question about shortcut override in Max

Michael Knubben · Jul 2009

So, I'm trying to set polyboost's loop-select and ring-select to alt-l and alt-r (the max defaults for its own loop- and ring-select, which only work on edges), but there's only a polyboost category in Main UI, which I believe to be the reason why it doesn't work with Shortcut Override on.
So that's one problem, which wouldn't be a problem if I knew how to set up my own shortcuts, which err... is becoming apparent I don't. I'm trying to set alt-b to bridge (in editable poly), and no matter whether I have shortcut override one or off, the override setting for bridge set to active or not, I either just get a blue, selected 'bridge'-button, or I get a 'viewport background' window.

I realise this is because I'm missing something, and I just don't understand the override as well as I'd like to think, so any help would be much appreciated! Frustratingly enough, everyone I spoke to so far didn't know what to do either.

Michael Knubben · Jul 2009

Another one I just ran into:
ctrl-page up is grow selection, ctrl-page down is shrink selection. Only one of these works with override turned off.

Mark Dygert · Jul 2009

Keyboard Shortcut Override, overrides the main shortcuts with whatever submenu you happen to be working in.
So for example in edit poly sub object mode;
With KSO off, Ctrl-S brings up the save dialog.
With KSO on, Ctrl-S overrides the main Ctrl-S (save) and toggles soft select.
With KSO on, if you exit edit poly Ctrl-S will no longer toggle soft select, no sub menu to override.

As far as I remember, Keyboard Shortcut Override doesn't recognize polyboost as being a sub menu so override never applies to it. You have to set it up as main stream shortcuts, meaning there is no dual functionality for polyboost shortcuts. You'll have to clear out the standard alt-L alt-R commands. As well as any sub menu commands if you plan to have KSO on while working with polyboost.

Some shortcuts can not be overwritten so its going to be tough juggling act... I personally never liked reaching across the keyboard so I set PB Ring & Loop to Ctrl-3 & 4, with Shift-Ctr-3 & 4 grow shrink.

It's been a while since I set them up but I remember that being kind of annoying. Something I hoped they fixed when they included polyboost in 2010 but they didn't... I'll double check when I get home, I don't have polyboost installed at work.

Michael Knubben · Jul 2009

I figured that might be it, Vig. And I also figured you'd be the one to tell me, heh. Anyway, I already solved my issue with bridge (which apparently someone else on polycount posted about as well) by just using Polyboost's 'create polygon', which also works with vertices, edges, borders AND faces. Bridge, you have been upstaged.
Anyway, my reasoning behind setting Polyboost loop and ring to alt-r and alt-l was mainly because of how often I ask people to show me stuff, and not wanting to trip them up too much, heh. That, and I'm used to using mousebuttons 4 and 5 for this sort of stuff, and double-clicking.

Michael Knubben · Jul 2009

This is getting tiring, but err.. with override turned off, how can I have connect edge and connect vertex set to the same shortcut? I had 'connect (no dialog) (poly) set to shift-ctrl-e (the default) in 'main UI', and I deleted the shift-ctrl-e shortcut in Editable Poly. So why does it still only work for verts?

Mark Dygert · Jul 2009

Good idea getting tricky with the mouse I like it

I hear ya about not tripping people up, I've been training two people to do some light animation work and one of them has some crazy (to me) keyboard shortcuts and also some funky transform gizmo's from very old versions of 3dsmax, like R2 or R3, no clue how he installs them...

Not exactly sure about the connect, I long ago replaced it with polyboosts insert loop which operates a little more like Maya. PB also has a few other tools that great for building quad corners and inserting verts on edges. but I call up the UI for those when I need it.

vik · Jul 2009

You can find this and many other cool scripts on Fatassasin`s site: http://www.jhaywood.com/maxScripts.htm

Assign this to a hotkey and you`re good to go. Needless to say I use it all the time so a big thank you to James :thumbup:

Custom Connect v0.02 Connects either verts or edges depending on which mode you're in. When in edge mode, use it repeatedly within a second from the last usage to increase the number of segments. So when you run it the first time you get one connecting edge, run it again within a second and you get two, and so on.

/*
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
HaywoodTools
Custom Connect
v0.02
Created: 06/05
By: James Haywood

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Description:
Connects either verts or edges in Editable Poly objects.  When in edge mode, run repeatedly
to add more connections.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
To do list:
- Nothing right now.

History:
v1.00 - Ready for prime time.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
*/

(
	local obj = modPanel.getCurrentObject()
	-- edit poly collapsed object
	if classOf obj == editable_poly or classOf obj == edit_poly then 
	(
		if subObjectLevel == 1 then obj.buttonOp #connectVertices
		if subObjectLevel == 2 then 
		(
			global customConnect_timeStamp
			global customConnect_numSegs
			if customConnect_timeStamp == undefined then 
			(
				customConnect_timeStamp = timeStamp()
				customConnect_numSegs = 1
				obj.connectEdgeSegments = customConnect_numSegs
				obj.buttonOp #connectEdges
			)
			else
			(
				local t = timeStamp() - customConnect_timeStamp
				if t < 1000 then
				(
					max undo
					customConnect_timeStamp += t
					customConnect_numSegs += 1
					obj.connectEdgeSegments = customConnect_numSegs
					obj.buttonOp #connectEdges
				)
				else
				(
					customConnect_timeStamp += t
					customConnect_numSegs = 1
					obj.connectEdgeSegments = customConnect_numSegs
					obj.buttonOp #connectEdges
				)
			)
		)
	)
)

Peris · Jul 2009

vik wrote: »

You can find this and many other cool scripts on Fatassasin`s site: http://www.jhaywood.com/maxScripts.htm

Assign this to a hotkey and you`re good to go. Needless to say I use it all the time so a big thank you to James :thumbup:

/*
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
HaywoodTools
Custom Connect
v0.02
Created: 06/05
By: James Haywood

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Description:
Connects either verts or edges in Editable Poly objects.  When in edge mode, run repeatedly
to add more connections.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
To do list:
- Nothing right now.

History:
v1.00 - Ready for prime time.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
*/

(
	local obj = modPanel.getCurrentObject()
	-- edit poly collapsed object
	if classOf obj == editable_poly or classOf obj == edit_poly then 
	(
		if subObjectLevel == 1 then obj.buttonOp #connectVertices
		if subObjectLevel == 2 then 
		(
			global customConnect_timeStamp
			global customConnect_numSegs
			if customConnect_timeStamp == undefined then 
			(
				customConnect_timeStamp = timeStamp()
				customConnect_numSegs = 1
				obj.connectEdgeSegments = customConnect_numSegs
				obj.buttonOp #connectEdges
			)
			else
			(
				local t = timeStamp() - customConnect_timeStamp
				if t < 1000 then
				(
					max undo
					customConnect_timeStamp += t
					customConnect_numSegs += 1
					obj.connectEdgeSegments = customConnect_numSegs
					obj.buttonOp #connectEdges
				)
				else
				(
					customConnect_timeStamp += t
					customConnect_numSegs = 1
					obj.connectEdgeSegments = customConnect_numSegs
					obj.buttonOp #connectEdges
				)
			)
		)
	)
)

yeah i use this thing all the time and absolutely love it!

Mark Dygert · Jul 2009

Oh yea Jesse (Ironhawk) was talking about that at the PC Seattle meet up I totally forgot about that, nice!

CompanionCube · Jul 2009

i have Keyboard Shortcut Override Toggle mapped to SpaceBar button so i can easily switch it on and off. was always pissed the spacebar was wasted with such a pointless thing as locking the scene.

Michael Knubben · Jul 2009

Yay! That works great, thanks.

Mark Dygert · Jul 2009

Yea that always bugged me too. I set spacebar to maximize/minimize viewport. Drove me nuts when I switched from Maya to Max.

question about shortcut override in Max

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