Misc : Reload mass textures

[mouj]

Howdy !

What version of Max are you using ? I don't quite remember how it was in previous versions, i do know that in Max5 when you save (overwrite) a texture from Ps and then switch back to Max, that map is automatically reloaded, if not automatically then just click anywhere in the scene or redraw views and that's it.

Else there is a "Reload" button you can press in each map's rollout in the MEdit, i reckon that if you have to go thru all your materials to reload them it can get quite boring - maybe it could be achieved by scripting.

Maybe playing around with Material Libraries might help as well, save your maps in a Library, remove all materials from all objects (scripting - blur's KillMaterial) and reassign them from the Library where it should look at paths and load the correct texture... i'm not positive about that, just a thought.

mouj

[malkavian2003]

useing max 4.3.
yeah i know about the Reload button, and like you said it gets boring hiting with alot of textures. i have 50 that i keep messing with. Going thru Multi-sub object in the Medit is killing me.

about scripting. any where i might find that, or point me in the write direction in the MaxScript Refrence.?

Thx for the reply

[Bobo]

Originally posted by malkavian2003
useing max 4.3.
yeah i know about the Reload button, and like you said it gets boring hiting with alot of textures. i have 50 that i keep messing with. Going thru Multi-sub object in the Medit is killing me.

about scripting. any where i might find that, or point me in the write direction in the MaxScript Refrence.?

Thx for the reply



This is the shortest script ever, but very powerful :airguitar

macroScript ReloadAllBitmaps category:"Bobo_s Tools" ( freescenebitmaps() )


Of course, you can also type in freescenebitmaps() in the Listener and hit the numeric Enter instead.
The above can be placed on a toolbar or assigned to a shortcut for faster reloading...

The macroScript should work in every Max version since R3.
freeSceneBitmaps() alone will work in R2 and 2.5, too, but there were no macroScripts in those dark times...

[malkavian2003]

so i have to make a libery of the bmp's that im using in max and give it a name "scene_textures" then in macroscript or the listener and type:

ReloadAllBitmaps category:"scene_textures"


is that right?

thx guys/girls(?) for the help.

[gaggle]

I'm not much of a scripter, but I do infact believe that the "Catagory:" part has to do with defining what kind of macroscript this is. A macroscript is like any other script, only it can be assigned as a button, or mapped to a key, or whatever.

I think you can write the script like this as well:macroScript ReloadAllBitmaps
category:"Bobo_s Tools"
(
freescenebitmaps()
)


Does that make more sense? The point is the category part doesn't involve the script itself, but the.. macro-part of it, if you will.

Basically I'm just saying that, no, you don't have to change the script Bobo wrote. It oughta work just like that. "Bobo_s Tools" just means where this ReloadAllBitmaps command will be placed when you check out the "Customize User Interface" window.

You're going to have to copy the script into Notepad, then save it to 3dsmax5\UI\Macroscripts as a .mcr file. Launch MAX, and then check out the "Customize User Interface" thing.. the catagory dropdown should now contain a "Bobo_s Tools".

I don't know how clearly I managed to explain all that.. uh.. ask if clarification is needed.

[Bobo]

Originally posted by gaggle
I'm not much of a scripter, but I do infact believe that the "Catagory:" part has to do with defining what kind of macroscript this is. A macroscript is like any other script, only it can be assigned as a button, or mapped to a key, or whatever.

I think you can write the script like this as well:macroScript ReloadAllBitmaps
category:"Bobo_s Tools"
(
freescenebitmaps()
)


Does that make more sense? The point is the category part doesn't involve the script itself, but the.. macro-part of it, if you will.

Basically I'm just saying that, no, you don't have to change the script Bobo wrote. It oughta work just like that. "Bobo_s Tools" just means where this ReloadAllBitmaps command will be placed when you check out the "Customize User Interface" window.

You're going to have to copy the script into Notepad, then save it to 3dsmax5\UI\Macroscripts as a .mcr file. Launch MAX, and then check out the "Customize User Interface" thing.. the catagory dropdown should now contain a "Bobo_s Tools".

I don't know how clearly I managed to explain all that.. uh.. ask if clarification is needed.

You are correct!

The actual steps to make this work are:

*Highlight the line I posted in your web browser.
*Press Ctrl+C to copy
*Switch to Max, go to MAXScript menu item, select "New Script"
*Press Ctrl+V in the new script to paste the line
*Press Ctrl+E to evaluate it.
*Right-click a toolbar
*Select Customize...
*In the dialog, locate the category "Bobo_s Tools"
*Find the ReloadAllBitmaps item, drag&drop it to a toolbar
*Close the dialog
*Press the new button on the toolbar.

That's all.

Advanced info:
NEVER mess with .mcr files in UI/Macroscripts.
A copy of the evaluated macroScript will always be created in that directory AUTOMAGICALLY whenever you drag a script from Customize to a toolbar. The file will have the correct name and extension. Saving your own might result in having two files with the same content. If someday you decided to change the content of the one, you might end up with two different source codes without knowing which one will be evaluated first on startup. So you might just get the old script executed when expecting the new one...


I wrote a chapter "MAXScript for New and Casual Users" in the 3ds max 5 MAXScript Online Help explaining installation of scripts.
It would be cool if people would read that Help ;)

Finally, the script could be written in 5 lines as above, but it is so COOL :cool: to have it in just one!...

[malkavian2003]

thx guys this works great for me.
exacly what i wanted

"another satisfied customer"

Malkavian2003

[arman]

also there is a guerilla way and this works well :)

create three texture driectories for your project.

texures_high_Q ( for high quality textures )
textures_low_Q ( for low quality textures )
textures ( default texture path )

all the same texture names must be mirrored to each directories.

copy textures_low_Q to textures when you interactive with software. then copy textures_high_Q to textures for rendering.

good luck soldiers

:thumbsup:

[lordmachuca]

malki is on crak :beer: :buttrock: :buttrock:

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