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CHAPTER

Grouping, Linking,

and Parenting Objects

ow that you’ve learned how to select and clone objects, you’ll want to
learn how to group objects in an easily accessible form, especially as a IN THIS CHAPTER
Nscene becomes more complex. Max’s grouping and container features
enable you to organize all the objects that you’re dealing with, thereby making Grouping objects
your workflow more efficient.
Building assemblies
Another way of organizing objects is to build a linked hierarchy. A linked hierar-
chy attaches, or links, one object to another and makes it possible to transform Understanding root, parent,
the attached object by moving the object to which it is linked. The arm is a clas- and child relationships
sic example of a linked hierarchy: When the shoulder rotates, so do the elbow, Linking and unlinking objects
wrist, and fingers. Establishing linked hierarchies can make moving, positioning,
and animating many objects easy.

Working with Groups

Grouping objects organizes them and makes them easier to select and transform.
Groups are different from selection sets in that groups exist like one object.
Selecting any object in the group selects the entire group, whereas selecting an
object in a selection set selects only that object and not the selection set. You can
open groups to add, delete, or reposition objects within the group. Groups can
also contain other groups. This is called nesting groups.

Creating groups
The Group command enables you to create a group. To do so, simply select the
desired objects and choose Group ➪ Group. A simple Name Group dialog box
opens and enables you to give the group a name. The newly created group dis-
plays a new bounding box that encompasses all the objects in the group.

Tip
You can easily identify groups in the Select from Scene dialog box by using the
Groups display toggle. Groups appear in bold in the Name and Color rollout of
the Command Panel. n
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