Scene Explorer Columns

The Scene Explorer columns provide information on and means to edit various properties of scene contents in 3ds Max. These include text strings, checkboxes, numeric quantities, and more. You can also sort the Scene Explorer listing by clicking a column heading (a second click reverses the sort). Additional methods for using columns are available; see the Procedures section that follows.

To open a menu of column-related commands, right-click a column heading. For descriptions of these commands, see Column Headings Right-Click Menu.

Procedures

To add columns to the table:

  1. Do either of the following:
    • Right-click a column heading and then choose Configure Columns from the context menu.
    • From the Customize menu, choose Configure Columns.

    This opens the Configure Columns dialog.

  2. Drag a column heading from the Configure Columns dialog to the Scene Explorer column headings row.

    As you drag the column, arrows appear between neighboring columns above and below the headings row. Drag horizontally to change where the arrows occur.

  3. When the arrows appear where you want to add the column, release the mouse button.

    The new column is inserted where the arrows appeared.

  4. Alternatively, simply double-click an item in the Configure Columns listing. This automatically adds the column to the right of existing columns in Scene Explorer.
  5. Continue adding columns as desired. When finished, close the Configure Columns dialog.

To replace a column in the table:

  1. Right-click a column heading and choose Replace Column from the context menu.

    This opens a list of available columns.

  2. Choose a column to replace the current one.

    The new column replaces the previous one.

To remove a column from the table:

  1. Drag the column label downward until the mouse cursor changes to an X icon.
  2. Release the mouse button.
    Note: You can’t remove the Name column.

To sort the list based on a column or columns:

  1. Click a column heading.

    This performs a single-level sort based on the column contents, in ascending order, as indicated by up arrow on the right side of the heading. For example, clicking the Name column sorts the table in ASCII order, starting with punctuation, then numbers, then letters.

    Note: Object hierarchies remain together when the list is sorted. Child objects at the same level are sorted only with respect to one another, not objects on other hierarchical levels.
  2. To reverse the sort order, click the same column heading again.

    Alternatively, right-click a column heading and choose Sort Ascending or Sort Descending. You can sort any number of different columns this way to perform a multi-level sort. For example, you could sort by type, and then, within that sort, by whether the objects are hidden.

To rearrange columns:

To resize columns, do any of the following:

Interface

This section lists the available columns and briefly describes each column’s function. Also, if the same control is available elsewhere, it identifies the alternative locations in parentheses.

Application Origin
For an object in a file linked from the File Link Manager, shows the name of the Autodesk application used to create the file.

This information is generated by the original application. For Autodesk FBX files and DWG files, the column is blank. For Revit FBX files, the name of the program appears. Revit needs to identify itself because the FBX importer needs to know whether the FBX file includes Revit metadata.

Color

The wireframe color of the object.

If an object's wireframe color is controlled by its layer, its color swatch in this column is empty.

To change the color, click the color swatch; this opens the Color Selector dialog.

Container Override

For a container, whether Override Object Properties is on.

The same control is available on the Display rollout and as Override Object Properties on the Containers toolbar.

Container Proxy

For a container that is using a proxy, the path and filename of the proxy container.

Cull Back Faces

Whether the object displays backfaces (Object Properties).

Display as Box

Whether the object displays as a bounding box (Object Properties).

Display by Layer
Toggles whether the object's display properties are set individually or at the layer level. When on, individual display properties such as Display As Box are unavailable.
Display Vertex Channel

Whether vertex channel display is active for editable mesh, poly, and patch objects (Object Properties).

Edges Only

Whether the object displays only edges (Object Properties).

Faces

The number of faces in the object. By default, this is the number of triangular faces, but with polygon-type objects such as editable poly, it’s the number of polygons. For example, the default box primitive has 12 faces, but if you convert it to editable poly, the Faces column value changes to 6. Other modifiers can also change this value.

File Linked
For an object in a file linked from the File Link Manager, shows the name of the source file (DWG. DXF, or FBX).

This information appears only for renderable geometry. It does not appear for other objects such as lights, cameras, skeletal animation rigs, and so on.

Frozen

Whether the object is frozen (quad menu, Display panel, or Display floater).

The names of frozen objects display as gray text.

Handle
A unique ID for each node in the scene. Some MAXScript functions use this ID.
Has Material

Whether the object has a material (Material Editor).

Ignore Extents

Whether the object is taken into account when using Zoom Extents (Object Properties).

Inherited?

For a container, whether the contents are inherited.

Light Color

The color a light casts (Modify panel).

Light Intensity

For a light, the intensity (Multiplier) value (Modify panel).

Light Map Bias

For shadows, the value of the shadow bias setting that adjusts the shadow position.

Light On

Whether the light is on (Modify panel).

Loaded?

For a container, whether its contents are currently loaded in the scene.

Local Definition

For a local container, the path and file name of the container file.

Locked By

For a container, shows the originator’s network ID (user name) when open. The field is empty when the originator has closed the container.

This field updates automatically when the container status changes.

Missing Plug-in Info
If the plug-in needed for an object is not available, displays pertinent information about the plug-in, including its filename.
Motion by Layer
Toggles whether Motion Blur properties are set individually or by layer. When on, individual motion-blur settings must be set at the layer level.
Name

The name of the object.

This is the only default column.

Open?

For a container, whether it is currently open.

If the container is a source container that does not allow you to edit it, this field shows a check mark but is disabled.

Render by Layer
Toggles whether the Rendering Controls are set individually or by layer. When on, individual render settings such as Receive Shadows must be set at the layer level.
Renderable
Toggles whether the object appears in rendered output.
Note: This is an Object Properties Rendering Control setting: If the object's Render By Layer toggle (see preceding) is on, Renderable uses the Layer icon () and is unavailable.
Revit Category

For an object imported from Revit, the user-defined Category tag.

Revit Family

For an object imported from Revit, the user-defined Family tag.

Revit Level

For an object imported from Revit, the user-defined Level tag.

Revit Type

For an object imported from Revit, the user-defined Type tag.

See-Through

Whether the object displays as translucent (Object Properties).

Shadow Map Size

For a light, the Size value of the shadow map.

Shadow On

Whether the light casts shadows (Modify panel).

Shadow Sample Range

For shadow-mapped shadows, the sample range setting.

Shadow Type

The type of the shadow.

Show Frozen in Gray

Whether frozen objects display as gray (Object Properties).

SimBaked/SimEnabled/SimMode/SimType
Related to MassFX simulations. See MassFX Explorer Columns.
Source Definition

For a source container, the path and file name of the source.

Source Rules

For a source container, the rules provided with the source container.

Status

For a container, its current condition, such as Unsaved, Open, or Openable (for a closed local container).

For a source container, shows the rules-based condition, such as Editable for a container set to Only Edit In Place, or “Editing in place” for the same container with Edit In Place on.

Trajectory

Whether the object displays its trajectory (Object Properties).

Type

The type of object, such as Geometry, Shape, Light, and so on.

Update?

For a source container, indicates whether the contents of the container have changed since you inherited it.

If the Update? field for a source container in your scene is “Yes,” click the Manage Container rollout Update button or (Update) on the Container toolbar to load the latest contents into the container.

Vertex Ticks

Whether the object displays vertex ticks (Object Properties).

Viewport Lighting

Whether viewport lighting and shading is active for the object (quad menu).

Viewport Locked Lighting

For a light, whether viewport lighting is locked (quad menu).

Viewport Shadows

For a light, whether viewport shadows are active (quad menu).

Visible (formerly Hidden)
Whether the object or layer is visible or hidden. When the light-bulb icon is yellow, the item is visible. When the icon is gray, the item is hidden.

The names of hidden objects display as italics.

Tip: You can also toggle an item's visibility by clicking the light-bulb icon to the left of the item's name. Its function is identical to that of the icon in the Visible column.
Parent topic: Scene Explorer