330 Part II Working with Objects

Figure 11-33: This tire is being deformed via an FFD modifier.

Point Cache modifier

The Point Cache modifier is the only modifier available for the Cache Tools set. This modifier is uniquely different from the other modifiers and really belongs in its own set.

The Point Cache modifier saves the changes in each vertex to a file. The files are saved using the .pts extension. In the Parameters rollout are settings for specifying the Start and End times and a Record button that opens a File dialog box in which you can specify a filename.

You can use this modifier when playback in the viewport is too slow because Max needs to compute the vertex positions of a huge number of vertices. Reading their position from a separate file speeds up the playback. You also can use the file on a cloned object to control its motion at a different speed.

Summary

With the modifiers contained in the Modify panel, you can alter objects in a vast number of ways. Modifiers can work with every aspect of an object, including geometric deformations, materials, and general object maintenance. In this chapter, we looked at the Modifier Stack

Chapter 11 Introducing Modifiers for Basic Object Deformation

331

and how modifiers are applied, and examined several useful modifier sets. The topics covered in this chapter included

Working with the Modifier Stack to apply, reorder, and collapse modifiers

Exploring the Select modifiers

Using the Parametric Deformer and FFD modifiers

This chapter concludes Part II, “Working with Objects.” You’re now ready to learn about the individual modeling object types. The next chapter covers the basics of modeling.

P A R T

Modeling

III

In This Part

Chapter 12

Modeling Basics

Chapter 13

Drawing and Editing

2D Splines and Shapes

Chapter 14

Working with Meshes and Polys

Chapter 15

Creating and

Editing Patches

Chapter 16

Working with NURBS

Chapter 17

Building Compound

Objects

Chapter 18

Creating Particles

and Particle Flow