Getting Started with Autodesk 3ds Max

                Today answer is Getting Started with Autodesk 3ds Max So start now Although many of 3ds Max’s components are typical for a Windows program, quite a few are unique to 3ds Max; therefore, a solid understanding of them is essential to using the aprogram effectively. To begin exploring the 3ds Max 2013 interface, start the program by doing one of the following: u Double-click the 3ds Max 2013 icon on the Desktop. u Choose Start ‚ All Programs ‚ Autodesk ‚ Autodesk 3ds Max 2013 ‚ Autodesk 3ds Max 2013. If you are on a 64-bit Windows system, you will see the 64-bit suffi x on the folder and icon names. You’ll see a variety of components in the 3ds Max 2013 window. Some may be familiar to you while others may not. At the top, you see a typical Windows menu bar and the 3ds Max Main Toolbar. Depending on your default settings, you may also see up to nine more fl oating or docked toolbars containing additional 3ds Max tools. Beneath the Main Toolbar is the Graphite Modeling Tools toolbar. In the center, you see the viewport area, which currently shows the Top, Front, Left, and Perspective viewports. At the lower-right corner of the screen, you fi nd the viewport navigation tools for adjusting your views in the current viewport. Also included are the time controls for creating and playing animations, the prompt line and status bar, and the MAXScript Mini Listener (for creating macros). On the left side of the window above the MAXScript area is the new Viewport Layout Tabs toolbar. On the right side of the user interface is the Command panel, which contains nearly all the tools you’ll use to create and edit objects in 3ds Max. Let’s take a closer look at each of these components. 3ds Max often provides several methods, including toolbars, Command panels, menus, and shortcuts, for accomplishing the same task. 

3ds max inteeface 3ds Max opening...Now what?The 3ds Max logo in the upper left corner actslike the main file button of most programs.If anything was previously developed in 3ds max,then the file can be opened here.



Most often, other formats will be imported toMax. If this is the case, then hitting importwill open an import window where one canchoose any format to import into Max.
Setting up the new model

Coherence between models that may be imported is key. In order to keep the same scales, the units must be the same. The customize menu in Max will allow one to select the units setup menu. In the Units Setup, one can choose to set the units towhichever the model requests.




The Interface 3ds Max runs on an interface that is strictly button based rather than programs like AutoCad that are mostly command based.

Viewports

3ds Max is based by default in four different viewports. The four viewports show four different views of the model space. Working between multiple viewports at one can allow much more efficiency and flexibility in design. The ability to see how the model looks in various views at one time is important to the final outcome. Will allow one to edit the view of the selected viewport Will allow one to edit the rendering of the selected viewport Hitting ALT+w will maximize any selected viewport to full screen