8
1120 Glossary
Top: Move gizmo
Middle: Rotate gizmo
Bottom: Scale gizmo
Transforms
Moving, rotating, and scaling a fi gu re
When you create any object, 3ds Max records
its position, rotation, and scale information
in an internal table called a transformation
matrix. Subsequent position, rotation, and scale
adjustments are c alled transforms.
An object’s actual position within the world
coordinate system is always calculated in relation
to its internal, or local coordinate system, which is
based on the object’s transformation matrix. The
origin of the local coordinate system is the center
of the object’s
bounding b ox (page 3–1013)
.
An object can carry any number of modifiers, but
only one set of transforms. Although you can