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[Closed] Updating scripts from network on startup

 
 Sowiedu
Mar 12, 2014 11:19 am

Hi,

I’m currently setting up a CG pipeline at a new small company I work at.
While I am a decent scripter and already did some useful tools, I wanted to ask if there are any pre-made scripts out there which handle updating macroscripts from a network drive on startup to a local userfolder for 3ds max to use. I guess it wouldn’t be that difficult (as long as it doesn’t go into various checking stuff to reduce traffic etc which is not a problem at the moment) I wondered that this must have been done before. Do you guys know any scripts like this?

6 Replies
 stigatle
Mar 12, 2014 11:19 am

I cannot share my in-house tools, but I can explain how I did it.

I have my ‘update’ script, and a simple textfile with a version number in it, when max starts I
check this file and compare the value with the one on the network drive, if they are different then a update has been made on the server side.

The script then simply copies the file to the 3dsmax folder, and launches the newly updated script.

The steps needed for doing this should be very easy to find out:

  1. Open and read text file
    http://docs.autodesk.com/3DSMAX/15/ENU/MAXScript-Help/index.html?url=files/GUID-BB041082-3EEF-4576-9D69-5B258A59065E.htm,topicNumber=d30e167561

  2. copy file
    http://docs.autodesk.com/3DSMAX/15/ENU/MAXScript-Help/index.html?url=files/GUID-BB041082-3EEF-4576-9D69-5B258A59065E.htm,topicNumber=d30e167561

  3. launch script from another script.
    http://docs.autodesk.com/3DSMAX/15/ENU/MAXScript-Help/index.html?url=files/GUID-BB041082-3EEF-4576-9D69-5B258A59065E.htm,topicNumber=d30e167561

There are many other ways as well.

 Klvnk
Mar 12, 2014 11:19 am

you can use Schtasksto schedule a startup task (or an every nth task) that calls a utility installer (python/c++/c#/bat file etc). for early versions of windows you would use at.exe to do the same thing.

 Klvnk
Mar 12, 2014 11:19 am

oops that went all a bit weird

 Sowiedu
Mar 12, 2014 11:19 am

Hi, thank youi both for the three anwers
I guess I will prefer the maxScript-only way because I am not really a programmer and don’t need to be for this, too. Thanks for sharing your knowledge!

 Klvnk
Mar 12, 2014 11:19 am

unfortunately some stuff is best installed before max starts, plugin dlls for example.

I guess I will prefer the maxScript-only way because I am not really a programmer

While I am a decent scripter and already did some useful tools

(python/c++/c#/bat file etc).

note that I put python first also bat + windows installer (msi) /or any of the many third party installer creation tool is an option.

 Sowiedu
Mar 12, 2014 11:19 am

Sorry, should have said max-scripter
While I find python interesting I have not the time to dive into it right now. And currently we really only need maxscripts to be updated.