Modeling Tutorials > Learning to Use Containers >
Assembling Containers

As mentioned, the Container feature is intended primarily for use by teams working together on projects. In this last exercise, you’ll simulate a team of three: one person creating content, another one using a subset of that content to assemble a dinner-table scene, and a third using a different subset to put together a conference-room scene at an office or convention. You’ll do so using the remaining rule: Only Add New Objects.

Use the Only Add rule:

1. In Session 1, open container_start.max.
2. From the Named Selection Sets drop-down list on the main toolbar, choose each named selection set in turn and use (Create Container From Selection) to add the objects to containers. After you create each container, rename it to reflect its contents: dinner_setting, office_setting, table, and chair.

   You should end up with four containers, each set to the default No Access rule.

3. Close the two table-settings containers and give them the file names dinner_setting and office_setting (3ds Max Design automatically adds the .maxc extension).
4. Select the container with the table, set its rule to Only Add New Objects, close it and save it as table. Do the same with the chair container, saving it as chair.
5. In Session 2, inherit the chair.maxc container file; it comes in open. Also inherit the dinner_setting.maxc container file, which comes in closed and can’t be opened or edited.
6. Try to select the chair object; you can’t.

   That’s because the object is locked as a consequence of using the Only Add New Objects rule. When an object is locked, you can’t select it, so of course you can’t transform it directly. However, you can transform it via its container.

7. Select the dinner_setting container, then click (Add Selected To Container). Use the Select dialog that opens to highlight the chair container and then click the Add button.

   You now have a nested container setup: The chair container contains the chair object as well as the dinner_setting container and its contents.

8. Inherit the table.maxc container; like the chair container, it comes in open, but with the contents locked.
9. Select the chair container and use Shift+Move to create three copies.

   Cloning the chair container also clones its contents; the chair object and the dinner_setting container and contents.

10. Position the copies around the table in any arrangement you like. As long as you move them horizontally only, the chairs and place settings remain at the correct heights for the table.

    You now have a basic setup for four people eating dinner at a table. You could then add other objects such as wine bottles, flowers, and so on.

11. Select all four chair containers and then add them to the table container.

    Now when you move the table container, all four place settings and chairs move along with it.

12. Close the table container and give it the file name dinner_table.

    Because you’re prompted to create a new local container definition when closing an inherited container set to Only Add New Objects, this helps prevent inadvertently overwriting the original container definition.

    NoteWhen any user has this local container open, it is locked, just like an Edit In Place container.
13. Make a few copies of the table container and arrange them to create a restaurant dining-room setup.
14. Save the scene as my_dining_room.max.

Set up the conference table:

1. Reset 3ds Max Design, then inherit the chair, table, and office_setting containers.

   Because the office setting is offset from the chair, you need to position them closer together.

2. Select the office_setting container, then move it horizontally and rotate it a half-turn so it’s positioned correctly with respect to the chair.
3. As before, add the office_setting container to the chair container.
4. Make three copies of the chair container, and then add all four chair containers to the table container.
5. Close the table container and give it the file name conference_table.
6. Make some copies of the table to populate a conference room. Position and rotate each conference table to create a natural-looking arrangement.

Summary

In this tutorial you learned how to create containers from selected objects, how to save and inherit containers, and how to restrict access to certain parameters from other users. You also learned how to combine containers for easy setup of complex scenes containing repetitive elements.

There’s much more to the Container feature than we’ve shown here; for example, you can merge contained elements into your scene and use low-resolution proxies to set up complex geometry quickly. To learn more, consult the Container section of the 3ds Max Design Help.