Arrows AWOL

[Jmouse]

I was working on a BAT this evening when the select-and-move arrows disappeared. I tried  several possible solutions, but soon determined it was a software issue. Don't know if I accidentally pushed the wrong key or what, but it's certainly possible - been there, done that! I lost the command panel once, but at least I was able to figure out how to get it back.

Not so this time - I ended up having to reinstall gmax and BAT. So I'd like to know if this kind of problem is a fairly common occurrence. Whether it is or not, is there a way to retrieve the select-and-move tool function short of reinstalling the software. I'm using Windows 7 Home premium.

Thanks in advance...
Joan

[thingfishs]

I recently had (I assume) the same issue. I think it may have been a key accidentally pushed. Pushing X is supposed to work but it didn't initially for me, I had to turn them on via the menu and then pushing x worked. I just can't remember what it's called in the menu, I'll go and check.

(EDIT: it's in the views menu, check "show transform gizmo", that is if we're talking about the same arrows)

[Jmouse]

Thanks for your help, thingfishs. Looks like you're absolutely right, and this is time-saving information to have.

While I was about it, I decided to try and find some more hot keys, and this is what I came up with:

d: Disable view. Pressing the "d" key again enables it. (I've hit the "d" instead of "f" several times and it's annoying - I'll definitely get some use out of this one!)
h: Brings up the Select Options rollout.
x: Toggles the red and green Select and Move arrows. The "Show Transform Gizmo" option in the Views rollout must be checked in order for the red and green Select/Move arrows show up.
v: Enables the rotate tool.
Ctrl+p: Enables the pan tool.
Ctrl+s: Save the current file.
F5: Enables the "Restrict to X" function in the main toolbar.
F6: Enables the "Restrict to Y" function in the main toolbar.
F7: Enables the "Restrict to Z" function in the main toolbar.
F8: Enables the "Restrict to XY Plane" in the main toolbar.
Alt+e: Opens the Edit rollout in the main toolbar.
Alt+t: Opens the Tools rollout.
Alt+u: Opens the Customize rollout.
Alt+o: Opens the Modifiers rollout.
Alt+h: Opens the Help rollout.
Alt+g: Opens the Group rollout.
Alt+f: Opens the File rollout.
Alt+d: Opens the Graph Editors rollout.
Alt+a: Opens the "Align Selected" box.
Alt+c: Opens the Create rollout.
Alt+v: Opens the Views rollout.
Alt+b: Opens the Viewport Background box.
Alt+n: Opens the Normal Align box.
Alt+m: Opens the MAXScript rollout.

Also, if you lose your Command Panel, you can get it back by clicking on Customize, Show UI and checking the box beside Show Command Panel.

If anyone knows of more shortcuts, add them to the list by all means. Nobody wants to waste valuable BATting time dealing with solvable technical problems!

Later...
Joan

[Nijomi]

If you open the customize user interface panel and select the keyboard tab you can select Write Keyboard Chart this will produce a text file listing all shortcuts you can also set some of your own here. Hope you find this useful.

[thingfishs]

Customise user interface, hmm, I've asked this before but I was just wondering if it's possible to assign the glove/hand tool to either a button on your mouse or to a key on the keyboard? Constantly moving the mouse from the tools in the top left to the hand in the bottom right is the thing I find most annoying about gmax.

[Nijomi]

Have you tried Ctrl + P keys, works for me
you can assign it to the right click quad menus if you like it is called pan view, but Ctrl + P is all ready there as keyboard short cut.

[thingfishs]

Thanks Nijomi ,
Now I know what it's called, pan. Do you know if that key command can be changed? For something that I'll use very frequently I really want it to be easier to access than ctrl & p (two of the furthest keys from each other on my laptop, I only have control on the left of my spacebar) which requires two hands to operate. Thanks for deciding to start posting and long live Bob!

[Nijomi]

You can change any of the short cuts to whatever suits you, if you try to change it to a key combination that is all ready in use gmax will let you know by changing the Assigned to: box to the function mapped to that key combo

[Jmouse]

Thanks, Nijomi! This is helpful info to have. I, too, wish the pan (aka hand) tool was a single-key short cut instead of two. I'll definitely give this a try!

Later...
Joan

[jmyers2043]

I know. Every once in a while gmax can be a frustration. I've inadvertently hit a key before and 'poof' I have some strage looking view point or loss of a menu or tab. You can try to do a reset. Click FILE then RESET.

This is what the user reference guide says it will do. "Reset clears all data and resets the system settings (viewport configuration, snap settings, Material Editor, background image, and so on). Resetting restores the program to its start-up defaults, stored in the file gmaxstart.gmax, and removes any customization you may have done during the current session.

Resetting the software has the same effect as exiting and restarting the program."