Good maxscript dvds?

Jason Young

Hey guys,

Got some time at work and learning maxscript seems like a good way to spend it. Are there any good maxscript learning dvds out there?

I'm also open to book suggestions if there's a really good one. Right now I just started and I'm going through all the maxscript help files. It's been several years since I've done any programming so my skill level is fairly basic.

renderhjs

if you have former programming or scripting experience (loops, variables, building functions,...) learning by exploring other scripts and just doing should be just fine.

If you lack any of that knowledge or experience then there are some videos that can help you to get started but like always they aim usually for total noobs (what are variables,...) and so it might not always be the best thing.

I learned most stuff especially in the beginning and later one by just trying out without knowing if I would proceed. Just select every now and then code snippets and google for them - thats where you usually find working examples using that code snippets.

Scriptspot.com is also a great resource for digging into other codes, improve, learn and understand. As a general rule: before you start scripting something look up if someone else already did that for you. And if you still want to get your hands dirty look at least at the existing scripts to see how others did it.


Back on training videos:
I watched this:
http://library.creativecow.net/articles/hurwicz_michael/maxscript_101_rev.php
but it is really just for beginners and after a few lessons I myself got already a bit nervous and skipped some stuff as it was obvious or I simply knew all of that already.

this one looks to few to be even worth the money or a DVD imo.
http://www.downarchive.com/ebooks/video_training/19378-autodesk-3ds-max-maxscript-secrets-revealed.html
just very specific coverages which is imo. not my thing

This one looks very basic too, check it out if you are total beginner
http://store.cgsociety.org/product/000352/
(quite pricey though)


I guess the best way to start digging and getting wet is to simply ask here or somewhere else people for some input or snippets. That way you always know what to read up next for the thing you want to create.

Slum

The most important thing to know about maxscript that will annoy you about a million times:

Arrays start at 1.

renderhjs

not all of them
but true most of them do. Actually some of the UVmapping specific stuff is stored 0,1,2.. and not 1,2,3... but then again that has some ancient reasons back from the max 2.5 days or so.

Also loops and conditions are a bit different as in other scripting languages but I got fond of the bitArray loops because they are easier to handle as in other languages.

bitArray loops like this:

for obj in selection do(
print("object "+obj.name);
)

and conditions like this:

if (24/2 == 12)then(

)

but there is also a variation with do,/ its confusing at first but once you have written a few of them it will do.

Slum

it will do.