Why the hell is there a Scene Explorer

[Anonymous]

Can someone please tell me the difference between the scene explorer and layer explorer.  They both have the option to be viewed in layer or hierarchy mode?  Is there any other reason then for autodesk to add to their lead in creating bloated redundant UIs?

[keyner.chavarria · Accepted solution]

Hello kamullis,

Please kindly check the information on below about the layer explorer and the scene explorer.

Scene Explorer: The Scene Explorer provides a modeless dialog for viewing, sorting, filtering, and selecting objects in 3ds Max, as well as additional functionality for renaming, deleting, hiding, and freezing objects, creating and modifying object hierarchies, and editing object properties en masse. click here for more information

Layer Explorer: the Layer Explorer is a Scene Explorer mode that displays layers and their associated objects and properties. You can use it to create, delete, and nest layers, as well as to move objects between layers. You can also view and edit the settings for all layers in the scene, as well as the objects associated with them. You can specify the name, visibility, renderability, color, and objects' and layers' inclusion in the radiosity solution from this dialog. CLick here for more information

Thank you,

[Anonymous]

Sorry for the snarky question, but this can be done in either Explorer by clicking the Hierarch or Layer button at the bottom.  I just feel like the UI is getting so bloated and redundant.  For example the relatively new Ribbon wich has most of the functionality of the modify tab with only a couple new things.  I doesn't even really match the design style of the reast of the UI and there are a couple useful things here that are not available in the Modify panel.

[keyner.chavarria]

Hi kamullis,

Please kindly note that we offer both so users can have both types of selection menus open simultaneously.

Sometimes the users do want both so they don't have to switch back and forth.

One more for selecting objects (and parenting), and the other for working with your scene elements in layers.

Thank you,

[rfred]

Having both emplies that I have a choice.

I have been unable to remove the scene explorer from my ui.  I prefer the much smaller individual options for these things.

What if I want to remove the scene explorer since I have other options?

How can I make this large redundant item go away untis I have a use for it?

[rfred]

Posting here since I found my solution on another thread.

I am using Max 2016

I dragged on an empty area at the top of the scene explorer to tear the scene explorer off, then once it was a floating box I clicked the "X" to delete it. 

I then went and saved my UI under the menus tab as MaxStartUI.mnux

The scene explorer is now gone, even when I restart max. 

Problem solved.

Thanks to those who told me about the secret selecting on a blank area thing.

Searching help should have provided the solution for this. I guess documentation is a thing of the past.

RF