Creative Scratchpad

More often than not, I reach for .NET in Max just because there's that one property or method not exposed to MAXScript, yet everything else could be easily done MAXScript-side. And when you're trying to move fast and explore ideas, switching apps to compile new libraries and the workarounds needed for hot reloading derail your focus, and feel like total overkill. On-the-fly compilation helps, but you lose syntax highlighting, error offsets become a math puzzle, and the boilerplate often dwarfs the actual logic – especially now with the CodeDomProvider.CompileAssemblyFromSource vs CSharpUtilities.CSharpCompilationHelper split.

Let's have a look at some ways on how I use the .NET API without stepping outside the MAXScript world. While it won't make everything elegant, it shouldn't get all that cumbersome either – and if it ever does, chances are you would be better off writing a proper C++ plugin and skipping the shenanigans altogether anyway.

Even experienced scripters may feel intimidated by the prospect of dipping their toes into the C++/SDK territory, especially when faced with the sheer volume of the documentation and all the topics covered. However, you don't have to go full C++ right away. In this walkthrough, I'll guide you through using the Function Publishing system to develop your own MAXScript functions. I will also demonstrate how to effectively incorporate these functions into a pair of sample scripted simpleMeshMods to get the best of both worlds.

Some topics and features I will only touch on briefly to keep the breakdown concise and actionable. It's not necessary to grasp every little detail on the first read; rather, I would encourage you to come back to revisit parts of the walkthrough and use them as stepping stones to learn more over time.

1. Visual Studio
2. Max SDK
3. Max Plugin Wizard
4. Project Setup
5. First Build
6. Core Interface
7. Core Interface Instance
8. Interface Methods
9. Static Interface
10. Interface Methods Continued
11. THE Core Interface
12. Convenience Features

Since there's no built-in MAXScript function to remove controller once you add it to a parameter, here's a function to do that for you. Big thanks to Larry Minton for revealing how to handle ParamBlock2 PB2Values.

fn removeController subAnim = if isKindOf subAnim ::SubAnim and isController subAnim.controller do
(
    local originalValue = subAnim.value
    local REFMSG_CONTROLREF_CHANGE = 0xFA

    if isKindOf subAnim.parent ParamBlock2 then
    (
        local iGlobal = (dotNetClass "Autodesk.Max.GlobalInterface").Instance
        local pBlockNET = iGlobal.Animatable.GetAnimByHandle (getHandleByAnim subAnim.parent)
        local pValNET = pBlockNET.GetPB2Value (pBlockNET.IndexToId (subAnim.index - 1)) 0

        pValNET.Flags = bit.or pValNET.Flags 0x40 -- set the flag on the PB2Value which controls if the parameter is animated - this effectively removes the controller
    )
    else
    (
        local ctrl = subAnim.controller
        local parent = subAnim.parent
        local index = for i = 1 to refs.getNumRefs parent where refs.getReference parent i == ctrl do exit with i

        refs.replaceReference parent index undefined
    )

    if classOf subAnim.value == classOf originalValue do subAnim.value = originalValue
    notifyDependents subAnim.parent msg:REFMSG_CONTROLREF_CHANGE
)

With the latest KeyHydra update comes the possibility to use scroll wheel in conjunction with modifier keys to control properties of primitives at creation time, as well as various editable/edit poly tool properties. There's a pretty straightforward UI configuration when you want to tweak the values and an .xml configuration file if you want to go beyond that and add your own presets.

I am happy to share a tool that's nearing release now: LazerCut, part of the KeyHydra package (see also the polycount discussion). It provides an interactive boolean workflow inside 3ds max using the object manipulation tools everyone is used to, without ever having to go to the boolean subobjects and settings:



The cutters can be created in any view, perpective, orthogonal, camera etc. Depending on the current mode, they can be used to split the selected geometry, add to it, subtract from it or create independent objects. Since all the cutters (with the exception of multi-object subtractions) are created in a separate layer as children of the object operated on, you can easily select those relevant to the object with PgDn, or unhide them using unhide $.children.

Every now and then, I stumbled upon an undocumented command or optional keyword. Some of them were later added to the documentation, many of them are still undocumented. Some of those are listed in this article (I'm skipping a lot of stuff I don't find useful like the non-creatable MEditBkgnd texture map, creatable PFlow related classes etc).

Understanding vectors is a crucial skill for any technical artist. In this article, we will look at the very basics, both as a refresher for those who already know the concepts and an introduction for the uninitiated.