2008

Parameter/Parametric
A tube is one example of a parametric object. Varying its parameters creates varying
geometry.
A parameter is a setting or value that you can change. Many objects in 3ds
Max have parameters that you can change to alter the size or shape of the
object. This type of object can be described as parametric.
Unlike physical building blocks, which have a fixed shape and size, the
geometric primitives (box, sphere, torus, and so on) are parametric; you can
change their dimensions, segment settings, and other features after you create
them. Parametric objects respond to changes in their parameters by
dynamically updating their properties.
Changing a parameter can dramatically alter the structure and appearance of
an object. For example, you can turn a cylinder into a prism by reducing the
number of sides and turning the Smooth option off. Alternately, you can turn
a cone into a four-sided pyramid using the same technique.
Objects that you merge from other scenes or from Autodesk VIZ allow you to
access parametric values. Objects in drawings that you link from Autodesk
Architectural Desktop should be edited in Architectural Desktop, then relinked
to 3ds Max with the
File Link Manager on page 6783 .
You can animate almost all creation parameters for geometric primitives, and
interactively change their settings during animation playback.
7884 | Glossary