3Dsmax Schematic view question

zerafian · May 2013

I was just curious, what are the differences in these two pics. Like what does the red frame around a node mean and what does it mean when a node is light purple opposed to dark purple.

Everytime I import a baked animated character in to max as an FBX it comes in with dark purple nodes with a lot of red/purple, and black frames. Where as a original max scene has dotted frames with light purple nodes.

Any help with this would be great. I cant seem to find any help on google, I think because Im wording what I need to know incorrectly.

FBX import schematic view

default max scene

Eric Chadwick · May 2013

Why not check the Help file ?

Mark Dygert · May 2013

I don't think there are too many people that can say they bother to use schematic view. I would just close it, back away slowly and try to forget its there.

zerafian · May 2013

well..I must have missed that section in the help docs...I scimmed them, obviously not good enough, thanks eric...and mark, believe me Id like to avoid it

poopipe · May 2013

im with mark on this one. i can probably count the number of times I've genuinely needed it on the fingers of one hand and i was a max TA for nearly ten years.

cptSwing · May 2013

Maybe Outliner could help with what you're doing?

Mark Dygert · May 2013

Yes outliner. I love it! I can't work without it.

monster · May 2013

Come on guys! The Schematic View is an awesome tool. I use it all the time to create custom character pickers very quickly...

I also change just about every default option. Mine is on the right.

macroScript RobotSchematicViews
	category:"Robot Tools"
	buttonText:"monsterGraph"
	toolTip:"monsterGraph"
(
	if keyboard.controlPressed then
	(
		if SchematicViews.close "monster SchematicView" do
		(
			messageBox "monsterGraph position reset."
		)
		
		SchematicViews.delete "monster SchematicView"
	)
	
	SchematicViews.open "monster SchematicView"
	sv = schematicviews.current
	sv.syncSelection = true
	sv.alwaysArrange = true
	sv.showGrid = false
	sv.gridSnap = false
	sv.syncSelectionType = #viewports
	sv.arrangeMethod = #horiz
	sv.linkStyle = #none
	sv.moveChildren = true
	sv.panToNodes = false
	sv.zoomMousePoint = true
	sv.layoutWarning = false
	sv.updateOnFocus = false
	sv.snapFloaters = true
	sv.relativeFloaters = true
	sv.setLayoutMode #hierarchy
	sv.useWireframeColor = true
	sv.showDisplayFloater false
	sv.setIncludeFilter #visibleOnly
	sv.zoomExtents()
	
	format "%\n" "monsterGraph Open. Hold Control to reset the position."
)

Mark Dygert · May 2013

That's pretty cool Monster!

Does that transfer when you merge files? Or is that per scene file and you have to set it up each time? I guess you could have a default file and merge all files into it to start with?

I have outliner set to layer mode (instead of hierarchy mode) but then I build a hierarchy of nested folders (all automated through maxscript). For each group of bones (arm, leg, spine ect) I have specific set of nested folders. Clicking on the parent folder selects all of the children.

The nice thing about this is that to anyone not using outliner they can still open the file they just see a bunch of separate folders.
Outliner is also nice because it has a filter/search functionality, so for example if I want get to "L"eft or "R"ight I just type that into the filter and it gives me just those results.

People can also use the scene explore which has filter/search functionality. It's a lot like outliner (in hierarchy mode) but lacks folder view and the capacity to nest folders.

At work we use biped so I've been using Jim Jagger's Biped Selection script for a very long time.
Jim%20Jagger%20Biped%20Selection%20Script.jpg

Jim%20Jagger%20Biped%20Selection%20Script.jpg

Last Friday I found this script

It works a lot like Maya's Marking menu, you press a key and it pops up, you make your selection and then it disappears.
http://www.guillaumeplourde.com/biped.html
The only downside is that it isn't available for commercial use and it is a plugin so if you use a render farm or share files with other people there MIGHT be some limitations, or there might not be, I haven't looked into that side of it yet.

zerafian · Jun 2013

oh wow, thanks for the imput guys...sorry I didnt thank you earlier.

Well we got past that hurdle and have a really big one now. Im not on the dev team or one of the guys that integrates the models into the engine, just an artist but we are still having issues importing the character and getting it to work in the engine.

Funny thing is it works fine if the character is rigged and animated in max. Im 100% a maya user, havent touched max for over 4 years.

I export to FBX, they import into max to test. It works fine in there. Then they export their .o3d, .ani, and .chr files to check in their editor and it works fine. They finally import it into the engine then theres issues.

at frame 0 and END frame the model turns 90 degrees side ways. When its switching between the animation cycles. It doesnt reference the bind pose only integration between frame ZERO of one animation and the end of the one that just finished.

Minato · Jun 2013

Schematic view, the most underused, unappreciated tool in Max, some people don't realize this but you can use it to link pretty much every attribute of an object in the scene to another, from modifiers to controllers, just expose them using the floating panel and link away, although it can use some enhancements, for instance the ability to link multiple modifiers to multiple objects would be really nice...

I'm really happy that at least one other person in this thread appreciates them, great use-case monster, hats off to you sir...

And please don't ever put outliner near the words 'scene explorer', they should make the switch as soon as possible, probably after the release of outliner 3, have you guys seen it, if you love it now, you should look at some of the demos of version 3 in vimeo, mind blowing guaranteed...

3Dsmax Schematic view question

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