3ds Max Fundamentals and Interface
The scene and the viewport system
Every 3ds Max session revolves around a single scene file (.max) containing objects, materials, lights, cameras, and animation data. Candidates should understand the quad menu (right-click context menus), the command panel's six tabs (Create, Modify, Hierarchy, Motion, Display, Utilities), and the difference between the Create panel's geometry categories. Know that the viewport layout is configurable, that each viewport can show a different projection (orthographic Top/Front/Left and Perspective), and that the ViewCube and SteeringWheels are navigation aids independent of the objects themselves.
Coordinate systems and pivots
Transform tools operate relative to a reference coordinate system (World, View, Screen, Local, Parent, Grid) and a transform center (Pivot Point Center, Selection Center, Transform Coordinate Center). A classic trap: moving an object with Local coordinates behaves differently from World coordinates once the object is rotated. The pivot point is not the same as the object's geometry center.
Units, layers, and scene organization
Scene Unit Setup controls display and system units; mismatched units are a common cause of scale problems when importing. Layers, groups, and the Scene Explorer organize objects, and selection filters (e.g., Geometry, Lights, Cameras) restrict what can be selected.
Worked example
To rotate a single object around its own center in its own orientation: set the reference coordinate system to Local, set the transform center to Pivot Point Center, then rotate. If the object spins around the world axis instead, the coordinate system is still on View or World.
Common traps
Questions often confuse the Modify panel (per-object parameters) with the Create panel (adding objects), or assume an object's pivot equals its bounding-box center. Remember that Undo history is configurable and that Hold/Fetch is a separate, single-slot safety mechanism.