Scripts
My Philosophy: Everyone’s time is valuable, more so than we realize. We are confined to only being able to do so much in a lifetime. I write these scripts to save you time; with the intention that with your time saved you’ll be able to spend more time with the people that you love and not at work. Now save yourself some time, and continue investing in the important people in your life.
That’s why my personal scripts will always be free with encouraged donations of whatever amount you like.
3dsMax Scripts:
————————————————————————–
Relink Bitmaps
-
Relinks Missing scene assets, like bitmaps, vray proxies, hdr, ies files and more.
————————————————————————–
-
Automatically create OpenGL previews of all the cameras in your scene in a single click.
Tweaker_10
-
Allows you to render a sequence of “tweaked” object properties, material properties, modifier properties, and renderer properties.
GetSelectedMaterial
-
Instantly loads the selected objects material in the material editor, saving you a few clicks (my favorite).
Select Objects By Material
-
Selects all scene objects with the selected material. Similar to the button on the Material Editor “Select By Material” however this one will select all objects (even if they’re hidden/frozen).
Photoshop Selected Material
-
Select a material, and use the script to automatically open photoshop and all of the bitmaps of the selected material.
Batch Merge
-
Merge multiple files (obj, max, 3ds, etc) into a scene quickly and easily.
Easy Camera Along Path (VRayPhysCam included)
-
Script to let you draw a spline and automatically assign a camera to the spline and a Path_Constraint() that follows the path.
Find Coinstances
-
With Multiple Objects selected it will find objects that are cloned on top of each other resulting in animation flickering.
-
With a Single object selected it will find and select faces that are coinstanced.
Find Large Bitmaps
-
FindLargeBitmaps is a quick script to search for bitmaps in your scene that are bigger than a specified dimension or file size.
MapLoader v1.3
-
Loads the specified map type into the material editor that exist in the scene. Very straightforward. Support for special Mental Ray Maps and VRay Maps included.
Matte Pass Manager
-
This script creates Matte Passes by layers, and works with XRefs. Allowing you to quickly matte out a scene via layered organization.
SelectSimilarArea
-
This script will select all other faces that have a similar area (defined by your threshold limit).
Awesome script!
Can it go through a Material Library?
Hi,
I tried you script today on a computer using 3xmax 9 64 bit but I couldnt get it to run.
I loaded the mzp file & was installed in my computer, I placed the script on my toolbar as suggested, but when I click it it says:
–syntax error:at bad, expected
–in line: r
I’d appreciate any help you can give me. Thank you!
The script runs great on 3dsmax 9, however you have to make sure you have installed “Service Pack 1″ for Max9, here is a link to download SP1 for Max9 (32-bit and 64-bit), the script should work fine when you do that!
http://usa.autodesk.com/adsk/servlet/ps/dl/item?siteID=123112&id=9396598&linkID=9241177
Hi Colin – We are upgrading to 64 bit and this script doesn’t work even with the latest hotfix – 2009/5/15
Is it an Autodesk issue.
thanks,
Julian Boswell
Julian, thanks for contacting me, I run 64-bit as well and have had no problems at all. I did all of the testing with it, let’s get this sorted out: give me your OS and MAX Version and I’ll start from there.
Thank you,
Colin
Hi Colin,
Firstly great script – have been using it for a couple of years now.
Unfortunately I’ve hit my first issue having just upgraded to 64 Bit 3DS Max Design 2010 SP1 on windows XP 64. When I run the script via the toolbar button the script opens fien in the background and gives a ‘MAXScript Rollout Handler Exception’ that states ‘–Unable to convert: undefined to type: FileName’. Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated.
This Max replaced a previous install of 32 bit Max 2008 on the same OS and your script ran perfectly in that.
Thanks in advance for the help.
Tried it today on max 2010 x64 and it works very well ! Thank you very much.
I get that ‘MAXScript Rollout Handler Exception’ that states ‘–Unable to convert: undefined to type: FileName’ but only in one file… Do you know where I should start looking to troubleshoot this file?
Thanks, and amazing script by the way!
Contact me via email to resolve this issue, if you can send me the max file that it happens with, and what version of max you’re running. If you’re using max 9, make sure you have SP1 installed from autodesk’s site.
-Colin
Hi collins i run a vissim to 3ds max scipt and then import link from the word document i got after completing a simulation(animation) in the vissim.This also produced a ani.file. Now after runnin the script file. I imported the doc file for the import link option and ani.file for the import animation option.But it shows a maxsript roll out handler exception error with comment as”unable to convert [-73.499,495.56,0] as a float. Please solve this difficulty of mine.
Please send me the problem file and I’ll get this sorted out right away. thanks Makarand!
-Colin
nice script =) thank you for your job
thanks man you are saving me so much time.
Hi there
Could you please provide us a quote on the below script we need writing.
The pointmatcher tool essentially has to apply a ‘point oven’ (PO) modifier to the selected objects and then link the modifier to a PO mdd file of the same geometry name. The tool will also need options to:
Zero out the transforms for the selected objects
Align all PO files to a specified start frame
Offset selected objects PO files by a specified frame count
Remove all PO modifiers from selected objects.
the point oven plugin can be found here http://www.ef9.com/ef9/PO.htm
Hi Colin,
I was trying to use the script today – at work and at home…
MaxDesign 2010 + vray1.5SP3 / +vray1.5SP4
for sp4 – gives an exceptional error
for sp3 – frozes and do thing too far slow
Hope you could fix it
Great tool!
Dennis, email me and we’ll get it worked out. I don’t have your email to reply to you directly.
Colin, can you email me please (address in the reply form)? I have a bespoke script I would like to commission. I have sent you an email on this already but got no reply.
Thanks
email sent
Спасибо БОЛЬШОЕ!!! SelectSimilarArea – очень полезный скрипт!!!!
Thank you!!! Are you the best!
Hi Collin,
Firstly Thank you for the script.
I have been trying to install the mzp file on 3ds Max 2010 and have had no luck. I have then manually installed the file as suggested on one of you or posts. I did this but when I go to run the script from the toolbar it gives me th efollowing error.
—————————
MAXScript MacroScript Error Exception
—————————
– Runtime error: FileStream cannot create: C:\Program Files\Autodesk\3ds Max Design 2010\scripts\Relink Bitmaps.ini
—————————
OK
—————————
I am sorry to trouble you but can you please help, I have been trying for days.
Regards
Make sure you’re running 3dsmax as Administrator (it says at the top). (The script is trying to create a file on the C: drive and is unable to create it)
Hi,
Looks like an awesome script! However just downloaded and tried to install on my Win 7 64-bit with Max 2011 64-bit and get error
–Unable to convert “”to type: BooleanClass
Maybee it is not compatible with max 2011?
Thanks in advance!
Hrm, Mats, I don’t have 2011 yet, so I haven’t had a chance to test it. I’ll look into getting it in the next few days and will fix it
You also might try running 3dsmax as administrator and see if that fixes the problem.
-Colin
Hi Colin. Are you wondering about add batch mode for repairing more then one scene?
Max 2010 support Containers files…maybe, it would be fine to add function to this also.
And the last question is about function of save paths. Me doesn’t work properly. Nothing can be saved…Don’t understand. I am using max 2010 SP1.
However, the script is very time saving. Thank you man!
i love & like your philosophy
Hi Collin,
I was testing your mpmanager in max 2011. But i am encoutering a runtime eror. max shows the follwing error:
>> MAXScript Callback script Exception: — Runtime error: fileIn: can’t open file – “\Server
etwerkbestanden emp\MPManager_Functions.ms” <<
Any solution to this?
best regards,
Joost
Hi Colin,
Regarding my previous post. As u can see we use unc paths. I changed the central location for the MPManager_Functions.ms to a mapped network drive and it work without a error. Could this be the reason for the error?
Best regards from the Netherlands,
Joost
I’m on Win 7 MAX 2010. Relink worked fine in MAX 2010 and Win XP, but I’m running into the same exact problems as rcsnowboarder. Will it work if I was designated as a local admin for my desktop?
I love your script and use it all the time. Any help would be appreciated.
Vince
Hey Colin I appreciate your work on the script but I am having an issue with max 9 on xp 64 bit and I am getting the undefined to filetype error mentioned in an earlier post I am running max 9 64bit service pack 2 I have looked for other ways to resolve this but to no avail…Sorry to bother you.
Email sent.
Hi Collin,
Firstly Thank you for the script.
I have been trying to install the mzp file on 3ds Max 2009 64 bit and have had no luck. I have then manually installed the file as suggested on one of you or posts. I did this but when I go to run the script from the toolbar it gives me th efollowing error.
—————————
MAXScript MacroScript Error Exception
—————————
– Runtime error: FileStream cannot create: C:\Program Files\Autodesk\3ds Max Design 2009\scripts\Relink Bitmaps.ini
—————————
OK
—————————
I am sorry to trouble you but can you please help, I have been trying for days.
Regards
Bagus,
Run 3dsmax as Administrator and it’ll work great! (The script will create the .ini file to save your settings). Enjoy.
-Colin
[...] you’re given a model by an architect and a load of maps linked to a client’s networked drives, this script can find the maps, adjust their paths and display them in the [...]
3D World is a really great resource for those serious about 3d. It’s impossible to read an issue without learning something!
-Colin
[...] you’re given a model by an architect and a load of maps linked to a client’s networked drives, this script can find the maps, adjust their paths and display them in the [...]
Hi Collin,
I need a special feature in the relink bitmap script. Could you help me on a consulting basis, please drop me an e-mail.
Thanks!
Hi Colin,
i am using the very practical OGLpreview, and have a suggestion if it´s possible.
When i have a camera that´s not animated by its own, but instead linked to a dummy to inherit motion (i use this method for better controlling a realworld-like crane motion); the script doesn´t allow to choose the correct range for previewing, but instead the 0-1 range.
I guess i can fake a null keyframe at the end of the range i want, just for the scropt to recognize it, but it will be wonderful if the script would detect the parent range.
I sincerely thank you for your effort so far and for sharing it with us.
Best
T