3ds Max 2012 Bible - Kelly L. Murdock [389]
Open the Parameter Collector dialog box, shown in Figure 36.11, with the Animation⇒Parameter Collector (Alt+2) menu command. This dialog box lets you gather a set of parameters into a custom rollout that can be opened and accessed from anywhere. This provides a convenient way to compile and look at only the parameters that you need to animate a certain task. Under the menus are several toolbar buttons, explained in Table 36.2.
FIGURE 36.11
The Parameter Collector dialog box is used to gather several different parameters into a custom rollout.
Within the Parameter Collection dialog box, you can create and name new rollouts, add parameters to these rollouts using a Track View Pick dialog box, and save multiple rollouts into collections that can be recalled.
Collections are named by typing a new name in the drop-down list located in the upper-left corner of the interface. This drop-down list holds all available collections. The Collection menu (or the toolbar buttons) may be used to create, rename, duplicate, or delete a collection.
A Parameter Collection can include multiple rollouts. The current active rollout is marked with a yellow bar directly under the rollout title and with brackets that surround the rollout name. Using the Rollout menu (or the toolbar buttons) you can create a new rollout, or rename, reorder, or delete existing rollouts.
Parameters are added to the rollouts using the Parameters⇒Add to Selected and the Parameters⇒Add to New Rollout menu commands. Both of these commands open a Track View Pick dialog box where you can select the specific parameter to add to the current rollout. To the left of each parameter is a small box that you can use to select the parameter. You can also select parameters using the Edit menu commands.
If multiple parameters are selected, then you can change the values for all selected parameters at the same time by enabling the Edit⇒Multiple Edits option. With the Multiple Edits option enabled, changing any parameter value also changes all other selected parameters.
Caution
Multiple parameters' values can be changed together only if they are of the same type. •
At the bottom of the Edit menu is the Edit Notes menu command. Using this menu command, you can change the parameter's name, link it to a URL, and type some notes about how this parameter works.
The Parameter Collector dialog box can also be used to create animation keys. To create a key for the selected parameters, you'll need to enable the Auto Key button and then select the Parameters⇒Key Selected or Parameters⇒Key All menu commands. If a key exists for the selected parameter, the Properties button to the right of the parameter becomes active and displays the Key Info dialog box when clicked.
Using the Collection⇒Show Selected Keys in Track Bar menu command, you can see the keys for the selected parameters regardless of whether the objects are selected in the viewports.
Adding Custom Parameters
Another useful way to expand the number of parameters is to create custom parameters. These custom parameters can define some aspect of the scene that makes sense to you. For example, if you create a model of a bicycle, you can define a custom parameter for the pedal rotation. You can add your own custom parameters using the Parameter Editor dialog box, shown in Figure 36.12. You can open this modeless panel by choosing Animation⇒Parameter Editor (or by pressing the Alt+1 keys).
The Add to Type drop-down list at the top of the Attribute rollout in the Parameter Editor dialog box lets you select where the custom attribute shows up. Custom attributes can be created for an object, for the selected modifier, for the object's material,