Search for Information
 
 
 

You can use InfoCenter to search multiple sources (for example, Help, the New Features Workshop, web locations, and specified files) at one time, or search a single file or location.

When you enter key words or a phrase in the InfoCenter box, and then press ENTER or click the InfoCenter Search button, you search the contents of multiple Help resources as well as any additional documents and web locations that have been specified in the InfoCenter Settings dialog box or through the CAD Manager Control Utility. The results are displayed as links on the InfoCenter Search Results panel. You can click any of these links to display the topic, article, or document.

NoteIt is recommended that you use key words to search for information, as key words often produce better results. In case of a misspelled word, spelling suggestions are displayed.

You can also search a single location by clicking the arrow next to the InfoCenter Search button, and selecting a location or file from the list.

In addition, you can add a location (file or document) to search by clicking the arrow next to the InfoCenter Search button, and selecting Add Search Location from the list.

When you use InfoCenter to search for information, you can use the following special symbols (wild cards) in your query to refine or expand it. These symbols can be used alone or can be combined.

Symbol Description
* Replaces one or more characters when used at the beginning, middle, or end of a word. For example, “*lish”, “p*lish”, and “pub*” will all find “publish”. Also, “anno*” will find “annotative”, “annotation”, “annoupdate”, “annoreset”, and so on.
? Replaces a single character. For example, “cop?” will find “copy”, but not “copybase”.
~ Expands the tense of the word at the beginning or end of a word. For example, “plotting~” will find “plots”, “plotted”, and so on. Also, “~plot” will find “preplot”, “replot”, and so on.

When searching for multiple words in topics, use double quotation marks (" ") to enclose words that must appear next to each other in the specified sequence. For example, enter "specifying units of measurement" to find only topics with all those words in that order. You can also use the previously mentioned symbols (wild cards) in a text string that is enclosed in double quotation marks.

Procedures

To search the help for information

  1. In the InfoCenter box, enter a keyword or phrase.
  2. Press Enter, click the InfoCenter Search button.

    A browser displays the 3ds Max help with the search results in the Search panel.

See Also