3ds Max® 2012 Bible

CHAPTER 28

Working with Solids and Body Objects

IN THIS CHAPTER

Importing CAD objects

Converting Max objects to Body objects

Working with Body objects

Exporting Body objects

Okay, here's a trick for you. Take a Max primitive object, and place it completely inside another Max primitive object, such as a cube inside a larger cube. Then use the ProBoolean feature to subtract the inner cube from the outer cube. The result is nothing. That's because Max objects deal with surfaces, and if the surfaces don't overlap, then no operation is performed.

The CAD world, on the other hand, deals with volumes, also known as solids, and such an operation is common. Because much of Autodesk's efforts are directed toward the CAD and architectural markets, working with volumes becomes important. It also provides a way to bridge the CAD and Max worlds.

To address this issue, Max has introduced a way to work with volumes and solids, which in Max are known as Body Objects. Objects that are imported from a CAD package appear in Max as Body Objects, and you also can convert Max objects to this Body Object type and export the results to a CAD package. Max also includes a way to perform Boolean operations on Body Objects, so you can finally remove that inner cube.

Importing CAD Objects

If you've spent lots of time working in a CAD package to get your design to look just right and now you need to take it to Max to add some animation for an upcoming presentation, you start by importing your objects into ...