Datasheet

TOURING THE INTERFACE

Figure 1.2

The standard

Autodesk VIZ 2008

window

At the top, you see a typical Windows menu bar and the VIZ Main toolbar. You may also see

up to five floating toolbars containing additional VIZ tools and the tool palettes that hold materials,

lights, and cameras for use in scenes. In the center, you see the viewport area, which currently shows

a Perspective viewport. At the lower-right corner of the screen, you see the viewport navigation tools

for adjusting your views in the current viewport. You also see the time controls for creating and play-

ing animations, the prompt line and status bar, and the MAXScript Mini-Listener (for creating mac-

ros). On the right side of the user interface, you see the command panels, which contain nearly all the

tools you’ll use to create and edit objects in VIZ. Let’s take a closer look at each of these components.

VIZ often offers several methods, including toolbars, command panels, menus, and shortcuts, for

accomplishing many tasks.

Touring the Interface

VIZ offers a wealth of tools, and their sheer number can be overwhelming. To get a basic under-

standing of the VIZ window, let’s look at each of the window components individually, starting

with the menu bar.

The Main Menu Bar

At the top of the screen is the menu bar. Here, you find the typical Windows commands for file

maintenance, as well as commands specifically for Autodesk VIZ 2008.

The options in the menu bar are organized in the same way as they are in most other Windows

applications. Clicking an option issues a command, and you’re expected to take some action. An

option that’s followed by three periods, called an ellipsis, opens a dialog box, usually to allow you

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