3ds Max 2012 Service Pack 2

Service Pack 2 for Autodesk 3ds Max/Design 2012 is out (at 28 Sep.) and a large discussion about as well (into CGTalk).

Select By Material ID

As the title of the script telling all, no need extra notes, right? I wrote this script by user request at ScriptSpot forum. More details and the script you can find there.

But... OK, here is a few notes anyway.

It's a macro script that select all faces with Mareial ID equal to selected one. Work with base objects converted to Editable Poly or Mesh, plus with 4 modifiers (Edit Mesh, Mesh Select, Edit Poly, Poly Select). Work on currently selected object/modifier in the modifier stack (which make it usage very flexible).

Well, need some warning notes about Edit Poly Modifier.
Yeah, a very powerful modifier but with unstable scripting control.

The rest 3 modifiers involved here works fine and stable, but you can end with incorrect result when using Edit Poly modifier, and this not come from the script code but from the unstable nature of EditPolyMod interface. Sorry to tell that but this cannot be fixed with scripting code.

Possible "Plan B" could be to add new modifier on top (as Poly Select for instance), but this is very dirty solution. As we need stable and working code in production as more sensibly would be to replace "naughty mod" with other modifiers (like Edit Mesh for instance).

This is another script which reminded me why I not trust to this modifier and why I do not use it anymore in my scripts. So you're warned, and I can't do anything more than this for you, right?

However, I hope you appreciate my efforts and all the comforts that come from this macros.

SOX Realtime Spring

Inspired by Harrison Yu script Realtime Spring, a new (very neat coded) script for the same goal is out - SOX Realtime Spring by SangWon Lee.

LiveMeasure

Another measurement script by Kostadin Kotev goes out - LiveMeasure. Script that dynamical display faces area, edges or segments length.

Set programmatically Direct3D Driver Antialiasing settings

Mainly scripters topic, where was discussed concrete Direct3D setting that is new in 3ds Max 2010, but it's a good reference for everybody looking for workaround on how to set any Direct3D driver settings programmatically.

I'm too helps with code function on this subject, but that's not important. Those thread hold useful info for me, and I wish to can find it quickly in the future, there is why I pin a note here mostly for myself.

How To Rig A Crank-Connecting Rod System

Very quick video tutorial (51 secends) by Henrique Lundeqvist shows crank rig made with wireing expression.

Z_Spline2Bone

Z_Spline2Bone is a Max script by Sai Ling that create bones follows spline.

Fit the UVW Mapping Gizmo

Fit the UVW Mapping Gizmo is a macro script for 3ds Max 2008 and higher, and will works in previous version with free AVG extensions installed.

Hardly need to explain what Fit gizmo do in UVW Mapping modifier, nor yet the need and benefit of it automation via script, right?

That operation is not directly accessible to MAXScript, but thanks to Borislav "Bobo" Petrov and his nice tutorial on this task. He explain very well (as always) the matrix transforms.

Well, maybe my code hold some learning value too. However, as I not found such script online, I hope my script would be welcome to all Max'ers. (Script page)