I did a search and it doesn’t look like one of these threads has ever been done on CGTalk for MAXScript, so I’m making one now.
There loads of little niche scripts out there that we enjoy playing with once or twice because they do something kinda neat, but they aren’t necessarily useful to most of us most of the time. That said, what are the MAXScripts that:
- You have made an integral part of your daily production process
- Make your day-to-day life easier
- Speed up your productivity
- Enhance your workflow
…and, of course, please say a little something about why you like this script so much. These can be individual scripts, or a package of multiple scripts, like MeshTools and csPolyTools.
- Dustin
the blur respectively soulburn scripts are all worth installing. especially ‘renamer’, ‘random transform’, ‘select instances’, ‘object replacer’… i could go on forever, they’re just so useful.
one script that’s not well known but frequently saved my life is ‘scene material/map floater’ (see thread). this script lists all materials and maps, you can even filter the list by material or map types… for example it can list only fallof maps or raytrace materials, basically every material type your scene contains, you can rename materials/maps via rightclick menu, and even search by names, the script will highlight them in the list. it also can highlight instanced materials or maps, very useful.
it’s really a big timesaver, i strongly advice to have a look at it if you work with big files with lots of materials.
Blurscripts expecially clearMedit, MatStuffer and KillDuplicateMaterials
Blurplugs especially Object Utilities (renaming, select by instance etc still better than the max defaults)
Optimise Spline scripted plugin
CSPloyTools and MeshTools essential (although a lot of this is now in Max anyway)
the best ones are also one’s that you’ve created yourself because they save the most time for tasks that you do repeatedly.
Depends what you use Max for, but I second the soulburn stuff – the onion obviously.
I’d say good ol’ Neil has incorporated many of the best scripts into the soulburn pack such as:
select instances
object replacer
oncrease or decrease interations with plus and minus
the transform randomiser tools, and the get selected material is useful
also there is a decent script I end up using, cant remember the link, that searches for and repaths missing maps
and, erm, a decent vray ambient occlusion generator
plus “the screwdriver” which I wrote myself (find it on script spot!)
Incremental Save and Project Switcher from Martin Breidt:
http://scripts.breidt.net/
They save a heap of time and fuss when managing projects.
Plus all of the above.
Pauls Hormis’ scripts are also a great toolset:
http://www.hyperent.com/
And James Haywood:
http://jhaywood.com/maxScripts.htm
[left]PSD MANAGER is the one i cant live without.
meshtools & CSPloyTools & blur scripts are also very necessary.
[/left]
michael comet’s material selected. simple, useful. i bind mine to ctrl+m and use it about a million times every day. i can never understand when people bring up the material editor, pick the eyedropper, pick the wrong object and then get the material on the 5th try. i just select the object, and ctrl+m. bingo!