Getting Started with Autodesk 3ds Max

       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

program effectively. To begin exploring the 3ds Max 2013 interface, start the program by

doing one of the following:

Double-click the 3ds Max 2013 icon on the Desktop.

 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 (see Figure 1.2). Some may be

familiar to you while others may not.

figure 1.2

The Large Icons Option

The images in this article use the default Large Icons option to display the toolbar buttons better.

To deactivate this option and use the smaller icons, thereby gaining some much-needed viewport

workspace, choose Customize ‚ Preferences to open the Preference Settings dialog box. In the UI

Display group of the General tab, deselect the Use Large Toolbar Buttons option, and then shut

down and restart 3ds Max for this setting to take effect.

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.
Touring the Interface
3ds Max offers a wealth of tools, and their sheer number can be overwhelming. To get a basic
understanding of the 3ds Max window, we’ll present each of the window components individually,
starting with the Menu Bar.
The Menu Bar
At the top of the screen is the Menu Bar. Here you’ll fi nd the typical Windows commands for fi le
maintenance, as well as commands specifi c to 3ds Max.
Standard to 3ds Max 2013 is the Application button (see Figure 1.3), which replaced the traditional
File menu in the 2010 release. The Application button is a graphical representation of the
tools from the traditional File menu, including opening and saving fi les, importing, exporting,
and referencing fi les. The Application button is also where you can set a project folder, access
the Asset Tracking tool, and check statistics about the current fi le. If you are more comfortable
using the traditional File menu, you can restore it to the 3ds Max interface using the dialog box
that appears when you select Customize ‚ Customize User Interface.
The options in the Menu Bar are organized the same way as they are in most Windows
applications. Clicking an option issues a command, and you’re expected to take some action. An
option that’s followed by three periods, called an ellipsis, opens a dialog box, usually to allow
you to make changes to settings related to the option. An option with a right-pointing arrow
displays more options in what is called a cascading menu, as shown in Figure 1.4. Depending on
your version of Windows, user settings, and if you have a pen tablet attached to you system,
your menus may cascade to the left or to the right.

Using the create and Modify Panel in 3ds max

                  
               The most important thing in 3ds max is how can Using the create and Modify Panel in 3ds max The Create panel provides the controls for creating objects and adjusting their parameters.
To access the Create panel:
Click 
(Create tab) on the command panel.

By default, this panel is open when you start 3ds Max. If the command panel isn't visible, choose it from the Customize the display right click menu Alternatively, open the Customize menu, then the Show UI submenu, and choose Show Command Panel.
Click 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.

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 subcategorie. For Eq, subcategories under Geometry include Standard Primitives, Extended Primitives, Compound Objects, Particle Systems, Patch Grids, and NURBS Surfaces.Object Type

A rollout contains labeled buttons for creating objects in a 'particular subcategory' plus the Auto grid. checkbox.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 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.

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.

Modify Panel in 3ds max 2016

      After adding object's to your scene from the Create panel you can move to the Modify panel to change an object original creation parameter and to apply modifiers. Modifiers are the basic tools for reshaping and adjusting primitive geometry.

Note: You can float or dismiss the command panel using the Customize Display right-click menu. 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 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 alphabetical lists of modifiers in Objects-space Modifier and World-Space Modifiers.

General Guidelines

You can generally do the following with the Modify panel:

1. 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.
2. 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.
Note: Some modifiers can be applied only to certain types of objects.