3ds Max Interface Overview

Main Toolbar
The main toolbar provides quick access to tools and dialogs for many of the most common tasks in 3ds Max.
Graphite Modeling Tools
Graphite Modeling Tools combines a wealth of new polygon-modeling features, including freeform sculpting and powerful loop-modeling tools, with the tried and true toolset in a dynamic, configurable new “ribbon” interface.
Quad Menu
When you click the right mouse button anywhere in an active viewport, except on the viewport label, a quad menu is displayed. The options available in the quad menu depend on the selection.
Viewport
When you start 3ds Max, the main screen contains four viewports showing the scene from different angles. You can set a viewport to show a simple wireframe or shaded view of the scene, and you can also employ advanced but easy-to-use Review features such as shadows (hard-edged or soft-edged), exposure control, and ambient occlusion to display highly realistic, near-rendered results in real time.
 
Command Panel
The command panel comprises six user-interface panels that give you access to most of the modeling features of 3ds Max, as well as some animation features, display choices, and miscellaneous utilities. To switch to a different panel, click its tab at the top of the command panel.
Time Slider
The time slider lets you navigate along the timeline and jump to any animation frame in your scene. You can quickly set position and rotation or scale keys by right-clicking the time slider and choosing the desired key from the Create Key dialog.
Status Bar Controls
The 3ds Max window contains an area at the bottom for prompt and status information about your scene and the active command. To its right/left is the coordinate display area, in which you can manually enter transform values. To its left, is the MAXScript listener window, where you input single-line scripts.

Animation & Time Controls
Between the status bar and the viewport navigation controls are the animation controls, along with the time controls for animation playback within viewports. Use these controls to affect your animation over time.
Animation Playback Controls
Use these buttons to see your scene in motion through time.
Viewport navigation controls
Use these buttons to navigate your scene within the viewports.
Rendered Frame Window
The Rendered Frame Window displays a rendering of your scene. Press F9 to trigger the rendering process. Using Rendered Frame Window controls, you can change render presets, lock the rendering to a single viewport, render regions of the viewport for faster feedback, and change mental ray settings such as final gather and reflections without having to access other portions of the program.
Material Editor
The Material Editor, which you open with the M key, provides functions to create and edit materials and maps. Materials are assigned to objects and create greater realism in a scene by using different maps.