After watching the modeling AEC objects tutorial found here, I attempted to create doors/windows in my model. However, I am unable to create the door using the depth, width, height like they do in the tutorial. It forces a certain width that I have to go back and change after measuring the distance. Also, they can only be created with a certain rotation. (So for example I can only create doors on the North-South walls and not the East-West!) Am I missing something in settings?

I also have found this to be the case. I currently do all my building modelling in AutoCAD Architecture but I’d like to start transitioning to 3ds Max.

Are you using your snaps? You should be able to click on the hole corners in creation mode.

AEC Walls, Windows, and Doors, work the same in all versions of Max, as do the other AEC objects.

Practice first.
Use of Layers are helpful, but not required.
Working form a reference imported CAD spline object, is useful, but not required.

In the video tutorials, they are Snapping to Vertex, using the vertices of the imported CAD spline object.

I don’t work with AEC Wall, Door, Windows, in See-Through mode. I work in wireframe, especially when adding Doors and Windows to an AEC Wall. When adding Doors and Windows, I switch from 3D Snap on Vertex, to 3D Snap on Edge (only on Edge).

Here is a simple alternate tutorial:

1. File (3DS): Reset
2. Go to Customize: Unit Setup. Click on System Unit Setup. Verify and change if necessary so that 1 Unit = 1 Inches. Click OK, then set the Display Unit Scale to US Standard, and choose your measurement preference in the pull-down.
3. Right-click on the Snap tool in the main toolbar. Click Clear All, then check Grid Points. Click on the X to dismiss the dialog. Make sure Snaps is set to 3D in the main toolbar pulldown.
4. Main Menu: Create(or Create panel): AEC Objects: Wall
5. Create one wall, then a wall at a right angle, along the back-left and then back-right of the grid. Right-click to cancel.
6. Switch the viewport to Wireframe.
7. Right-click on the Snap tool and uncheck Grid Points, and check Edge/Segment. Dismiss the dialog as above.
8. Main Menu: Create: AEC Objects: Pivot Door. Note the default setting for the Creation Method in the Create Panel, is set to Width/Depth/Height.
9. In the viewport, place the cursor on the bottom-front edge of the wall on the left.
10.Click and drag to the right to define the Width. Release the mouse button to set the Width.
11. Move the cursor to the back-bottom edge of the wall. Click to set the Depth.
12. Move the cursor up in Z to define the Height. Click to set the Height.
13. Go to the Create panel and change the Door’s parameters as needed. If you right-click in the viewport before setting the parameters, thus canceling the creation process, you will need to go to the Modify panel with the Door selected to set the parameters.

To create Windows I use the same method, but after setting the parameters, I move the window up in Z to the required height.

Doors and Windows may be repositioned along the same wall without loosing the magic ability to cut-holes as long as you move along the parallel to the wall.

Tim Wilbers [FA]

College of Arts and Sciences
Department of Visual Arts
University of Dayton
http://www.udayton.edu/
3ds Max: (started with 1.2) 2012, 2013
HP Z210, i7-2600, Win 7 Pro, Quadro 600

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Stationary or animated?
Single Panel or multiple panel?

Tim Wilbers [FA]

College of Arts and Sciences
Department of Visual Arts
University of Dayton
http://www.udayton.edu/
3ds Max: (started with 1.2) 2012, 2013
HP Z210, i7-2600, Win 7 Pro, Quadro 600

Stationary. 4 sections with 3 panels in each.

The concept I’m using is to create a Pivot Door in the Wall. Convert the Pivot Door to an Editable Poly. Modify the vertices of “door” sub-object Element, then replicate it 4 times with Array.
See attached image for the Parameters of a Pivot Door.

1. Create a Pivot Door
2. Position the door in the Wall in the final position.
3. Convert the door to an Editable Poly. At this point you can move the “door” but the hole in the Wall will not move with it.
4. Go to sub-object Element and select the 4 “door” elements.
5. In the Edit Geometry rollout of the Modify panel, click on Detach, give it a unique name and do not check either option.
6. Exit the sub-object mode for the original Pivot Door object.
7. Select the Door object.
8. Go to sub-object Vertex, and select all the vertices at the top. I made my door 80 inches tall. I want the horizontal sections to be 20.9” inches each to leave a .1” gap between each.
9. Toggle on the Offset Mode Transform Type-In (button just to the right of the Lock Selection, located in the middle below the time line).
10. If using the Perspective viewport, type in -63.1 (assuming your read-out is in inches and the Pivot Door height was 84")
11. Exit sub-object mode.
12. Go to Tools: Array (leave the Perspective viewport active to work in World coordinates)
13. Set the Z Increment to 21”, 1D Count to 4, and turn on Preview to verify. Click OK.

Adjust some of the material ID’s for the sections, and apply a Multi/Sub-Object material. For the top section, you will need to make it Unique. The Array made all 4 sections Instances.

A word of warning: Once you convert the Pivot Door to Editable Poly, you should also convert the Wall to an Editable Poly, or at least Detach the Wall Segment with the Pivot Door and convert. Otherwise, if you move another Door or Window in the same Wall object, the hole in the Wall created by the original Pivot Door, will be removed.

Also attached is an old Max file for an animated door. Same concept as the Toy Train script.
Spline IK would be another way to move the sections along a defined path.

Tim Wilbers [FA]

College of Arts and Sciences
Department of Visual Arts
University of Dayton
http://www.udayton.edu/
3ds Max: (started with 1.2) 2012, 2013
HP Z210, i7-2600, Win 7 Pro, Quadro 600

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garage_door_82.zip

Thanks Tim for the great explanation. Much appreciated!

Only one of a thousand ways to do it.

Tim Wilbers [FA]

College of Arts and Sciences
Department of Visual Arts
University of Dayton
http://www.udayton.edu/
3ds Max: (started with 1.2) 2012, 2013
HP Z210, i7-2600, Win 7 Pro, Quadro 600