Datasheet

GettinG the View You want

Let’s explore some of 3ds Max’s display tools in the other viewports. The ﬁrst item you’ll look at

is the way that the Field-of-View tool changes when your active viewport changes.

1. Click the Maximize Viewport Toggle, in the set of viewport navigation controls, if neces-

sary to display a four-viewport conﬁguration.

2. Click anywhere in the viewport labeled Top in the upper-left corner of the display. Notice

that the Field-of-View tool changes to a magnifying glass with a rectangle. This is the

Zoom Region tool.

Also notice that the Top viewport now shows a thick yellow border around it, indicating that

it is the current, active viewport.

3. Click the Zoom Region tool.

4. Click and drag the cursor on a point below and to the left of the chairs, as shown in

Figure 1.54. As you drag the cursor, you see a rectangle appear. Don’t release the cursor yet.

5. Position the rectangle above and to the right of the bottom row of chairs, as shown in

Figure 1.54, and then release the mouse button. The view enlarges to the region you just

indicated with the Zoom Region tool.

The Zoom Region tool acts like the magnifying tools in many other graphics programs. Also,

the Zoom and Pan tools perform the same functions in orthogonal views in 3ds Max as they do

in other programs, allowing you to zoom in and pan over the view.

You may have noticed two other tools in the viewport navigation controls that haven’t been

discussed yet: the Zoom All and Zoom Extents All tools. Now that you have multiple viewports

displayed, you can try out these two tools.

1. Click the Zoom All tool.

2. In any viewport, click and drag the cursor up and down. Notice that the view in all of the

viewports is enlarged or reduced as the cursor moves.

3. Click and drag the cursor down, and the views expand to show more of the model area.

4. Click the Zoom Extents All tool.

All of the viewports change to display enlarged views of the chairs, as shown in Figure 1.55.

Figure 1.54

Selecting a view to

enlarge with the

Zoom Region tool

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