3ds Max® 2012 Bible

CHAPTER 5

Creating and Editing Primitive Objects

IN THIS CHAPTER

Creating primitive objects

Naming objects and setting object colors

Using creation methods

Setting object parameters

Exploring the various primitive types

Using the AEC Objects

So what exactly did the Romans use to build their civilization? The answer is lots and lots of basic blocks. The basic building blocks in Max are called primitives. You can use these primitives to start any modeling job. After you create a primitive, you can then bend it, stretch it, smash it, or cut it to create new objects, but for now, you'll focus on using primitives in their default shape.

This chapter covers the basics of primitive object types and introduces the various primitive objects, including how to accurately create and configure them. You also use these base objects in the coming chapters to learn about selecting, cloning, grouping, and transforming.

Modeling is covered in depth in Part III, but first you need to learn how to create some basic blocks and move them around. Later, you can work on building a civilization. I'm sure workers in Rome would be jealous.

Creating Primitive Objects

Max is all about creating objects and scenes, so it's appropriate that one of the first things to learn is how to create objects. Although you can create complex models and objects, Max includes many simple, default geometric objects, called primitives, that you can use as a starting point. Creating these primitive objects can be as easy as ...