maxscript assign array value to property

vbeta · Mar 2020

Hi, basically what I want to do is to assign material property to an array like

d_standard =#("diffuseMap")

and later call it as property like

defmat = standardMaterial()
texPath = Bitmaptexture fileName:tmp
defmat.d_standard[1] = texPath << This is where I get lost

Is there any way I can achieve that with maxscript? For now my script is bloated because I have to define each slot, and I need to simplify and I already stuck in 2 days for this. Thank you and appreciate any help.

PolyHertz · Mar 2020

You mean like this?

myArray = #()

append myArray (copy meditMaterials[1].diffusemap)

meditMaterials[1].specularmap = myArray[1]

Or are you specifically asking about texture paths?

myArray = #()
append myArray (meditMaterials[1].diffusemap.filename)
meditMaterials[1].specularmap.filename = myArray[1]

Both of those assume you're using standard materials though. If you don't have a specific type of material in mind, and are looking for a way to get and replace texture paths universally, it becomes much more complicated.

vbeta · Mar 2020

The array has already defined with material properties texture slot, example with standard material:

d_standard = #(""diffuseMap", "ambientMap", "displacementMap", "bumpMap") -- and so on

or with corona:
d_corona = #("texmapDiffuse", <diffusewithcoronaAO>, "texmapDisplacement") -- and so on

and I want to call that array value instead of material property ex:
in diffuse texture slot with standard material, i will replace myMaterial.diffuseMap with myMaterial.d_standard[1]
or, if I use corona, i will replace myMaterial.texmapDiffuse with myMaterial.d_corona[1]

Problem here is .diffuseMap (or .texmapDiffuse) is property name of that material, which will throw error if i replace with array index (.d_standard[1] in this example). Is there any workaround this?

I'm sorry if the question is not clear enough, try the best I can.

haiddasalami · Mar 2020

think you are looking for execute since maxscript will probably try to read d_standard[1] as a property but its really a string. Think there was a getproperty and setproperty functions for maxscript. Been a while.

Edit: Heres the documentation for getproperty and setproperty (just search for it) https://help.autodesk.com/view/3DSMAX/2017/ENU/?guid=__files_GUID_879ECFAD_7928_44B3_BCD7_276D53C89B52_htm

getproperty meditMaterials[1] "wire"
false
setProperty meditMaterials[1] "wire" true
true

PolyHertz · Mar 2020

Maybe this will answer your question:

d_standard = #("diffuseMap")

defmat = standardMaterial()

texPath = "C:/theTexture.png" --replace this with whatever your texture files path is

texBit = Bitmaptexture fileName:texPath

execute ("defmat." + d_standard[1] + " = texBit")

vbeta · Apr 2020

Hello guys, sorry for late reply.
@haiddasalami, thank you, it works using setProperty.

local texpath = Bitmaptexture fileName:tmp
setProperty defmat (texSlot[slotIndex] + "Map") texpath 
-- print defmat.diffusemap
-- Bitmaptexture:Bitmap

@polyhertz, execute() just doesnt work in my case.
Bitmaptexture fileName:tmp cant be executed because it cant be converted to string.

execute ("defmat." + texSlot[slotIndex] + "Map=" + texpath)
-- Unable to convert: Bitmaptexture:Bitmap to type: String

When I tried to convert it,

execute ("defmat." + texSlot[slotIndex] + "Map=" + texpath as string)
-- Error occurred during fileIn in <ReadonlyTextFileStream:0x0000a0c8>; line number: 478

-- Syntax error: at keyword parameter, expected <factor>

-- In line: defmat.diffuseMap=Bitmaptexture:B

Thank you guys for your time.

monster · Apr 2020

Execute always operates in global scope, even if you are in some local scope.

So you wouldn't convert to the Bitmaptexture to a string. You would set it as a global variable, and then just use the variable as the string.

(
	(
		--set global variable in my local scope
		global bm = Bitmaptexture()
	)

	(
		--run in global scope even though I'm in a different local scope
		execute "bm"
	)
)

...but stick with setproperty, I try to avoid execute because it operate in global scope. Set property is mapped as well, so you can set many properties at once.

(
	--array of materials
	mats = for i = 1 to 10 collect standardmaterial()
	bm = bitmapTexture filename:"C:/texture.png"
	
	--set df for all mats in one go
	setProperty mats #diffuseMap bm
)

maxscript assign array value to property

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