8

1024 Glossary
tryapplyingmapstotheflatareasinthesceneto
see if that eliminates banding before you turn on
dithering.
By default, 3ds Max renders 64-bit color output.
Consequently, you also have the option of setting
dithering for
truecolor (24 or 32-bit color) (page
3–1121)
. The Dither True Color option ensures
that you get the best quality on truecolor displays.
Yo u t u r n d i t h e r i n g o n a n d o f f i n t h e
Rendering
panel (page 3–863)
of the Preferences dialog. You
can also set dithering for scene motion blur in
Video Post. Here, dithering provides a smoothing
effect between the separate images making up the
"blur." Video Post dither is set as a percentage of
total dither .
Dock a nd Float
These terms describe manipu lations to
user-interface elements, such as toolbars.
Yo u
dock a toolbar, for example, when you align
it with the edge of another interface element,
typically a window or panel.
Yo u
float a toolbar when you detach it from a
stationary position, and reposition it elsewhere on
the desktop.
Double Support Period
In footstep animation (p age 3–1037) ,aperiod
where both of the biped’ s feet are on the ground.
Dummy Object
A dummy object is a non-rendering object that
you use as an animation helper. The primary use
of the dummy helper object is to assist you in
creating complex motions and building complex
hierarchies. Bec ause dummies are invisible in
the rendered scene, they are an excellent choice
for offset joints, connectors between objects, and
handles for manipulating complex hierarchies.
Breaking complex motions into simple
components often makes it easier to go back and
edit your animations. For example, consider
animating a b ouncing b all moving around your
scene. You could animate the ball by properly
positioning it throughout the scene on many
frames. The drawback is that it would be very
difficult for you to go back and adjust the height of
thebounceorthepaththeballtakesthroughthe
scene. You would have to edit the motion of the
ball on many f r ames to make even a simple change.
Usingadummyobjecteasilysolvesthisproblemby
breaking the motion into two simple components.
Onecomponentisthebounceoftheball. The
other is the path through t he scene.
DWG Files
TheDWGfileistheprimary,nativefileformat
of drawing files created b y A utoCAD, Autodesk
Architectural Desktop, and Autodesk Mechanical
Desktop®. It is a binary format used for importing
and
exporting (page 3–545) AutoCAD drawing
files.
Yo u c a n a l s o u s e t h e
File Link Manager (page
3–431)
to create a live link between a drawing
filethatcanbeopeninAutoCADand3dsMax.
Changes that are made to the drawing can
automatically be updated in 3ds Max without
having to reload scenes or re-import drawings.
DXF Files
DXF files are u sed to import and export objects
to and from AutoCAD (and other programs that
support this file format).