3D Myths

Delete NoteTracks

2012-01-23T18:55:00.004+02:00

Well, its about cleaning the mess after bipeds. I write twice about this. Once by posting the primary and most older source that offer solution about - Long time max file save issue, and once more in Ballooning file issue where I post more links to additional sources and solutions.

Why then I post again about this? Looks like the bugs in Max varied between versions and the chance some of the solutions to work for everybody is a bit arbitrary. One more solution is always welcome, right?

For instance, in the case mention at ScriptSpot, the method is based on TrackViewNodes.Max_MotionClip_Manager but it is unstable as Max not always know Max_MotionClip_Manager track, but calling it by index i.e. trackViewNodes[5] solve that. This way it work not just for me.

fn deleteNoteTracks = (
    mcMan = TrackViewNodes[5]
    while (numNoteTRacks mcMan > 0) do
    deleteNoteTrack mcMan (getNoteTrack mcMan 1)
)

If by some reason this method not work for you, there is other 2 methods posted at CGTalk forum. The first of them not work here. Its based on DefNoteTrack, but it is undefined here and the line of code...

(notetrack "").classid -- that should fix it...

...as I read this work for someone but not for me. The DefNoteTrack still stay undefined after that, so the whole solution do nothing for me.

Well, at the end of this forum thread has another method that I never tested. It's based on re-copy the whole Max_MotionClip_Manager track. Two peoples confirm that it works and that it is really faster, do the job almost instantly. So if it works for you, it looks as the best one, but if not, then you have one more solution to play with.

Old fashion smoke chimney

2012-01-21T11:06:00.003+02:00

Recently I help a little bit on almost ready scripted tool (by Danny McAuliffe) that made old fashion smoke chimney (read more here), but Denis Trofimov decide to move this task more forward by writing this as scripted primitive. The author plan to support future development of his plugin with new features, and he's open for questions and suggestions (read more here).

P.S. - I see that Danny McAuliffe add some features to it Chimney Maker and finally upload it to ScriptSpot.

CAUTION - Wikipedia Blackout

2012-01-19T01:46:00.005+02:00

Wikipedia is blacking out for 24 hours to protest proposed US Internet censorship legislation. Join the protest and take action today. Learn more.

Wikipedia quote:

Small sites won't have sufficient resources to defend themselves. Big media companies may seek to cut off funding sources for their foreign competitors, even if copyright isn't being infringed. Foreign sites will be blacklisted, which means they won't show up in major search engines.

I confirm that a lot of small sites are blacklisted for years and not show up in the major search engines, and most of them has zero piracy content. And this is not from today or yesterday, nor yet awakening creepy future, unfortunately...

But there is a significant difference, this has happened so far only in the background, informally and illegal (and unlikely this will change), while now it moves to another level.

Everything is about money... The freedom of information is just one of the victims. This global economic crisis will push the world into a much worse reality than we ever imagined.

Creating Light Cycle Effects

2012-01-18T22:49:00.001+02:00

A new video tutorial in 9 parts at 3dsMaxHowTos section.

LED style animation with MAXScript

2012-01-12T18:22:00.003+02:00

Just illustration of an example approach which can be done and without writing code but there also a few points where using MAXScript (3ds Max scripting) can save alot of time.

Ok, I don't want to repeat my self by rewriting all description, more details at ScriptSpot. Also just to note that this quick tutorial just illustrate the idea of using "brush" but its prepared just for circular brush printing.

Mirror pivot tool

2012-01-06T18:02:00.000+02:00

A very handy scripted tool by Daniel Kur to mirror objects pivot.

Miauu's Scatter Tool

2012-01-04T19:09:00.001+02:00

Custom scatter tool (for 3ds Max 9 and higher) by Kostadin Kotev.

Dimension modifier 1.2

2012-01-03T01:23:00.001+02:00

One more update (I was promised) of my scripted Dimension modifier. More details you can read at it script page.

Dimension modifier 1.1

2011-12-31T00:26:00.000+02:00

I get a some reasonable requests to update my scripted modifier Dimension. Now I just add a checkbox to can scale uniform (keep proporsion) using one spinner, but there one more request on which I'll take care of somewhere into the next days.

Flip UVs across several files

2011-12-31T00:15:00.001+02:00

Well, I know its not a time for work right now, but what is blogged here can be read in the future days, while what's in my head may not be there tomorrow, hehe :)

What I have in mind is just to post a link to that forum thread: FLIP UV across several files - Solution included. Its about how to batch UVs flip operation on several files, automating that procedure from importing to exporting the objects. The thread holds and working solution. Admittedly it can be polished and optimized but its a complete working script (at least for the case it written).

Well, looks like I can't hide my happiness after all because I was able to help on this task remotely (without Max on my hands), however, after reading the posts once more, I see a bit of educational value inside.

Ok, never mind, now back to the party. :)
Happy new year to all!

Selected Verts Boundary

2011-12-22T11:55:00.004+02:00

No such tool in 3ds Max for measurement of bounding box on sub-object level and probably not so trivial task for everybody, never mind, I did this mini utility as I need it, but also decide to share it. You can grab the script from here, and... happy holiday to everybody!

Vue 10 PLE now available

2011-12-22T04:43:00.002+02:00

At December 20, E-on Software release Vue 10 xStream / Infinite Personal Learning Editions. Many major enhancements introduces.

CGSociety celebrating 10 years

2011-12-16T19:12:00.001+02:00

CGSociety is celebrating ten years in the business this week. Read more.

They're not real

2011-12-12T17:25:00.002+02:00

Haha! Take a look at this hilarious video posted by TurboSquid, in which their support staff talks about some dissatisfied customers which ordered 3d models 'cause they thinking they were real.

I think it's just TurboSquid advertising only.
Pretty clever though :)

RemapPSD

2011-12-03T14:23:00.001+02:00

RemapPSD is a MaxScript by David Shelton designed to easily map your entire photoshop file to a different set of uvs.

Find objects with animated keys

2011-11-26T12:44:00.002+02:00

Forum challenges are always good learning sourse. Recent mini-challenge in CGTalk is about how to find all animated scene nodes, i.e. each node that has at least one animated track with keys.

Terrain Conformer

2011-11-26T10:41:00.001+02:00

Terrain Conformer is a script that conforms a terrain surface to a road, video demo on youtube.

Autoweight - Automatic skinning tool

2011-11-26T10:21:00.002+02:00

Autoweight is a script by Mirko Haenssgen designed to speed up skinning process (in 3ds Max 2010 and higher).

TopoRelax

2011-11-24T01:53:00.001+02:00

TopoRelax is new (commercial) modifier for Max 9 and higher by Marius Silaghi. TR relaxes meshes while preserving their volume unlike the built-in relax modifier which shrinks the mesh.

Batch Loader 1.9

2011-11-16T05:11:00.002+02:00

Well, one more update of Batch Loader.
An issue with "Import Name Conflict" dialogue fixed.

Thanks to Richard Missin,
who send me testing files that reproduce the issue.

Le1setreter scripts

2011-11-14T17:28:00.002+02:00

Le1setreter release 2 new useful scripted mini tools - selectFaceByMinAngle and AlignObject2slicePlane.

Batch Loader 1.8

2011-11-13T03:35:00.001+02:00

Another update of Batch Loader that fill 2 user requests. Suppress additional popup dialogue in import process, plus now Browse for folder dialogue start in recently used path.

Submit jobs to deadline

2011-11-10T18:30:00.000+02:00

A tutorial by Klaas Nienhuis posted at ScriptSpot about how to submit jobs to deadline via MaxScript.

Autodesk MeshMixer07 released

2011-11-04T23:18:00.002+02:00

Ryan Schmidt announced latest MeshMixer release as Autodesk MeshMixer07. In other words that are 2 news. Second one is that Autodesk acquired MeshMixer. Ah, and MeshMixer is still free (for now).

P.S. - a forum thread about appear at CGTalk.

Batch Loader v.1.7

2011-10-30T22:58:00.003+02:00

I fill another request and add new option to my Batch Loader v.1.7 tool. Now you can optional attach impoted/merged objects per file as one mesh or poly.