Hello everyone! Welcome to this video! Let's get a general overview of
all the basic tools you need to know see to start with Autodesk 3ds
Max 2017!
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3ds Max is a professional software used for 3D graphics, animation,
design and game development. We will see the most basic tools, but
you may need more practice to know how to use this software
professionally.
When you open 3ds Max, a dialog box opens. On the left, you quickly
open recent projects made in the past. On the right, you can pick a
ready-made template to start straight with a new project.
Let's have a look at the workspace. We will take the Default one, but
you can choose your preferred one in the top left corner.
This workspace is used to check and preview your project in different
ways, called Viewports, and each can contain several points of view.
By default, you have a Viewport that shows four points of view: Top,
Front, Left and Perspective. You can change each point of view by
clicking on the 3D ViewCube in the top right corner. You can also
rotate in 3D by using the Orbit command, in the bottom right corner,
and clicking and dragging on one of the points of view. Use Escape
key to finish with the tool.
This 3D environment is regulated by a gizmo system in the bottom left
corner, indicating the three main space directions through the X, the
Y and the Z axis, each with its own color. The X and the Y axes
indicate the ground plane, which is also where the virtual grid lays.
Whereas, the height of your objects always spreads over the Z axis.
On each point of view, you have several preview settings in the top
left corner. By default, you usually have the Wireframe view, which
shows just the skeleton of your objects. If you choose Default Shading,
you can get a more complete preview, especially on 3D objects.
On the far left, you can create your custom Viewport. For example,
let's create one with a single big point of view.
Let's see how to create objects. On the right, you have the Command
Panel, which collects most of the main features 3ds Max has inside.
Under the Create tab, you can create 3D objects, 2D objects and other
special ones like Lights, Cameras, Helpers and Forces, that we won't
see in this beginner tutorial.
Geometry collects all tools to create basic regular 3D objects, like
Boxes, Cones, and even 3D text with TextPlus. Select one from the list,
and click and drag on your workspace.
To draw an object, you have to fix a base, by clicking and holding your
pointer. When you release it, the base is done, so you can fix height
and the final shape by clicking on your workspace. Use Escape key to
undo. To finish instead, click outside the object.
Under Shapes, you can draw 2D objects, such as lines, closed paths and
polygons. Through Line, you can draw lines continuously. Use Escape key
to stop drawing. Use CTRL+Z to undo all the lines instead. As long as
you click on your workspace, you fix straight sides. If you click and
hold, you will drop curved sides.
When using other 2D tools, like Rectangles, Arcs and closed shapes, you
have to click and hold to draw them.
All objects created are listed inside the Scene Explorer, the panel
on the far left. Your project can be composed by several workspaces,
and each workspace lists all its objects created inside. If you click
on an object, you will select it on your workspace directly. Plus, if
you use the eye icon on the left, you can hide or show each object if
you need. Further on the left, you can filter the kind of objects you
want to see listed in the Scene Explorer.
Let's see how to edit objects. On top, you have several icons used to
Move, Rotate and Scale. Use Select and Move to move an object.
Select an object from the left panel or clicking on the object itself,
when your pointer becomes a small cross. Then, click and drag to move
the object. If you prefer, you can also use the gizmo system to move
along the main X, Y or Z directions. Just click and drag from one of
the main arrows or a plane between two ones.
To rotate an object, use Select and Rotate. Select the object first,
and then click and drag using the gizmo system, here represented with
colored circumferences, or using the external circle to rotate respect
to your current point of view used.
To scale an object, you have to choose between three different tools.
Select and Uniform Scale is used to scale the object keeping a constant
aspect ratio along the chosen direction. Select and Non-uniform Scale
scales the object freely. Whereas use Select and Squash to stretch the
object by keeping constant just its volume.
The third icon is used to quickly move and rotate an object by
selecting it and then moving or rotating it according to the ground
plane only.
If you make a mistake while editing or creating objects, you can use
the Undo and the Redo arrows in the top left corner. To delete an
object, use the Delete key.
You can also edit multiple objects by selecting all of them at once.
To select multiple objects, select each object one by one while
holding down CTRL. When you apply any tool, this will affect all the
objects selected in the same way. To undo your selections, click
elsewhere.
Inside 3ds Max, you can also edit each object by acting on its own
subcomponents, also called sub-objects.
Right above the workspace, there is a bar called Ribbon. This lists
important editing tools, that can be applied on both 2D and 3D objects.
We will see just the Modeling section in this video.
Under Polygon Modeling, you choose between the object subcomponents
you want to pick: its vertices through Vertex; its edges through Edge;
its border through Border; its faces through Polygon; and the whole
object through Element. Once the subcomponent is chosen, you can
select this interested directly on the object. Hold CTRL down to
select more of them. These will be shown in a red color.
Once they are selected, you can use the Move, the Scale and the Rotate
tools seen before on those. This will actually deform the original
object shape, obtaining a new custom shape as you like.
Next to Polygon Modeling you have several tools to edit your object
professionally, starting from the object itself or its sub-objects. For
example, if you go under Geometry(All), you can edit the overall 3D
object with several tools. Hover on each one to get information and
help about them. The next tab changes depending on the sub-object
selected on the workspace. If you select edges, you will get the Edges
tab, used to apply Extrude or Chamfer; if you choose a face with
Polygon, you can apply some Bevel, and so on.
All these modifications made by using these tools and sub-objects are
saved inside a unique layer (or Modifier) called Edit Poly, inside the
Command Panel on the right. In fact, if you hide the Modifier through
the eye, you will retrieve the original object shape you had.
If you want to create a new Modifier to save other modifications apart,
go to Apply Edit Poly Mod under Polygon Modeling to add a second Edit
Poly Modifier on the right, that will collect another collection of
modifications applied on the object and its subcomponents. You can
also right-click and go to Rename to rename each Modifier in order to
recognize the changes applied. Under Polygon Modeling, always check
the Modifier name in order to check to which Modifier the new changes
will be saved.
The Command Panel is also used to apply advanced editing on objects.
On top, choose the color to apply on the selected object.
To add more advanced tools, you can search for the proper Modifier
from the whole list. For example, if you choose Melt, you can melt the
object as an ice object, adjusting amount and settings more below. To
remove any Modifier applied, just right-click and go to Delete.
Inside 3ds Max, you can create and edit objects, but also make
animations with them.
An Animation is made by using fixed states called Keys, inserted
through the timeline right below your workspace. A single Key saves a
particular state of the selected object, in a fixed instant of time.
So that, if you place two keys in two different instants of time and
with different states, you will make a transition between the first
state and the second one. In this way the object moves and changes as
you like in time.
Click on Set Key below to add and manage keys more easily. Then,
start by adding the first Key, which saves the starting state for the
selected object. Just click on the big plus below. The Keys on the
timeline are shown as small markers on their fixed time frame.
At this point, go to the second instant of time used to end the
animation, clicking and dragging on top. This moves the playhead
marker, that sets the current frame observed on your workspace. At the
right time frame, edit the object as you need, and then click on the
big plus to add the second Key. This will save the object state as you
see it on your workspace. To check your animation, use the player in
the bottom right corner.
In case you don't see all the modifications applied, you go to
Filters... For example, if you tick Modifier, your new Keys will save
also the current state chosen for the object Modifiers. Do this before
making your animation, since the old keys set won't follow the new
filter settings. To delete Keys, just right-click and go to Delete
selected keys.
The distance between the two Keys set also the animation velocity. The
closer they are, the faster the animation will be. You can move
a Key in time by selecting it and dragging it on the left or right.
Remember that each set of Keys in the timeline below are related to
the object selected only. So each object will have its own set of Keys
linked.
When you project is done, save it going to the 3ds Max icon in the
top left corner and going to Save As... These are saved in a .max file
format, and used to open your project a later session of 3ds Max.
This is just an overall overview about 3ds Max 2017! If you want to
learn more about other Autodesk software, check out our channel!