Wiley Master Visually 3ds Max 8
Contents
1. Understanding the 3ds Max Interface ou can use the 3ds Max interface to access all of the features that create and modify objects and animations 3ds Max provides a feature rich customizable user interface with a Menu bar toolbars Timeline Track bar Command panels and one or more viewports Although 3ds Max comes with seven different toolbars by default only two toolbars the Main and reactor toolbars are visible within the 3ds Max window The Main toolbar docks at the top of the window and the reactor toolbar docks on the left side of the window However you can dock or move any toolbar to any location within the window If you prefer you can also allow the toolbars to float within the window Main Toolbar Allows you to perform commonly used commands within 3ds Max Reactor Toolbar Contains buttons that perform common reactor functions such as creating rigid and soft body collections displaying physical properties of objects generating simulations and running the real time preview utility Viewports Show different views of your objects You can display up to four viewports in the center of your 3ds Max window E aL mem E i li Il spe a Bot Onn r 1 Lbwst Selected p OAOE U ILII IK Ehan d hhg et ae 6 Command Panels Contain six different panels with commands that allow you to model modify animate and display objects O Menu Bar Has commands fo2. Cae Keg Keg Piers H U TEDT You can click the Arc Rotate SubObject button J to rotate only the T SubObject of your object roja Can I use a shortcut key to activate How can I control the angle at which the Arc Rotate tool the Arc Rotate tool rotates my W Yes Pressing and holding the Alt key Viewport while dragging with the middle wY When dragging outside the Trackball mouse button or scroll wheel button the Arc Rotate tool matches the Angle has the same effect as clicking the Arc value that was set when the Angle Rotate button Using amp in this Snap Toggle was active To set the manner allows you to rotate the Angle value right click the Angle viewport transparently without Snap Toggle in the Main toolbar to leaving the command or action that open the Grid and Snap Settings you are currently performing dialog box Type a value in the Angle However this method does not use deg field and then close the dialog the Trackball gizmo Pressing Ctrl R box Click the Angle Snap Toggle also activates the Arc Rotate gizmo button to activate it 33 Using the Field of View Tool tool to establish what you can view by setting the width extents of the viewport Similarly in a camera viewport the Field of View tool determines the angle of the camera s viewing cone You can also adjust a camera s field of view by selecting it opening the Modify tab in the Command panel and changing the FOV field in the
3. F Irora PaE CE the movement of an reer a S io Te T animated object f wal a i e Display Panel Contains tools for adjusting how objects display globally within the scene such as hiding or freezing an object meer a p i M ncoth Tenetse 5 f f a I Free Hance Utilities Panel UL e P B aii Hide Selected Unhise A HE e Provides access to several utility programs that are __ available in 3ds Max 2 Menus As with any Microsoft Windows compliant program menu and the quad menu Pop up menus appear Optimizing the 3ds Max Environment 3ds Max has two other types of menus the pop up 3ds Max provides drop down menus on the Menu when you right click the toolbars rollouts and bar that access most of the program s features You viewport titles Quad menus appear when you can view the menu options by clicking the right click objects or in viewports Although both corresponding menu on the Menu bar You can types of menus display when you right click them customize each menu by adding and removing you can only customize the quad menus See the menu options You can also create new custom section Create a Custom Quad Menu for more menus that you can add to the Menu bar See the information section Create a Custom Menu for more information on customizing menus O Pop up Menu Contains options for customizing a feature s appearance For example when
4. Faces displays both the surfaces and the wireframe structure of the objects O Smooth This is similar to Smooth Highlights without the specular highlights 24 B Wireframe Object edges display as lines Surfaces and highlights are not shown Facets Highlights Highlights display in this mode but there is no smooth shading between adjacent faces smooth Highlights Objects display with smooth shading between adjacent faces Specular highlights also display in this mode Optimizing the 3ds Max Environment a ts ae B Lit Wireframes This is similar to Wireframe mode but with the edge color derived from the diffuse color of the object s material Q Bounding Box Objects display as six sided wireframe boxes This is the fastest viewport rendering option D OFiat Each polygon displays ignoring the effect of lights in the scene a Facets Each face appears as a flat surface with no shading between adjacent faces and no highlights D Edged Faces This displays the edges of all faces as well as the surfaces 25 Set the Viewport Rendering Option ou can easily customize the viewport rendering option to meet your needs You can do this by selecting an option from a pop up menu or from the nested Other menu The viewport rendering option is assigned to a specific viewport regardless of the viewport type For example if a Top viewport is currently
5. Parameters rollout l n a Perspective viewport you can use the Field of View The Field of View tool is in the Viewport Controls area and when a Perspective viewport is active in the flyout menu with the Zoom Region tool tlle The FOV max file is available on the CD ROM for z you to practice using the Field of View tool Vx Using the Field of View Tool Right click in the Perspective viewport to make it active Click the Field of View button The cursor changes from to B Click and drag in the viewport The viewport s field of view increases or decreases accordingly 34 Can I set a specific value for the field of view in a Perspective viewport Ww Yes You can do so in a Perspective viewport in the Viewport Configuration dialog box Right click the Field of View tool to open the Viewport Configuration dialog box and then click the Rendering Method tab Type a value in the Field of View field to change the current value Note that you cannot use the Field of View tool to zoom because very low field of view gives strange performance problems when you attempt to zoom pan or move objects in the viewport l TTT aq i Ti 3 i ra 1 a gain Pafu cman a oe Ekana m u E j S EA Tian ka T ker fE zit es te By Optimizing the 3ds Max Environment Using the Maximize Viewport Toggle creen space is always at a premium in computer graphics and with toolba
6. Sot Revert ko Star tus Lepuk 2 Click Customize User Interface Custon U ane Tefta Saec Sos Ll Loz UI Lasa Conf gure User Petes Conf gure System Paths a Urs S hup God act inap iair g Teapa Corfgurat or Pugin Hga P nr TEAOR The Customize User Interface dialog box E appears Kanad Tomhese Quale Mame Toia amp Click the Quads tab Demet A Commence lis Wen om Fanani Anin A amp Click New Fimo S00 meo fe ITA Ha uc Bul W134 Hagen Duo Wr abe Bub At Cove Flu cess yao haved dt Perian Fluciescert eet WP Git Hatter Bula The New Quad Set dialog box appears hows Fiutesls icas S ATH Hangen Rula Toka Diet PE About resci teeeteetemtemtectemeemes 2 Type a name for your new quad set Click OK 3ds Max creates a quad menu set with the cc name that you specified Hew Quad Sct Chat Prense irg Cancel en ee ee Anivet Conslisirts py Anmain I Soe Anmakon Paskon Conkle Adversed pions Enmain Ainbaion Con lars Animaiion Sens Cortsodess Load deve Reset ES 14 Add Quad Menu Options 7 Click here and select the quad set menu O Click the quadrant where you want to place the command Type the quadrant name that you want in the Label field Click an option from the Action list or a menu from the Menus li
7. The second purpose is to assist the modeling process When the latter is the case the background image usually a sketch or a photograph is used as a reference for the creation of a 3D model of the object that appears in the image Add a Viewport Background Image i i Umile Auludesk dds Mux 8 Click Views gt en aeee l prema e ETS 2 Click Viewport Background See Ooch Se soem ct he EN Beet ns Cer Sacer ele wnk F Viewport Background Alt B pE Updr t E pund ragt kii Ora Reset Bechoncurd Trang am Sc Trent om are Sar Ehosting ara ehy imaa Jak Soke tid Sou Dependencies reat Canes From tian a shes r Redes AY ee Arheata Al Heys Demit All Hopes a pdi During Spicer Dreg Ayisprhee Dengan Sbgect Disc ly Culling S chy i P E The Viewport Background dialog box ewepnrt Bankera Bach cund Sot appea rs De i F L Ersiconen Rackorund Salati Erkand bapa Click Files A Usa Fare E l To se T sl Lai i Heard The Select Background Image dialog box wot a a Erhi Bator r shat Fosas red End Fromcsa rey Ra lees react nar py Od isa Finn mar Sar p Ainin evan appears Elsnk Score Slat AW Boek ali Erd Oss concn po Dock Cha rg Diot D Hold Beire Skat F Foala Erd sas ciak Case p Dkk maw pa Ert arce256 i Lene z Haxh ig Debetbe rez vires inv ips Dewsbeach io O Navigate to the folder containing the inpia al ii eee Oi i image ispre Kalo I igl Dackg
8. X key to display only your viewports and Menu bar If you tend to use shortcut keys and quad menus working in Expert mode provides fast redraws and a clean interface Many professional users run 3ds Max with a dual monitor setup with the Command panel Track View and Material Editor on the second monitor and viewports on the first monitor 27 Alter a Viewport View iewports can display the contents of your 3ds Max scene from any viewpoint imaginable For example you can set one viewport to view the scene from overhead with a second viewport from the front and a third viewport that shows the current composition and relative locations of the objects in the scene You can also use viewports that display your scene through a light or camera to position the light or camera for optimum effect You cannot animate the viewport moving over the scene Although you can animate nearly everything in 3ds Max viewports are one of the few exceptions However you can Alter a Viewport View animate the location of a camera through which the viewport is looking Also you can display content other than your scene in a viewport The viewports can display a variety of tools including the Schematic View Asset Browser and MAXScript Listener as well as an ActiveShade window These tools are available at the bottom of the menu that appears when you right click the viewport label I gt The Viewports2 max file is available on the CD RO
9. any changes to your UI it is safest to save it to another ui file to preserve the 3ds Max ships with some alternative UI schemes For example DefaultUI ui file you can use ame dark ui or ame light ui if you usually work with Autodesk or Discreet video editing products Load a New User Interface D Click Customize 407 max Autodesk tds Bax f Fle Edt Took Group Yeas Create Modhers Click Load Custom UI Scheme e opal acre 5 SS SS ap F Save Custom UI Scheme Revert ho Shortug Layout can select Menu File mnu in the Files of type field Custom U0 and Defauks Suatcher Show UT Lock UE Layout Configure User Bathe Configure System Paths Links 5601p Grid and Snag Seltings iewpart Configuration Plug n Manrasger Preferences ROSOCORSLEOGR The Load Custom UI Scheme dialog box appears Click here and select the type of Load Custam Ul Scheme customizations that you want to load Moduler ToolbersU1 ui O Click the file that you want to load Dier By Custome Utui The selection appears in the File name field 5 Click Open 3ds Max loads the selected Fest lupe Scheme ful customizations F Open as reacharip 21 Understanding Viewports he 3ds Max viewports act as windows into your virtual environment You can use each of the four visible viewports to display the scene from a different point of view such as through a camera through a light and
10. have a right click function assigned to them such as the Undo button press and hold the Alt key and drag the button into a viewport to delete it 13 Create a Custom Quad Menu ou can create custom quad menus that contain specific commands tools and menus that you frequently use in 3ds Max Quad menus display when you right click in a viewport or on an object or when you press a specific keyboard shortcut Quad menus are so keyboard shortcut for displaying the quad menu After creating the quad menu set you can place options to it from either the Action list or the Menus list You can use the Separator object to create visual separations between related menu options named because they are menus that can contain up to four You can specify that the quad menu display all quad menus smaller menus or quadrants Each quadrant menu can have in all quadrants at one time or only one quadrant at a a separate label to identify the options in that menu time If you do not select the Show All Quads option then only one quad menu displays at a time along with the You can create quad menus in the Quads panel of the corner of each additional quad menu Customize User Interface dialog box You can also assign a Create a Custom Quad Menu Create a new Quad Menu 40 max Autodesk Fide kax H Fle Edt Tock Guo Yawe Dae Medies Chaber poactor Animation ran Editors Rewimo Keturi S 2 Click Customize Caine EEA E a e Sees Quen U
11. in the selected context the command appears in the Assigned To field To keep the current keyboard shortcut you must specify a different one 3ds Max allows you to create the same keyboard shortcut for multiple contexts When you press a keyboard shortcut 3ds Max checks for a context specific shortcut first If one does not exist then it looks for a keyboard shortcut in the Main UI shortcuts Create a New Keyboard Shortcut p Click Customize 2 Click Customize User Interface The Customize User Interface dialog box appears Click the Keyboard tab O Click here and select the context for which you want your keyboard shortcut to be active 10 Ee REM GB De E Ama Aubodesh 3de Mos Fie Zit Took Goup icis Goib adra Chaot ewt Anat Graphe Coig KIEO Ad Er t ae oy sak ig she ie a a Customize User Interface Loed Coston U Scheme See Ctm U Sieve Peset bo Shartup Layo Custom LE aal Oecd is Sa Shar U0 Lode UC Lesci Configure User Palle Condigquea Sedam Pails Linis Sehup Drd aval Snap Stin View port Cona raha Plog in PETET a Peons Main UI EOD aeieea M5 HUFES k Ack Ubect Dkp Cy ing Panic ee At Carve Fuaran yy dt Perian Fusies Aivas dice Mes Aychaaic All Kep AL ivate Erid anes Aiye God bkz dciyii Hone Gid Agniva Hon sind Con AuchweShede Foar Win ber
12. location of the cursor To set this mode click Customize and then click Preferences Click the Preferences tab and in the Mouse Control area click one or both of the Zoom About Mouse Point options C changes to v Are there keyboard shortcuts to zoom in and zoom out of viewports Ww Yes You can press to zoom into the viewport You can press to zoom out The keyboard shortcut for Zoom Extents is Z 31 Rotate a Viewport hen you look at an object from the top or side you may not see its true shape or configuration For example when seen from the top a 2D circle and a 3D cylinder both appear as multi sided polygons You can fix this problem by rotating the viewport The Arc Rotate tools located in the Viewport Controls area provide a Trackball gizmo to specify how the tool operates when you orient the viewport to best reflect the scene In Arc Rotate mode you can drag outside the Trackball circle to rotate the viewport around its center and perpendicular to its borders When you drag inside the Trackball circle you remove any constraints that restrict the Rotate a Viewport Right click in the Perspective viewport to make it active 2 Click the Arc Rotate button J The cursor changes from to fi Click and drag outside the Trackball The viewport rotates around its center point 4 Click and drag inside the Trackball The cursor changes from to H and the viewport
13. set in Wireframe mode and you change it to Smooth Highlights and then change the viewport to a Left or Camera view then it remains in Smooth Highlights mode It is also possible for two viewports to have the same point of view but different rendering options Oe The Viewports max file is available on the CD ROM for ZR Set the Viewport Rendering Option Right click a viewport label The viewport pop up menu appears 2 Click Smooth Highlights or Wireframe to switch to either mode or click Other for more options If the viewport is in a rendered mode you can right click the viewport label Sat Hath again and click Edged Faces ta Tes k The viewport updates to reflect your changes if you clicked Edged Face it soi aferene updates to show the edged faces radars re Leah sem Soa Gnd Selec Teraa Selec Camera Targat 26 you to practice setting the viewport rendering options How do I stop my viewport from temporarily changing to Bounding Box mode when I zoom or pan Ww Adaptive degradation is a feature that temporarily reduces the viewport quality mode so that the system can keep up with your actions You can toggle this feature on or off in the Views menu or by pressing the O shortcut key Turning this feature off may increase your screen s refresh time in scenes that are complex S Pichan Other Eaged Feces oe Tarpe Ss Se Grd Sery Park
14. you right click a toolbar a menu appears displaying information such as a list of all visible toolbars as well as whether the toolbar is docked or floating y Command Pane w Main Toolbar Anas Consbrainks Layers yi reactor Extras Render Shortcuts Snaps Brush Presets B Quad Menu Contains between one and four smaller ae menus arranged in Attach Hide Unselected quadrants Each iie Seecien smaller menu has its own Title bar The most commonly used quad menus display when you right click an object in a viewport You Curve Editor can also access quad R menus that display when you press a specific key sequence Create a New Keyboard Shortcut ou can create new keyboard shortcuts for commands and tools that you use often within 3ds Max Keyboard shortcuts help you to save time when your projects require a lot of repetitive command combinations You can make a keyboard shortcut active for the Main user interface UI or for a specific program context such as the Material Editor If you select the Main UI the keyboard context is available anywhere in 3ds Max If you specify another context then any shortcuts that you create are only available when you work with that feature After you specify the context area you can select the action that you want to perform and then specify the keyboard shortcut sequence If the keyboard sequence that you specify is already assigned to a command
15. Ess X Hiera kreii Animation osiris Anmain IE Sobers Anmain Fasion Lona bere Amaii Raalion Donin as Anmain Sse Contec llecs Add Menu Options Click here and select the menu that you just created O Click and drag an option from the Action Separator or Menus list to the menu that you want to customize Repeat steps 7 and 8 to add more menu items 3ds Max adds the selected options to the menu Optimizing the 3ds Max Environment Customise User interface Keyhosst Tacha Qusis Wau Color Erna aan ul Dika ja Con ata Ain Lamh FAN Re Lepe Hans ger Lege p ardp Dorn heater Lago Opady Uaa d Latam Ennion Yeh Ird aba F hed ec Tul Eh L ier Dzn iiw IE Tig Diiu Aer te Due FEB ER tAn Postion Cookery Srv yation Fos on Conic ere n mdan oak Conde bas Keban Tosha Qusis Wene kia Hea Bom Laps p ardg Morn Meter an Lage pachy US aia d Latam l Ennion ig Lita re ak Ey chad Tual List L ter Dish Und bog Li H Tirra Lictdig FAent Zuhal FRE Leste rey brhi Tu Lis Gaps An nalinn E En sra AR Teale Paton Conroe Sr nation Fos on Contar n mdan Scal Conde bas chapter Fu Hen eeru MA alate Tenses How do I place my custom menu on the Main Menu bar Ww When you create a new menu it appears in the Menus list in the Menus tab of the Customize User Interface dialog
16. M for you to practice setting the viewport views Ep Right click the Top viewport s label The pop up menu appears Click Views Click any of the options above ActiveShade The Top viewport displays the view that you selected from the menu 28 w Smooth Aghghts Wireframe Porspectee show Baclagnoumd Show Safe Frame Viewport Chpping Texture Correction Disable view Undo ew Zoom Ta a ConAigqure Optimizing the 3ds Max Environment Customize the Viewport Layout he default 3ds Max viewport layout four equally sized viewports in a quadrant pattern is not the best layout for If output to video will what I see in every situation You can use tools to customize your the viewports be what I see on TV viewport layout determining how many viewports display on your screen and which viewport rendering methods they are configured to display You can also set the current view type for each viewport See the sections Resize the Viewports and Set the Viewport Rendering Ww For the most part Televisions vary in how they display their content To view what is ultimately shown open the Render Scene dialog box and set Option for more on changing sizes and rendering modes Note that the Output Size to 720x480 for changes that you make in the Viewport Configuration dialog box NTSC or 768x576 lor PAL Inthe apply only to your current scene To apply settings to all new scenes vi
17. User Palle Configure Sacha Palha Linis Setup Drd aal Snap Stin sepat Con mgurshon Plin EET a Poanes E Customize Weer Interlace Enina ead leds Miras Coka aor N Saidi fa a Yaba m Tianspaen TT 5 F real Appi Cokes Ho Lead Save est The Color Selector dialog box appears Click a new color in the Color Spectrum field Click and drag the slider E in the Whiteness field to adjust the amount of white in the color selection You can also click the spinners for the Red Green Blue Hue Sat and Value fields to specify the color that you want 9 Click Close The new color for the selection displays in the corresponding Color field Click Apply Colors Now 3ds Max applies all color changes that you have made to the user interface Optimizing the 3ds Max Environment Color Selector Beyboard Elements Objecte Toolbars Queds Menus Colors Ines Space Wap Tape Object Color Fesat Satunatiore au Value proc Transparency 10 F Invert Sook Colors How H Load Sare Reset How do I get rid of color changes that I have made Ww When you click Apply Colors Now 3ds Max applies your color changes to the user interface The only way to undo the color changes is to reset the interface back to the last saved version of the color settings To do this click Reset at the bottom of the Col
18. a So Safa Frene Tepot op reg py Teius Corrects DAs shee Sarr Comers Sater Cameras Target Optimizing the 3ds Max pained chapter Resize the Viewports he viewports are restricted in number you can display up to four at a time but not in size You can resize them vertically and horizontally by moving the borders that adjacent viewports share The viewports must remain rectangular in shape and they must remain in equally wide columns equally high rows or both For example a 1000 pixel wide viewport cannot have a single 600 pixel wide viewport below it However it can have two or three viewports below it as long as the total width equals 1000 pixels CD ROM for you to practice resizing the viewports Resize the Viewports Place the cursor between any two viewports until it changes into a double arrow f 2 Click and drag to resize the viewport Place the cursor at the intersection between three or four viewports until it changes into a four sided arrow O Click and drag to resize all of the viewports O Right click any border to display the Reset Layout pop up menu 6 Click Reset Layout The viewports reset to their original configuration How do I display more viewport area on my screen Ww You can run 3ds Max in Expert mode to maximize viewport area while minimizing tool display Press and hold the Control key and then press the
19. aa Dom fee 8 I had Then Tag baal at ffi Eiker 5 Click the Select Object button J in the Main toolbar O Click an object in the scene The object highlights to indicate that it is selected 7 Click the Zoom Extents Selected button The current viewport zooms to show the limits of the selected object E Eivmaguri tories Auden dob Sars H Ea ak Sw Wag sare Gas iee Dee TW Stat ah e jawar ie Ean ba Optimizing the 3ds Max Environment BEE Mae o a O Aae e e A Je BAIR g g BD iti erini eyb is i ajae Al A is aa ami m i m iNi TE al C o fede Thee Tag o a 8 T CEEA FEL fewest E x rar et im in t ratte eae r ma a E me fey a A T wim a tem af 2 igi ra Can I select a specific area to zoom into w Yes The Zoom Region tool amp allows you to designate a rectangular area that can fit into the viewport To use it click from the Viewport Controls area Click drag and then release to define the area that you want to zoom into 3ds Max takes the longest axis of your rectangle and fits its contents into the viewport In a Perspective viewport where Zoom Region does not usually work as expected 3ds Max may hide the button under the Field of View flyout When I roll the mouse wheel the zoom occurs from the center of the viewport Can I change this wW Yes You can change the mouse wheel feature of the Zoom tool to zoom in and out based on the
20. ard and the arrow keys on the right both sets of keys perform the same functions The arrow keys in the numeric keypad do not function with this tool For a full list of the Walk Through tool s keyboard commands see Using Walkthrough Navigation in the 3ds Max User Reference ds Max scenes tend to be linear and spread out across the virtual landscape Therefore you may find navigating your scene using only the Zoom and Arc Rotate tools time consuming and replicating zoom factors when viewing similar objects for comparison difficult at best The Pan View tool increases your navigation toolset by adding the ability to shift the viewport laterally without The Walk Through tools are only available in Camera and changing the zoom factor and is similar to the Hand tool Perspective viewports a clo The FOV max file is available on the CD ROM for you to practice using the Pan and Walk Through tools Using the Walk Through tool you can travel through a scene using the keyboard similar to moving in a video game The main controls for the Walk Through tool s movement directions are the W A S and D keys on the left Navigate with the Pan View and Walk Through Tools Using the Pan View Tool aD Right click in a viewport to make it active 2 Click the Pan View button ol 3 5 T The cursor changes from to Bij Click and drag in the viewport The viewport shifts without changing the zoom factor O Right c
21. ax You find most commands in both locations Each has a tree structure for locating the appropriate tools Command Panel that are grouped together You can expand or You use the Command panel to create objects and collapse the rollout or use the scroll bar on the right specify parameters and settings for modeling and side to see the rest of the panel animation The Command panel actually contains six separate panels Create Modify Hierarchy Motion Display and Utilities By default 3ds Max docks the Command panel on the right side of its window but like a toolbar you can undock and reposition it for example to a Each panel has different buttons and controls for different side of the window You can also expand the setting the corresponding parameters within different panel to show more than one column of rollouts at rollouts A rollout is a collection of related controls the cost of less viewport space by clicking and dragging its edges B Modify Panel create Panel Alters an object s Contains controls for creating most objects in parameters or assigns 3ds Max Objects are grouped into seven modifiers to alter its different categories each with its own button shape or properties Hierarchy Panel Contains tools for adjusting the parent child relationship between objects in your scene A ee Se Aart Obie Motion Panel Ec j see o Ped fee bd cr Nestea Ta Contains tools for adjusting
22. box To add your new custom menu to the Main Menu bar select Main Menu Bar from the menu All of the menus currently on the Menu bar appear In the Menus list on the left of the panel click your custom menu and then drag it to the location that you want in the Menus list How do I delete an unwanted menu Ww To delete a menu from the Main Menu bar select Main Menu Bar from the list in the Menus tab of the Customize User Interface dialog box Right click the menu item that you want to delete and then select Delete Menu Item from the menu To delete a menu entirely from 3ds Max locate the menu in the Menus list on the left side of the Menus tab Right click the menu and select Delete Menu If the selected menu is also a submenu a dialog box appears with the option to cancel the deletion If you delete the menu it also disappears from any menus where it is a submenu This action is not undoable 17 Customize the Interface Colors ou can customize the appearance of your 3ds Max interface by customizing the colors of the different elements through the Colors panel of the Customize User Interface dialog box This panel has two different lists the Elements list and the Scheme list The Elements list contains all of the elements within a specified user category such as Viewports You can select the user interface category in the Elements list The Scheme list contains the custom colors that affect the entire user interfac
23. e For example when you change the text color it changes the background color of all non menu text in all Customize the Interface Colors Click Customize Click Customize User Interface Ika Y REve ER eE De amp The Customize User Interface dialog box appears Click the Colors tab Click here and select the element category that you want The Elements list changes to display only the elements in that category O In the Elements list click the element that you want to change Click the Color field 18 rollouts buttons dialog boxes and message boxes You must select Custom Colors in the Scheme list to customize these features There are two Color fields on the right side of the Colors panel The top field displays the color of the selected element and the bottom field displays the color of the selected scheme option You can change the color for a selection in the Color Selector dialog box using one of the three color modes the color spectrum on the left which specifies the Hue Blackness and Whiteness the Red Green and Blue fields or the Hue Saturation and Value fields E Ama Aubodesh 3de Mox Y Fie Zit Took Goup Wicas Grosto Wott Character eab Anaon GraphEdtors Soig KEC 2 ce Ga pi EE E cl ic gt U TEE ae Customize User Interface Load Quston W Scheme Sea Custom LO Scheie Peset bo Startup Layo Custom LE acl Oedsad is Seal om Shane UC Lod UC Lack Cahn
24. e file as MaxStartUl ui 3ds Max automatically searches for Save a New User Interface Click Customize Q Click Save Custom UI Scheme lop s ed The Save Custom UI Scheme dialog box appears Type the name that you want to use to identify the user interface O Click Save The Custom Scheme dialog box appears db w ai iS A v 2ydiscreet r cars 5 Click the interface options that you want legacy MeacrcScripts to save _ changes to v ater E discrest dark ui E discreetight ui MedularToabarsULu O Click the type of icons that you want to use when the interface is selected O changes to Click OK 3ds Max saves the user interface file File namg Gawa as lype 20 Save Custom Ul Schenwe Hy Custom Ul nhelace Schemel ul this file when the program loads at startup It is recommended that you save your original MaxStartUl ui file under another name before making any changes to it so that you can restore it to its original configuration if required You should not name the file DefaultUI ui because the DefaultUI ui file contains all of the system default settings for your user interface If you overwrite this file you cannot reload the default settings for a clean start if your interface becomes corrupted See the section Load a New User Interface for more information 407 max Autodesk tds Max E 1 Fle Edt Took G
25. ent Layer Add to Selected Add Toolbar Add Tri Patch Add Weight Skin Add Edit Parameters 54 AddE dit Parameters TV Additional Help Advanced Lighting Panel Advanced Quad Option Menu Affect Diffuse Toggle How can I copy buttons from one toolbar to another Ww You must have both toolbars open although you do not need to open the Customize User Interface dialog box Press and hold the Control key and then drag a button from the source to the destination toolbar Release the mouse when you see a small rectangle cursor The button now resides in both toolbars Pressing and holding the Alt key while dragging a button moves it from one toolbar to the other Can I dock my custom toolbar in the 3ds Max window w Yes Your custom toolbar can either float in the 3ds Max window or dock along the top or side of the window To dock your toolbar click and drag it to the location that you want as described in the section Navigate within the Interface For example to dock the toolbar at the top of the window simply click and drag it there Short toolbars can dock side by side or one above the other How do I remove unwanted buttons Ww You can remove buttons from any toolbar whether it is custom or default Right click the button that you want to remove and then select Delete Button from the menu A dialog box appears to confirm your selection Click Yes to remove the button For buttons that
26. ewport that you render right click save them in an empty file named maxstart max in the scenes folder the label and then click Show Safe under the 3ds Max root folder You can reinstate the default 3ds Max Frame configuration along with other customized settings by deleting or renaming maxstart max and then resetting 3ds Max Customize the Viewport Layout Viewports Layouts max Autodesk 3ds Max i Click Customize Fic Edt Took Group Wines Create Modes Character reactor Animation GraphEdtors Bendering eter te bee an 74 view Customiine User Interface 2 Click Viewport Configuration 7 io 6 b mt O T le Load Custom UT sehen Tre Seve Custom U Scheme Reverk bo Shersup Layout Custom Ul erd Defeuks Svabcher Show UE Lees LIL Levert Configquec User Paths Configure Seber Pathe Unks ebp fond sod Snap Settings 2 Viewport Configuration Flag in Manage Precrances VQreyeG Per Oe amp The Viewport Configuration dialog E box appears amp Click the Layout tab ay Click the viewport layout that you want Click in a viewport image and then select the current view type Click OK The selected view type is reflected in the graphic 29 Zoom ina Viewport uring the modeling and animation process you must see your objects clearly You cannot modify or accurately transform objects that appear too small on the screen and objec
27. fferent 3ds Max interface elements toolbars menus panels and viewports to create a layout that matches your Viewports Viewports located in the center of the 3ds Max window help you construct your scenes by creating and animating objects Each viewport shows the scene from a different viewpoint such as the top left or front or through a camera or light Viewports can also show a scene in perspective with points of convergence or axonometric without points of convergence You can specify the number of viewports display and then assign a specific type of view to each viewport You can customize the appearance of the scene within each viewport independently of the other viewports For more information see the section Customize the Viewport Layout QO Docked Toolbar A toolbar attached to the top bottom or one of the sides of the 3ds Max window needs For example you can create a custom toolbar with the commands and tools that you use most frequently and dock it where it is most convenient for your workflow Toolbars Toolbars contain buttons that allow quick access to 3ds Max s commands and tools You can create custom toolbars to fit your particular workflow or use 3ds Max s default toolbars Although by default the Main toolbar is docked at the top of the window and the reactor toolbar is docked on the left side of the window you can position toolbars wherever you want By defaul
28. in axonometric and perspective modes viewport is also axonometric but its origin is not restricted to remaining parallel to the main axes of the scene Perspective light and camera viewports show the scene from an artist defined point of view or from the location and orientation of a camera spot or direct light that exists in the scene Common viewport configurations show the scene from the top bottom front back left or right sides These views are axonometric meaning that there are no perspective points of convergence and so lines that are parallel in your objects remain parallel in the viewport A User Although changes to an object in one viewport are visible in all viewports that display that object only one viewport is current at a time The current viewport identified by a yellow border is where you perform selections and transforms O Viewports These are windows in your 3ds Max scene One to four viewports can be displayed at a time to show your scene from different points of view Current Viewport This is the viewport where you make selections and apply transforms 22 ty Viewport Label This label displays the name of the viewport in its upper left corner Right clicking the label opens a menu D Viewport Border These are resizable boundaries that define the size and shape of the viewports A yellow border defines the current viewport and a red border indicates that 3ds Ma
29. k Customize User Interface Dl e kep DARE DG The Customize User Interface dialog box appears Click the Menus tab O Click New The New Menu dialog box appears amp Type a name for your new menu Click OK 3ds Max creates a menu with the name that you specified 16 120w Dus A Tarw Hagen Bil e IT Haan Sub Wo doe Halogen sul oY Buh dt Cowe Flusvescerd wet Ji Ferala F uctecazen jadi Y ghe Hagen Sule Bahai ma oe a a Fs You can add items to a menu by dragging them from one of the lists on the left side of the panel into the Menu window The Action list window contains all of the commands and tools that are available in 3ds Max You can drag the Separator onto the Menus list to create a visual separation line between menu items The Menus list contains all of the available menus When you add a submenu to your menu it becomes a separate submenu 40 fiom Autodesk dda wom S Fie Edt Tous Graup jn Wiews Cese WoclHers Character resb Animation Srah Editors Pendering KOGON Customize User Interface 4 aed custo Lit Share saye Combo U harta Heert hn arbh Lanu Tuty J erd De Pauls Senhar Shw LE Lock LE Lirit Ciara lba Palha Ciare Sylen Fad lm Wiat angran Hopon Manag Preferences Cosfonize Weer Interlace Knyonsad Tobes Musde Meris Gime Hanul Ceea ea Conmara Mair Yer
30. ks Fral Wia Kerba Chat ActveShads Yegon ddapha Dogodio T O w Ld Daye Mess 5 In the Action list click the command or tool for which you want to assign a keyboard shortcut You can select a specific category in the Category field to display only a specific group of actions O Click in the Hotkey field 7 Press the keyboard sequence that you want The keys that you press appear in the Hotkey field O Click Assign The assigned key sequence appears in the Shortcut column next to the corresponding command Optimizing the 3ds Max Environmen chapter Customise User interface Keyboard Tasha Cusis Weu Cob Einam Hzn ul z r ates BERN acarana J O Azion Skai Haha CV Eip Shae Creare Cos rg T Eisma vic cha aefa Euk WZ Coik Arainn in Ermak Edit Pal Ermis Ekeren Pohl Fria Fara JHar Evtunbs Faa Fok AE _ Esmu Foe drg SPL Customise User interface Keyboard Tachas CQusis kau Cok Einam Han ul z er ates Abin Ee Roe Lia TE bps share Crome Ciena Tog I Pami prlit Eimahik h aefa as EE Ta Fie Euk WZ Conic i Eriks lupak iky Eiris atr icin Esi i Ha Eri Heiz agg Esih Fuk Eau 2 ote Spe F Comes Cre Kash Emeis Edon Patch Erni Edge Faly Eins Eke vent Farkl his apr Chat _ Esnas Face alcng So How do I know which keyboard shortcuts are assigned Ww You can create a list of current keyb
31. lick to exit the command Note Pressing and holding the middle mouse button or scroll wheel allows you to access a transparent Pan View tool that you can use without exiting other commands no rm iy m Am um ter ee hajan E ie e O H JT E Saikar a Kar Fims Cl oo ds 36 Using the Walk Through Tool O Right click in a Camera or Perspective viewport O Click and hold and then select the Walk Through button g8 from the flyout menu The cursor changes from to Hold down the Up arrow or W key The cursor changes from to and the viewport zooms forward 8 Press and hold the Left arrow or A key The cursor changes from to and the viewport rotates to the left Q Right click to exit the command The viewport walks through your scene Optimizing the 3ds Max Environment l IT ii mii idni imo 1 1 350 535 a id 1000 BE Jil i i woo 1 Pa Anin kay Selected a an E e F 0 A Setkoy J Key Fiters m fa gt g lt gt How can I get back to my previous view after I use the Pan View tool Undo does not work Ww The Pan View J or Zoom tools do not change anything in your scene only your view so the Undo tool has nothing to undo Instead click Views and then click Undo View Change or press Shift Z You can repeat this several times to step backward or forward using Redo View Change or Shift Y Undo View Cha
32. nge does not work after changing the view in a Camera viewport where a change in a scene object has occurred In this case click Undo or press Control Z Undo View Change also does not restore the view after you use the Walk Through tool 8 in a Perspective viewport How can I slow down the Walk Through tool s movements Ww The Walk Through tool s progress can often be too fast or too slow for your particular needs These movements are controlled by adjusting the step size for the tool s forward backward or sideways actions With the Walk Through tool active press the key repeatedly to slow the movement down or press the key to speed it up Press the Alt keys to reset the step size to the program s default 37 Add a Viewport Background Image It is a common practice to place a front and side image of the object to be created in the corresponding viewports to help model it in all dimensions Viewport background image files can be from almost any digital image format including JPG TIF and TGA and can also be animated file formats such as AVI or MOV files Each viewport in 3ds Max can contain a different background image ou can easily add background images to any or all of your 3ds Max viewports Viewport background images usually have one of two purposes The first is to match the rendering background image and to assist you when placing objects in your scene that exist in front of a background plate
33. oard My keyboard shortcut does not work What are some possible reasons for this Ww 3ds Max allows you to select whether the context specific keyboard shortcuts are active If you do not activate context sensitive keyboard shortcuts you can only use the keyboard shortcuts for the Main UI To activate the context specific keyboard shortcuts click the Active option _ changes to v in the Keyboard panel of the Customize User Interface dialog box You must also turn on the Keyboard Shortcut Override Toggle button which is in the Extras toolbar To display the Extras toolbar right click in a blank area of a toolbar and select Extras shortcuts to either view or print To do this click Write Keyboard Chart in the Keyboard panel of the Customize User Interface dialog box In the Save File As dialog box that appears give the file a name and destination and then open it in any application that can read TXT files You can also click Help and then click HotKey Map to display a flash based list of common keyboard shortcuts When you place the cursor over keys in the keyboard graphic in the lower right corner 3ds Max displays the associated shortcuts 11 Create a Custom Toolbar ou can create a new toolbar that contains a custom set of buttons for specific commands and tools that you often use in 3ds Max This can streamline your work flow by reducing the time it takes to access tools that you may have buried in a flyout men
34. ors panel See the section Save a New User Interface for more information on saving user interface changes Remember that clicking the Reset button next to a Color field only resets the colors for the selected element before you click Apply Colors Now Can I have multiple color schemes in 3ds Max Ww Yes you can set up different color schemes and save them When you want to switch color schemes you simply load the corresponding color scheme file To save a color scheme specify the colors that you want in the Colors tab and then click Save In the Save Color File As dialog box type a name for your color file If you type an existing color filename the new color scheme replaces the existing color scheme To switch to a saved color scheme click Load in the Colors tab and then select a color scheme in the Load Color File dialog box 19 Save a New User Interface ou can save all of the customizations that you make to your user interface so that you can reload them at any time or transfer them to another computer When you save your user interface you can specify the items that you want including the toolbar and panel layouts color settings menus quad menus keyboard shortcuts and icon schemes When you save a custom user interface you specify the name of the UI file that contains all of the user interface settings If you want the user interface settings to load automatically when you load 3ds Max you must save th
35. ow Ul and then click Show Floating Toolbars in the dialog box that appears m iS z a The Customize User Interface dialog box appears Click the Toolbars tab O Click New Hem Dalsia Alenems 12 dt Cowe Fluessen Ivet Ji Feralan Fluis enl ede Mistake Sts Mli Acirsa fll Hep Acisi bd Conic Alctivats End Dhia Activate Home Gad Ariyah Hondi Marde ActvaSheds Fose dcii hade Puad Actveihads Yegon Adapive Degadiion ogak The New Toolbar dialog box appears a Type a name for your new toolbar Click OK Add Buttons to a Toolbar 3ds Max creates a toolbar with the name you specified In the Action list click the tool or command that you want to add to your toolbar 8 Drag the selection to the toolbar 9 Repeat steps 7 and 8 to add more buttons to the toolbar 3ds Max adds the selected buttons to the toolbar Hew Toolbar Hame My New Toobal 6 OK Cancel 6 Customize User Interface Optimizing the 3ds Max Environmen chapter Keyboard Toolbars Quads Menus Colos Group Man ul Category fan Commareds F Action Adaptive Perspective Grid Toggle Add Add a Pop up Note Add Bores Skin dP Add Brush Preset Add Cross Section Skin Add Default Lights to Scene Add Files Add Hair Effect Anis Cometraints Hew Delete Rename M Hide Add Hair Modifier Add hait propeities Add Quad Pabeh er Add Selection to Cur
36. r for more buttons and drop down lists that display on information on working with toolbars toolbars You can create new toolbars and customize standard Button Toggle Button When you click a These buttons switch specific standard button it settings on or off These settings immediately performs apply to the next action such as the corresponding the next mouse click When you command depress a toggle button the corresponding settings are on B 407 max Autodesk Fide hax A Ale Edt Took Group Wews Create Moders Chaadar raato Animation Graph Edtos Rendering Custombe MaxSoript Help Modal Button These buttons specify an exclusive setting for subsequent mouse actions For example the Select Object button selects the next object that you click The button remains selected until you click another button las W cy S Za P Flyout Buttons E Drop down List Conceals related buttons A small arrow 2 in the You can click the down arrow beside a list lower right corner of the button indicates a flyout to select from the available options For You can click and hold J to display the flyout example the Selection Filter drop down list buttons and click the button that you want contains a list of object types that can be selected Navigate within the Interface Continued he Command panels and Menu bar contain the tools to create animate and display all possible objects in 3ds M
37. r creating and modifying objects and animations Liri JA ae T z Fladi EE CERLAN RUAA a eae eau IL 1 Wa l Ey a eee D Viewport Navigation Controls Allow you to zoom pan and navigate within the viewports These controls change depending on the type of viewport selected Animation Playback Controls ut a EJ 1E i 5 y om E ja m ab re 4 ym h 2 v a be E B MAXScript Mini Listener Track Bar Displays keyframes for the selected object or objects Allow you to review an animation in the viewports You can play the entire animation view individual frames or jump to a specific frame Heos Hiis cr zl Maiky raam For IE eerie rete T eta a et AAEN AN a E A UT E l I AG a Unde Td ANT eTa Animation Keying Allows you to write scripts using the Controls MAXScript language to control 3D gt pate Display options that allow objects and animations you to create keys for animating your objects Optimizing the 3ds Max Environment Time Slider Indicates the current frame displayed in the viewports You can move the Time Slider to change the current frame Coordinate Display Indicates the position of the cursor using absolute world coordinates X Y Z When you transform an object the display shows the object coordinates relative to its coordinates before transformation Navigate within the Interface ou can customize the four di
38. rotates freely 32 viewport orientation You can drag any of the Trackball handles to restrict the rotation to either a left right or up down orientation In Arc Rotate Selected mode the center of the selected object or objects is used as the center point of the viewport rotation Using the Arc Rotate mode in a Top or Front viewport changes it into an axonometric User viewport LOA The Viewport Arc Rotate max file is available on the CD ROM for you to practice using the Arc Rotate tool Ei rapar dre Errare horned ak alae T ia Ei aoe sk jap Ae O dHe kak eon ash ccc Pehr arh YT ria ee al SS l mli Deasa inl IRA e Ei Dal AHE A e E AD cll iby a fa E i 2 A a a T vi y i A EA a a Ta iti Da UNE ALOA Uia iA ERAR pa pe il hd Uh y Wy Mid pn ae yeer CET p n im a E m i E T l EE i SFs 7 JE T tyi Go Optimizing the 3ds Max Environment 5 Click the Select Object button J in the e Main toolbar n EAE T gt t r a u St O Click an object in the Perspective viewport EA EE A bounding box appears around the object to indicate that it is selected 7 Click the Arc Rotate Selected button O Click and drag inside the Trackball The viewport rotates with the selected object as the center point Q Right click to end the command pe a a Ea i Bee ET Eric 10 0 o wee ere Ee EO eee Cng in a bate redise thot olatini T
39. round i amp bastch Wieman eal Fi pee Gg a reais C Arima Background oa Ed am Click the image an n pA bimceedDeckyn Teeme ferron S Ee 3 Po Aves Ache Dy Eent l f Pe 8 Wet tages on gT Click Open Mewmot Poccecia oe Cancel cia ae es anen dsa bane pene ss teak Sl E Prees Mykle Ja eaii 24 Ot GD Sng msgs Logi CHok col oe Cy yoy 38 Optimizing the 3ds Max Environment The filename appeals in the Background Wew port Backeround Source section of the Viewport Background Besoin cents dialog box Files Devices r dee Ereronmen Bese creind Curent C WMechHestand ClTY jpg amp Click the Display Background option Arimaion Sprchierization LI changes to v ee 2 sn TARSO SyncStatioFreme 0 O Click OK Stail Processing End Processing Blank Before Stall E Blank After Erd Hold Belore Stet Hold Aller End Loop After End ie Dreplap Background Match Viewpot ee 1 f Match Bilmap rimate arao Match Rendering Output Appk Source and Display ta PA Miews 1 Achve Only The image appears in the viewport Why does the background image appear in Why is my viewport background image my viewport but not in my rendered scene squashed and distorted WwW The viewport background image is a different Ww The viewport background image s aspect object than the environment background ratio the length in pixels divided by the image To set the en
40. roup Wers Creata Mod es Character reactor Animation GraphEditers PRandaring Reser ili PARSE Ih Cuskomize User Inkerbace Load Custom UI Scheme Save Custom UI Scheme b Revert to Startup Layout Custom UL and Defaults Saiocher Show Ll Locks UT Layout Configure Leer Paths Configure System Paths Units Setup Grid and Snap Settings Viewport Configuration Fegin Manager Preferences Inbethece Lapok cul Al Eeyboad Shotcte kbd Hore Menus mnu Quad Options gop Colors et Dlsssic 2D Black erd White boon Tune il Optimizing the 3ds Max Environment Load a New User Interface ou can load a previously created custom user interface file When you do so 3ds Max loads all related user interface files For example if you saved toolbar and panel layouts color settings and How do I revert to the default user keyboard schemes as part of your user interface 3ds Max interface loads these settings wW You can reload the default settings at any You use the Load Custom UI Scheme dialog box to select time by selecting the DefaultUl ui file To the type of customizations to load For example instead of only reload specific settings such as menus loading all customization files related to your user interface you can select the corresponding default you may want to load only the menus In this case you file such as DefaultUI mnu If you make
41. rs menus and panels crowding the screen the leftover space is dedicated Can I change the viewport view while a to viewports Subdividing that remaining space can often viewport is maximized leave you three or four small viewports that are difficult to use in some situations You can use the Maximize Viewport Toggle button located in the bottom right corner of the configuration is restored For example in the Viewport Controls to replace all existing viewports with a erage Exerc seu VOUchance ie larger version of the current viewport Camera01 viewport to a Top view after step UPA The FOV max file is available on the CD ROM 2 imal lich agan a 9p Wee aapea Un _ both the upper right and lower left a JOU O prac eee Nene MAKINE viewports See the section Alter a Viewport iewport Toggle View for more information Ww Yes but the new viewport view replaces the existing view when the multi viewport Right click in a viewport to make it active Click the Maximize Viewport Toggle button PF FP E d d vert a E ejj E fae Toe Ta rete OO Pa Te rad ale fie B zF AAN T The four viewports are replaced with one S ane Vedio large viewport E Se click 3ds Max restores the four viewport configuration again PL a a a a N r Fl x j f ome ady TETS m Se fat ap late ok ese oe y E 35 Navigate with the Pan View and Walk Through Tools side of your keybo
42. st and drag it to the Quad Menu list above the End of Menu entry Repeat steps 8 to 10 to add more menu options 12 Click in the Quad Shortcut field Press the keyboard sequence that you want The keys that you press appear in the Hotkey field Click the Show All Quads option changes to J This displays menus in all quadrants for your custom quad menu 15 Click Assign 3ds Max adds the menu options to the quad menu You can now type the shortcut to display the new quad menu Optimizing the 3ds Max Environmen chapter Cusio User interface i Daie Perses chon Briska Hest Dar Sarai angi Dereal eca Fobi F Show Al Na E Brali ha Bees Pc Faich Hesla acon esl Laz ay Cad i I IK Sn R Teale Paii Conroe Am nahion Nis on Conte lier n mdan Seek Done bas Bevel ace Hh Davee Osos FP ok BS Arrali d ta BaPa Folch Baisha agon heti 1G Fersa Fredda H rafia Bwt oin Conia Besar Stok Con ikea Hint speme fap ode Fret o Harg Ar yation Fos on Contac ler n mdan eae Conde bas How do I remove options from a quad menu Ww You can remove menu items from any quad menu through the Quads tab of the Customize User Interface dialog box To remove a menu option first select the quad set menu in the Quad Set List list box in the top right corner of the Quads tab Click to select the quadrant containing the menu that you want to modify A list of
43. t 3ds Max hides floating toolbars but you can view them per the instructions in the section Create a Custom Toolbar If you prefer you can display only specific floating toolbars by right clicking an empty spot on any toolbar and selecting the toolbar you want from the menu Docking Toolbar in Progress When the cursor changes from E to you can release the mouse to dock a toolbar When you undock a toolbar changes to A indicating that the toolbar will float 407 max Autodesk tiis Max R Fle Edk Toob Gmo ies Daab Modhes harscker Aadli Al ty Freie _ OO Extras x sag IELI E rE ints i ov ze Sole a Snaps ae E A LS m P Floating Toolbar sado Anmain Graph Edkos Gendering Cuskomias MieSeript Help 2x Fa fve an A ee ea Op JP e Sie Any toolbar that floats on your main screen or a second monitor You can move resize or close a floating toolbar You can reposition any floating toolbar to the edge of a viewport by dragging its edge to where you want to dock it Likewise you can reverse the process to undock the toolbar Optimizing the 3ds Max Environment 3ds Max Button Types existing toolbars by adding and removing buttons 3ds Max has five basic button types standard through the Customize User Interface dialog box buttons modal buttons toggle buttons flyout See the section Create a Custom Toolba
44. the menu options for that quadrant appear in the Quad Menu window Right click the menu item in the Quad Menu window In the menu that appears click Delete Menu Item Can I change the appearance of my custom quad menu W Yes you can make several changes to the appearance of the quad menus However your changes affect all quad menus To make changes click Advanced Options in the Quads tab of the Customize User Interface dialog box In the Advanced Quad Menu Options dialog box that appears you can change the colors of different elements of the quad menu For example you can change the color of the title background select different font types and sizes and specify the type of animation used to display the quad menus You can add transparency to the quad menus by using the Opacity Amount field in the Advanced Options dialog box 15 Create a Custom Menu ou can create new custom menus that contain your preferred tools and commands After creating a custom menu you can add the menu to any of the system Menu bars or to a specific quad menu For example you can create a custom menu that appears in the Main Menu bar You can create new menus through the Menus panel of the Customize User Interface dialog box In addition to creating new menus in this panel you can also customize the appearance of any menu by adding moving or removing menu items Create a Custom Menu Create a New Menu Click Customize 2 Clic
45. ts that are off the screen are extremely difficult to modify 3ds Max contains several tools that enable you to zoom in and out of your viewports They are located in the Viewport Controls area in the bottom right corner of the user interface Several pairs of these viewport control tools are similar in that they either affect the current viewport or all viewports For example the Zoom Extents tool zooms the Zoom ina viewport Click Zoom 2 Click and drag in the Top viewport The viewport zooms in or out as you drag the cursor down or up Click the Zoom Extents button The current viewport zooms out to show all visible objects 4 Click the Zoom Extents All button All non camera viewports expand to show all visible objects in the scene 30 Aad This Tag current viewport to display all visible objects while the Zoom Extents All button zooms all viewports to display all visible objects The dark blue Zoom Extents tools apply to all of the objects in the scene while the light blue tools which are in the flyout menus apply only to selected objects You can also zoom in or out in a viewport with a mouse that has a scroll wheel LAA The Viewport Zoom max file is available on the CD ROM for you to practice using the Zoom tools 11 a ren 7 bis ii E om et EE Ta Ad The TA smn ee Shey 7 Prr EE ee aT rar i TET L LR EN ad BERT ee x 1 zi I Er afl Sale i w ia
46. u You can also add any of the 3ds Max tools and commands to your toolbars and create buttons for custom MAXScript scripts You create new toolbars and add buttons to toolbars using the New button on the Toolbars panel in the Customize User Interface dialog box 3ds Max displays a blank toolbar to which you can add buttons either from the Action list in the Toolbars panel or from another open toolbar By default the Action list contains all of the available commands and tools in 3ds Max You can reduce the list by selecting a specific group in the Group field or a specific category in the Category field For example if you select the Main UI in the Group field you can select Edit in the Category field to view only the available editing commands Create a Custom Toolbar Create a New Toolbar Click Customize E Alam Aubodesh ddi eras E Fie Edt Took Group Mes Create Modos Shende reactor Aimon Gapa Edkos Rende ing KAG CA Ie Fy z r ai ell Bs El ast ab U DE pa Customize User Interface Lead Tutam J bF ave Saree Custom U Sehens Paver co tab p Lapak Debon U and Dea ks Sadccher Shoe Ul Leck UL Layout Cohrs User Pathe Contgure Spsten Patt Units Setup Ged ard Src Sechings Weare t Configueation a Plugin Mangi Prelate Cusomize Uren Interlace Keyonad Toohetre Ques Meru Cokes ry 2 Click Customize User Interface T em To view all hidden toolbars you can click Sh
47. vironment background width in pixels is different from the aspect image click Rendering in the Main menu ratio of the viewport As a result the image is and then click Environment Click the squashing or stretching itself to completely Environment Map button click Bitmap in the fill the available area of the viewport To Material Map Browser that opens and then constrain the background image to its correct navigate to the appropriate background aspect ratio follow steps 1 and 2 to open the image in the Select Bitmap Image File dialog Viewport Background dialog box and then box To synchronize the viewport background select Match Bitmap in the Aspect Ratio area image to the environment background changes to image select the Use Environment Background option _ changes to VJ in the Viewport Background dialog box 39
48. x is in Auto Key mode O User Viewport This is an axonometric viewport with an artist defined point of view camera or Light Viewport These are perspective viewports as seen through existing lights or cameras Optimizing the 3ds Max Environment A chapter T 23 Understanding Viewport Rendering Options ou can display eight different visibility modes in each viewport and you can decide which viewport mode fits your needs depending on your workflow Each mode shows the contents of the viewports at a distinct level of quality from best using the Smooth Highlights option to worst using the Bounding Box option Although it may seem odd to not show all of the viewports in the best mode possible at all times there is a good reason for this With quality you have a tradeoff in speed While Smooth Highlights offers the closest rendition to how your scene will render executing a pan or zoom may cause the viewport to jump from point to point rather than resulting in a smooth transition A pan or zoom may also cause your viewports to lag behind your commands while the system calculates the shading required to redraw them in your scene Setting some of your viewports to display the scenes at lower quality decreases the processing time and speeds up the screen redraws In addition to the eight viewport rendering options an Edged Faces option is also available in shaded viewports A viewport that uses Edged
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