Not as sexy as viewport text maybe, but you can display a floater window that shows you the dimensions of any selected object. Utilities > Measure > New Floater.

Thanks Eric. This is what I'm looking for.

Originally Posted by renderhjs

because its written messy?
thanks for the hint,
improved code:

macroScript quick_planar_map category:"BradMyers82"	toolTip:"quick planar map and relax"
(
	local uv = modPanel.getCurrentObject();
	if classof (uv) == Unwrap_UVW then(
		local numFacesSelected = ( uv.unwrap.getSelectedPolygons() ).numberSet;
		if (numFacesSelected > 0)then(
			uv.unwrap5.quickPlanarMap();--quick flatten
			uv.unwrap.relaxByFaceAngle 1000 0.0 1.0 false;--relax
		)
	)
)

Hey, i'm trying to run this script in Max2009, it doesn't seem to work for me when i try to run it. (I have selected faces in UVW Unwrap modifier before runing script).

Any ideas?

You've probably moved on already, but what version of 3dsmax are you using? It could be that one of the commands he's using is newer than the version of max you're using?

Also I think the quick planar button was added to 9 or 2008, I know for sure its a part of UnwrapUVW in 2009.

Originally Posted by http://www.cguu.com/3dsmax/3dSMAX9/maxscript/Unwrap_UVW_Modifier.htm

unwrap5 interface methods added in 3ds Max 8

so it should run in max8 and newer.





@ArYes: try if just this snippet works for you:

$.modifiers[#unwrap_uvw].unwrap5.quickPlanarMap();
$.modifiers[#unwrap_uvw].unwrap.relaxByFaceAngle 1000 0.0 1.0 false;

to use it first add your unwrap modifier, and select some faces like before

then open the maxscript listener [F11] - key and from that window select
file > new script
in that new script windows paste this script
now hit
file > evaluate all
or if you have a newer version (not sure here)
tools > evaluate all
you can execute the code by hitting [ctrl]+[e] in that window as well


if that works for you we can maybe change the code slightly

Mesh deform Mesh.

After seeing the winners video from the competition and how he easily choose another object on screen to act as a deform, where Maya auto changed it into a patch object.

Well anyhow.. I don't see a direct translation.

I attempted to change the object thats being used to deform to to a patch, and even in quads, it still giving me illegal patch when I attempt the patch deform modifier on the object.

I tried conform, but realized that basically flattens the object onto the object being conformed to.

Spent almost 3 hours so far on this... >:P

Some plugin or script I need to allow mesh deformations? Or at least reason its whining about illegal patches? From what Im reading on space warps, these create a new object versus translate an existing object into a space warp. So the mesh I have now that I want to be conformed to would be ignored.

I'll call it the Skinwrap Modifier. I'll even auto install it for you using nothing but the powers of my MIND! It's so useful I even install it for the rest of the 3dsmax users world wide, legal and otherwise. BAM! done.

Hey all!
I am looking for a simple script in max that would work just like Separate in Maya.
Lets say I have a mesh (edit poly) made of many different components. These components dont have verts in common, they are simply parts of an object. "Chunks" really.

I can easily detach such chunks using the detach tool, but it will only let me detach things one by one. I am looking for a script that would detach all the chunks into as many new objects.

Thank you if you can help!

try this for great success http://www.scriptspot.com/3ds-max/detachelements

I wrote one myself too but can't find it right now,
here is one on scriptspot.com:
http://scriptspot.com/3ds-max/detachelements

edit: damn vik was faster

ooh nice script.. i was thinking about something like this earlier today while i was doing this by hand..

well its not that fast: in maxscript you have to build up an array of the shells yourself because maxscript does not provide something like that. It means that you have to loop at least through all faces and another loop inside it.
If you have a mesh with a few million faces it might awful slow things down. I wrote a different version myself that could loop through multiple objects with multiple elements but it really was slow in a complex scene.
I hope autodesk will at some point provide a faster method for generating arrays for shells, same for UV where I need it often.

Oh thanks guys, works wonders. I eventually went to scriptspot and found it there too. Very handy.

just in case anyone is interested,- this is a script the other way around:
It merges your objects selection into a single editPoly object:

disableSceneRedraw()
for i in 1 to selection.count do
	Try(ConvertTo Selection[i] Editable_Poly)Catch()

baseObj = selection[1]
items = #()
for s in selection do append items s

for i in items do (
	if (i != baseObj) then (
		if (classof i == Editable_mesh) or (classof i == Editable_Poly) then
			baseObj.EditablePoly.attach i baseObj
	)
)
enableSceneRedraw()
completeRedraw()

I use it every now and then per session, also useful to quickly convert or merge your object to a simple editPoly object

Render, does this has advantages over the collapse button?

Hi Pior, if you like, I coded detaching / attaching here:

http://boards.polycount.net/showthread.php?t=62902

nice thread!

Originally Posted by pior

Render, does this has advantages over the collapse button?

well you can select multiple Objects (i.e meshes, teapots, poly's, boxes,...) and it merges them all together to 1 single poly object

is it possible to bind the same key that i´ve bound to ring and loop selection for edit poly to ring and loop selection in the uvw modifier without overwriting each other? (Max2010)

have you tried it with the toggle override button ?
it lets you swap modifier or window specific shortcuts with global shortcuts that a re overridden therefore. Try that if it works

Yep, in the customizeUI menu click the keyboard tab, set the group to Edit Poly and bind "Select Edge Loop" & "Select Edge Ring" To whatever keys you need.

Then change the group to Unwrap UVW, and bind "Geom. Edge Loop/Ring Select" to the same things.

Make sure to turn on Keyboard Shortcut Override (in the main toolbar it looks like a keyboard key with either a T or a up arrow on it) like renderhjs pointed out. This will tell max to override the main keyboard shortcuts with the sub menu shortcuts of edit poly and unwrapUVW.

thanks guys, this works perfectly

Transmographier
http://rpmanager.com/plugins/Transmographier.htm

This allows you mirror and symmetry vert placement on a symmetrical mesh.
So for example you're making a bunch of morph targets, you do half a smile and mirror it to the other side to get a full smile or flip the whole thing to get a smirk on the other side. Super handy for eyebrow morphs, blinks, mouth shapes.

The best part is that its a modifier so its not just a straight copy/paste like the mirror mode included with polyboost or graphite tools.

I second Transmographier, we bought a license for our last project, saved us a ton of time/errors. Grant Adam is hawt.

I didn't check the entire thread just yet, but I was wondering if there is a script that when used, takes off turbosmooth on all objects selected. If my memory serves me right, racer's tut had something like this (i don't have it with me though).

Any help would be awesome!