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22 Chapter 2: Viewing and Navigating 3D Space
Gener a l Viewport Concepts
The 3ds Max main window, with a docked toolbar and
viewport layout displaying multiple views.
Viewports are openings into the three-dimensional
space of your scene, like windows looking into
an enclosed garden or atr ium. But v iewports are
more than passive observation points. While
creating a scene, you can use them as dynamic and
flexible tools to understand the 3D relationships
among objects.
Attimesyoumightwanttolookatyourscene
through a large, undivided view port, giving you
a "picture-window" view of the world you’re
creat ing. Often you use multiple viewports, each
settoadifferentorientation.
If you want to move an object horizontally in the
world space, you mig ht do this in a top v iewport,
lookin g d irectly down on the object as you move it.
Atthesametime,youcouldbewatchingashaded
perspective v iew p ort to see when the object you’re
moving s lides behind another. Using the two
windows together, you can get exactly the position
and alignment you want.
You also have pan and zoom features available in
either view, as well as grid alignment. With a few
mouse clicks or keystrokes, you can reach any level
of det ail you need for the next step in your work.
Another way to use viewports is to place a camera
in your scene and set a viewport to look through
its lens. When you move the camera, the viewport
tracks the change. You can do the same thing with
spotlights.
In addition to geometry, viewports can display
other views such as Tr ack View and Schematic
View, which display the structure of the scene
and the animation. Viewports c an b e extended to
display other tools such as the MAXScript Listener
and the Asset Browser. For interactive rendering ,
theviewportcandisplaytheActiveShadewindow.
Active Viewport
One viewport, marked with a highlig hted border,
is always ac tive. The act ive viewport is where
commands and other actions take effect. Only one
viewportcanbeintheactivestateatatime.Ifother
viewports are visible, they are set for observation
only; unless disabled, they simultaneously track
actionstakenintheactiveviewport.
Sav ing the Active V iewpor t
You can save the view in any ac tive viewport and
later restore it with the Views menu’s Save Active
View (page 1–37) and RestoreActiveView(page
1–37) commands. One view can be saved for each
of the following view types: Top, Bottom, Left,
Right, Front, Back, User, Perspective.
For examp le, while in the Fr ont view, you choose
Save Active Front View, and then zoom and pa n
that view. You then activate the Top viewport,
choose Save Active Top View, and then click Zoom
Extents. You return to the Front view, and choo s e
Restore Active Front View to return to its original
zoom and pan. At any time, you can activate the
Top viewport, and then choose Restore Active Top
View to restore its saved view.