8

Modify Panel 801
Helper objects are aids to constructing a scene.
They help you position, measure, and animate
the scene’s renderable geometry.
•
Space Warps (page 2–51)
Space war ps produce various kinds of
distortions in the space surrounding other
objects. Some space warps are meant especially
for use with part icle systems.
•
Systems (page 1–380)
Systems combine objects, cont rollers, and
hierarchies to provide geometry associated
with some kind of behavior. Also contains
Sunlight and Daylight systems that simulate
sunlight in your scenes.
Modify Panel
Modify Panel
Command panels > Mod ify pa nel
From the Create panel of 3ds Max, you place basic
objects in yo ur scene, including 3D geometry,
2D shapes, lights and camer as, space warps, and
helpers. As you do this, you give each object its
own set of creation parameters, which define its
geometry and other characteristics depending on
the type of object. Once placed in a scene, objects
carry their creation parameters with them. You
canchangetheseparametersontheModifypanel.
You also use the Modify panel to assign
modifiers
(page 3–1068)
. Modifiers are tools for reshaping
an object. While they mold the final appearance of
the object, modifiers do not change its underlying
creation parameters. See the
list of available
modifiers (page 1–483)
.
Yo u u s e t h e M o d i f y p a n e l t o :
• Change the c reation parameters for existing
objects.
• Apply modifiers to adjust the geometry of an
object or a set of objects.
• Change t he parameters of modifiers and select
their components.
• Delete modifiers.
• Convert a parametric object to an editable
object; see
Modifier Stack Controls (page
3–802)
.
Note: Some space warps can be created as
modifiers. See
Worl d Sp ace Modifiers ( WSMs)
(page 1–498)
.
The Modify panel stays in view until you dismiss
it by clicking the tab of another command panel.
The contents of the panel with its options and
controls update when you select an object, giving
youaccessonlytowhatyoucanmodifyaboutthat
object.
What you can modify depends on whether an
object is classed as a geometric primitive like a
sphere, or as another kind of object, such as a light
or a space warp. Each category has its own range
of possibilities. The contents of the M odify panel
are always specific to the category as well as to the
selected object. When you make a change from
the Modify panel, you immediately see the results
transferred to the object.
You can change or delete modifiers by using the
Modifier Stack Controls (p age 3–802) .
See also
List of Available Modifiers (page 1–483)