3ds Max 2012 Bible - Kelly L. Murdock [22]
If a keyboard command is available for a menu command, it is shown to the right of the menu item. If an ellipsis (three dots) appears after a menu item, that menu command causes a separate dialog box to open. A small black arrow to the right of a menu item indicates that a submenu exists. Clicking the menu item or holding the mouse over the top of a menu item makes the submenu appear. Toggle menu options (such as Views⇒Show Ghosting) change state each time they are selected. If a toggle menu option is enabled, a small check mark appears to its left; if disabled, no check mark appears.
FIGURE 1.2
The Max title bar includes the Application Button, the Quick Access toolbar, and the InfoCenter toolbar.
On the CD-ROM
A complete list of keyboard shortcuts can be found in Bonus Chapter 2, “3ds Max 2012 Keyboard Shortcuts,” on the CD. •
You also can navigate the menus using the keyboard by pressing the Alt key by itself. Doing so selects the Edit menu, and then you can use the arrow keys to move up and down and between menus. With a menu selected, you can press the keyboard letter that is underlined to select and execute a menu command. For example, pressing and holding down the Alt and then E (for Edit) and then pressing U (for Undo) executes the Edit⇒Undo command; or you can press Alt, use the down arrow to select the Undo command, and press the Enter key.
Tip
By learning the underlined letters in the menu, you can use the keyboard to quickly access menu commands, even if the menu command doesn't have an assigned keyboard shortcut. And because you don't need to stretch for the Y key while holding down the Ctrl key, underlined menu letters can be faster. For example, by pressing Alt, G, and U successively, you can access the Group⇒Ungroup menu command. The keyboard buffer remembers the order of the letters you type regardless of how fast you key them, making it possible to quickly access menu commands using the keyboard. Over time, you can learn patterns to help you remember how to access certain menu commands, such as Alt, C, H, E for creating an ellipse. •
Not all menu commands are available at all times. If a menu command is unavailable, then it is grayed out, as shown in Figure 1.3, and you cannot select it. For example, the Clone command is available only when an object is selected, so if no objects are selected, the Clone command is grayed out and unavailable. After you select an object, this command becomes available.
Tip
If you right-click the menu bar, you can access a pop-up command to hide the menu bar. If you accidentally dismiss the menu bar, you can recover it using the Show Menu Bar command in the Quick Access toolbar menu. •
FIGURE 1.3
All menus feature visual clues.
Using the Toolbars
Now that you've learned the menu two-step, it is time for the toolbar one-step. The main toolbar appears by default directly under the menus at the top of the Max window. Using toolbars is one of the most convenient ways to execute commands because most commands require only a single click.
Docking and floating toolbars
By default, the main toolbar is docked along the top edge of the interface above the viewports, but you can make any docked toolbar (including the main toolbar) a floating toolbar by clicking and dragging the two vertical lines on the left (or top) end of the toolbar away from the interface edge. After you separate it from the window, you can resize the floating toolbar by dragging on its edges or corners. You can then drag and dock it to any of the window edges or double-click the toolbar title bar to automatically dock the toolbar to its latest docked location. Figure 1.4 shows the main toolbar as a floating panel.
If you right-click any floating toolbar away from the buttons, you can access a pop-up menu that includes options to dock or float the current toolbar, access the Customize UI window, or