EIE3101 Computer Animation 21/22 sem1

Tutorial 1: Introduction to 3ds Max

Contents
3ds Max Interface Overview ................................................................................................................... 1
Using Standard View Navigation ............................................................................................................. 3
Viewing and Navigating 3D Space ........................................................................................................... 5
Viewport Controls ................................................................................................................................... 6
Introducing Object Selection .................................................................................................................. 7
Moving, Rotating, and Scaling Objects ................................................................................................. 10
Pivot ...................................................................................................................................................... 14
Transform Type-In................................................................................................................................. 15
About Scene Layers ............................................................................................................................... 16
Exercise ................................................................................................................................................. 20
Shortcuts for Tutorial 1 ......................................................................................................................... 21

3ds Max Interface Overview

The 3ds Max window is the main interface to the program.

1
EIE3101 Computer Animation 21/22 sem1

1. Quick Access toolbar: Provides file handling and undo/redo commands, plus a drop-down
list for switching among different workspace interfaces.
2. Main toolbar: Provides many of the most commonly used commands in 3ds Max.
3. The Ribbon: Contains an array of tools for modeling, painting into the scene, and adding
people.
4. Scene Explorer: For viewing, sorting, filtering, and selecting objects in 3ds Max, as well as
renaming, deleting, hiding, and freezing objects, creating and modifying object hierarchies,
and editing object properties en masse.
5. Viewport Layouts: This is a special tab bar for switching quickly between different
viewport configurations. You can use the default layouts provided, or create your own
custom layouts.
6. Status Bar controls: Displays prompts and status information about your scene and the
active command. The coordinate display fields to the right of the prompt let you enter
transform values manually.
7. Viewport label menus: The viewport labels are menus that let you change what each
viewport displays, including the point of view (POV) and shading style.
8. Quad menu: When you click the right mouse button anywhere in an active viewport, except
on the viewport label, a quad menu is displayed. The options available in the quad menu
depend on the selection.
9. Time Slider: Lets you navigate along the timeline and jump to any animation frame in your
scene. You can quickly set position and rotation or scale keys by right-clicking the time
slider and choosing the desired key from the Create Key dialog.
10.Viewports: Display your scene from multiple angles and can preview lighting, shadows,
depth of field, and other effects.

2
EIE3101 Computer Animation 21/22 sem1

11.Command Panel: Gives you access to tools for creating and modifying geometry, adding
lights, controlling animation, and so on. The Modify panel, in particular, has a wealth of
tools for adding complexity to geometry.
12.Animation controls: Let you create animation and play back animation within viewports.
13.Viewport Navigation: Use these buttons to navigate your scene within the active viewport.
14.Slate Material Editor: Provides functions to create and edit materials and maps. Materials
are assigned to objects and create greater realism in a scene by using different maps.
15.Rendered Frame Window: Displays a rendering of your scene and enables easy re-rendering.
Other controls here let you change render presets, lock rendering to a specific
viewport, render regions for faster feedback, and change mental ray settings.

Open “Army Compound – Start.max”

Using Standard View Navigation
To navigate through your scene, use the view navigation buttons located at the lower-right corner
of the 3ds Max window. All view types, except Camera and Light views, use a standard set of
view navigation buttons.

The standard navigation controls

Undoing Standard View Navigation Commands

Undo View Change and Redo View Change on the Views menu are different from
Undo and Redo commands on the Edit menu and main toolbar. 3ds Max maintains separate
Undo/Redo buffers for scene editing and for each viewport.
The View Change Undo/Redo buffer stores your last 20 view navigation commands for each
viewport. You can step back through the Undo View/Redo View buffer until you have undone all
of the stored view-navigation commands.
Or you can use the keyboard shortcuts: Shift+Z for Undo View Change and Shift+Y for Redo
View Change.

Zooming, Panning, and Orbiting Views

When you click one of the view navigation buttons, you can change these basic view properties:
zooming, panning, and orbiting.
Zoom
Controls zooming in and out.
Pan View
Controls panning in any direction.
Orbit
Controls rotating in any direction

3
EIE3101 Computer Animation 21/22 sem1

Zooming a View
Click Zoom or Zoom All and drag in a viewport to change the view magnification. Zoom
changes only the active view, while Zoom All simultaneously changes all non-camera views.
If a perspective view is active, you can also click Field of View (FOV) . The effect of
changing FOV is similar to changing the lens on a camera. As FOV gets larger you see more of
your scene and perspective becomes distorted, similar to using a wide-angle lens. As FOV gets
smaller you see less of your scene and the perspective flattens, similar to using a telephoto lens.
Warning: Be cautious using extreme Field of View settings. These can produce unexpected results.
Zooming a Region
Click Zoom Region to drag a rectangular region within the active viewport and magnify that
region to fill the viewport. Zoom Region is available for all standard views.
In a perspective viewport, Zoom Region mode is available from the Field of View flyout .
Zooming to Extents
Click the Zoom Extents or Zoom Extents All flyout buttons to change the magnification
and position of your view to display the extents of objects in your scene. Your view is centered on
the objects and the magnification changed so the objects fill the viewport.
• The Zoom Extents , Zoom Extents Selected buttons zoom the active viewport to the
extents of all visible or selected objects in the scene.
• The Zoom Extents All , Zoom Extents All Selected buttons zoom all viewports to the
extents of all objects or the current selection.
Panning a View
Click Pan View and drag in a viewport to move your view parallel to the viewport plane. You
can also pan a viewport by dragging with the middle mouse button held down while any tool is
active.
Orbiting a View
Click Orbit , Orbit Selection , or Orbit Sub-Object to rotate your view around the view
center, the selection, or the current sub-object selection respectively. When you rotate a head-on
viewport, such as a Top view, it is converted to an Orthographic view, as reflected by the viewport
label.
With Orbit Sub-Object , selected sub-objects or objects remain at the same position in the
viewport while the view rotates around them.
With Orbit Selected , selected objects remain at the same position in the viewport while the
view rotates around them. If no objects are selected, the function reverts to the standard Orbit
function.
With Orbit , objects near the edges of the viewport can rotate out of view.
You can rotate a view by holding down Alt while you drag in a viewport using the middle mouse
button. This uses the current Orbit mode, whether or not the Orbit button is active.
You can also activate Orbit by pressing Ctrl+R.

4
EIE3101 Computer Animation 21/22 sem1

Viewing and Navigating 3D Space

Using multiple viewports can help you visualize the scene.

At times you might want to look at your scene through a large, undivided viewport, giving you a
"picture-window" view of the world you’re creating. Often you use multiple viewports, each set to
a different orientation.
If you want to move an object horizontally in the world space, you might do this in a top viewport,
looking directly down on the object as you move it. At the same time, you could be watching a
shaded perspective viewport to see when the object you’re moving slides behind another. Using
the two windows together, you can get exactly the position and alignment you want.
You also have pan and zoom features available in either view, as well as grid alignment. With a
few mouse clicks or keystrokes, you can reach any level of detail you need for the next step in
your work.

Active Viewport
One viewport, marked with a highlighted border, is always active. The active viewport is where
commands and other actions take effect. Only one viewport can be in the active state at a time. If
other viewports are visible, they are set for observation only; unless disabled, they simultaneously
track actions taken in the active viewport.
To switch the active viewport, click a viewport that is not active. You can use the left, middle, or
right mouse button to do this.
Tip: Use the right mouse button when you switch viewports. Left-click can also select objects,
which might not be what you want to do.
The navigation button (Maximize Viewport Toggle), at the lower right of the 3ds Max
window, maximizes the active viewport so it occupies all the viewport area. When a viewport is
maximized, clicking the same toggle displays all viewports once again. The default keyboard
shortcut for Maximize Viewport is Alt+W.
When viewports are not maximized, pressing (the Windows logo button, sometimes labeled
"Start") + Shift cycles the active viewport. When one viewport is maximized, pressing
+Shift displays the available viewports, and you can press +Shift to cycle among them:

5
 EIE3101 Computer Animation 21/22 sem1

When you release the keyboard buttons, the viewport you chose becomes the maximized viewport.
Overlay thumbnails for switching the maximized viewport
Note: On some keyboards, the Windows logo button is labeled "Program."

Saving the Active Viewport

You can save the view in any active viewport and later restore it with the Views menu’s Save
Active View and Restore Active View commands. One view can be saved for each of the
following view types: Top, Bottom, Left, Right, Front, Back, Orthographic, Perspective.
For example, while in the Front view, you choose Save Active Front View, and then zoom and
pan that view. You then activate the Top viewport, choose Save Active Top View, and then click
Zoom Extents. You return to the Front view, and choose Restore Active Front View to return to its
original zoom and pan. At any time, you can activate the Top viewport, and then choose Restore
Active Top View to restore its saved view.

Viewport Controls
Viewport Labels and Viewport Label Menus
Viewports are labeled in the upper-left corner. The labels show current settings such as the point
of view and rendering mode. Click or right-click a label to open the associated viewport label
menus.

Depending on the display driver selected, each viewport contains a series of up to five
menus in the top left hand corner that control viewport display.

The menus are:

1. General: adjust general options for viewport display and configuration.

2. Point-of-View (POV): change the active point-of-view and enable other integrated
viewport elements.
3. Shading: set shading and other visual options.
4. Per-View Preference (Nitrous only): provides additional options for Nitrous displays.
5. 2D Pan Zoom (displayed only in 2D Pan Zoom mode): shows the zoom level when 2D
Pan Zoom mode is enabled. Available for Nitrous displays only.

6
EIE3101 Computer Animation 21/22 sem1

Introducing Object Selection

3ds Max is an object-oriented program. This means that each object in the 3D scene carries
instructions about 3ds Max what you can do with it. These instructions vary with the type of
object.
Because each object can respond to a different set of commands, you apply commands by first
selecting the object and then choosing the command. This is known as a noun-verb interface,
because you first select the object (the noun) and then invoke the command (the verb).

Selection Buttons
The main toolbar has several selection-mode tools, listed following. When any of these tools is
active, you can select objects by clicking them.

Select Object

Select by Name

Select And Move

Select And Rotate

Select And Scale

Select And Manipulate

Of the selection buttons, you use Select Object when you want selection only. The remaining
buttons let you both select and transform or manipulate your selection. Use transforms to move,
rotate, and scale your selection.

Selecting with Quad Menu Commands

Rather than using the toolbar buttons, you might find it faster to choose selection-mode tools from
the Transform quadrant of the quad (right-click) menu, where you can easily switch among Move,
Rotate, Scale, and Select. Choose any of these and click the object to select in the viewport.
Selecting by Name
Another quick way to select an object is to use the keyboard shortcut for the Select By Name
command. Press H on the keyboard to open the Select From Scene dialog and then select the
object by name from the list. This is a foolproof way to ensure you select the correct object when
the scene contains many overlapping objects.
Crossing Versus Window Selection
One way to select multiple objects simultaneously is to drag a region, such as a rectangle,
around them. The main toolbar Window/Crossing toggle switches between Window and
Crossing modes when you select by region. In Window mode, you select only the objects entirely
within the selection. In Crossing mode, you select all objects within the region, plus any objects
crossing the boundaries of the region.

7
EIE3101 Computer Animation 21/22 sem1

Above: Window selection selects the trash can and bench, but not the streetlight.
Below: Crossing selection selects all three: trash can, bench, and streetlight.

To select all objects do one of the following:

 Choose Edit menu Select All.
 On the keyboard press Ctrl+A.
To invert the current selection do one of the following:
 Choose Edit menu Select Invert.
 On the keyboard press Ctrl+I.
This reverses the current selection pattern. For example, assume you begin with five objects
in your scene, and two of them are selected. After choosing Invert, the two are deselected,
and the remaining objects are selected.

To extend a selection:
 Hold down Ctrl while you click to make selections.
This adds the objects you click to the current selection. For example, if you have two objects
selected and Ctrl+click to select a third, the third object is added to the selection.
Holding down Ctrl also works with Selecting by Region.

To remove an object from a selection, use Alt.

To reduce a selection:
 Hold down Alt while you click objects.
This removes the objects you click from the current selection. For example, if you have
three objects selected and Alt+click one of them, the third object is removed from the
selection.
Holding down Alt also works with Selecting by Region.

8
EIE3101 Computer Animation 21/22 sem1

To lock a selection:
 Select an object.
 Click (Selection Lock Toggle) on the status bar to turn on locked selection mode.
While your selection is locked, you can drag the mouse anywhere on the screen without
losing the selection. The cursor displays the current selection icon. When you want to
deselect or alter your selection, click the Lock button again to turn off locked selection
mode. The keyboard toggle for locked selection mode is spacebar.

To deselect an object, do one of the following:

 Hold down the Alt key, and either click an object, or drag a region around the object to
deselect it
 To deselect all objects in the scene, choose Edit menu Select None
 click an empty area of a viewport anywhere outside the current selection.

Selecting by Region
The region-selection tools let you use the mouse to select one or more objects by defining an
outline or area.

Region Selection
By default, when you drag the mouse a rectangular region is created. When you release the mouse
all objects within and touched by the region are selected. The remainder of this topic describes
how you can change each of these settings.
Note: If you hold down Ctrl while specifying a region, the affected objects are added to the
current selection. Conversely, if you hold down Alt while specifying a region, the affected objects
are removed from the current selection.

Setting Region Type

The type of region you define when you drag the mouse is set by the Region flyout button to the
right of the Select By Name button. You can use any of five types of region selection:
• Rectangular Region Dragging the mouse selects a rectangular region.
• Circular Region Dragging the mouse selects a circular region.
• Fence Region Draw an irregular selection-region outline by alternating between
moving the mouse and clicking (begin with a drag).
• Lasso Region Dragging the mouse outlines an irregular selection region.
• Paint Region Drag the mouse over objects or sub-objects to be included in the
selection.

9
EIE3101 Computer Animation 21/22 sem1

Setting Region Inclusion

This option lets you specify whether to include objects touched by the region border. It applies to
all region methods.
Choose Edit menu Region to display a submenu of the following two items. Only one can be
active at a time. The Window/Crossing toggle on the main toolbar also switches between these
two modes.
• Crossing (The default.) Selects all objects that are within the region and crossing the
boundaries of the region.
• Window Selects only objects that are completely within the region.
You can set up a preference to switch automatically between Window and crossing based on the
direction of your cursor movement.

Moving, Rotating, and Scaling Objects

To change an object’s position, orientation, or scale, click one of the three transform buttons on the
main toolbar or choose a transform from a shortcut menu. Apply the transform to a selected object
using the mouse, the status bar Coordinate Display fields, a type-in dialog, or any combination of
the above.

The column can be moved, rotated, and scaled.

Scaling and Dimensions
If you scale an object and later check its base parameters in the Modify panel, you see the
dimensions of the object before it was scaled. The base object exists independently of the scaled
object that is visible in your scene.
You can use the Measure utility to measure the current dimensions of an object that has been
scaled or changed by a modifier.

10
EIE3101 Computer Animation 21/22 sem1

Using Transforms
A transform is an adjustment of an object’s position, orientation, or scale, relative to the 3D world
(or world space) in which you’re working.
Changing a model by changing its position, rotation, or scale
You can apply three basic types of transform to an object:

• Position

• Rotation

• Scale
And a fourth transform command lets you position an object automatically on an underlying
surface:

• Placement
This section presents brief topics to help you quickly start learning how to transform objects and
how to animate your transforms.

Using Transform Gizmos

The Transform gizmos are viewport icons that let you quickly choose an axis or combination of
axes when transforming a selection with the mouse.
• Select an object. > Main Toolbar > Click any transform button to display the object’s
Transform Gizmo icon.
A Transform gizmo appears when one or more objects are selected and one of the transform
buttons —Select And Move, Select And Rotate, or Select And Scale—is active on the main
toolbar. Each transform type uses a different gizmo. By default, each axis is assigned one of three
colors: X is red, Y is green, and Z is blue. The inner corners of the Move gizmo contain plane
handles whose edges are assigned the two colors of the related axes; for example, the edges of the
XZ plane handle are red and blue. And the Scale gizmo has a central area for uniform scaling,
which is surrounded by three plane handles.

From left to right: Move gizmo, Rotate gizmo, Scale gizmo

You choose an axis by first positioning the mouse over any axis of the icon, then dragging the
mouse to transform the selection along that axis. When moving an object, you can use the plane

11
EIE3101 Computer Animation 21/22 sem1

handles to perform transforms along any two axes simultaneously. The central area of the Scale
gizmo provides, in addition to plane handles for scaling along two axes simultaneously, a uniform-
scaling handle at the center. Using a gizmo avoids the need to first specify a transform axis or axes
on the Axis Constraints toolbar (right click the main toolbar to add it), and also lets you switch
quickly and easily among different transform axes and planes.
When you position the mouse over any axis, it turns yellow to indicate that it’s active. Similarly,
position the mouse over one of the plane handles, and both associated axes turn yellow. You can
now drag the selection along the indicated axis or axes. Doing so changes the Axis Constraints
toolbar "Restrict to ..." setting. This means that you can then drag anywhere on the object and the
axis constraint will remain active. The axis constraint remains active for that transform for all
objects, even if you switch to a different transform and then back again.

Axis Tripods
When no transform tool is active and you select one or more objects, axis tripods appear in the
viewport.

The axis tripod appears when the transform gizmo is inactive.

Each axis tripod consists of three lines, labeled X, Y, and Z, and shows you three things:
• The orientation of the tripod reveals the orientation of the current reference coordinate
system.
• The location of the junction of the three axis lines shows where the current transform center
is.
• The highlighted red axis lines show the current axis constraints.

Select and Move

Use the Select And Move button or the Move command on the Edit or quad menu to select and
move objects.

• Main Toolbar > (Select and Move)

12
EIE3101 Computer Animation 21/22 sem1

• Standard menu: Edit menu > Move

• Right-click an object. > quad menu > Transform quadrant > Move
To move a single object, you do not need to select it first. When this tool is active, clicking an
object selects it and dragging the mouse moves it.
The direction of the movement is determined both by your mouse and by the current reference
coordinate system. To restrict object movement to the X, Y, or Z axis, or to a plane defined by any
two axes, click the appropriate button on the Axis Constraints toolbar or use the Transform gizmo.

Select and Rotate

Use the Select and Rotate tool on the main toolbar or the Rotate command on the Edit or quad
menu
to select and rotate objects.

• Main Toolbar > (Select and Rotate)

• Standard menu: Edit menu > Rotate
• Right-click an object. > quad menu > Transform quadrant > Rotate
To rotate a single object, you need not select it first. When this button is active, clicking an object
selects it and dragging the mouse rotates it.

Select and Uniform Scale

The Select And Uniform Scale button, available from the Select And Scale flyout, lets you scale
objects by the same amount along all three axes, maintaining the object’s original proportions.

• Main toolbar > (Select and Uniform Scale), on Select And Scale flyout
• Right-click an object. > Scale (selects current toolbar Scale mode)
Uniform scale does not change an object’s proportions.
To scale a single object, you don’t need to select it first. When this tool is active, clicking an
object selects it and dragging the mouse scales it.

Select and Non-Uniform Scale

The Select And Non-Uniform Scale button, available from the Select And Scale flyout, lets you
scale objects in a non-uniform manner according to the active axis constraint.

• Main Toolbar > (Select and Non-uniform Scale), on Select And Scale flyout
• Right-click an object. > Scale (selects current toolbar Scale mode)
Non-uniform scale can change proportions with different values for different axes.
You can restrict scaling to a specific axis or plane by first clicking the appropriate button on the
Axis Constraints toolbar, or with the Transform gizmo.
To scale a single object, you don’t need to select it first. When this tool is active, clicking an
object selects it and dragging the mouse scales it.

13
EIE3101 Computer Animation 21/22 sem1

Select and Squash

The Select And Squash tool is useful for creating different phases of the “squash and stretch”-
style animation often found in cartoons.

• Main Toolbar > (Select and Squash), on Select and Scale flyout
• Right-click an object. > Scale (selects current toolbar Scale mode)
Squash scales two axes in opposite directions, maintaining the object’s original volume.
The Select And Squash tool, available from the Select And Scale flyout, lets you scale objects
according to the active axis constraint. Squashing an object always involves scaling down on one
axis while simultaneously scaling up uniformly on the other two (or vice-versa).
You can restrict object scaling to the X, Y, or Z axis, or to any two axes, by first clicking the
appropriate button on the Axis Constraints toolbar.

Select and Place

Use the Select And Place tool to position an object accurately on the surface of another object.
This is roughly equivalent to the AutoGrid option, but can be used at any time, not just when
creating the object.
• Main Toolbar > (Select and Place)
• Edit menu > Placement
• Right-click an object. > quad menu > Transform quadrant > Placement
Placing a character on a rolling terrain
To place a single object, you do not need to select it first. When this tool is active, clicking an
object selects it and dragging the mouse moves it. The contact point with the underlying surface is,
by default, the object’s pivot.

Pivot
Every object has a pivot point that represents its local center and local coordinate system.

Make a selection in the viewport. > Hierarchy panel > Pivot button

The pivot point of an object is used for the following:

14
EIE3101 Computer Animation 21/22 sem1

• Functions as the center of rotation and scaling when you use the Pivot Point transform
center.
• Sets the default location of a modifier center.
• Defines the transform relationship for the object's linked children.
• Defines the joint location for inverse kinematics (IK).
Procedures
To reposition an object's pivot point:

1. Select an object and then turn on Hierarchy panel Adjust Pivot rollout
Affect Pivot Only.

2. Move or rotate the pivot.

Transform Type-In
Transform Type-In is a dialog that lets you enter precise values for move, rotate, and scale
transforms for selected objects. You can use Transform Type-In with anything that can display an
axis tripod or Transform gizmo.
• Status bar > Transform Type-In
• Main toolbar > Right-click (Select and Move), (Select and Rotate), or one of the
(Select and Scale) buttons.
• Standard menu: Edit menu > Transform Type-In
• Enhanced menu: Edit menu > Transform > Transform Type-In
• Keyboard > F12
Transform Type-In Dialog

Absolute group
X, Y, and Z
Display and accept entry for absolute values of position, rotation, and scale along each axis.
Position and rotation are typically displayed in world units, although this can vary depending
on the active reference coordinate system. Scale is always displayed in local units.
Offset group
X, Y, and Z
Display and accept entry for offsets of the position, rotation, and scale values along each axis.
Displayed offset values revert to 0.0 after each operation. For example, if you enter 45
degrees in a Rotate Offset field, when you press Enter, 3ds Max rotates the object 45
degrees from its previous position, increases the Absolute field value by 45 degrees, and
resets the Offset field to 0.0.

15
EIE3101 Computer Animation 21/22 sem1

You can also use the Transform Type-In boxes on the status bar. To use the Transform Type-In
boxes on the status bar, simply enter the appropriate values in the boxes and press Enter to apply
the transformation. You can alternate between entering absolute transform values or offset values
by clicking the Relative/Absolute Transform Type-In button to the left of the transform boxes.
Status bar

Absolute /Offset Mode Transform Type-In

3ds Max treats values you enter into the X, Y, and Z fields as absolutes.
3ds Max applies transform values you enter as relative to current values; that
is, as an offset. Default=off.
X, Y, and Z
Display and accept entry for values of position, rotation, and scale along each axis.

Layers
About Scene Layers
Layers are like transparent overlays on which you organize and group different kinds of scene
information. The objects you create have common properties including color, renderability, and
display. Layers have these properties as well, and the objects they contain can inherit the
properties from their layer.
To manage scene layers, use any Scene Explorer in Sort By Layer mode ( at the bottom )

or open Layer Explorer with the (Toggle Layer Explorer) button on the main toolbar. Both
versions work the same; the difference is that switching an active Scene Explorer to Sort By Layer
mode retains the previous layout (columns and toolbars), while Layer Explorer offers a preset
layout designed for working with layers.
Using layers makes it easier to manage the information in your scenes. You typically use layers to
control the visibility of objects in your scene; they also control the frozen state of member objects,
and can control wireframe color, render, display, and motion-blur properties.
For example, say you’re working on a scene that depicts a floor in an office building. You could
create a different layer for each room on the floor and then assign all objects in the room to their
room’s layer, or you could instead organize the layers to contain different categories of objects
throughout the floor, such as furniture, fixtures, people, and so on. In either case, you can toggle
the visibility of each layer so you’re working only on aspects of the scene of immediate interest,
quickly hiding the rest so they don’t interfere with your work. Or, if you want to see the locations
of objects on a particular layer, but don’t care what they look like, you can set the objects’ display
properties to By Layer. Then, toggling the layer’s Display As Box setting switches the display of
all of its objects between bounding boxes and geometry. You can also assign a different color to
each layer to make it easy to identify its contents.
Note: You can hide and freeze objects individually; however, objects that belong to a hidden or
frozen layer always adopt the hide/freeze state of their layer.

16
EIE3101 Computer Animation 21/22 sem1

Special Layer 0
When you begin a new scene, 3ds Max creates a special layer named 0 (default). By default,
objects on layer 0 are visible and renderable. You can’t delete or rename layer 0.
If you haven’t created any layers, 3ds Max places objects you create on layer 0 by default. If other
layers exist, new objects are added to the active layer. After you create objects, you can reassign
them to different layers.

To Work with Layer Explorer

Layer Explorer is the version of Scene Explorer that opens when you use any of the following
commands. In this mode you can view objects, layers, and layer hierarchies, but not object
hierarchies or groups. Use Layer Explorer for creating and nesting layers and moving objects
between layers.

Create a new layer:

When you create new layers, 3ds Max names them sequentially by default: Layer001,
Layer002, and so on. You can rename a new layer immediately by typing, or later by
slowly double-clicking the title and then typing. 3ds Max assigns a random color to all
new layers.
You can accept the default settings or specify other colors.
Note: The default layer, named "0 (default)", cannot be renamed.

1. On the main toolbar, click (Toggle Layer Explorer).

The Layer Explorer dialog opens, listing all layers and objects in the scene.
2. Optionally, select any objects to add to the new layer. They will be added to the new
layer automatically after you create it.
Note: If a layer is selected when you create a layer, the new layer becomes a child of that
layer. If multiple layers are selected, the new layer is added to the most recently selected
layer.

3. On the Tools toolbar, click (Create New Layer).

3ds Max creates a new layer in the list.
The new layer is active ( ) so that any objects you create subsequently are automatically
added to this layer.

Make a layer active:

The active layer receives all newly created objects. Only one layer can be active at a time.
Note: For other layer-related activities, such as changing properties, it’s not necessary to
change the active layer. For multi-layer activities, such as changing a property, just select
the layers to modify.
• On the Layer Explorer dialog, click an inactive layer icon ( ) next to the name of the
layer to activate.
The icon turns blue ( ), indicating that the layer is active, so that any objects you create
subsequently are automatically added to this layer.

17
EIE3101 Computer Animation 21/22 sem1

Move objects between layers:

1. Use the Layer Explorer dialog to select the objects to move. You can select any objects
in any layers.
2. Drag any selected object to a layer in the list. When mouse cursor icon resembles two
overlapping rectangles, as in the following illustration, release the mouse button.

All of the dragged objects now belong to the target layer.

Nest layers:
You can create layer hierarchies, called "nested" layers, simply by dragging layers into
other layers. The parent layer controls the Hide/Freeze properties of any child layers, but
other settings that can be inherited by layer members, such as Display and Rendering
Controls, are controlled only by the immediate parent layer.
Note: While the default layer, layer 0, can contain other layers, it cannot be nested inside
another layer.
1. To nest multiple layers, first select the layers to move. If nesting a single layer, this isn’t
necessary.
2. Drag a layer—one of the selected ones or any single layer—to another layer in the list.
When the mouse cursor resembles two overlapping rectangles (see preceding illustration)
release the mouse button.
The dragged layers are now nested within the target layer.

Remove layers from their hierarchy:

1. Select one or more nested layers.
2. Right-click and from the quad menu choose Unnest, or drag to an empty space on the
left or below.

The selected layers move to the top level of the layer hierarchy.

18
EIE3101 Computer Animation 21/22 sem1

Hide or unhide a layer:

Hiding a layer also hides any member objects, as well as objects belonging to layers nested
within the hidden layer.
A visible layer or object is signified with the icon; a hidden one uses the or
icon.
1. To hide or unhide multiple layers, first use the Layer Explorer dialog to select the layers
to affect. If hiding or unhiding a single layer, this step is unnecessary.
2. Click the or icon at the left side of any item to hide or unhide.

Freeze or unfreeze a layer:

Freezing a layer also hides any member objects, as well as objects belonging to layers
nested within the frozen layer.
Freezing layers is useful when you want to edit objects associated with particular layers
but also want to view, without editing, objects on other layers. You can’t edit or select
objects on a frozen layer; however, the objects are still visible if the layer is on. You can
activate a frozen layer, and you can add new objects to the frozen layer.
An unfrozen layer or object is signified with the icon in the Frozen column; a frozen
one uses the icon.
1. To freeze or unfreeze multiple layers, first use the Layer Explorer dialog to select the
layers to affect. When freezing or unfreezing a single layer, this step is unnecessary.
2. In the Frozen column, click the or icon of any item to freeze or unfreeze.
The icon appearances toggle in the list.

Assign a color to a layer:

You can assign a color to a layer with the Layer Explorer. For example, you might assign
the color red to a layer named HVAC to help identify the mechanical equipment in your
scene.

1. On the main toolbar, click (Toggle Layer Explorer).

2. If necessary, add the Color column to the layout. (Customize -> Configure column ->
Color)
3. Click the color swatch of the layer whose color you want to change, then use the Color
Selector dialog to pick a new color.
4. Select Wireframe to see the resulting color.
This changes the layer color. For objects in the layer to inherit this color, their color must
be set to By Layer (Select the object(s) in the Layer Explorer -> Right click the object(s)
-> By Layer). To do so, see the following procedure.

Enable control of object properties by layer:

You can set four different categories of object properties to be controlled by the containing
layer: Wireframe Color, Display Properties, Rendering Control, and Motion Blur. You can
toggle the By Layer option for all four categories at once, or you can toggle the categories
individually.

19
EIE3101 Computer Animation 21/22 sem1

1. In Layer Explorer, highlight the objects to adjust.

2. Do either of the following:
• Right-click and from the Layers quadrant of the quad menu, choose By Layer. This
toggles the By Layer option for all four property categories simultaneously.
• Right-click and choose Properties from the quad menu (bottom-right). Use the
Object Properties dialog controls to toggle By Layer / By Object for each category
individually.

Rename a layer:
You might want to rename a layer to better define how its contents are used in your scene.
You can rename any layer except Layer 0 at any time during a 3ds Max session.

1. On the main toolbar, click (Toggle Layer Explorer).

2. On the Layer Explorer dialog, select a layer to rename.
3. Click the layer’s name again to activate text-entry mode (or double-click to highlight the
entire name) and enter a new name.

Delete a layer:
You can delete a layer with all children at any time during a 3ds Max session. You cannot
delete the default layer (0 (default)) but can delete its children. If you delete the active
layer, it makes the default layer active.

1. On the main toolbar, click (Toggle Layer Explorer).

2. In the Layer Explorer dialog list, select one or more layers, and then right-click and,
from the quad menu, choose “Delete Layers and All Children”.

Open the Layer Properties dialog for a layer selection:

1. On the main toolbar, click (Toggle Layer Explorer).

2. Select one or more layers in the Layer Explorer dialog list.
3. Right-click and, from the quad menu, choose Properties

Exercise
Open “Chess Set.max” and follow the steps to add chess pieces to
newly created layers.
Note that the screen captures of the steps are based on old version
of 3ds Max which may be different from 3ds Max 2020.

20
EIE3101 Computer Animation 21/22 sem1

Shortcuts for Tutorial 1

Middle Click = Pan View
Alt + Middle Click = Rotate View (current Orbit mode)
Ctrl + Alt + Middle Click = Zoom View
z = Zoom Extend
Alt + w = Maximize Viewport Toggle
Wnd + Shift = Cycles the active viewport
q = Select
w = Move
e = Rotate
r = Scale
F12 = Transform Type-in
Space Bar = Selection Lock Toggle
Shift+Z = Undo View Change
Shift+Y = Redo View Change
Ctrl +Z = Undo Scene Editing
Ctrl +Y = Redo Scene Editing
Ctrl+R = Activate Orbit mode
Ctrl+A = Select all objects
Ctrl+I = Invert the current selection
Ctrl+D = Select None
Ctrl+click = Adds the selected object to the current selection
Alt+click = Remove an object from a selection/deselect object
h = Select from scene

m = Slate Material Editor

Shift+Q = Render

Alt + W = Maximize Viewport / Display all viewports

21