Page 247 - Kitab3DsMax

Chapter 7: Transforming Objects, Pivoting, Aligning, and Snapping

Note
It is also important to be aware of the order of things. Transformations typically happen at the top of the stack
after all object properties and modifiers are applied. More on the stack is covered in Chapter 11, “Introducing
Modifiers and Using the Modifier Stack.” n
Using the transform buttons
The three transform buttons located on the main toolbar are Select and Move, Select and Rotate, and Select
and Uniform Scale, as shown in Table 7.1. Using these buttons, you can select objects and transform them
by dragging in one of the viewports with the mouse. You can access these buttons using three of the big
four keyboard shortcuts—Q for Select Objects, W for Select and Move, E for Select and Rotate, and R for
Select and Uniform Scale.

TABLE 7.1
Transform Buttons

Toolbar Button Name Description
Select and Move (W) Enters move mode where clicking and
dragging an object moves it.
Select and Rotate (E) Enters rotate mode where clicking and
dragging an object rotates it.
Select and Uniform Scale (R), Select and Enters scale mode where clicking and
Non-Uniform Scale, Select and Squash dragging an object scales it.

Working with the Transformation Tools

To help you in your transformations, you can use several tools to transform objects (and you don’t even
need a phone booth). These tools include the Transform Gizmos, the Transform Type-In dialog box (F12),
Status Bar transform fields, and the Transform Managers.

Working with the Transform Gizmos
The Transform Gizmos appear at the center of the selected object (actually at the object’s pivot point) when
you click one of the transform buttons. The type of gizmo that appears depends on the transformation
mode that is selected. You can choose from three different gizmos, one for each transformation type. Each
gizmo includes three color-coded arrows, circles, and lines representing the X-, Y-, and Z-axes. The X-axis
is colored red, the Y-axis is colored green, and the Z-axis is colored blue. Figure 7.2 shows the gizmos for
each of the transformation types—move, rotate, and scale.
If the Transform Gizmo is not visible, you can enable it by choosing Views ➪ Show Transform Gizmo or by
pressing the X key to toggle it on and off. You can use the – (minus) and = (equal) keys to decrease or
increase the gizmo’s size.
Using the interactive gizmos
Moving the cursor over the top of one of the Transform Gizmo’s axes in the active viewport selects the axis,
which changes to yellow. Dragging the selected axis restricts the transformation to that axis only. For exam-
ple, selecting the red X-axis on the Move Gizmo and dragging moves the selected object along only the X-axis.

199

6/30/10 4:15 PM
13_617779-ch07.indd 199
13_617779-ch07.indd 199 6/30/10 4:15 PM