■Cloth Modifier on page 1178

■Garment Maker Modifier on page 1228

Cloth Modifier

Select an object. > Modify panel > Modifier List > Object-Space Modifiers >

Cloth

The Cloth modifier is the heart of the Cloth system, and is applied to all

objects in your scene that need to be part of the Cloth simulation. This is

where you define cloth and collision objects, assign properties, and execute

the simulation. Other controls include creating constraints, interactively

dragging the cloth, and erasing parts of the simulation.

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Left: Cloth modifier not yet applied

Right: Cloth modifier applied and simulated

See also:

■Object Properties Dialog (Cloth) on page 1219

■Cloth and Garment Maker Modifiers on page 1162

■Cloth Overview on page 1163

■Garment Maker Modifier on page 1228

Basic Concepts

In a Cloth simulation, you will let Cloth know which objects will be part of

the simulation, and which objects will not. Once you have done this, you

define what the objects are made of. You can specify what is made of cloth,

and what is a solid, collision object.

Because Cloth is a modifier, an instance of it is assigned to each object to be

included in the Cloth simulation. This includes all cloth and collision objects.

Be aware that two cloth objects with two separate applications of the Cloth

modifier will not interact with one another. There are a couple of ways to

include objects in the simulation:

■Select all of the objects at once and apply the Cloth modifier to them.

Cloth and Garment Maker Modifiers | 1179

■Apply Cloth to one or more objects and then add objects with the Add

Objects button, available on both the Object rollout and the Object

Properties dialog on page 1219 .

Units of Measure

IMPORTANT The following information is necessary only if you change the system

unit after applying the Cloth modifier. If you change the system unit before

applying Cloth, the modifier automatically adjusts the cm/unit setting.

It is important to think about size in doing clothing simulations. A very large

flag behaves differently from a handkerchief. If the scale is off, then the

simulation will be off. Because Cloth deals with real-world physics, it works

in real-world units. This means that Cloth needs to know the relationship

between units in 3ds Max and units in its own world.

For example, suppose you create a plane that is 10 x 10 3ds Max units. If you

want this plane to behave like a 10-inch x 10-inch handkerchief, you would

tell Cloth that 1 3ds Max unit=1 inch. If you want it to behave like a 10-foot

x 10-foot bed sheet, you would tell Cloth that 1 3ds Max unit=1 foot.

Except as noted at the start of this section, Cloth ignores the 3ds Max System

Units Setup (under Customize menu > Units Setup > System Units Setup).

Cloth has its own units setup, which is determined by the cm/unit parameter

on page 1195 on the Simulation Parameters rollout. This tells Cloth how many

centimeters (cm) correspond to each 3ds Max unit. One inch equals 2.54 cm,

so the default setting of 2.54 means that one 3ds Max unit corresponds to 1

inch.

Following is the procedure to follow to determine what setting to use here.

1Use the measure utility or tape helper to measure some dimension of

your cloth (or character) in 3ds Max units (call this number x).

2Decide how big you want this object to be in the real world Convert this

number to centimeters. If you have the dimension in inches, simply

multiply by 2.54 (call this number y).

3cm/unit=y/x

Here is a quick example: You import a file, man.obj, into 3ds Max, and want

to put a shirt on him.

1Using the Measure utility, you find that the man is 170 3ds Max units

tall. So y=170.

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2You determine that this man is about 6 feet tall.

■6 feet=72 inches.

■And 72 inches=72x2.54=182.88cm. So x=182.88

3So now you have the values to make sure the shirt behaves correctly.

Cm/unit=y/x=170/182.88=0.929. Or you can round the spinner's value

up to 1.0, since pinpoint accuracy is not needed here.

Fabric Behavior

Cloth provides many different ways to set up fabric behaviors. You can make

your cloth behave like leather, silk, burlap, and anything in between.

The Simulation

Once all of your parameters are set and you’re ready to go, it’s time to simulate.

In many cases, you will first perform a local simulation to fit your fabric to

your character. Once your fabric is in place, you can simulate over time.

Running a simulation in Cloth is very freeform. You are able to make many

changes and edits to a simulation, making it more of a work in progress than

a click and a “hope for the best” scenario.

Constraints

You can constrain fabric in various ways to create different fabric effects during

simulations. Cloth can constrain cloth to have extra drag as it flies through

the air, or can cause it to be affected by a space warp in the scene. Linking a

portion of the fabric to an animated object or attaching to a surface are other

common constraints. If you wanted to create a pair of pants you would

constrain the top portion of the pants to the waist of the character or a curtain

can be constrained to a rod. Constraints are a very important and robust part

of Cloth. Cloth has the ability to make multiple groups of constrained vertices

for great flexibility. You can constrain many different parts of a piece of

clothing to different nodes' surfaces or other cloth objects.

You build constraints in Cloth at the modifier's Group sub-object level on

page 1198 . At this level, you can see vertices of all selected objects, both cloth

and collision. You can then select these and place them in groups. Once a

group is defined, you can then attach or "constrain" the selection set to another

object, or have it affected by some external force.

Cloth and Garment Maker Modifiers | 1181

Procedures

Example: To use the Keep Shape option:

If your cloth object starts out with 3D shape that you'd like to retain during

the simulation, you can use the Keep Shape option and setting to preserve

this shape, or even reverse it. This simple procedure provides an example of

how to use Keep Shape.

1In the Top or Perspective viewport, add a Plane primitive object of about

90 x 90 units, with 20 x 20 segments.

2Apply a Bend modifier, set Angle to 250.0, and set Bend Axis to X.

This produces the initial tubular shape.

3Copy the bent plane twice so you have three planes in a row. Rename

the planes as follows:

■don't keep shape

■keep shape

■reverse shape

4Select all three planes and apply the Cloth modifier.

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5On the Simulation Parameters rollout, turn off Gravity and set cm/unit

to 0.5.

Turning off Gravity keeps the cloth objects from falling during the

simulation, so they stay in view, and lowering the cm/unit setting

compensates for the planes' relatively large size.

6On the Object rollout, click Object Properties.

This opens the Object Properties dialog.

7In the Objects In Simulation list, highlight all three planes (by dragging),

and then, above the Cloth Properties group, choose Cloth. Also set U

Bend to 500.0.

This sets V Bend also to 500.0 automatically.

Using high Bend values allows the simulation to proceed more quickly.

Next, you'll set different Keep Shape properties separately for each object.

8Highlight the reverse shape object in the list and set the Bend % value to

-100.0.

NOTE The default value was 100.0.

9Click OK to exit the dialog.

10 Select the don't keep shape object and note that Object rollout > Selected

Objects Manip group > Use Target State is off.

11 Select both the reverse shape and the keep shape objects, but not don't keep

shape, and then turn on Use Target State.

12 On the Object rollout, click Simulate Local.

Cloth and Garment Maker Modifiers | 1183

After a few seconds, the don't keep shape object starts to flatten out, the

keep shape object doesn't change, and the reverse shape object has, in fact,

reversed its shape, effectively creating a negative bend angle.

TIP You can also use Use Target State with Grab State to maintain or reverse

a shape created with a previous cloth simulation or shape-changing modifier.

To run a cloth simulation with a networked render farm:

A complex cloth simulation can require extensive computation and take a

long time. Cloth includes commands that make it easy to run a simulation

on a networked machine (part of a render farm), freeing up your machine for

working on other parts of the scene.

1Set up the simulation.

2For each cloth object in the simulation, select the object, and then on

the Selected Object rollout click Set and specify a path and file name for

the cache.

For best results, specify a mapped drive and turn on Force UNC Path.

This specifies the path using the Universal Naming Convention so that

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it can be found by all computers in the network. Also, it's probably a

good idea to keep all the cache files in the same directory.

3On the Simulation Parameters rollout, turn on Sim On Render.

4Save the scene file.

5On the Render Scene dialog, turn on Net Render, and then click Render.

Submit the job to a single Server.

Unlike rendering, network Cloth simulation cannot be split up among

multiple Server machines.

NOTE You needn't render the entire animation to trigger the cache creation;

a single frame suffices.

As soon as the Server machine starts the render, it begins computing the

simulation and saving it to disk. At any point you can load the simulation

in its current state from the cache file to check its progress by clicking

the Load button.

Interface

The Cloth interface varies depending on the current modifier stack level:

Object on page 1185 or one of the four sub-object levels:

■Group on page 1198

■Panel on page 1211

■Seams on page 1217

■Faces on page 1218

Object rollout

The Object rollout is the first rollout you see on the Command panel once

you apply the Cloth modifier. It comprises mostly controls to create a Cloth

simulation and adjust fabric properties.

Cloth and Garment Maker Modifiers | 1185

Object Properties Opens the Object Properties dialog on page 1219 , where

you can define which objects to include in the simulation, whether they are

cloth or collision objects, and the parameters associated with them.

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Cloth Forces Add forces (that is, space warps in the scene) such as wind to

the simulation. Click Cloth Forces to open the Forces dialog. To add forces to

the simulation, in the Forces In Scene list on the left side, highlight the forces

to add, and then click the > button to move them to the Forces In Simulation

list, thus adding them to the simulation. Thereafter, the forces affect all cloth

objects in the simulation.

To remove forces from the simulation, in the Forces In Simulation list on the

right side, highlight the forces to remove, and then click the < button to move

them to the Forces In Scene list.

Simulation group

To run a cloth simulation, click any of the three Simulate buttons in this

group. To halt a simulation, press Esc or if the Cloth Simulation dialog is open

(i.e., Progress on page 1188 is on), click the Cancel button.

Simulate Local Starts the simulation process without creating animation.

Use this to drape the clothes on a character or sew the panels of a garment

together.

Simulate Local (damped) Same as Simulate Local, but with a large amount

of damping added to the cloth. When sewing a garment together, sometimes

the panels come together at high speed, causing problems. Using a damped

simulation alleviates this problem.

Simulate Creates a simulation over the active time segment. Unlike Simulate

Local, this creates animation data in the form of a simulation cache at every

frame.

The simulator advances by a time step called dT. The initial value is the Step

setting on page 1196 on the Simulation Parameters rollout. When the simulator

encounters certain situations, it decreases dT in order to overcome the

Cloth and Garment Maker Modifiers | 1187

obstacles. Sometime later, the simulator increases dT again up to the maximum

Step value you set. The current value of dT appears on the Cloth Simulation

dialog that shows the progress of the simulation as it takes place (see following).

When the simulator decreases dT, it shows "dT decreased" on the Cloth

Simulation dialog along with one of the following messages (explanation

follows each message):

■could not solve equations – The solver could not solve the equations of

motion.

■cloth has become over-stretched – In attempting to solve one step, some

edges of the cloth became too elongated, indicating a failure of the solver.

■cloth-solid collision velocity was too large – The speed of the cloth relative

to that of the collision object is too high.

■cloth-cloth collision velocity was too large – The speed of colliding cloth

parts is too high.

Progress When on, opens the Cloth Simulation dialog during the simulation.

The dialog shows the progress of the simulation, including information about

time, and messages about errors or time step size adjustments.

The Cloth Simulation dialog shows information about the simulation while it's running.

Simulated Frames Shows the number of frames simulated so far.

Erase Simulation Deletes the current simulation. This deletes the cache of

all cloth objects and sets the Simulated Frames count back to 1.

Truncate Simulation Deletes animation created by the simulation after the

current frame.

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For example, if you've simulated an animation to frame 50 but want to keep

only animation keys from frames 0 to 30, set the time slider to frame 30, then

click this button. The simulation is then deleted from frame 31 on.

Selected Object Manip group

Set Initial State Updates the first frame of the selected cloth object’s cache

to the current position.

Reset State Resets the selected cloth object's state to the state before Cloth

in the modifier stack. When you click this, the simulation is erased; that is,

Simulated Frames returns to 1.

Delete Object Cache Deletes the cache for selected non-cloth objects. If an

object is simulated as cloth, and is then turned into a collision object (or

inactive) via the Object Properties dialog, it will retain the cloth motion in its

cache.

This is useful for simulating clothes in layers. For example, you may simulate

a character’s pants, then turn the pants into a collision object for simulating

a coat. By simulating in layers, you avoid the problems of cloth-to-cloth

collision detection. If you want to remove the cached motion from the selected

object(s), click this button.

Grab State Grabs the current state from the top of the modifier stack and

updates the cache for the current frame.

Following is an example of how this might be used:

1Simulate to frame 100. When you play back the simulation, you see a

collision object poking through the cloth at frame 24.

2Add an Edit Mesh modifier after Cloth and pull the cloth vertices so the

object doesn't poke through.

Cloth and Garment Maker Modifiers | 1189

3Go down the stack to Cloth and click Grab State. The vertices are now

moved twice as far as you intended because the vertex displacement was

applied once by Cloth, and again with Edit Mesh.

4Remove the Edit Mesh modifier. The vertices should now be where you

want them.

Grab Target State Lets you specify the target shape for Keep Shape on page

1226 . Grabs the current deformation from the top of the modifier stack and

uses that mesh to define the target bend angles between triangles. Also turns

on Use Target State on page 1190 .

NOTE Only the bend angles from the Target State mesh are used, not the edge

lengths.

TIP To add some natural creasing to your cloth, drop the cloth on the floor, click

Grab Target State, and then run the simulation. After clicking Grab Target State

and before running the simulation, click Reset State (unless you want the cloth to

stay on the floor!).

Reset Target State Resets the default bend angles to the mesh below Cloth

in the stack.

NOTE For Garment Maker on page 1228 objects, the target bend angles will depend

on the output method set in the Garment Maker modifier. To see what is actually

being used, use Show Target State on page 1191 .

Use Target State When on, preserves the shape of the mesh as stored by

Grab Target State on page 1190 . It uses the Bend % and Stretch % settings in

the Keep Shape on page 1226 group on the Object Properties dialog for Cloth.

If multiple cloth objects with different Use Target State settings are selected,

this check box appears unavailable, but you can click it to make the setting

for all selected objects.

1190 | Chapter 9 Modifiers

NOTE In previous versions, this check box was labeled Keep Shape and was found

on the Object Properties dialog for Cloth.

Create Keys Creates keys for a selected cloth object. The object is collapsed

to an editable mesh, and any deformation is stored as vertex animation.

Add Objects Lets you add objects to the simulation without opening the

Object Properties dialog. Click Add Objects, and then click an object to add.

To add multiple objects at once, press H and use the Pick Objects dialog.

Show Current State Shows the current state of the cloth at the end of the

last simulation time step.

If the simulation is cancelled, the last time step could lie between two frames.

If the simulation is allowed to successfully finish, the last time step corresponds

to the last frame.

Show Target State Shows the current target state of the cloth; that is, the

desired bend angles used by the Keep Shape option.

Show enabled solid collision When on, highlights all groups of vertices for

which Solid Coll on page 1203 is on. This is handy for seeing exactly which

vertices will be involved in solid-object collisions.

Show enabled self collision When on, highlights all groups of vertices for

which Self Coll on page 1203 is on. This is handy for seeing exactly which

vertices will be involved in cloth-to-cloth collisions.

Selected Object rollout

The Selected Object rollout lets you control the simulation caches, control

and optionally animate the cloth properties with a texture map or

interpolation, and specify a bend map. This rollout appears only when a single

object in the simulation is selected.

Cloth and Garment Maker Modifiers | 1191

Cache group

Use these settings for network simulation. When you render with Sim On

Render on page 1197 on, Cloth can run the simulation on a networked machine,

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leaving your local machine free for other work. For a procedure, see To run

a cloth simulation with a networked render farm: on page 1184 .

[text field] Shows the current path and file name for the cache file. You can

edit this field, but the path must exist; the file will be created if necessary.

For any cloth object for which you have not specified a file name, Cloth creates

one based on the object name.

Force UNC Path If the text field path is to a mapped drive, converts the path

to UNC format on page 7961 . This makes the path readily accessible to any

computer on the network. To convert cache paths for all cloth objects in the

current simulation to UNC format, click the All button.

Overwrite Existing When on, Cloth can overwrite existing cache files. To

enable overwriting for all cloth objects in the current simulation, click the All

button.

Set Lets you specify the path and filename of the cache file for the selected

object. Click Set, navigate to the directory, enter the file name, and then click

Save.

Load Loads the specified file into the selected object's cache.

Import Opens a file dialog to load a cache file other than the specified one.

Load All Loads the specified cache file for every cloth object in the simulation.

Save Saves the current cache, if any, using the specified file name and path.

If no file is specified, Cloth creates one based on the object name.

Export Opens a file dialog to save the cache to a file other than the specified

one. You can save in the default CFX format or in PointCache2 format.

Extra Cache To create a second cache in PointCache2 format, turn on Extra

Cache and click Set to specify a path and file name. This file is also created

when you render with Sim On Render on.

Property Assignment group

Interpolate Interpolates between the two different property settings in the

Object Properties dialog on page 1219 (as determined by the Property 1 and

Property 2 radio buttons at the top right corner). You can use this slider to

animate between these two properties to adjust the type of fabric settings the

garment is using.

Texture Map Set a texture map and apply the Property 1 and Property 2

settings to the cloth object. You can add a grayscale texture map in this slot

to blend between the two properties set in the Object Properties dialog. Black

Cloth and Garment Maker Modifiers | 1193

will represent property 1 and white property 2. Any grayscale value will blend

between these two properties. You can drag a texture map onto this button.

Cloth object with a burlap material in Property 1 and silk in Property 2 being controlled

by a Checker procedural map

Mapping Channel Lets you specify the mapping channel the Texture map

will work from, or choose Vertex Color to use that instead. Vertex color can

be particularly useful in conjunction with the new painting tools in 3ds Max.

You can paint vertex colors directly onto your object and use the painted areas

for material assignment.

Bend Map group

The Bend Map option lets you use a texture map, map channel, or vertex

colors to modulate the target bend angles. The value of this is that you can

paint deformations onto your cloth, or use some kind of noise map to add

irregularity to the cloth.

Bend Map Toggles the use of the Bend Map option.

Set the strength of the modulation with the numeric value. In most cases, the

value should be less than 1.0. Range=0.0 to 100.0. Default=0.5.

[map type] Choose the map type for the Bend map:

■Vertex Color Uses the Vertex Color channel for modulation.

■Map Channel Uses a map channel other than Vertex Color for

modulation. Set the channel with the spinner.

■Texture Map Uses a texture map for modulation. To specify a texture

map, click the button (labeled None by default) and then use the

Material/Map Browser to choose the map. Thereafter the map name appears

on the button.

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Simulation Parameters rollout

The Simulation Parameters rollout settings let you specify general properties

of the simulation such as gravity, start and end frames, and sewing-spring

options. These settings apply to the simulation on a global scale, that is, to

all objects in the simulation.

cm/unit Determines how many centimeters there are per 3ds Max system

unit.

Cloth automatically sets cm/unit to the equivalent of 2.54 centimeters per

inch (the default system unit in 3ds Max). For example, if you set the system

unit to one foot, Cloth automatically sets cm/unit to 30.48 (12x2.54).

Size and scale are important when doing cloth simulation because a 10-foot

curtain behaves much differently from a one-foot square handkerchief, even

if they are made from the same fabric.

Earth Click this button to set the Gravity value to that of planet Earth.

Cloth and Garment Maker Modifiers | 1195

Gravity When on, the Gravity value (see following) affects cloth objects in

the simulation.

[Gravity value] The force of gravity in cm/sec2. A negative value applies

gravitational force downward. A positive value (i.e., no sign) means gravity

will act to move cloth objects upward. The default value is set to be the same

as Earth's gravity: -980.0 cm/sec2.

Step The maximum size of the time step the simulator takes.

This value is measured in seconds. The value must be less than the length of

one frame (less than 0.033333 for 30 fps animation). A value of 0.02 is generally

the largest value you want to use. Reducing this value causes the simulator to

take longer to calculate, but will in general give better results. The simulator

will automatically reduce its time steps as needed, but this is the maximum

value that it will try. This value works in conjunction with the Subsample

parameter: The actual maximum value=Step value divided by Subsampl value.

Subsample The number of times per frame that the software samples the

position of solid objects. Default=1.

At the default value, Cloth samples the solid objects in the simulation once

every frame. Increasing this value should help when objects are moving or

rotating quickly, but be aware that the higher you set the value, the slower

the simulation will be.

Start Frame The frame at which the simulation starts. If you change this

value after the simulation has been performed, the cache will be moved to

this frame. Default=0.

End Frame When on, determines the frame at which the simulation will

stop. Default=100.

Self Collision When on, detects cloth-to-cloth collisions. Leaving this off

will speed up the simulator, but will allow cloth objects to interpenetrate.

The numeric setting specifies the extent to which Cloth tends to avoid

self-colliding cloth objects, at the cost of simulation time. Range=0 to 10.

Default=0.

This is a maximum limit. If Cloth needs fewer calculations to resolve all

collisions, it will use fewer. In most cases, a value greater than 1 isn't necessary.

Check Intersections (Discontinued feature. This check box has no effect.)

Solid Collision When on, the simulator takes into account cloth-to-solid

object collisions. This is almost always left on.

Use Sewing Springs When on, uses the sewing springs created with Garment

Maker to pull the fabric together.

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This works only with objects that have been made with Garment Maker on

page 1228 . Turn this option off once the garment has been pulled together.

When off, Cloth will identify vertices that are sewn together and will always

keep them coincident. When on, there is always a chance for the vertices to

come apart if the sewing springs are not strong enough (actually, there will

always be some slight gap between the vertices in this case).

Show Sewing Springs Toggles the visual representation of the sewing springs

in the viewports. These do not render.

Sim on Render When on, triggers the simulation at render time. Use this

for generating a simulation with a network computer, which lets you continue

to work on other aspects of your scene with your own computer. See a

procedure here on page ? .

After the render is completed, Cloth writes a cache for each cloth object. You

can specify this cache file on the Selected Object rollout on page 1191 (which

is available only when a single object is selected). If you do not specify a name,

the software creates one.

The numeric value indicates the priority of the simulation; the simulations

are run in ascending order. For modifiers with the same priority, the order is

undefined.

NOTE Each object has its own cache file, which is temporarily created when the

MAX file is opened. On saving the file, the cache is incorporated into the MAX

file. When Sim On Render is on, the cache file specified is created and written to,

but is not read from as you change the time slider. The cache file must be loaded

into the internal cache file on page 1193 before you can see it.

Advanced Pinching When on, Cloth tests for cloth pinched between two

parts of the same collision object.

This option helps with cloth colliding with small features of the collision

objects, such as fingers. There is a significant performance hit for

high-resolution collision objects.

Tension Lets you visualize the compression/tension in the fabric by means

of vertex coloring. Stretched cloth is indicated by red, compressed by blue,

neutral by green. The numeric setting lets you change the range of

tension/compression illustrated by a complete traversal from red to blue. The

higher this value, the more gradual the shading. This works only for Garment

Maker objects.

Cloth and Garment Maker Modifiers | 1197

Group rollout

The Group sub-object rollout is for selecting groups of vertices and constraining

them to surfaces, collision objects, or other cloth objects. At the Group

sub-object level, all selected objects that are part of the Cloth simulation are

shown with their vertices visible so that you can select them in an efficient

fashion.

When you create or select a group at this sub-object level, the Group Parameters

rollout becomes available.

IMPORTANT The concept of a group for Cloth can be applied to both the cloth

objects and to the collision objects in the simulation. And when created, groups

can then be given unique properties. For example, a group on a collision object

can have a different collision offset from the rest of the object. This is a powerful

feature when working with groups.

NOTE You can select groups of vertices explicitly, with the mouse in the viewports,

and you can also specify a soft selection or use a texture map to select vertices

using controls on the Group Parameters rollout. See Soft Selection group on page

1210 . In addition, named selection set on page 179 tools are available at this level.

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Make Group Makes a group out of selected vertices. Select the vertices to

include in the group, and then click this button. Name the group, and it will

then show up in the list below for you assign to an object.

Delete Group Deletes the group highlighted in the list.

Detach Removes any constraint assigned to the group and sets it back to

being unassigned (i.e., without any constraint). Any unique properties assigned

to this group will remain in effect.

Initialize Constraints that involve attaching the vertices to another object

(Node, SimNode, Surface and Cloth constraints) contain information regarding

the relative positions of the group vertices to the other object. This information

Cloth and Garment Maker Modifiers | 1199

is created upon the creation of the constraint. To regenerate this information,

click this button.

Change Group Lets you modify the vertex selection in the group. To use,

follow this procedure:

1Choose the group in the list.

2Change the selection of vertices.

3Click Change Group.

Rename Renames the highlighted group.

Node Constrains the highlighted group to the transforms of an object or

node in the scene. To use, click Node, and then select the node for

constraining. The node cannot be an object in the simulation; for that purpose,

use the SimNode constraint on page 1201 .

NOTE Node and SimNode simply constrain the group to an object's transforms

, not to the object itself. They need not be near each other. When the cloth and

the constraining object should be in close proximity, such as with clothing on a

character mesh, use the Surface constraint instead (see following).

Surface Attaches the selected group to the surface of a collision object in

the scene. To use, click Surface, and then select the node for attaching.

TIP This constraint is best suited for when the cloth and the constraining object

should be in close proximity, such as with clothing on a character mesh.

Cloth Attaches the selected group of cloth vertices to another cloth object.

Preserve This group type preserves the motion from below the Cloth modifier

in the modifier stack. For example, you might have a dress that you've skinned

to a skeleton. You want the upper portion of the dress to be unaffected by the

Cloth simulation (that is, to retain its deformation defined by the skinning),

and the lower part to be simulated. In this case, you'd make a Preserve

constraint from the upper vertices.

Drag This group type locks the vertices in place or adds a damping force to

selected group. When Group Parameters rollout > Soft on page 1202 is off, you

can use this constraint for “nailing” vertices in place so that they do not move

at all. When Soft is on, the vertices will have a drag force applied where the

amount of drag is controlled by the Strength and Damping values, also on

the Group Properties rollout.

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SimNode This option works the same as the Node option on page 1200 ,

except the node must be part of the Cloth simulation.

Group Attaches one group to another. This is recommended only for

single-vertex groups. (that is, groups that contain only one vertex). With this,

you can make one cloth vertex stick to another cloth vertex. Select one group,

click this button to open the Pick Group dialog , and then choose another

group.

NoCollide Causes collisions between the currently selected group and another

group to be ignored. When you click this button, you're prompted to choose

another group. You could use this option to prevent the simulator from

processing collisions between cloth and the body under an arm or between

the legs.

Forcefield Allows you to link a group to a space warp and have the space

warp affect the vertices.

Sticky Surf The group sticks to a surface only after it has collided with that

surface. Solid Coll on page 1203 must be enabled for this constraint to work.

Sticky Cloth The group sticks to a surface only after it has collided with that

surface. Self Coll on page 1203 must be enabled for this constraint to work.

[group list] Shows all current groups. The number of vertices associated with

the highlighted group is shown below the list. To assign, copy, paste, delete

or alter a created group, first highlight the group name in the list.

Copy Copies a named selection set to the copy buffer.

Paste Pastes the named selection set from copy buffer.

Group Parameters rollout

The Group Parameters rollout appears after you use Make Group on a vertex

selection to create at least one group. Thereafter, highlight the group in the

Group rollout list to display and edit the group's settings with the Group

Parameters rollout.

Cloth and Garment Maker Modifiers | 1201

Constraint Parameters group

On When on, enables the constraint specified for the current group in the

group list on the Group rollout, using remaining settings in this group box.

Soft Sets the constraint type to soft. A soft constraint uses springs between

vertices. When off, the constraint is hard or rigid. The constraint types Node,

Surface, Preserve, Drag, and SimNode can be hard or soft. Cloth, Group, and

Forcefield constraints are always soft.

ID Uses a Material ID to attach the group to an object. This option applies

only to Surface and Cloth constraints. If, when the constraint is created or

initialized, the cloth vertices are not over a triangle, then the constraint will

be created to the center of the nearest triangle that has the requisite Material

ID. This could mean that several vertices might be constrained to the center

of the same triangle. In this case, you should only use soft constraints. A hard

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constraint would pull all those cloth vertices to the same exact point on the

triangle, which would look strange.

Offset The variance in the distance between a constrained group and its

constraining, or target, object. The default value is 1.0 with Rel. on page 1203

on. This sets the constrained group to maintain its original distance from the

target object. When set to 0.0, the constraint seeks to set the distance to the

target object to zero.

Strength The stiffness of the springs used if the constraint is soft.

Damping The damping of the springs if the constraint is soft.

Rel. Specifies the offset as a ratio of the original value. Available only with

the Surface and Cloth constraint types. For example, if you want to move a

constrained vertex by half its original distance, turn on the Rel. check box

and set Offset to 0.5.

Vc Sets vertex colors to determine the strength of the constraint.

1-to-1 When the mesh density is changed in Garment Maker, the group

selection is reassigned. The 1-to-1 option selects the vertex closest to the

original vertex.

Blob When the mesh density is changed in Garment Maker, the group

selection is reassigned. The Blob option selects the original vertex and the

ones created within a certain radius of it. The radius can be left at default or

auto, or it can be set manually.

Radius When on, lets you set the radial distance used by the Blob option

(see preceding). When off, Blob uses an automatic radial value.

Behavior Settings group

Behavior Settings Toggles the availability of the other settings in this group.

When off, the other settings have no effect.

Solid Coll When on, the group vertices are used in solid-collision detection.

Self Coll When on, the group vertices are used in self-collision detection.

Layer Indicates the correct "order" of cloth pieces that might come in contact

with each other. Range=-100 to 100. Default=1.

If your garments and/or panels are all correctly orientated to begin with, then

cloth-to-cloth collision detection should keep items from interpenetrating.

However, the initial state of a garment/panel might have some interpenetration

that cannot be resolved. For example, suppose you make a jacket with Garment

Maker where the front right panel is supposed to sit on top of the front left

Cloth and Garment Maker Modifiers | 1203

panel. When you sew together the garment (generally with self-collision off),

the front panels will interpenetrate, so to make sure that the right panel sits

outside the left panel, you might have to use constraints or Live Drag. Using

the Layers option on the panels can help here.

Here is the logic of layers: When two pieces of cloth (A and B) are in

collision-detection range, their layers (layerA and layerB) are compared and

the following rules are applied:

■If either layerA or LayerB is 0, then Cloth uses the regular cloth-to-cloth

collision method.

■If layerA=layerB, then Cloth uses the regular cloth-to-cloth collision

method.

■If abs(layerA) > abs(layerB) then piece A is pushed to the appropriate side

of piece B. Which side? If layerB > 0, then to the side indicated by the face

normals. If layerB<0 then to the opposite side.

The sign of the Layer value indicates what the "outside" of that piece of cloth

is. A positive sign means "The side that the normals face is the outside".

Keep Shape When on, preserves the shape of the mesh based on the Bend

% and Stretch % settings (see following). In normal operation, when Cloth

creates a simulation, it tries to "flatten out" the cloth.

Bend % Modulates the target bend angles to a value between 0.0 and the

angles defined by the target state on page 1190 . A negative value inverts the

angles. Range=-100.0 to 100.0. Default=100.0.

Stretch % Modulates the target stretch angles to a value between 0.0 and

the angles defined by the target state on page 1190 . A negative value inverts

the angles. Range=-100.0 to 100.0. Default=100.0.

Presets group

Sets the Cloth Properties parameters to the preset selected in the drop-down

list. Any presets that are built into the system or that have been loaded will

show up here.

Load Loads presets from the hard drive. Click this button and then navigate

to the directory with your presets to load them into your Cloth Properties.

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Save Saves your Cloth Properties parameters to a file that you can then load

at a later time.

Use These Properties Determines the cloth properties from the settings on

the rollout below.

Get From Object Sets the cloth properties of the group to be the same as the

object they are selected on.

Cloth and Garment Maker Modifiers | 1205

U Bend/V Bend Resistance to bending. The higher this value is set, the less

the fabric will be able to bend. A cotton fabric might bend more easily than

leather, so a value of 15.0 for both U and V Bend might be good for cotton,

while 50.0 would work well for leather.

By default, the U Bend and V Bend parameters are locked together so that

changing one sets the other to the same value. You can set different values

for the two only when Anisotropic on page 1210 is off. It is recommended to

do this only for Garment Maker on page 1228 objects.

Left: U and V Bend=50, simulating a burlap material

Right: U and V Bend=2.5, simulating silk or other light fabric

U B-Curve/V B-Curve Resistance to bending as the fabric folds. The default

value of 0 sets the bend resistance to be constant. A setting of 1 makes the

fabric very resistant to bending as the angle between triangles approaches 180

degrees. You never want two adjacent triangles to pass through each other,

so you can increase this value to prevent this from happening.

By default, the U B-Curve and V B-Curve parameters are locked together so

that changing one sets the other to the same value. You can set different values

for the two only when Anisotropic on page 1210 is off. It is recommended to

do this only for Garment Maker on page 1228 objects.

U Stretch/V Stretch Resistance to stretching. The default value of 50.0 is a

reasonable value for most types of cloth. A larger value will be stiffer, while a

smaller one will be stretchy like rubber.

By default, the U Stretch and V Stretch parameters are locked together so that

changing one sets the other to the same value. You can set different values

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for the two only when Anisotropic on page 1210 is off. It is recommended to

do this only for Garment Maker on page 1228 objects.

U Compress / V Compress Resistance to compression. Although

these values default to 50.0, like their counterpart Stretch values, assigning

values lower than the Stretch values can give good results, because when cloth

is compressed along the length of its fibers, it tends to buckle rather than

shrink.

By default, the U Compress and V Compress parameters are locked together

so that changing one sets the other to the same value. You can set different

values for the two only when Anisotropic on page 1210 is off. It is recommended

to do this only for Garment Maker on page 1228 objects.

Shear Resistance to shearing. Higher values result in stiffer cloth fabrics.

Shear defines how much the individual triangles can deform. If you were to

lay the edges of the triangle out in a strait line this value would represent how

long this line can stretch out to. With a high value this length will only be

the sum of the length of all of the sides at rest. A low value will allow this

length to be greater then that off all of its sides at rest. This length of stretched

sides is not on a one to one basis. One side of the polygon may stretch more

then another as long as the total shear value is not exceeded.

Density The weight of the cloth per unit area (in gm/cm2). Higher values

mean heavier cloth like denim. Use smaller values for lighter cloth like silk.

Thickness Defines the virtual thickness of a fabric for the purpose of detecting

cloth-to-cloth collisions. This value is irrelevant if cloth-to-cloth collisions are

disabled. Larger values keep the cloth separated by greater distances. Be careful

not to use too large or small values in this field. Very large values will interfere

with the natural behavior of the cloth. Very small values will cause the

simulator to take too long to calculate. This distance is measured in cm

(centimeters) and should be smaller than the size of the triangles that make

up the cloth object. A setting of 0.0 will let Cloth automatically assign a

reasonable value for thickness.

Cloth and Garment Maker Modifiers | 1207

Left: The top piece of cloth with a Thickness of 0

Right: Thickness of 9

Repulsion The amount of force used to repel other cloth objects. This value

is irrelevant if cloth-to-cloth collisions are disabled. The simulator will apply

a repulsion force scaled by this value to keep the cloth from coming in contact

with other cloth objects. Increase this value if there are a lot of collisions

between different parts of cloth, or if the cloth is tending to interpenetrate.

Damping The larger this value, is the more sluggishly the fabric will react.

With a lower value, the fabric will behave with more spring. Cloth with more

damping will come to rest sooner then cloth with less damping. High damping

results in cloth that behaves as though it is moving through oil. Excessive

damping may also cause simulation instabilities. A good value is the default,

0.01.

Air Res. Resistance to Air. This value will determine how much the air will

effect the cloth. A higher amount of air resistance would be useful for a tightly

woven fabric, while a lower amount would be suitable for a loose-knit garment.

Dyn. Fric. Dynamic friction between the cloth and solid objects. A larger

value will add more friction and cause the fabric to slide less across an object.

A lower value will allow the fabric to slip off an object very easily, similarly

to how silk would react.

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Static Fric. Static friction between the cloth and solid objects. When the

cloth is in stationary position, this value will control its ability stay where it

is, or slip away.

Self Fric. Friction between the cloth and itself. This is similar to dynamic

and static friction, but applies to cloth-to-cloth or self-collisions. A larger value

will cause more friction between the cloth and itself.

U Scale Controls how much to shrink or expand the cloth along the U

direction (as defined by Garment Maker. For non-Garment Maker meshes,

this applies a uniform scaling to the cloth along both axes, and the V Scale

parameter is ignored). A value of less than 1 will shrink the fabric at simulation

time, while a value of more than 1 will stretch it.

V Scale Controls how much to shrink or expand the cloth along the V

direction (as defined by Garment Maker). A value of less than 1 will shrink

the fabric at simulation time, while a value of more than 1 will stretch it.

Seam Force Not presently used and only kept for backward compatibility

with older versions of the former product called Stitch. This was a global seam

strength, but seam strength is now defined on a seam-by-seam basis in the

Seams sub-object Mode.

Depth Collision depth. If a portion of cloth reaches this depth inside a

collision object, then the simulation will no longer try to push the cloth out

of the mesh. This value is measured in 3ds Max units.

Offset The amount of distance kept between the cloth and the collision

object. A very low value can cause the collision mesh to protrude out from

under the cloth. A very high value will cause the fabric to look as if it is floating

on top of the collision object.

Plasticity The tendency of the cloth to keep its current deformation (that is,

the bend angles).

This is different from Keep Shape on page 1226 , which determines the extent

to which the cloth tends to keep its original deformation (or the one defined

by the Target State). If you set Plasticity to 100.0, the cloth will not attempt

to change the angles between triangles. If you want stiffer cloth, but you don't

want the cloth to "balloon" up, increase the Plasticity value.

Cling The extent to which the cloth object adheres to a collision object.

Range=0.0 to 99999.0. Default=0.0.

You can use this parameter to simulate effects such as wet cloth. A setting of

1.0 should be just enough to hold the default material onto a surface against

its own weight.

Cloth and Garment Maker Modifiers | 1209

Based on Displays the preset that the group properties are based on. When

you modify parameters and save a preset, Cloth uses the name of the last

preset you loaded as the “Based on” name.

Anisotropic When on, you can set different U and V values for the Bend,

B-Curve, and Stretch parameters. The U and V directions are defined by

Garment Maker on page 1228 and do not apply to non-Garment Maker meshes,

for which setting different U/V values might result in unexpected behavior.

Use Edge Springs This is an alternative method for calculating stretch. When

this option is on, stretch force is based on springs along triangle edges.

(Whereas normally the stretch and shear forces are calculated in a more

sophisticated manner to more accurately reflect the underlying physics).

Use Cloth Depth/Offset Uses the Depth and Offset on page 1209 values set

for the group. When on, the cloth object ignores the collision object Depth

and Offset values.

Soft Selection group

The Soft Selection controls apply on a per-group basis to permit soft selection

of vertices neighboring the explicitly selected group members. This works the

same as soft selection of vertices in other parts of 3ds Max. For details, see

Soft Selection Rollout on page 1926 . Alternatively, you can select vertices for a

group based on a texture map.

1210 | Chapter 9 Modifiers

Use Texture Map When on, Cloth uses a texture map to specify a soft

selection of vertices that belong to the current group. Click the button (by

default, labeled “None”) to choose a texture map. Use the Mapping Channel

controls to choose a map channel or vertex color channel.

You can add a grayscale texture map in this slot to blend between unselected

and fully selected pixels in the group. Black represents unselected and white

represents fully selected. Any grayscale value blends between the two. You

can drag a texture map onto this button.

NOTE For a texture map to apply to a group, at least one vertex must be explicitly

selected. However, when Use Texture Map is on, the group's explicit vertex

selection has no effect.

Panel rollout

At the Panel sub-object level, you can select one panel (cloth section) at a time

and change its cloth properties. A panel, which must be created by the

Garment Maker modifier on page 1228 , is a closed spline that is not enclosed

by another spline. If a closed spline is enclosed by another spline, it forms a

hole in the outer spline.

NOTE To be able to select a panel at this sub-object level, you must first use

Object Properties on page 1219 to specify that the object is cloth. Also, to be able

to change settings on this rollout, first turn on Object Properties > Use Panel

Properties on page 1221 .

Cloth and Garment Maker Modifiers | 1211

Presets group

Presets Sets the selected panel's properties parameters to the preset selected

in the drop-down list. Any presets that are built into the system or that have

been previously saved and loaded will show up here. Presets have the filename

extension .sti.

Load Load presets from a specified location on your hard drive. Click this

button and navigate to the directory with your presets to load them into your

Cloth Properties.

Save Save your Cloth Properties parameters to a file to be loaded at a later

time. By default, Cloth preset files are saved to the \cloth folder inside the

program install directory.

Properties group

U Bend/V Bend Resistance to bending. The higher this value is set, the less

the fabric will be able to bend. A cotton fabric might bend more easily than

leather, so a value of 15.0 for both U and V Bend might be good for cotton,

while 50.0 would work well for leather.

By default, the U Bend and V Bend parameters are locked together so that

changing one sets the other to the same value. You can set different values

for the two only when Anisotropic on page 1216 is off. It is recommended to

do this only for Garment Maker on page 1228 objects.

Left: U and V Bend=50, simulating a burlap material

Right: U and V Bend=2.5, simulating silk or other light fabric

1212 | Chapter 9 Modifiers