The Graphite Modeling Tools set, also called the modeling ribbon, gives you everything you need for editing polygon objects. Its interface provides tools specific to the modeling task, and reduces onscreen clutter by showing only necessary settings.
The ribbon contains all standard Edit/Editable Poly tools as well as additional tools for creating, selecting, and editing geometry. Also, you can customize the ribbon however you like. For details, see the following links.
Show UI Show Ribbon.
The modeling ribbon takes the form of a toolbar that can float or dock in a horizontal or vertical configuration. The toolbar contains four tabs:
The Graphite Modeling Tools tab contains the tools you use most often for polygon modeling, organized into separate panels for easy, convenient access.
The Freeform tab contains tools for creating and modifying polygon geometry by "painting" in the viewports. Also, the Defaults panel provides for saving and loading brush settings.
The Selection tab of the modeling ribbon provides a variety of specialized tools for making sub-object selections. For example, you can select concave or convex areas, sub-objects that face the viewpoint, or point in a certain direction, and more.
The Object Paint tool enables you to paint objects freehand anywhere in the scene or onto specific object surfaces. You can also “fill” selected edges automatically with paint objects. You can paint with multiple objects in a specific order or at random, and change the scale as you paint. Applications include applying regular surface features such as rivets, plants, columns, and even populating a scene with characters.
The Customize Ribbon dialog offers a wealth of tools for editing the modeling ribbon. You can use the mouse and keyboard to rearrange existing controls, rename them, and change their icons. More important, you can add controls based on almost any tool in 3ds Max, or new tools based on custom scripts.
