Shapes

3D Studio MAX includes the following shapes:

Create Shape

At Edge selection level, in the Miscellaneous area is a new button, called Create Shape that creates a spline shape based on selected edges

Renderable Shapes

You can now render shapes without first lofting them. There are three basic steps to rendering a shape:

Check the Renderable checkbox in the General rollout of the shape’s creation parameters.
Specify the thickness for the spline using the Thickness spinner in the General rollout.
Check Generate Mapping Coords if you plan on assigning a mapped material to the spline.

When Renderable is checked, the shape is rendered using a 12-sided circle as a cross section. Mapping coordinates are generated with U mapped once around the perimeter, and V mapped once along the length. Note that the thickness is not displayed in the viewports.

The Steps settings affect the number of cross sections in the renderable shape.

Note: Please observe the following:

When you apply a modifier that converts a shape into a mesh (such as Extrude or Lathe), the object automatically becomes renderable, regardless of the state of the Renderable checkbox. You only need turn on the Renderable checkbox when you want a spline-shape to be rendered in the scene.
There is also a "Renderable" checkbox in the object Properties dialog. Both this checkbox and the Renderable checkbox in the command panel must be checked in order to render a shape. The checkbox in the Properties dialog takes precedence.

In order to add the rendering controls, the original "Interpolation" rollout in the shape creation parameters has been renamed "General," and organized, as follows.

Shapes are 2D and 3D objects that you use as components of other objects. All of the default shapes in 3D Studio MAX are made from splines. You use these spline shapes to do the following:

Generate planar and thin 3D surfaces
Define loft components such as paths, shapes, and fit curves
Generate surfaces of revolution
Generate extrusions
Define motion paths

3D Studio MAX supplies 11 basic shape objects. You can quickly create these shapes using mouse or keyboard entry and the shapes can be combined to form compound shapes. The Splines topic describes the methods and parameters used to create these shapes.

The primary use for shape objects is as building blocks to help create or control something else. In that role shapes have many uses.

Shapes as Planar Objects

A straightforward use for shapes is as 2D cutouts or as planar objects. Examples include ground planes, text to form signs, and cutout billboards. You create planar objects by applying an Edit Mesh modifier to a closed shape.

You can also apply an Edit Mesh modifier to a 3D shape to create a curved surface. The resulting 3D surface often requires manual editing of faces and edges to smooth surface ridges.

Extruded and Lathed Shapes

You can apply modifiers to a shape to create a 3D object. Two of these modifiers are Extrude and Lathe. Extrude creates a 3D object by adding height to a shape. Lathe creates a 3D object by rotating a shape around an axis.

Lofting Shapes

Lofts are created by combining two or more splines in special ways. Shapes form the lofting path, loft cross-sections, and loft fit curves.

Shapes as Animation Paths

Shapes can be used to define the position of an animated object. You create a shape and use it to define a path that some other object follows.

Two possible ways for a shape to control animated position are:

A Path controller can read a shape to control object motion.
A shape can be converted into position keys using the Trajectory/Convert From function in the Modify panel.

Creating Shapes

Click the Shapes button in the Create command panel to gain access to the shape creation tools. The 3D Studio MAX standard shapes are found under Splines in the category list. As you add more plug-ins to 3DS MAX, other shape categories might appear in this list.

The Object Type rollout contains the spline creation buttons. One or more of these spline types can be combined into a single shape.