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CHAPTER 1 GettinG to Know 3ds Max desiGn 2010
3. Click MeshChair01 and then Ctrl+click MeshChair03 in the list of object names. This
list lets you select multiple names as you would in a typical Windows list box. You can
Shift+click to select a group of adjacent names or Ctrl+click to select a group of individ-
ual names. Figure 1.41 shows the Select Objects dialog box with the new selection.
4. Click the OK button. The two chairs are selected.
The preceding exercise showed you how to select objects based on their names, but it also
indirectly showed you the importance of the names of objects. Giving objects meaningful names
helps you locate and select them more easily, especially in a crowded model.
Each Object Has Its Own Name and Parameters
3ds Max is a parametric, object-oriented program, and every object has its own name. Each object
has its own parameters that can be accessed from the Modify tab.
Whenever you create an object in 3ds Max Design 2010, you have the opportunity to give the
new object a name. If you don’t indicate a new name, 3ds Max provides a name for you. If the
new object is a copy of an existing one, the new name that 3ds Max provides is the name of the
original object, with a number appended to its name. If you don’t give an object a meaningful
name when you create it, it’s easy enough to change the name later. Just select the object, and
then enter a new name in the object name input box at the top of the Modify tab or in the Name
and Color rollout of the Create tab.
Naming Selection Sets
Suppose you’ve gone through a lot of effort selecting a set of objects, and you know you will
want to select the same set of objects again at a later time. 3ds Max offers the Named Selection
Sets tool, which lets you name a selection set for later recall. Here’s how it works:
1. Make sure two of the chairs are selected. It doesn’t matter which two, because you’re just
practicing using the Named Selection Sets tool.
2. Click inside the Create Selection Set input box that’s just to the left of the Mirror tool in
the main toolbar.
Figure 1.41
The Select From
Scene dialog box
with the new
selection set
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