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FIGURE 6.12

The Display Floater dialog box includes two panels: Hide/Freeze and Object Level.

FIGURE 6.13

The Display panel includes many of the same features as the Display Floater and the Object Properties dialog box.

The panel also includes a Hide by Category rollout. Using this rollout, you can add new categories that will appear in the Object Level panel of the Display Floater. To add a new category, click the Add button of the Hide by Category rollout. The Add Display Filter list appears, as shown in Figure 6.14. From this list, you can choose specific object categories to add to the Hide by Category list.

FIGURE 6.14

From this dialog box, you can add new categories to the Hide by Category list.

The Display panel also includes Hide and Freeze rollouts that include the same buttons and features as the Hide/Freeze panel of the Display Floater. You also find a Display Properties rollout that is the same as the list found in the Display Floater's Object Level panel and the Object Properties dialog box.

The Link Display rollout at the bottom of the Display panel includes options for displaying links in the viewports. Links are displayed as lines that extend from the child to its parent object. Using the Link Replaces Object option, you can hide the objects in the viewport and see only the links.

Tutorial: Hidden toothbrushes

In this example, I've hidden several toothbrushes in the scene, and your task is to find them. To find the hidden objects, follow these steps:

1. Open the Toothbrushes.max scene file.

This file appears to contain only a single toothbrush, but it really contains more. Can you find them? The toothbrush model was created by Viewpoint Datalabs. You can find it in the Chap 06 directory on the CD.

2. Locate the hidden object in the scene by opening the Display Floater (choose Tools⇒Display Floater).

3. In the Display Floater, select the Hide/Freeze tab. In the Unhide section, click the Name button.

The Unhide Objects dialog box appears, which lists all the hidden objects in the scene.

4. Select the green toothbrush object from the list, and click the Unhide button.

The Unhide Objects dialog box closes, and the hidden objects become visible again.

Note

Notice that the Display Floater is still open. That's because it's modeless. You don't need to close it to keep working. •

5. To see all the remaining objects, click the All button in the Unhide column of the Display Floater.

Figure 6.15 shows the finished scene with all toothbrushes visible.

FIGURE 6.15

Here are toothbrushes for the whole family; just remember which color is yours.

Using Layers

So what does 3ds Max have in common with a wedding cake? The answer is layers. Layers provide a way to separate scene objects into easy-to-select and easy-to-work-with groupings. These individual layers have properties that can then be turned on and off.

Cross-Reference

Animation sequences also can be split into layers using the Animation Layers. You can learn more about these layers in Chapter 35, “Using Animation Layers, Modifiers, and Complex Controllers.” •

Using the Layer Manager

You create, access, and manage layers through the Layer Manager dialog box, shown in Figure 6.16. This dialog box is a floater that can remain open as you work with objects in the viewports. You can access the Layer Manager using the Tools⇒ Manage Layers menu command, by clicking the Layer Manager button on the main toolbar, or by clicking the same button in the Layers toolbar.

Cross-Reference

These layers are different from Animation Layers that are used to break an animation sequence into several different parts that can be blended together. Animation Layers are covered in Chapter 35, “Using Animation Layers, Modifiers, and Complex Controllers.” •

FIGURE 6.16

The Layer Manager lists all the layers and the objects contained within each layer.

After you've set up your layers, you can control them using the Layers toolbar, shown in Figure 6.17, rather than having the Layer