Page 1 (Tips #1 - #5)
Tip #6. One Click Dropdown Selection.
This works not only in Max but in Windows too, and not just for dropdowns either.
When you click a dropdown (pulldown or whatever) you are faced with options to choose from, you would make a selection by left clicking on the option you want. As an example i'll use the dropdown from the viewport, you know the one, when you want to change from 'smooth and highlights' to 'wireframe' etc.
Usually you would right click the viewport text to access the list, this is still the case but the difference is
don't release the right mouse button......the list will still appear and you can still navigate to the option you want....but the selection is made
when you release the right mouse button!
Doesn't sound a big deal but try it, right click and hold, hover over selection and release. You'll be amazed how much easier and quicker making dropdown selections are using this method........well it's one click less at least.
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Tip #7. More workspace.
A quick and easy way to gain a few more pixels of space to work in is to remove stuff you don't really use on a day to day basis.
I find that most of the time I don't use 'Reactor', nor the 'Track Bar' and yet they take up room in the workspace.
Stage 1.
To remove 'Reactor' from the left of the workspace:
1. Right click an empty space in the 'Reactor' bar on the left.
2. From the list click on 'Reactor', it should have a 'tick' next to it.
To restore 'Reactor':
1. Right click on an empty space in the Main Toolbar....easier said than done!
2. Choose 'Reactor' from the list.
At this point one of two things will happen. Either the 'Reactor' bar reinstates itself in the workspace, or it 'Floats' in the middle of the screen.
If it reinstates itself, fine. (You can change it's position, (Docking), by right clicking the thin line at the start of the bar).
If it 'Floats' then right click it's 'title bar' and choose 'Dock', left.
This should reinstate the 'Reactor' bar on the left of the workspace.
Stage 2.
To remove the 'Track Bar' at the bottom of the workspace:
1. Click 'Customize' from the menu bar.
2. Hover over 'Show UI'..........
3. .....and select 'Show Track Bar' from the list.
This will remove the 'Track Bar' from the workspace, although the 'Time Slider' will remain.
To restore the 'Track Bar' simply repeat the above 3 steps.
So that's gained us a bit more room to play in, but there is one other thing we can do too....and I haven't seen many people use it here from the screenshots that have been posted..........so try this:
Stage 3.
1. Click on 'Customize' from the menu bar.
2. Select 'Preferences' from the list.
3. Under 'UI Display' on the right of the panel is a checkbox called 'Use Large Toolbar Buttons'........uncheck it!
You need to restart Max for this option to apply but when you do you will now find that the Main Toolbar Buttons are slightly smaller in size. This not only gives us more room in the workspace but also allows us to see more 'Tools', thus reducing the need to side scroll the toolbar to those important 'Quick render' buttons on the far right.
This tip is especially handy for those of you using a monitor resolution of 1024px wide or less. You can go a stage further too and delete those buttons you never use.......right click one and select delete. If you are lucky you can remove just enough buttons (that you never use) so that all the buttons you do use are visible.....no more side scrolling!!!!
If you find this usefull you can then save this layout as your own UI.....
1. Click 'Customize' from the menu bar.
2. Choose 'Save Custom UI Scheme...'
3. The rest is self explanitory.
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Tip #8. Moving Objects to Origin.
Hopefully you all know how to move an object to Origin (0,0,0), by right clicking the Coordinate Spinners at the bottom of the Max workspace......no? Well there's another tip right there then!
Anyway, the problem I was having was moving more than one object at a time......the spinners disappear!....and you can't click what isn't there.....so how to solve?
Well, there
IS a way by grouping the objects together.......this brings back the spinners so you can right click them....but grouping is time consuming and you may not want the objects grouped which means un-grouping aftwards and it all gets really rather messy. It does have one redeeming feature though....it does keep the objects coords relative to each other....which could be very handy....so grouping and un-grouping would be the way to go. The method below moves EACH object to 0,0,0.....irrespective of how many objects there are and their relative position to each other......which could also be handy.....could.
So, how to:
First, the problem........
One object selected gives us.......
....the spinners next to each coord which we can RIGHT click to set to 0 (Zero).
More than one object selected gives us......
....NO spinners to click!
So, instead we can use the very handy feature called the 'Type-In'.....and to get it you RIGHT click any of the transform icons....Move, Rotate or Scale.
RIGHT clicking ANY of these will display the 'Type-In' box....and will be particular to whichever transform Icon you clicked on...ie, right click the 'move' icon and the options will be 'move' in X,Y,Z coordinates......the 'rotate' icon will be 'rotation' about X,Y,Z axes, and the 'scale' icon will be 'scale' about X,Y,Z axes....OR a Global %.....very handy indeed!
The 'Type-In' Box........
As you can see, we can either move (in this case) the objects to specific coordinates.....or just move the object a certain amount.....notice though that we now have some spinners which we can right click on!
Although the coords are not displayed in the boxes, right clicking the spinners WILL set the coords to 0 (Zero)....something we couldn't do from the coord boxes at the bottom of the workspace.
So there you have it. An easy way to set more than one objects' gizmo to 0,0,0.......looking at it another way it's also an alternative to using the 'Align' tool....although extremely limited. LOL.
Regards.
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