Exploder

The Exploder is a simple detachment tool (MAXScript) with a few extra options I wrote recently to automate faces detachment process on one or multiple objects. The script you can find here.

Select Edges By Material ID

Ok, here is a new MaxScript from me. It's just my quick attempt to help on user request in ScriptSpot forum. Enjoy!

Delete Duplicate Matte Render Elements

Well, incidentally, heh.. :) this script was only snippet code that I post into ScriptSpot forum as quick help reply, but I wrap it in a macro script and uplaod a copy on my web site.

The script is made for concrete purpose, so be sure you read the forum thread before run or use that macros.

Also just to note that the snippet code I post into the forum is not safe as the script should process only matte render elements, so it's better to use the macros that I uploaded on my web site.

That's it for now ;)

Check-point, LOL

Well, a lot of time is out from my last post here, as I'm away from 3ds Max for awhile, and... hmm, I'll not make any promise for now :)

3ds Max 2013 released

So silent... no adds, rumours, announces what to expect :) Ok, never mind, yesterday Autodesk has announced that 3ds Max 2013 is available for download.

SEA3D exporter

An open-source SEA3D exporter (script) for 3ds Max 2008 and newly was released by Sunag Entertainment. It export animation, bitmap, texture, material, geometry, skeleton (Skin), camera, light, environment and helper to Flash Plataform (Flash Player 11 or higher required). More info at ScriptSpot or at the project web page.

FillMyShelf

FillMyShelf is a script for 3ds Max by PJ that creates books to fill up bookshelf.

3dsMaxScript.com

3dsMaxScript.com is a new web site (Turkish) for MAXScript tutorials.

ZBrush 4R2b

Yesterday Pixologic announced ZBrush 4R2b

More details:

the 4R2b features page
the 4R2b tutorial movies
the Z4R2 feature list
video tutorials demonstrating Z4R2's features
artwork created by Z4R2's beta testers

Form for 3ds Max

Form is a new (more human beings) modeling system (similar to zspheres) for 3ds Max by Marius Silaghi. Read more here.

Power ScanToNURBS

nPower Software has released Power ScanToNURBS, a new plug-in for Autodesk 3ds Max that imports 3D scans as NURBS-based meshes. Read more.

Miauu's Script Pack

Kostadin Kotev (the author of RTTassist, Miauu's Work Plane, and many other favourite scripts) recently release a set of scripts that automate many common and tedious tasks in 3ds Max.

The Miauu's Script Pack include:

Visual Pivot Placer
In-Volume Scatter
Orbit viewport Around Picked Point
Nested Isolation
Multi Dirs Save
Clone Between
Align Tool

More details available at his web blog.

Using SoX audio utility in 3ds Max

SoX is a cross-platform command-line audio utility (more info, docs, downloads), mostly used for audio file format conversion but it also armed with enough effects for quick composing. SoX is a very welcome tool to all batch script lovers, its free, still in development, and can be used with any program that can dump data to text file.

This blog article show nice introduction on how to use SoX in 3ds Max for quick audio sync composition to our animation, also show how to add some additional audio effects.

A global day of protest against ACTA

February 11 is a global day of protest against ACTA.
Read more here, here, here, ... or just do serach.

Brazil 3.0 development

A good news for all Brazil renderer lovers (like me too), I found at MaxUnderground.

Interesting, I still using Brazil but not remember my last visit of their forum.
Will keep an eye open from now ;)

Delete NoteTracks

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

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

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

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

LED style animation with MAXScript

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

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

Miauu's Scatter Tool

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

Dimension modifier 1.2

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