If you’ve already made some pieces and later on decide you would like to make them instances after you’ve already cloned them is there a way or have I missed that opportunity to do so?

Laptop Studio XPS Intel Duo Core CPU 2.13GHz 4GB RAM, Win7 64-bit, ATI Mobility Radeon HD 3670

I think I’ve heard of alternate methods, but this is what I do.

1. Select all the objects you want to be instances.
2. Open up Track View either Curve Editor or Dope Sheet.
3. Filter the view so you only see Selected Objects Only and Base Objects. (Either right-click on the Filters button, or click the Filters button for all the options.)
4. Click to highlight one of the “Object” entries, then right-click and choose Copy.
5. Ctr-click the other “Object” entries, then right-click and choose Paste, then Paste as Instance.

Not ideal, but it works.

Tim Wilbers [FA]

College of Arts and Sciences
Department of Visual Arts
University of Dayton
http://www.udayton.edu/
3ds Max: 7.5, 8, 9, 2008, 2009, 2010

Ivan,
You hit the nail on the head. I probably can find the text of one of the threads somewhere.
Another one of his other favorites was how to assign a Look at Controller to a UVW Mapping Gizmo, but not to the object being modified.

Tim Wilbers [FA]

College of Arts and Sciences
Department of Visual Arts
University of Dayton
http://www.udayton.edu/
3ds Max: 7.5, 8, 9, 2008, 2009, 2010