topic Re: How you visualize all transform curves of an object in CURVE EDITOR? (normalize) in 3ds Max Forum

How you visualize all transform curves of an object in CURVE EDITOR? (normalize)

brandaosa — Tue, 16 Apr 2019 01:02:11 GMT

Whats the best way to see the curves in MAX at a glance without

- loosing UI space (lots of blank space between curves)

- using scroll bars or zooming in/out on each curve

This is because in MAYA, there is an OPTION to normalize all curves so you can see them all condensed on a smaller fixed area and its easier to adjust curves, tangents visually. This saves UI and you dont have to keep zooming all the time. Maybe there is an way to use MAX better. How you do it?

Re: How you visualize all transform curves of an object in CURVE EDITOR? (normal

RobH2 — Tue, 16 Apr 2019 23:27:41 GMT

You might have better luck getting help if you were to show more about what you are having problems with. Many users here don't know anything about Maya nor go they use it. So referencing something that is common to Maya users draws a blank for Max users. I'm not sure what you mean by "visualize all transform curves of an object in CURVE EDITOR".

Give us a little more info and maybe we can assist you.

Re: How you visualize all transform curves of an object in CURVE EDITOR? (normal

brandaosa — Wed, 17 Apr 2019 01:18:49 GMT

Thanks for the reply. You are right.

Maya "curve editor" offers an option to visualize all selected curves with their values normalized(0 to 1). This way, the curves get visually condensed on the same area in the curve editor so it might be easier for some users to manipulate many curves and still keep seeing their shape ( see "D" below) . Specially useful for visually checking if keyframes or slopes are aligned.

In contrast, the green curve seen in the picture below ("A") looks almost flat at a distance, in case you want to see all curves at same time. You need to choose which curve you want to adjust individually if you want to visually the shape of the curve better? ("B", "C" below). I am giving an example with only 3 curves, but you get the idea when you have to select multiple objects with similar animation but absolute values quite different from each other...

Re: How you visualize all transform curves of an object in CURVE EDITOR? (normalize)

markus_s — Mon, 27 Oct 2025 09:18:44 GMT

Lol, I realize this is a 6 year old question, and it hasn't been answered. The short answer is, Max can't do this, you have to zoom and scroll around in the curve editor. The 3dsmax curve editor is "workable" if that is the only thing you know, but seeing what is possible in other software like Maya and Blender makes me want to cry, haha!

Sir Wade Neistadt made a video comparing animation workflows in Blender and Maya 5 years ago. Some of the issues he adressed in Blender at that time has been improved and implemented. 3dsmax hasn't changed that much afaik.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L-vLraYGir8

Re: How you visualize all transform curves of an object in CURVE EDITOR? (normalize)

MartinBeh — Wed, 29 Oct 2025 09:03:11 GMT

I believe the issue here is that the curve editor in 3ds Max expects to have single "Y axis", so it cannot show three curves with three different Y axis ranges...

Re: How you visualize all transform curves of an object in CURVE EDITOR? (normalize)

haifeng_yuSEVKN — Thu, 06 Nov 2025 19:31:05 GMT

Hello @brandaosa, thanks very much for providing the information. This is such a topic with a long history, but it's still interesting to look at. As @MartinBeh mentioned, 3ds Max cannot show three curves with three different Y axis ranges, and this is by design. However, some useful tools are available in the View section, including Zoom and Frame Horizontal and Value Extents, may also assist you in achieving a similar outcome. I hope the information could be beneficial to you, and good luck with your projects. Thank you!

Re: How you visualize all transform curves of an object in CURVE EDITOR? (normalize)

haifeng_yuSEVKN — Mon, 10 Nov 2025 18:49:15 GMT

Hello @brandaosa, I believe the information in this post could be helpful to you, and I’d like to thank everyone who shared their insights here.