3DS MAX

1. 3ds Max 2015 Essentials
Chapter 1: The 3ds Max Interface

2. 3ds Max 2015 topics covered in
this chapter include the following:
• The Workspace
• Transforming Objects Using Gizmos
• Graphite Modeling Tool
• Command Panel
• Time Slider and Track Bar
• File Management
2

3. The Workspace
3
This is a brief rundown of what you need to know about the UI and how to
navigate in 3ds Max’s workspace

4. Viewports
• Viewport
– Top, Front, Left and Perspective
– Right-click Viewport Labels menus for
more options
• ViewCube
– Viewport Navigation
– Adjust viewport
orientation
• Mouse Buttons
– Each button has different role for
manipulating in viewports
4
3ds Max’s Viewports are windows into your scene.

5. Viewports (cont.)
• Quad Menus
– Right-click in viewport to display up to
four quadrant areas with various
commands.
• Caddy Interface
– Context sensitive tool
– Replaces the Settings dialog box
• Display of Object in Viewport
– Most common ways are Wireframe and
Smooth and Highlights 5

6. Transforming Objects using
Gizmos
• Move
– Shortcut is W
– Drag handles moves along
XYZ axis
• Rotate
– Shortcut is E
– Click on colored circles to
rotate XYZ
• Scale
– Shortcut is R
– Middle triangle scales
uniformly, drag handle to
scale along one axis 6

7. Graphite Modeling Tool Tab
• Polygon Modeling Panel
• Modify Selection Panel
• Edit Panel
• Geometry Panel
• [Subobject] Panel
• Loops Panel
• Additional Panels
7
The Graphite Modeling tool ribbon provides you with a wide range of
tools to make building and editing modeling fast and easy.

8. Command Panel
• Create
- Creates object, lights, cameras, etc.
• Modify
- Edit object parameters and apply
modifiers
• Hierarchy
- Adjust hierarchy for objects and adjust
their pivot points.
• Motion
- Animation tools and functions
• Display
- Lets you access display options for
scene objects
• Utilities
- Lets you access several functions such
as motion capture utilities and the Asset
Browser 8
Running along the right side of the 3ds max interface, the
Command Panel has everything you need to create,
manipulate, and animate objects.

9. Modifier Stack
• This UI element gives a list of all the modifiers that
are active on any selected object. Modifiers are
actions applied to an object that change it
somehow, such as bending or warping.
9
Command Panel
Objects and Subobjects

10. Time Slider and Track Bar
• The time slider allows you to move
through any frame in your scene by
scrubbing (moving the slider back and
forth).
• You can move through your animation one
frame at a time by clicking on the arrows
on either side of the time slider or by
pressing the < and > keys.
10

11. Setting a Project
• 3ds Max provides several subfolders
automatically grouped into projects for you.
• Once you copy the appropriate projects to your
hard drive, you can tell 3ds Max which project to
work on by choosing Application Manage Set➢ ➢
Project Folder.
11
File Management
Version Up!
• Save your file using the same name, but you
increase the version number by 1.
• Select Application Save As and manually➢
changing the version number or click the
Increment button (the + icon) to the right of the
filename which will a add 01, then 02, then 03,
and so on.