Page 319 - Kitab3DsMax

Chapter 10: Accessing Subobjects and Using Modeling Helpers

Applying modifiers to subobject selections
The preceding chapter introduced modifiers and showed how they can be applied to entire objects. But you
can also apply modifiers to subobjects. If the modifier isn’t available for subobjects, it is excluded from the
Modifier List or disabled in the Modifiers menu.
If your object isn’t an editable object with available subobjects, you can still apply a modifier using one of
the specialized Select modifiers. These modifiers let you select a subobject and apply a modifier to it with-
out having to convert it to a non-parametric object. These Select modifiers include Mesh Select, Poly Select,
Patch Select, Spline Select, Volume Select, FFD (Free Form Deformers) Select, and Select by Channel. You
can find all these modifiers in the Modifiers ➪ Selection submenu.
After you apply a Select modifier to an object, you can select subobjects in the normal manner using the
hierarchy in the Modifier Stack or the subobject icons in the Parameters rollout. Any modifiers that you
apply after the Select modifier (they appear above the Select modifier in the Modifier Stack) affect only the
subobject selection.
Using Modeling Helpers

In the Create panel (and the Create menu) is a category of miscellaneous objects called helpers (the icon
looks like a tape measure). These objects are useful in positioning objects and measuring dimensions. The
buttons in the Helper category include Dummy, Container, Crowd, Delegate, ExposeTM, Grid, Point, Tape,
Protractor, and Compass.

Cross-Ref
The Container helper is covered in Chapter 9, “Grouping, Linking, and Parenting Objects.” Crowd and Delegate
helpers are discussed in Chapter 39, “Animating with CAT and Creating Crowds,” and the Expose Transform
helper object is covered in Chapter 34, “Using Animation Modifiers and Complex Controllers.” n

Using Dummy and Point objects
The Dummy object is a useful object for controlling complex object hierarchies. A Dummy object appears
in the viewports as a simple cube with a pivot point at its center, but the object will not be rendered and
has no parameters. It is used only as an object about which to transform objects. For example, you could
create a Dummy object that the camera could follow through an animation sequence. Dummy objects are
used in many examples throughout the remainder of the book.
The Point object is very similar to the Dummy object in that it also is not rendered and has minimal param-
eters. A Point object defines a point in space and is identified as an X, an Axis Tripod, or a simple Box. The
Center Marker option places an X at the center of the Point object (so X really does mark the spot). The
Axis Tripod option displays the X-, Y-, and Z-axes, the Cross option extends the length of the marker along
each axis, and the Box option displays the Point object as a Box. The Size value determines how big the
Point object is.

Tip
The Size parameter actually makes Point helpers preferable over Dummy helpers because you can parametrically
change their size. n

271

6/30/10 4:19 PM
17_617779-ch10.indd 271
17_617779-ch10.indd 271 6/30/10 4:19 PM