Professional Documents
Culture Documents
The Interface: Tutorial - 3D Max (For Beginners)
The Interface: Tutorial - 3D Max (For Beginners)
PART I
The Interface
Introduction
This tutorial gives a brief explanation of the MAX interface items commonly
used and introduces you to the important areas of the interface. Explanations
1. Create a folder on your system called 'KF Tutorials' (KF is short for 'Key
Fundamentals')
2. Within this folder create two sub-folders called 'Files' and 'Maps'
5. Open MAX or VIZ and go to Customize > Configure User Paths > External
Files tab
7. Press Use Path. This will make sure that when you open tutorial scenes any image
maps will display in the viewports
8. On the Files I/O tab select Import from the list on the left and then press Modify
10. On the Files I/O tab select Scenes from the list on the left and then press Modify
11. Navigate to 'KF Tutorials / Files' folder and press Use Path. The last two steps
will configure MAX/VIZ to look in your 'Files' folder when opening scenes or importing
drawing data
Note: Scene files have been created in Max 8 / VIZ 2007. When opening a scene
in a more recent version of MAX/VIZ an 'Obsolete File' warning will pop up
when opening the scene. Press Ok and do not save the file to your training folder
when the tutorial is completed. To save the file you are working on 'Save As' in
a different location. This will keep the original files unaltered for future use
kf101_files.zip (16kb)
Undo / Redo
• Right click over the undo button to display a list of recent operations.
The point at which the user wants to undo from can be selected. This
also works for redo's
• Place your cursor over the icons to reveal tool tips and press:
• Select Object the button turns orange and objects can then be
selected by left clicking over the object in a viewport
• Select by Name opens the Select Objects dialog where objects can
be selected in many ways
Transform Tools
• Place your cursor over the first three icons to reveal tool tips:
• Press Select and Move - notice the button turns orange. These are
modal buttons. When in the Select and Move mode (button is orange)
objects can be transformed by moving. If the button is not highlighted
objects cannot be moved. The same applies to Select
and Rotate and Select and Scale
• With the button in Select and Move mode (button is orange) right click
over the button. This displays the Move Transform Type-in floater
This 'floater' is used to accurately move objects by typing values for X,Y,Z
• With the floater still displayed press Select and Rotate and Select and
Scale Note that the Transform Type-in dialog changes to suit. Close
the Transform Type-in floater by clicking on the X at the top right of the
window
• Press the Reference Coordinate System list down arrow - this allows
you to transform objects using different coordinate reference systems.
The View option is the most used for landscape work, using the
viewports to transform objects Up and Down (Left or Front viewports for
example) or Left and Right (Top viewport). However, the Local option
is sometimes used when modeling objects
3D Snap Toggle
• Right click over any of the first three buttons to display the Grid and
Snap Settings dialog This is where you change snap settings for
snapping to different parts of an object or grid
This is where you can name 'Selection Sets' for selecting multiple objects
using the list. They are further explained in 'KV02 Working with Objects'
Layer Manager
The Layer Manager organizes and manages layers imported directly from
AutoCAD and can be used in conjunction with other object management
• Place your cursor over the icons and list box to reveal tool tips:
Render type - options for rendering. 'View' and 'Region' are the most used;
Quick Render - renders the active viewport with the current render settings.
The viewports enable you to view any part of the scene or any part of an
object and are highly configurable for many modeling purposes. The
configuration of viewports and how to navigate in 3D space is explained later
in the tutorials
Command Panel
Navigation Tools
The navigation tools are an important element to master when learning to use
MAX / VIZ. To easily navigate around objects and the scene in 3D space is
the first step to being efficient and feeling comfortable with the program.
These tools are explained later in this tutorial
Animation Controls
Time slider - shows the available frames and using the slider you can move
animated objects in the scene
Auto Key
The Status bar gives information regarding the position of the selected object
and a prompt for available commands
Maxscript Listener
• Place the cursor in a blank space in the viewport and right click. This
menu is displayed. This is an example of a Quad Menu using just two
sub-menus (display and transform) from a possible four. Quad Menus
are displayed when you right click in a viewport
• Select the sphere and right click again. Other options on the Quad
Menu become available (black and not grey) that pertain to the type of
object selected
• Position the cursor over the word 'Perspective' to the top left of the
viewport and right click. This menu is displayed
Right click menus and Quad Menus are well used feature of MAX / VIZ.
Practice right clicking over parts of the interface, even icons, to access a
variety right click menus.
FIN