Pivot changed to wireframe

[Anonymous]

I am just learning 3ds Max. I tried to rotate the view using right-mouse drag and a big menu thing popped up and I let the mouse go and it selected something. I have no idea what I selected. But now my pivot looks like a big ugly wireframe instead of just 3 lines like it used to. I tried using undo but it has no effect and the pivot appearance won't go back. I closed the software and reloaded it and it is still all messed up. I've done searches everywhere and cannot find anything that describes the pivot's appearance or how to change it. I am supposing this wireframe appearance indicates some sort of mode change? I really don't want to start my whole file all over again if I don't have to. Please somebody save me.

[jamesw]

Check you Gizmo settings are as follows:

[5vil]

Very likely, you're on "Affect Pivot Only" mode only use to modify Pivot, not object itself.

If it was the case, your problem was previously answered (with picture) in link below:

https://forums.autodesk.com/t5/3ds-max-forum/help-my-can-did-something-and-i-can-t-change-it-back/m-...

[kgokhangurbuz]

Hi @Anonymous;

I'd like to add something to previous answers;

Providing a screenshot helps us a lot to solve an issue, please keep that in mind.

But from your description, i agree that you may have accidentally activated Pivot. You must have pressed "Insert" key on your keyboard, which is the shortcut of Hierarchy> Pivot > Affect Pivot Only.

You can simply press Insert key to turn it off, if it happens again, accidentally.

Kind regards;

[Anonymous]

Thanks for the suggestions guys I appreciate the help. It's gonna take me awhile to learn this behemoth. I suppose all the coolest things are like that.

So it isn't the Affect Pivot Only option. That's the first thing I looked at. Also not the gizmo settings. And yes the way the gizmo looks is exactly like when you choose Affect Pivot Only. I didn't think a screenshot was necessary for this, but I guess I could supply one if anyone is too confused with my description. What I've discovered is that it isn't my pivot that changed. Rather I have another second pivot in my scene now. And it is the second one that has the wireframe look. I was confused because my pivot happened to be coincident with this mysterious second pivot and so I thought there was only one still. It looks like I cannot interact with the second pivot at all. It is just sitting there at the world origin and I can't figure out how to get rid of it.

[Alfred.DeFlaminis]

Hello @Anonymous,

I'd like to help you with this but it does sound like Affect Pivot Mode.  Can you please provide a screenshot?  It would be really helpful to understanding the problem and thanks for doing that!  

EDIT:  Was it place pivot surface?

Best Regards,

[Alfred.DeFlaminis]

Hello @Anonymous,

I just wanted to follow up here, any progress on this issue?

Best Regards,

[Anonymous]

Here's a screen shot.

[Alfred.DeFlaminis]

Hello @Anonymous,

Hmmm.  I'll be honest I'm not sure what that is.  Does this happen with every model now?  

There are some obscure features that I am not familiar with that come up from time to time, but I didn't see anything on a right click menu that would do this.  Any chance you are using an unsupported graphics card?  If not, likely the issue could be fixed by resetting your user settings in the case that the settings were somehow corrupted.  Can you please try that for me?

Best Regards,

[Alfred.DeFlaminis]

Hello @Anonymous,

I just wanted to follow up here, did resetting your user settings help here?

Best Regards,

[Anonymous]

It's just the one file. I can't recreate it. Haven't seen it again. And no, reverting the settings unfortunately had no effect on it. I attached the file it's very simple, only 650K. I was able to work around the problem and finish the modeling since it is evidently only a visual obstruction and has no other effects. It appeared in a location that was not very near any verticies so it never got really in the way in this case.

My video card is GeForce GTX 780-Ti which appears in the supported and tested list.

[Alfred.DeFlaminis]

Thanks for posting that @Anonymous.  It's kind of wild, that helper type is not a standard Max helper.  If you select that gizmo (weirdly, it's an actual object) you can just delete it.  I was able to repro it once on accident of your scene, but not in a new scene.  I think that what happened was somehow the gizmo was cloned while you were in Edit Working Pivot mode.  

This is not intended obviously, but I can't seem to find reliable repro steps.  It's easy enough to just delete that gizmo/helper object, but if you manage to do this again please let me know how you did it.  If I can get reliable repro steps I can log it.  (Though it's mostly harmless, still...)  Thanks again for posting this.

Best Regards,

[marchik.a]

I have mirrored problem, in some scenes when I press "Affect Pivot Only" button my pivot doesnt change to  a "wireframe pivot" and remains normal and in this case i cant use working pivot because i cant adjust it