Datasheet

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CHAPTER 1 GettinG to Know 3ds Max desiGn 2010
6. Click and drag the blue Z-coordinate arrow up. Now, movement is constrained in the
Z-axis, away from and toward the grid. As you may guess, clicking and dragging the
green Y-coordinate arrow constrains movement in the Y--axis.
The Last Axis Transformed Is Highlighted in Yellow
The axis that is highlighted in yellow is the last axis constraint that was used. For example, if you
transform an object in the Y direction, the next time you start to transform an object, the Y-axis
will be highlighted.
If you click an object in a location other than the coordinate arrows but still on the object,
you can freely move the object in the current axis or plane restriction. Notice that the coordinate
location of the object is displayed in the status line just below the Drafting tools.
Constraining Motion
The tools in the Axis Constraints toolbar constrain the motion of an object in the X-, Y-, or Z-axis.
For example, to constrain motion in the X-axis, click the Select and Move tool, and then click the X
tool in the Constraints toolbar. The selected objects motion is constrained to the X-axis. In early
versions of 3ds Max, this was the only method available to constrain motion.
Another important function that the Axis Constraints toolbar offers is the selection of the default
free motion plane. In step 5 of the preceding exercise, you were able to move the box freely in the
XY-plane, but you were constrained to that plane. The Constraints toolbar lets you select the default
plane to which you are constrained. The Restrict to XY-Plane tool is a flyout offering three options:
XY, YZ, and ZX. You can select the plane in which you want to constrain motion by selecting one of
these three options. The XY option is fine for nearly all of your work; every now and then, though,
you’ll want to use one of the other options, so its good to be aware of this tool. You can also access
these constraint planes simply by dragging the appropriate parts of the Transform gizmo—its
very intuitive.
If you prefer to use shortcut keys instead of a toolbar, the F5, F6, and F7 keys toggle the X-, Y-, and
Z-axis constraints, respectively. Pressing the F8 key repeatedly cycles through the XY-, YZ-, and
XZ-plane constraints.
Finally, a tool that is related to the Transform tools is the Selection Lock Toggle tool.
Any objects that are selected when this tool is clicked will remain selected as long as the Selection
Lock is toggled in the On position. This tool helps prevent the accidental loss of a selection due to a
mouse click. It also allows you to use the Transform tools without actually placing the cursor on the
selected objects. You can also toggle this tool on and off by clicking it or by pressing the spacebar
while in a selection mode.
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