Tweak in 3ds max?

sevenfingers · May 2006

I'm desperately looking for something along the lines of the tweak-mode in Wings 3d for 3dsmax..

So basically, a temporary selection system that allows me to move stuff with a falloff in screenspace (ie, I want the selection to go away the minute I release the mouse).

Is there a plugin, script, or hidden workflow thingie that I'm missing?

Thanks a bunch.

Needles · May 2006

Ctrl-Z ??

sevenfingers · May 2006

Haha... I'm serious.

Zcubed · May 2006

That annoyed me a lot too during my time with the 3DS Max trial. Tweak has become one of those tools that I can't live without.

I suppose I could tell you that Wings 3D is FREE and has an excellent tweak tool, but it would be nice to see a Max alternative.

sevenfingers · May 2006

I'd most defenitely use Wings (I still think it's the best free software out there, and lots better than Max in several instances) if it weren't for the fact that I need to use tweak in camera-mode matched to photos...

ironbearxl · May 2006

What about the paint deformation tool with deformed normals?

MoP · May 2006

can't you just, like, select a vertex with soft-selection turned on, move as you want, then left-click outside the mesh to deselect?

i've never seen this tweak thing in action in Wings so I'm not really sure what you're asking for.

sevenfingers · May 2006

Paint deformation ; yeah, that kind of works, but I only want to move it in screen-space (since I'm matching views, I have a bunch of cameras with reference pictures set up)
It's also too slow with mesh or turbosmooth on, works nicely for relaxing though.

MoP, it's just the quickness and simplicity that I'm after with the Wings (or Silo, XSI) tweak-approach. The thing is I shouldn't have to click anywhere to deselect, and that it should select both polygons, edges and vertices in one mode.

Even if you don't want to use Wings, I'd recommend you to try it out, esp the tweak mode. It's a neat little program. Kind of awkward if you're not in to box-modelling though.

Noren · May 2006

For moving things quickly around in screenspase switch to Screen Coordinate System, (I set it to a hotkey ), and press X in order to hide the transformation gizmo. This won't deselect after you release the mouse button, but it will directly select and move a new vertice when you drag on it. Not too sure about the soft-selection thing. That should be in screenspace, too ? Maybe you really should post an example of what it should be doing.

edit: sorry, missed your answer. As for selecting vertices and edges at the same time, that would be neat for sure. But using the shortcuts is quite fast, too.

sevenfingers · May 2006

Hmm, that does seem like the way to go (shame about the lack of selection highlighting though). It's quicker for sure.

One thing though, when doing this operation in a camera view, the screen coordinate system seems to move the stuff along the normal; I'm not able to move the stuff wherever I want...

If that thingie could be fixed, I could live with this

Thanks a bunch.

[edit]Will check out Orionflame, thanks for the link!
The move along normal thing seems to beonly when I have the gizmo turned off. It's working pretty much okey now, but the gizmo is annoying. Thanks![Slash edit]

ironbearxl · May 2006

"it should select both polygons, edges and vertices in one mode."

Orionflame 3 has this feature, called intelliswitch. Demo here: http://maxima.orionflame.com/

pior · May 2006

I also almost exclusively use screen mode when working in Max. I've been looking for a tweak equivalent in the past but now find myself moving mostly verts, edges a bit less, and polies even less.

So I swith to screen mode, and hide the gizmo. To avoid the move to go crazily when the gizmo is off you need to click one the yellow square at the center of it once -to make sure that your screen mode is indeed in xy-, then hide it. If you keep it hidden the setting shouldn't change. The annoying bit is, if you switch back to world, local, whatever, you will loose that setting if you move along another 'axis couple'..

I guess it is possible to write a script that jump right to the correct setting? No gizmo+screen mode+xy... Would be handy!

sevenfingers · May 2006

Awesome pior, thanks for solving that annoyance!

graves · May 2006

Try customize>preferences>gizmos>"move in screen space"
A tweak mode would rock in max9

FatAssasin · May 2006

[ QUOTE ]
I guess it is possible to write a script that jump right to the correct setting? No gizmo+screen mode+xy... Would be handy!

[/ QUOTE ]

Ask and you shall recieve...

<font class="small">Code:</font><hr /><pre>macroScript tweakMode
category:"HaywoodTools"
tooltip:"Tweak Mode"
buttonText:"tweakMode"
(
global isTweakModeOn, toolMode_coordsys, toolMode_axisConstraints, preferences_useTransformGizmos

if isTweakModeOn == false or isTweakModeOn == undefined then (
toolMode_coordsys = getRefCoordSys()
toolMode_axisConstraints = toolmode.axisConstraints
preferences_useTransformGizmos = preferences.useTransformGizmos
isTweakModeOn = true

toolMode.coordsys #screen
toolmode.axisConstraints = #XY
preferences.useTransformGizmos = false
)
else (
isTweakModeOn = false

toolMode.coordsys toolMode_coordsys
toolmode.axisConstraints = toolMode_axisConstraints
preferences.useTransformGizmos = preferences_useTransformGizmos
)
)</pre><hr />

Save this as an .mcr file in your UI/Macroscripts folder and then assign to a hotkey or button. Should toggle between the "tweak mode" settings and the settings that get changed (see Pior's request). I haven't tested it too much, but it seems to work.

sevenfingers · May 2006

Allow me to bow down in awe!

Thanks a bunch, extremely appreciated.
Since you seem to have the hang of this maxscript thingie, do you think it's possible to make the falloff (soft selections) work in screenspace too? They're unfortunately not by default..

Once again, big big thanks, having a single hotkey for tweakmode is really nice, sorely missed

Is it okey if I post this elsewhere with due credits and link to your webpage?

FatAssasin · May 2006

[ QUOTE ]
do you think it's possible to make the falloff (soft selections) work in screenspace too? They're unfortunately not by default..

[/ QUOTE ]
Soft selection falloff doesn't work in any particular space, it's just based on the distance along the mesh from the selected verts. Mayabe I don't get what you mean.

[ QUOTE ]
Is it okey if I post this elsewhere with due credits and link to your webpage?

[/ QUOTE ]
Sure, go for it.

sevenfingers · May 2006

Don't know if you've tried Wings3d...

What's somewhat particular with the soft-selection in the Tweak mode is that it also operates in screen space.
It's more of a smudge-brush approach than a soft-selection I guess.

Anyways, this is all peachy even if that is impossible, this has really helped my workflow.

pior · May 2006

Hot FatA! Installed, worked weird at frist but now it's flawless

I keep you updated if I find any weird buggy-situation. But VERY handy already!

Downsizer · May 2006

STABS ORIONFLAMES WEBSITE.

i'll be damned if thats not the worst page ever built. but thanks for the link. very helpfull.

FatAssasin · Jun 2006

I've updated the tweak script to fix a bug and clean it up a little. Here it is:

<font class="small">Code:</font><hr /><pre>macroScript tweakMode
category:"HaywoodTools"
tooltip:"Tweak Mode"
buttonText:"tweakMode"
(
global isTweakModeOn, tweakMode_refCoordSys, tweakMode_axisConstraints, tweakMode_commandMode, tweakMode_useTransformGizmos

if isTweakModeOn == false or isTweakModeOn == undefined then (
tweakMode_commandMode = toolMode.commandMode
tweakMode_refCoordSys = getRefCoordSys()
tweakMode_axisConstraints = toolmode.axisConstraints
tweakMode_useTransformGizmos = preferences.useTransformGizmos
isTweakModeOn = true

pushPrompt ("Tweak Mode is ON")
toolMode.commandMode = #move
setRefCoordSys #screen
toolmode.axisConstraints = #XY
preferences.useTransformGizmos = false
)
else (
isTweakModeOn = false

pushPrompt ("Tweak Mode is OFF")
try (toolMode.commandMode = tweakMode_commandMode)catch()
setRefCoordSys tweakMode_refCoordSys
toolmode.axisConstraints = tweakMode_axisConstraints
preferences.useTransformGizmos = tweakMode_useTransformGizmos
)
)</pre><hr />

MoP · Jun 2006

Thanks James!

sevenfingers · Jun 2006

tjatjing!

Thanks once again

MoP · Dec 2006

I know this is resurrecting an old thread, but for those of you wanting tweak-ish functionality in Max, it's actually built in already, if you go to Customize -> Preferences -> Gizmos tab, the check the "Move in screen space" checkbox, it'll add a little box in the centre of the transform gizmo, that you can click and drag on to move stuff around in screenspace without having to toggle any buttons or scripts or anything.

Not as full-featured an item as FatAssasin's script, but maybe useful to some people anyway.

Bryan Cavett · Dec 2006

I found that in max 8... it was only available through scripting. I always had a hard time selecting it b/c its soo small. anyone know how to increase its size or anything?

MoP · Dec 2006

only available through scripting in max 8? weird, since it's a gizmo option in preferences in max 7... i don't know if there's a way to change the size though. i reckon if it was any bigger it'd get in the way of the other manipulator arrows.

Bryan Cavett · Dec 2006

hell i may be getting my versions mixed up... i just know i was looking for more functionality in the manipulator at one time and started digging through the script help.

hyrumark · Dec 2006

Cool tip MoP! This will make modeling just a little bit nicer.

Tweak in 3ds max?

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