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Cross-Reference

More information on the Quick Clone feature is available in Chapter 8, “Cloning Objects and Creating Object Arrays.” •

Using the Transform Type-In dialog box

The Transform Type-In dialog box (F12) lets you input precise values for moving, rotating, and scaling objects. This command provides more exact control over the placement of objects than dragging with the mouse.

The Transform Type-In dialog box allows you to enter numerical coordinates or offsets that can be used for precise transformations. Open this dialog box by choosing Edit⇒Transform Type-In or by pressing the F12 key.

Tip

Right-clicking any of the transform buttons opens the Transform Type-In dialog box for the transform button that is clicked on. •

The Transform Type-In dialog box is modeless and allows you to select new objects as needed or to switch between the various transforms. When the dialog box appears, it displays the coordinate locations for the pivot point of the current selection in the Absolute: World column.

Within the Transform Type-In dialog box are two columns. The first column displays the current Absolute coordinates. Updating these coordinates transforms the selected object in the viewport. The second column displays the Offset values. These values are all set to 0.0 when the dialog box is first opened, but changing these values transforms the object along the designated axis by the entered value. Figure 7.5 shows the Transform Type-In dialog box for the Move Transform.

Note

The name of this dialog box changes depending on the type of transformation taking place and the coordinate system. If the Select and Move button is selected along with the world coordinate system, the Transform Type-In dialog box is labeled Move Transform Type-In, and the column titles indicate the coordinate system. •

FIGURE 7.5

The Transform Type-In dialog box displays the current Absolute coordinates and Offset values.

Using the status bar Type-In fields

The status bar includes three fields labeled X, Y, and Z for displaying transformation coordinates. When you move, rotate, or scale an object, the X, Y, and Z offset values appear in these fields. The values depend on the type of transformation taking place. Translation shows the unit distances, rotation displays the angle in degrees, and scaling shows a percentage value of the original size.

When you click the Select Objects button, these fields show the absolute position of the cursor in world coordinates based on the active viewport.

You also can use these fields to enter values, as with the Transform Type-In dialog box. The type of transform depends on which transform button you select. The values that you enter can be either absolute coordinates or offset values, depending on the setting of the Transform Type-In toggle button that appears to the left of the transform fields. This toggle button lets you switch between Absolute and Offset modes, as shown in Table 7.2.

Tip

If you right-click any of these fields, a pop-up menu appears where you can cut, copy, or paste the current value. •

Understanding the Transform Managers

To keep track of the position of every object in a scene, internally Max records the position of the object's vertices in reference to a Universal Coordinate System (UCS). This coordinate system defines vertex position using the X, Y, and Z coordinates from the scene's origin.

However, even though Max uses the UCS to internally keep track of all the points, this isn't always the easiest way to reference the position of an object. Imagine a train with several cars. For each individual train car, it is often easier to describe its position as an offset from the car in front of it.

The Transform Managers are three types of controls that help you define the system about which objects are transformed. These controls, found on the main toolbar and on the Axis Constraints toolbar, directly affect your transformations. They include