problems with Custom Attribute

[Iain McFadzen]

Sounds like your parameter wiring ranges only go to frame 150. The ranges are set at whatever the current scene range happens to be when the parameter wire is created, so it's always a good idea to increase the scene range to -1000 to 10000 frames (or something else huge) while you wire everything up.

However, I have recently been having problems with some CAs where I know for a fact the range was correct when I created the wiring, and yet when I went to animate the scene I have no range bars at all! (so I can't set a key on ANY frame).

If the problem is the first thing I mentioned you can fix it in track view by just tweeking your range bars, if it's the second thing I mentioned then you'll have to re-wire the CAs to their objects and you might want to post your problem on the discreet board in case it's a bug.

[sireel]

Hey Iain thanks for the speedy reply :)
ok I've increased the ranges but on "custome attributes" as well as the three animated attibutes below it but it still does not allow me to make changes on them past frame 100 (sorry it's not 150 as I thought before. Any other thoughts?

[gaggle]

Here's the slow but maybe-neccessary way: Delete the wiring, set scene-range to -1000/10000, re-wire.

I don't.. ah.. think theres a problem with the custom attributes themselves. I think (ie. hope) they're just there, and redoing the wireing solves everything.

I became aware of this wireing-problem (which on all accounts I think is a pretty lame "bug"-ish thing) somewhat early on, so I've never done much experimentation with it. I've just gotten used to making sure to always do my rigging in a -1000/10000 environment.

[Iain McFadzen]

I haven't used Max5 enough to know where to find the correct range bars in the new graph editors (I've barely even opened them), but this was also a problem in Max4 and I know there's a script at scriptspot which should fix it (it's called SetWireRanges or some such).

[sireel]

ok I've totally gotten rid of the custom attribs and set them up again but still nothing past frame 100! Any other ideas?

*edit.... the day after*

ok I tried the script that Ian suggested and guess what? IT WORKS!!! Ok now I know I should be happy but I can't be until I figure out what happened. How can it be that my manual changing of the ranges wouldn't work but this script that basically does the same thing does even better than deleteing the custom atribs and setting them up again alongwith the wire params? And how is it that if it was a known bug in Max4 they didn't address it in 5? VERY VERY FRUSTRATING.

I don't know maybe I was just looking at the wrong thing but I changed the ranges in trackview>Modes>Dopesheet>ranges (second button from the left) and moved the point over tot he end of the 300 mark. If I'm being stupid someone please tell me.

[xynaria]

Originally posted by Sir Eel
And how is it that if it was a known bug in Max4 they didn't address it in 5? VERY VERY FRUSTRATING.

I don't know maybe I was just looking at the wrong thing but I changed the ranges in trackview>Modes>Dopesheet>ranges (second button from the left) and moved the point over tot he end of the 300 mark. If I'm being stupid someone please tell me.

Probably not..... I doubt I am the only person who thinks that Di$creet don't have a clue about Max or 3D or even care that much. Yes this was noted by many on the release of Max 4 and yes they probably didn't care. Sorry if I sound cynical but the biggest improvements to Max in my mind over the last 2 years in Max (bar the IK in Max 4)have come from the likes of Bobo and Laszlo Sebo.. NOT Discreet.. go figure.. I wish to hell they would. :)

[Iain McFadzen]

The official line from Discreet was "it's not a bug, it's a feature". I am not kidding either.

[sireel]

:annoyed:

[gaggle]

"it's not a bug, it's a feature"
Ah yeeez, the sentence for programmers that rivals "we'll fix it in post" for artists. Gotta love all those nifty features! :)

[Dominique]

Tutorial 17; page 326: (MAX5)

"Set your animation PB-Range from -1000 to 10.000.
Certain controllers , such as wires, Express. and others (???) will operate only over the tie range you specify", (I believe it's Michael Comets rigging Tut)

I as well got messed up with my first Character in MAX4, and I did never found any reason why the hell an expression or wired controller needed a black-trackbar anyway!!! If they just could drop them, so that we can easily scale an animated Hrc again in the track-view by using those bars. Now you just have track-bars from -infinity to infinity and all loses clarity and therefore sense.

MAX6???
or
Never tried to add another expression-Controller on another PB-range, this might be fun; from 0-100, your object is reacting with one controller, and from 101-200 on another (ok, it doesn't work)!!

Watch out as well when you wire and use expression-controllers together on the same value: You'll lose the wire-link (even if the object leads) when you'll add an expression-controller on it afterwards.
Using first an expression-controller, and 'then using this expression-controlled value for controling others by wiring works fine.
A list controller won't do in this case.

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