8

10 Chapter 1: Getting Started with 3ds M ax
• Group (page 3–722) contains commands for
managing combined objects.
•
Views (page 3–722) contains commands for
setting up and controlling the viewports.
•
Create (page 3–723) contains commands for
creating object s.
•
Modifiers (page 3–726) contains commands
for modifying objects.
•
Character (page 3–729) has tools for working
w ith bones, lin ked st ructures and character
assemblies.
•
Animation (p age 3–729) contains commands
for animating and constraining objects.
•
Graph Editors (page 3–730) provides graphical
access to editing objects and animation: Track
View lets you open and manage animation
tracks in
Track View (page 2–483) windows,
and
Schematic View (page 3–690) gives you an
alternate way to work with the objects in your
scene and navigate to them.
•
Rendering (page 3–731) contains commands
for rendering, V ideo Post,
radiosity, (page
3–50)
and the env ironment.
•
Customize (page 3–731) gives you access
to controls that let you customize the user
interface.
•
MAXScript (page 3–823) hascommandsfor
working with MAXScr ipt, the built-in scripting
language.
For more information about the 3ds Max menus,
see
Menu Bar (page 3–720) .
Time Controls
The Auto Key button (page 2–274) turns on
animation mode. The other controls navigate
through t ime and play back an animation.
Command Pa nel
This collection of six panels provides handy
access to most of the modeling and animation
commands.
You can "tear off " the command panel and place it
anywhere you like.
By default, the command panel is docked at the
right of your screen. You can access a menu
that lets you
float (page 3–1024) or dismiss the
command p anel by right-clicking just above it.
If it is not displayed, or you want to change its
location and docking or floating status, right-click
in a blank area of any toolbar, and choose from
the shortcut menu.
•
Create (page 3–800) holds all object creation
tools.
•
Modif y (page 3–801) holds modifiers and
editing tools.
•
Hierarchy (page 3–816) holds linking and
inverse kinematics parameters.
•
Motion (page 3–817) holds animation
controllers and trajectories.
•
Display (page 3–818) holds object display
controls.
•
Ut ilities (page 3–821) holds miscellaneous
utilities.
Status B ar and Prompt Line
Thesetwolinesdisplaypromptsandinformation
about your scene and the active command. They
also cont ain system togg les controlling select ions,
precision, and display properties. See
Status Bar
Cont rols (page 3–746)
.
Viewports
You can display from one to four viewports. These
canshowmultipleviewsofthesamegeometry,
as well as the Track View, Schematic View, and