customizing 3ds max

demilich

Hey guys, does anyone know if the space bar can be used as a hotkey with another key in 3dsmax. Say like, spacebar + R or ctrl spacebar + c?
Thanks.

GeeDave

Ctrl/Alt/Shift + Space can be assigned. But you cannot assign (for example) Space+F or F+Space. Ctrl+Space+F is also a no go.

Just to clarify though, Ctrl+Alt+Shift+Space (eeww) or any combination of the first three (or less)

demilich

great, thanks. i was just wondering.
does anyone else know if it is possible to hotkey values like 0,5,10,25, etc. when adding loops, or chamfers or extrudes or if it is possible for the move transform type in, say a hotkey to zero out x?

Thanks.

GeeDave

Right clicking on a spinner will zero out the value (so right click on the actual directional buttons, not just in the number field)

As for hot-keying "values like 0,5,10,25", do you mean you'd like to incrementally step-up or down to those numbers in a spinner? (just for the record, it doesn't matter what answer you give here, my knowledge limit has already been hit, but someone else may have answers)

Edit
I accidentally a word.

cptSwing

In that vein: Why can I not press Enter and have the spinner apply my values. Grr.

GeeDave

cptSwing: You can. Are you using the "Enter" key on the num-pad? If so you'll need to enable the num lock. The return key also works for this, as does tabbing. I could have sworn tabbing didn't work in caddies... but perhaps I'm going crazy or this issue got fixed because it works fine for me now.

Mark Dygert

They've been slowly adding back in the functionality of the old caddy system to the new ones. I think they fixed the zero'ing out in 2011, the enter key and tabbing in 2012.

Slowly but surely all of the functionality is coming back... its sad that it wasn't all there on day one.

cptSwing

Huh. Must have been one of those things that annoyed me back when the new caddies came along and I never tried again ever after. Cheers guys

spacefrog

i know i might sound repetitive, but if you really can't stand the caddies and want the old toolwindows back in Edit Poly, just try my caddyless Edit Poly recompiles for Max 2011, 2012 and 2013.

http://area.autodesk.com/forum/autodesk-3ds-max/autodesk-3ds-max--3ds-max-design-2013/editpolync-caddieless-editable-polyedit-poly-modifier-recompiles/

Mark Dygert

They've pretty much straightened out the caddies to the point they just look weird. The only bug I find with them is if you move them too close to the right side of the screen it can be hard to click the buttons because they jump around trying to keep the text box at the top, inside the viewport, but only after you move the mouse...

Which they could easily fix if they just shortened the wording on "Apply and Continue" or didn't have the position update when you move the mouse, just let the text hang over.

cptSwing

I don't have too much of a problem with the caddies themselves, really - I started using Max with version 2010, that might have to do with it

Them always popping up right in front of whatever you're working on is still annoying, though.

GeeDave

My only issue with caddies is that I have enough time to slouch back and sigh before it becomes responsive. I don't think I've used them much since upgrading to 2013 (a by-product of subconsciously avoiding them), but I hope they're quicker.

demilich

hey guys thanks for all the responses. here is an image to what I was referring too. I can hotkey specific things like this.

GeeDave

Come again?

Can you give a practical example for what you want to do? You lost me at hello.

Mark Dygert

Well technically you can, but you have to write a macroscript that does all of that and then assign that to a hotkey.

You can start by turning on the record options in the maxscript listener, doing those specific actions and then copping and pasting what it spits out into a new maxscript, then add a header and run it once.

macroScript MyHotKeyScript
category:" MyTools"
toolTip:"MyHotKey"
buttonText:"MyHotKey"
(
--Copied text goes here
)

Technically it is better to sift through the maxscript help files and find the actual maxscript commands and use those, because what the listener spits out is often "actionMan.executeAction 0 "40006" which actually has much more logical function like "Max File Save" with access to many more options. But if you're happy with the actionman mumbo jumbo and it works, great!

demilich

Is it possible to rotate around the model around the current vert, edge, or face that is selected? Similar to zbrush. I don't find alt-mmb or orbit tool doing that.
Thanks

TrampledUnderFoot

If you hit 'z' it'll center your camera on the selected edge/object/whatever and then you can orbit that piece.

demilich

Im rendering a highpoly decimated model that is around 11 million tris. 3ds max is lagging pretty bad. Does anyone know any settings to optimize so that 3ds max can run smoother.
These are my pc settings.
AMD Phenom II X6 1075T- 3.0 GHZ
8GB RAM
ATI Radeon HD 5600

thanks.

poopipe

the orbit thing

yes, click and hold the orbit button and choose the rotate around selected subobject option


the performance thing.

step 1: stop throwing 11 million tri meshes at it
step 2: buy Nvidia and use nitrous if you want to mess with things over 2 million tris

Sage

you might be able to hardcode any shortcut you want with maxscript. I forget the function name but it keeps track of what keys or mouse button you press.

one 11 million poly issue, throw pro optimize modifier on it some you can work on it then turn it off once you have posed or finished playing with the model. Of course this limits what you can do with it. But if you are just setting up a bake and cloning stuff around this should help. before your turn off the pro optimise mod set the display of your high res to bounding box.

demilich

Does anyone know what the best settings are in 3ds max for render to texture to match the quality and detail that xnormal can bake? I mean baking normal and ao map.

Thanks.

demilich

Is there a way to visibly see texture stretching in the uvw by color perhaps. Similar to Roadkill when you show stretch option?