3ds Max 2012 Bible - Kelly L. Murdock [27]
Cross-Reference
You can learn more about customizing the interface in Chapter 4, “Customizing the Max Interface and Setting Preferences.” •
If you press and hold the Alt, Ctrl, and Shift keys while right-clicking in the active viewport, you can access specific sets of commands; Shift+right-click opens the Snap options, Alt+right-click opens Animation commands, Ctrl+right-click opens a menu of primitives, Shift+Alt+right-click opens a menu of reactor commands, and Ctrl+Alt+right-click opens a menu of rendering commands.
Using Caddy controls
Quadmenus are great for accessing specific commands, but changing the settings for the various features still requires that you visit the Command Panel. This is where the Caddy controls help. Certain modeling features such as Bevel and Extrude let you open a select set of controls, known as a Caddy, overlaid over the selected object, as shown in Figure 1.14. Changing any of these settings updates the selection and lets you see if the change is what you want. If you're happy with the setting, you can accept the change and dismiss the Caddy control.
A key benefit of the Caddy controls is that they stay near the selected subobject even if you change the viewport. In addition to several settings that are updated immediately, there are buttons to accept and commit the current change, to apply the change and continue to work with the tool, or to cancel. Using the Apply and Continue button keeps the tool around for more work.
FIGURE 1.14
Caddy controls appear above the selection and let you try several different settings.
Understanding the button color cues
Max's interface uses color cues to help remind you of the current mode. When a button is yellow, it warns that it has control of the interface. For example, if one of the subobject buttons in the Command Panel is selected, it turns yellow, and the ability to select another object is disabled until this subobject mode is turned off. Knowing what the current mode is at all times can keep you out of trouble.
Another common button color is red. When either the Auto Key or Set Key buttons is depressed, it turns red. The edge of the active viewport being animated along with the Time Slider also turns red. This reminds you that any modifications will be saved as a key.
Toggle buttons can be turned on and off. Example toggle buttons include the Snap buttons. When a toggle button is enabled, it also turns light gray. Toggle buttons highlighted in blue are nonexclusive, but they notify you of a mode that is enabled, such as the Key Mode Toggle or the Affect Pivot Only button.
Cross-Reference
All interface colors can be customized using the Customize User Interface dialog box, which is discussed in Chapter 4, “Customizing the Max Interface and Setting Preferences.” •
Using drag-and-drop features
Dialog boxes that work with files benefit greatly from Max's drag-and-drop features. The Material Editor, Background Image, View File, and Environmental Settings dialog boxes all use drag and drop. These dialog boxes let you select a file or a material and drag it on top of where you want to apply it. For example, with the Maps rollout in the Material Editor open, you can drag a texture image filename from Windows Explorer or the Asset Manager and drop it on the Map button. You can even drag and drop Max files from Windows Explorer into the Max interface to open them.
Controlling spinners
Spinners are those little controls throughout the interface with a value field and two small arrows to its right. As you would expect, clicking the up arrow increases the value and clicking the down arrow decreases the value. The amount of the increase or decrease depends on the setting in the General tab of the Preference Settings dialog box. Right-clicking the spinner resets the value to its lowest acceptable value. Another way to control the spinner value is to click the arrows and drag with the mouse. Dragging up increases the value, and dragging down decreases