To Apply a Material to Objects in a Scene

  1. Select the sample slot that contains the material you want to apply.
  2. Select the objects you want to apply the material to.
  3. Do one of the following:
    • Drag from the sample slot to the objects. If more than one object is selected, 3ds Max asks whether you want to apply to the single object or to the whole selection.
    • On the Compact Material Editor toolbar, click (Assign Material To Selection).
    Warning: When you apply a material to an object or selection, that material becomes a hot material. When you change the material's properties, the scene immediately updates to reflect those changes. Any object with that material will change its appearance, not just the objects in the current selection. When a material is hot, its sample slot is displayed with white corner brackets.

    To make a material no longer hot so it doesn't change the current scene, click (Make Material Copy).