8

Grid Helper 21
Only one grid can be active for construction at a
time, whether it’s the home grid or a gr id objec t.
Activating a user grid "deact ivates" the home gr id.
Activating a grid object enables options to
reactivatethehomegridontheViewsmenu>
Grids submenu and the Quad menu.
Ifyouhavemorethanonegridobjectinyour
scene, you have to activate each one separately.
Select the gr id object you want to make active and
followthesameprocedure. Activatinganother
grid object deactivates the current one.
1. Select a gr id object.
2. Do one of the following:
• From the Views menu, choose Grids >
Activate Grid Object.
• Right-clicktheselectedgridobjectand
chooseActivateGridfromthequadmenu.
The grid object changes to show its internal
grid structure. Except for its mai n axes, the
home grid disappears in all viewports.
To return to the home grid, do one of the following:
• From the Views menu, choose Grids > Activate
Home Grid.
• Right-clicktheselectedgridobjectandchoose
Act ivate Home Grid from the quad menu.
This deactivates the grid object and returns the
home grid in all views.
If you delete an activated g rid object, the home
grid also reactivates.
You c an assign a keyboard shortcut to Activate
Home Grid in the
Key b oard panel (page 3–837)
of the Customize User Interface dialog. This
is useful if you need to move back and forth
between different grids.
To use a grid object as construction plane:
When activated, a grid object replaces the home
grid as the frame of reference for creating objects.
Anactivatedgridobjectcreatesatrueplanein
3D space. No matter how small an ac t ivated gr id
object appears on screen, its XY plane is effect ively
infinite, just as if it were the XY plane of the home
grid.
1. Activate the grid object.
2. Create any category of object.
3ds Max creates the object directly on the plane
of the g rid object, with the object’s Z axis
perp endicular to the plane.
See
Align (page 1–447) for details on aligning
objects and grids.
Like other objects in the software, you can move
androtategridobjectsfreelyusingstandard
transformation methods. These transforms, along
w ith alignment, are essentia l in positioning a
construction plane in 3D space.
To nudge a grid object up or down:
1.
Activate the grid object.
2. Press the + or keys on the numeric keypad to
move t he grid object up or dow n.
The Grid N udge Distance is controlled in
the
Viewports panel (page 3–874) of the
Preferences dialog.