3ds max, any way to use the move tool to move in increments (rounded numbers), not fine decimals?

cj31387

I want to do level design but snapping to the grid doesn't work well in perspective mode it snaps to the bottom grid. I need absolute movement.
Is there any way to for example set the move tool so that when you move it moves in 1 meter increments not 0.34341 or whatever its doing.

I need absolute world snapping, like blender has.

EDIT: Shawn Olsons Nudge tool totally fixed the problem and made a great workflow. You can move verts/edges/polys and when you let off the mouse they snap to world grid, very excellent. I highly recommend everyone get it, its free. His Brushify tool is paid but very good too. Also his Corvex, Carver, and ShellVex are also great tools for level design in 3ds max he gears them for source but I'm using them in Unity3d and the workflow is great. 

Mark Dygert

The closest thing to blenders snapping, would probably be found in Maya or Modo, Max's snaps are FOOKED when it comes to this kind of thing. 

You can set max to 0 decimals (Main menu > Customize > General tab > Spinners > Precision:0) but it's still moving 99.891 it just shows you 100. If you set it back to precision:3 decimals it will show you 99.891, USELESS... 

Maybe using custom grid objects? I've used that when I've had to, it's HORRIBLE because it suffers from the same problem as the home grid it only snaps along it's local XY. "Hey lets turn the nightmare on its side!" USELESS...

The Angle Snap Toggle will work in increments, for rotation tool only. USELESS...
I usually have mine to set to 5 degrees but there isn't anything like that for the Move Tool.

Snapping to the home grid is pretty simple but that only covers X-Y it does nothing for Z (height). For that you have to switch to ortho view which is super clunky, but that's where Shawn's tool comes into play, it toggles snaps on for you. But then you're working like it's 1995... switching views to move in Z, no thanks. USELESS...

Hey what about this Spinner Snap button in the upper toolbar? That sounds like the thing you need, only the number input boxes, those are called spinners, the thing you interact with that's a "Gizmo". What this does is if you click the arrows next to the boxes with this on, it will snap to the nearest whole number. This is good for moving to an imprecise location and then using the spinner to round up/down the three separate axis. Pretty much USELESS...

So how do we get around it? You don't... You make due with the best there is out there and try not to let the hate keep you awake at night. 
Side note: That hate does keep you warmer in the winter! Thanks Autodesk!

There might be some scripts floating around that offer that kind of snapping functionality. There was this one:
https://forums.autodesk.com/t5/3ds-max-forum/auto-snap-verts-to-whole-numbers-on-object-move-or-dragging/td-p/5452916
But it runs into performance and stability issues and I haven't tested it on newer versions of max. It's the best attempt that I've seen at addressing the issue.

The next closest thing is Shawn (WallWorm) Olson's mxsSnapModes, but it only turns on 2-2.5D snaps in the ortho views (top, left, front ect...) when those modes are active, it does not do anything for perspective mode like most people want. 
https://wallworm.com/store/index.php?route=product/product&product_id=69

The whole thing needs to be redone/revisited by autodesk because it's broken as hell. Maybe someone else has hacked together a better way, but I haven't come across it. If you find something post it here so others can find it too, GOOD LUCK!

cj31387

I'm contemplating learning blender because of this. Although I can model props very well/fast in 3ds max. 

cj31387

http://www.sixbysevenstudio.com/wp-flexible/project/probuilder-for-unity-3d/

So far that's about the best workflow I've found but it suffers from some bugs also, selecting edges and verts sometimes bugs out (They wont select sometimes, but that might have just been a old version the last time I tried it). In my opinion taking ideas from probuilder + progrids and making a maxscript that is similar would be a extremely good workflow.

cj31387

People always say build levels in a 3d modeling program(2008ish-now), I've never understood that because I started modeling in the early 2000s and levels were made with an engines bsp tool like hammer and props were made in 3ds max. It makes my skin crawl trying to model levels off grid lol.

Mark Dygert

People still use BPS but not really to build entire levels, maybe for blocking/gray boxing but not for final levels. 
Terrain is usually generated either in the editor using a landscape system or in a separate app like WorldMachine. Buildings, foliage and props are usually modular static mesh pieces.

Hammer is an ancient tool, I used it for a really long time building HL1-2 and TF2 maps, but it hasn't been updated in almost a decade. Meanwhile Unreal and Unity surpassed it years ago and both of those engines treat BSP as more of a design tool for blocking things in or for helper volumes but BSP isn't used for detailed meshes. Those days are pretty much over.

You can still model on grid in max, in perspective you use the home grid with 3D snaps turned on.

Most Z snapping happens inside of the level editor but to snap in Z inside of 3dsmax you switch to the left or front view and turn on 2.5D snaps.

It's a little clunky but that's where Shawn's tool comes into play. Most Z snapping happens inside of the level editor and you're just making pieces.

shawnolson

I don't really have time to go into this very deeply today, but will try to provide some more feedback over the weekend.

For the moment, there is a new function in WW that I loaded today with an updated UI for the Nudge Tools in WW. Among them are snapping functions. Those should help with old-school methods of editing brush-by-brush. Take note of the Snap Verts on Move function, which is essentially what you want.

There is also Brushify (which I know OP has) but is more in my own style of editing individual brushes.

However, my own advice is to not build your layout brush-by-brush. For me, 98% of all brushes are made using CorVex and ShellVex nodes. This is a systemic approach to brush-making that is easier to edit in the long-term. 

In my experience, almost all hurdles people have with using Max as a level editor are conceptual. That is based on a very long history of everything being built atomically inside Hammer--which is the exact opposite of procedural and parametric. It's very hard for Hammer users to change their perspective on approaching brush-work.

In terms of the grid itself, here is document that should help some Hammer users: On the Grid .

cj31387

shawnolson said:

I don't really have time to go into this very deeply today, but will try to provide some more feedback over the weekend.

For the moment, there is a new function in WW that I loaded today with an updated UI for the Nudge Tools in WW. Among them are snapping functions. Those should help with old-school methods of editing brush-by-brush. Take note of the Snap Verts on Move function, which is essentially what you want.

There is also Brushify (which I know OP has) but is more in my own style of editing individual brushes.

However, my own advice is to not build your layout brush-by-brush. For me, 98% of all brushes are made using CorVex and ShellVex nodes. This is a systemic approach to brush-making that is easier to edit in the long-term. 

In my experience, almost all hurdles people have with using Max as a level editor are conceptual. That is based on a very long history of everything being built atomically inside Hammer--which is the exact opposite of procedural and parametric. It's very hard for Hammer users to change their perspective on approaching brush-work.

In terms of the grid itself, here is document that should help some Hammer users: On the Grid .

YES that nudge tool is AWESOME. Very good workflow. Thanks x1000

monster

I made a script that auto snaps pivots while moving based on grid settings, even vertically. There's some work on getting it to work in sub-object mode, but it's turned off because it was buggy. But it does work with Shift move to clone.

Just turn off real snap while this tool is active.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/qur3gkdv8ly8p2v/Martinez_Macro_GridBasedMovementV2.mcr?dl=0

Honestly though, i'd probably use Wall Worm's Nudge instead because this doesn't do relative move. Just snaps pivots to grid.

Android 3D

You can right click on the move tool and put the amount of move in a rounded value, just make sure you only ONE click on the axis you want to write, input the value and press ONE enter. If you want to correct the value dont click again just go back and write again, this is because that 1 extra click will create a litte decimal move.

shawnolson

I've updated the nudge and grid tools in Wall Worm today. So to get all the things in video below, you need latest Wall Worm. See docs on the Nudge Tools. I haven't documented the new grid functions, but among the new settings to grid objects in your scene will be:

• Auto Axis
• Auto Freeze
• Keep on World Grid
• A few utility buttons

See the YouTube video to understand all the functions:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YunO4JZKsHM

cj31387

shawnolson said:

I've updated the nudge and grid tools in Wall Worm today. So to get all the things in video below, you need latest Wall Worm. See docs on the Nudge Tools. I haven't documented the new grid functions, but among the new settings to grid objects in your scene will be:

• Auto Axis
• Auto Freeze
• Keep on World Grid
• A few utility buttons

See the YouTube video to understand all the functions:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YunO4JZKsHM

You just made 3ds Max a billion times better for level design in general. The dimensions is very handy, the auto snap to grid when moving verts is a very good workflow. The new 3d perspective grid is very good. Thanks a TON, I was about to ditch max. I've been busy and haven't gotten to do much level design since you posted this but i feel like I could make levels so fast now for Source/Unity3d/Unreal/Cryengine far faster than any other modeling tool from what I've tried so far. Thanks again this is an outstanding improvement to 3ds Max grids/snapping. What you've added in this whole nudge tool is already far better than probuilder which is a 90$ asset in unity and is pretty good too, but your nudge tool blows it away.