I use Lightwave. I want to use Max. These questions are simple and I would appreciate it if a Max user can explain them to me and shut me up. I have a fresh install of Max 5.1 with nothing customized.
Question 1.
Please explain to me why the Y axis does not point in the Y direction. Instead it points in the Z and the Z points in the Y. It’s almost like I need to model my objects laying down on the grid.
Question 2.
Do I have to click in a viewport every time I want it active? It’s my understanding that Zooming,Min/Max Toggle etc. would be much easier if the mouse focus dictated the window that is active.
Question 3.
Is there anyway to hide/show my windows instead of having to minimize them each time? Or is there any easier way to get around this real estate issue without having to get a second monitor?
Question 4.
Is there any way to get rid of the pretty icons in the interface and use buttons with their button name on them?
Thank You for reading this and I hope to hear from you!
Get used to it, your not in Lightwave anymore.
Q1
The Z axis is up in Max, why would you model objects on thier side??? Max comes from the arch biz which is Z up.
Q2: Yes, no way around this.
Q3: I assume you mean things like that material editor and track view. Hot key them so that you can close them each time. If you mean a viewport you can’t float them but you can switch them with default hot keys l,f,b,k,p
Q4: Best thing to do it make them the small icons. In the prederences setting window turn off the “Use large icons” check box.
All packages work differently and you are just going to have to get used to the way Max works. I use Max and Maya every day and have to remember the fastest way to work in each.
Dude, you are the man. Thank you for your quick and accurate response.
~ ian
Paul is absolutely correct. What’s this got to do with Maxscript, though?
RH
I figure MaxScript artists know the program the best and are basically the cream of the crop.
Thanks again for your support!
he, second opinion,
1- y is up on screen in view coordsys, ( except in cam or persp ), and z is depth, if you are lets say in front and move object along y axis, you really moved it in z
2-
3- if you mean toolbars, you can set keyboard to show/hide toggle them ( i use numpad +/- for main tolbar and command panel )
4- you can rclick button ( but not all of them ) and edit butt appereance and choose txt instead of icon, but whyyyy ?
It’s all terribly off-topic, but I’ll sound off anyway:
I’ve actually been of the opinion (for a long while, in fact) that Max should switch to using the Y-up coordinate system. Max may have its roots in the arch/viz business, but it’s grown a long way from that world and is now widely understood to be an FX and character animation tool. Going to the Y-up system makes more sense for these uses because Y is generally up in camera space, and because almost all other major 3D packages that are geared toward cinematic and game production use Y-up as a standard.
RH
Beware, can of worms!
Y-up is illogical, but unfortunately has become a standard in some industries just like the VHS tapes and Fahrenheit temperatures (in some places).
I would vote for the OPTION to use Y-up or Z-up and convert internally in a transparent way, so everybody would be happy.
Btw, IMHO Max is not widely understood as an FX package, but this does not stop us from using it as such ;o)
my 2 cents.
Bobo
Originally posted by LFShade
[B]It’s all terribly off-topic, but I’ll sound off anyway:I’ve actually been of the opinion (for a long while, in fact) that Max should switch to using the Y-up coordinate system. Max may have its roots in the arch/viz business, but it’s grown a long way from that world and is now widely understood to be an FX and character animation tool. Going to the Y-up system makes more sense for these uses because Y is generally up in camera space, and because almost all other major 3D packages that are geared toward cinematic and game production use Y-up as a standard.
RH [/B]
Y-up as an option sounds like a fine compromise to me;)
I think Max has been used in enough high-profile FX shots to qualify as a capable FX package, so if it’s not understood to be as such then there’s a lot of misconception out there!
RH
p.s.: Y-up is only illogical in a Cartesian context, not a cinematic context. The camera doesn’t often point straight down at the ground; the camera plane’s Y is usually “up” in the world. If Z-up were so overarchingly logical, it surely wouldn’t have been ignored by almost every 3D animation software on the market. Comments?
Originally posted by iancamarillo
Question 2.
Do I have to click in a viewport every time I want it active? It’s my understanding that Zooming,Min/Max Toggle etc. would be much easier if the mouse focus dictated the window that is active.
[/B]
There is a good reason for this – as you noticed, there can be an unlimited number of floating windows on top of the viewports in max. Having the viewports change focus by just moving the mouse would mean that every time you move the mouse to reach some dialog, the viewport focus could change. Imagine having the Render dialog open over the upper left viewport, while you want to render the lower-right one. Move the mouse to make some changes in the dialog could result in a different viewport to be active when you hit Render!
Btw, you should right-click to activate a viewport, otherwise you might deselect your current selection…