Max Layer Manager plugin

brandoom

Hey guys,

I didn't really want to make a thread just for this question, but I didn't have much luck with the search function... Anyway, I'm looking for a layer manager plugin for max, the default one is anything but usefull.

I see the guy in the eat3d - damaged pillar tutorial using one, not sure which one it is however.

Thanks

Bal

I think the guy from Eat3D uses Ephere scene manager, it's not bad...
http://www.ephere.com/plugins/autodesk/max/scenemanager/

Mark Dygert

Yea but its not free and even if it was I'm not sure I would use it.

Personally I like outliner for Max. It's a pretty close representation of Maya's outliner.
http://www.creativecrash.com/3dsmax/downloads/scripts-plugins/interface-display/c/outliner-for-3dsmax

SyncViewS

An alternative Layer Manager: TheOnion written by David Humphreys while he was at Blur Studio. Now is maintained by HYPERbolic Enterprises.

http://www.hyperent.com/Hyp-TheOnion.php

Mark Dygert

I used the onion for a great long time until he stopped updating it around 2008. I've never gone back and checked to see if it works with newer versions but it was great when it worked, just don't be surprised if it still hasn't been updated.

brandoom

Thanks for all the suggestions guys. I came across TheOnion yesterday and didn't manage to get it to work... must be outdated. Ephere and Outliner both worked. However, with Outline I had some serious troubles renaming a layer after putting some geo into it. For now I am going to try out Ephere and see how I like it.

Thanks again

Popeye9

I didnt mind ephere but I had max throwing an error report every time I closed max after I used it. Onion was great wish it was still updated.

SyncViewS

Hey guys, I just installed theOnion version 1.75 on 3ds Max 2009 sp1, on XP64 and works fine. Are you sure you got the latest version, rewritten with dotNet? Previous ones made use of ActiveX and don't work anymore, at least on 64 bits systems.

Mark Dygert

Just tested it out and it works in 3dsmax2010 32 & 64bit. I'll be using it again. I really liked the material toggle. It made switching between a custom checker patter and the actual texture so much easier.

CodeFather

I've installed theOnion, great script, but how you move objects from one layer to another? Also, doest it display list of the objects in the layer or it only shows the layer name?

Joshua Stubbles

Code - there's a little arrow on the right side of the layer bar. If you alt-click that, it adds your selection to that layer.
AFAIK, it doesn't display the objects on a layer, though. You can always use the normal max layer manager for that, or use the outliner, since it's a bit cleaner.

Cathodeus

So what's interesting into The Onion ???

mLichy

Just use Maxs scene explorer thats built in?

Mark Dygert

It slices it dices it feeds your cat while you're girlfriend is gone, it even feeds your cat to the neighbors dog, if she leaves you!


But seriously here is a quick run down:
1) The main button toggles the layers visibility. Purple when visible, the name of the layer when not. There are several buttons under each layer that also toggle different advisability settings. Bounding box, xray mode, alt material, alternate properties. These layers are pulled from the layer manager, what you do in one goes into the other.

2) White box freezes the layer. Grey box toggles the same as above, and if you ctrl click it opens a menu "add selected, select objects on layer" ect...

3) Organizing the layers actually stay that way, unlike the 3dsmax layer manager which likes to sort things by name or creation date any time you open it.
You can also dock it to the left or right which is pretty nice.
You can also toggle the default lighting from this corner, yellow box (actually a little spot light)

CodeFather

@Vassago, @Vig, thank you guys for the tips ! I'll be defenetly using this script from now on.

glib

There's no way to change the default layer in that thing is there? That's kinda frustrating.