9

40 Chapter 10: Precision and Drawing Aids
• Polar applies primarily to the creation of line
splines and wall objects. It can be used while
creating other objects, but results are likely to
be unsat isfactory.
Polarmodedisplaysacompassthatprovidesa
readout of the current angle of the input relative to
thepositivedirectionofthelocalXaxis.
Note: If you hold down Alt in Polar mode, the
next point becomes doubly constrained by both
the previous point and the first point of the current
object.Thisallowsyoutoclosesplinesprecisely.
In this mode, two comp asses are displayed; one
each at the first and previous points.
Pr ocedur es
To add Polar Snapping Mode to the Snaps toolbar:
1.
OpentheSnapstoolbar,ifnecessary.Todoso,
right-click an empty part of the main toolbar,
such as the area directly below one of the
drop-down lists, and choose Snaps.
2. Drag the right end of the toolbar to the right to
make room for a new button.
3. Choose Customize menu > Customize User
Interface.
This opens the Customize User Interface dialog.
4. On the dialog, click the To olbars tab.
5. Scroll down the Actions list on the d ialog to the
Polar Snapping Mode item. You can jump to
the P section by clicking any item in the list and
then pressing
P on the keyboard.
6. Drag the P olar Snapping Mode item from the
list to the empty sect ion of the Snaps toolbar.
This adds the button to the toolbar.
7. ClosetheCustomizeUserInterfacedialog.
3ds Max automatically saves the toolbar in
its revised state and makes the new button a
permanent par t of the user interface.
To use Polar:
1.
Tur n on the Polar Snapping Mode button.
The button appears depressed.
2. B egin to draw a line spline.
An orange compass appears where you place
the first point, along with a red number
indicating the angle of the current line segment
withthepositivedirectionofthelocalXaxis.
3. Move the mouse cursor around in the viewport.
The line jumps to specific angle increments
fromtheX-axis,whilethecompassreading
upda tes to show the current angle. You set the
angle increment in the Grid And Snap Settings
dialog > Options panel (page 2–46) > General
group, which you can access by right-clicking
the Ang le Snap Toggle button on the ma in
toolbar .
4. Click to place the next vertex.
5. Repeat steps 3 and 4 until you’re ready to
complete the shape.
6. Do any of the following:
• To finish the shape at the most recent vertex
without closing it, right-click anywhere.
• To finish the shape by closing it, position the
mouse cursor close to the first point and
then click. A small dialog opens asking if
you want to close the spline; click Yes.
• To finish the shape by closing it wh ile
constraining the line to the polar snap, first
position the mouse cursor close to the first
point, press and hold
Alt to constrain the
mouse by both the previous point and the
first point, and then click. This vertex is
automatically placed at the current angle
incrementfromthefirstpoint,sothatyou
need only click the first point to close the
shape.