Once you have defined an object, Autodesk VIZ evaluates changes affecting the base object and displays the result in the scene. What these changes are, and the order in which they are evaluated, is called the object data flow.
Master object refers to an object defined by a set of creation parameters and the original position and orientation of its pivot point. You never see the master object. What you see in the viewport is always the result of at least the following data flow:
Master Object -> Object Transforms -> Object Properties
The object-space modifiers are the next group evaluated in the data flow. Each modifier is evaluated in the order it was placed on the modifier stack. The modifications all occur in the object’s object space and the result is called the modified object.
Once the modified object has been evaluated, it is transformed within the world coordinate system. Transforms cover the position, rotation, and scale changes applied from the transform buttons on the toolbar.
The method of evaluating all modifiers first and then evaluating the combined transforms has ramifications for the way you work with Autodesk VIZ. The effect of transforms is independent of the order in which they are applied. The order in which you apply modifiers, on the other hand, does affect the resulting geometry. If you want to apply a transform that is evaluated in a specific order in the modifier stack, use the XForm modifier.
Object properties are the last to be evaluated before the object is displayed. These are values specific to an object such as its name or settings you specify on the Object Properties dialog, such as shadow-casting properties; and materials you have applied to the object.
This is the end of the data flow, and the result is the named object you see in your scene.
Right-click an object and choose Properties to display its Object Properties dialog.
