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Using i-drop

To make accessing needed files from the Web even easier, Autodesk has created a technology known as i-drop that lets you drag files from i-drop–supported web pages and drop them directly into Max. With i-drop, you can drag and drop Max-created light fixture models, textures, or any other Max-supported file from a light manufacturer's website into your scene without importing and positioning a file. This format allows you to add geometry, photometric data, and materials.

Accessing File Information

As you work with files, several dialog boxes in Max supply you with extra information about your scene. You can use this information to keep track of files and record valuable statistics about a scene.

Displaying scene information

If you like to keep statistics on your files (to see whether you've broken the company record for the model with the greatest number of faces), you'll find the Summary Info dialog box useful. Use the Application Button⇒Properties⇒Summary Info menu command to open a dialog box that displays all the relevant details about the current scene, such as the number of objects, lights, and cameras; the total number of vertices and faces; and various model settings, as well as a Description field where you can describe the scene. Figure 3.25 shows the Summary Info dialog box.

The Plug-In Info button on the Summary Info dialog box displays a list of all the plug-ins currently installed on your system. Even without any external plug-ins installed, the list is fairly long because many of the core features in Max are implemented as plug-ins. The Summary Info dialog box also includes a Save to File button for saving the scene summary information as a text file.

FIGURE 3.25

The Summary Info dialog box shows all the basic information about the current scene.

Viewing file properties

As the number of files on your system increases, you'll be wishing you had a card catalog to keep track of them all. Max has an interface that you can use to attach keywords and other descriptive information about the scene to the file. The Application Button⇒Properties⇒File Properties menu command opens the File Properties dialog box. This dialog box, shown in Figure 3.23, includes three panels: Summary, Contents, and Custom. The Summary panel holds information such as the Title, Subject, and Author of the Max file and can be useful for managing a collaborative project. The Contents panel holds information about the scene, such as the total number of objects and much more. Much of this information also is found in the Summary Info dialog box. The Custom panel, also shown in Figure 3.26, includes a way to enter a custom list of properties such as client information, language, and so on.

Note

You also can view the File Properties dialog box information while working in Windows Explorer by right-clicking the file and selecting Properties. Three unique tabs are visible: Summary, Contents, and Custom. The Summary tab holds the file identification information, including the Title, Subject, Author, Category, Keywords, and Comments. •

Viewing files

Sometimes looking at the thumbnail of an image isn't enough to help you decide whether you have the right image. For these cases, you can quickly load the image in question into a viewer to look at it closely. The Rendering⇒View Image File menu command opens the View File dialog box shown in Figure 3.27. This dialog box lets you load and view graphic and animation files using the Rendered Frame Window or the default Media Player for your system.

FIGURE 3.26

The File Properties dialog box contains workflow information such as the scene author, comments, and revision dates.

FIGURE 3.27

The View File dialog box can open an assortment of image and animation formats.

Cross-Reference

The Rendered Frame Window is discussed in more detail in Chapter 23, “Rendering a Scene and Enabling Quicksilver.” •

The View File dialog box includes several controls for viewing files. The Devices