Getting Started in 3D with 3ds Max

You might ask yourself why you would want to create 2D shapes in a complex 3D program such as 3ds Max. The two biggest reasons are efficiency and flexibility.

By starting your models with 2D shapes, you gain access to many powerful editing options that are not available when you start your models with 3D primitive objects. You have already learned to edit 2D shapes by changing their parameters, the length or width of a rectangle or the radius of a circle, for example. This chapter will cover the following topics:

• 2D shape concepts – learn about the concepts that make 2D shapes efficient and flexible when modeling.
• Create basic shapes – create ...