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788 Chapter 22: Customizing the User Interface
Note:
This is available only for docked items.
Show UI
Customize menu > Show UI
The Show UI submenu lets you add or remove UI
(user interface) elements from the workspace, so
that you can customize your screen as you work.
You can turn these elements on and off as you need
by selecting them from the menu, maximizing
the efficienc y of your workspace. The set tings are
stored in the maxstart.cui file, so they will remain
after you shut down and restart 3ds Max.
When you choose a UI element from the Show
UI submenu, it will be displayed or hidden,
depending on its previous state. If it was hidden
when you selected it from the menu, it will be
displayed. If it was displayed w hen you selected it
from the menu, it w ill be hidden. The Show UI
menu displays a check mark next to the UI element
when it is currently being displayed.
K eyboard shortcuts for turning on and off UI
elements are displayed next to their corresponding
UI elements in the Show U I menu.
You can use the Show UI menu to hide or display
the following UI elements:
Command Panel (page 3–756)
Floating Toolbars (displays Axis Constraints
Toolbar (page 3–687), Layers Toolbar (page 3–688),
and Extras Toolbar (page 3–688))
Main Toolbar (page 3–686)
Track Bar (page 3–703)
Lock UI L ayout
Customize menu > Lock UI Layout
When the Lock UI Layout toggle is active, you
cannot modify the u ser interface layout by
dragging interface elements. (You can still use
the rig ht-click menu to do so, however.) Use this
command to prevent user in t erface changes or
inadvertent actions, such as floating toolbars, from
happening due to mouse clicks.
Tip: Use this command if you find you are
inadvertently selecting and floating (page 3–930)
UI elements such as the Command panel.
Procedure
To lock the UI lay out:
• Choose Lock UI Layout from the Customize
menu.
Yo u c a n n o l o n g e r m o v e o r r e s i z e t h e U I
elements. Use this command to prevent
user interface changes or if you find yourself
accidentally floating toolbars or the command
panels on mouse clicks.
Plug-In Manager
Customize menu > Plug-in Manager
The Plug-in Manager lets you manage plug-ins
dynamicallywithoutanyinitializationrequired.
The Plug-in Manager provides a list of all plug-ins
foundinthe3dsMaxplug-indirectories,including
the plug-in description, type (object, helper,
modifier, and s o on), status (loaded or deferred),
size, and path. The Plug-in Manager provides
options to load any plug-in, regardless where it
resides on disk. The Plug-in Manager is similar
to Summary Info (page 3–499),butwithmore
options.