Using Schematic View

This topic includes procedures for using the Schematic View window.

To create hierarchies with Schematic View:

1. Select the objects you want to work with in the viewport.
2. Use Zoom Extents Selected to display these objects in the Schematic View window.
3. On the Schematic View toolbar, click (Connect).
4. In the Schematic View window, drag from the child object to the parent. A dotted line follows your cursor. Click to set the linkage.

   If you are in Hierarchy mode, the children will arrange themselves into an indented list under the parent as you create linkages.

To assign controllers with Schematic View:

1. On the Schematic View toolbar, click Display.

   The Display floater appears. It lets you control what you see in the Schematic View window.

2. On the Display floater, in the Relationships group, click Controllers. In the Entities group, click Controllers as well.

   The buttons indent to show they are active. The Transforms now appear in the Schematic View window.

3. In the Schematic View window, select the transform of the object you want to assign a controller to.
4. Right-click the transform, from on the Tools quad, choose Assign Controller.
5. Choose the controller you want to apply from the list, then click OK.

To wire parameters with Schematic View:

1. Using the Display Floater, turn on Param Wires in the Relationships group.
2. In the Schematic View window, select one of the objects you want to wire.
3. Right-click the selected object and choose Wire Parameters.
4. In the pop up that appears select the component you want to wire, either a Transform or an Object parameter, for instance.
5. Drag to the other object you want to wire to.
6. Again in the pop up that appears, select the component you need to wire to.
7. The Wire Parameters dialog appears. Make the necessary selections and connect the wires.
8. Once the wiring is established you can edit the wiring by double-clicking the wire in Schematic View.

To save a Schematic View layout:

1. When you have a layout you like, name the layout using the Schematic View name field in the toolbar, just to the right of the Preferences button.
2. Close the Schematic View window.
3. To load the saved view, go to Graph Editors Saved Schematic View and choose the schematic view from the history list.

To add a background image:

1. On the Schematic View Options menu, choose Preferences.
2. In the Background Image group, click the File: button to launch the File Browser.
3. In the Browse Images for Input dialog, find and highlight the bitmap you want to use, then click Open.
4. On the Schematic View Preferences dialog, in the Background group, turn on Show Image.

   The Background bitmap show up in the Schematic View window.

   Tip: Turn on Lock Zoom Pan, if you want to zoom in or pan the background image.

To navigate complex scenes:

Complex scenes can be navigated quickly by using the list viewer combined with the pan or zoom to selected option. For example suppose you need to locate all the bones within a certain character.

1. Open Schematic View
2. Press H on the keyboard and enter the name of the object you're looking for in the Select Objects field. Press to select the object by name.
3. In the window navigation tools group, click (Zoom Selected).

   The Schematic View window now clearly shows the object node.

4. On the List Views menu, choose Show Occurrences.

   The List viewer displays the Object Occurrences dialog.

   This is a sortable list. You can click the header title to sort by it.

   Note: Object Occurrence is being used as an example here. You can use any of the List View menu choices to display a list of objects based on a certain relationship.
5. On the Views menu, choose Pan To Selected (or click ). Now click through the nodes in the list.

   The Schematic View window updates to display each node as you click.

   This method makes navigation of very complex scenes much more convenient. Also when working with lists such as relationships or instances you have the additional ability to detach the relationship or make the instance unique.

To arrange the nodes in Schematic View to match the viewport:

It can be useful sometimes to arrange the nodes in the Schematic View the same as in the viewport. There is a script that can do this for you. In this example we'll use the bones of a character rig.

1. Using Windows Explorer, copy \3dsmax\scripts\maxscripttools\macro_schematicviewtools.mcr into \3dsmax\ui\macroscripts.
2. Restart 3ds Max.
3. On the Customize menu, choose Customize User Interface.
4. Click the Quads tab, then choose the Schematic View category from the drop-down list on the right
5. Drag the action named Project into Schematic View in the Schematic View quad menu (any quad you like).
6. Drag the Spacing Tool item into Schematic View’s quad menu.
7. On the Graph Editors menu, choose New Schematic View.
8. In any viewport (other than Perspective or User), select the bones of the rig that you want to arrange.
9. In the Schematic View window, right-click and choose Project Into Schematic View from the quad menu.

   A new Schematic View named Projection shows the selected bones arranged as in the viewport.

   Tip: If the components appear on top of one another, right-click again and choose Spacing Tool from the quad menu. Drag the spacing slider to the right to add space between the objects. If necessary manually reposition components as needed.