CGTALK MAXSCRIPT CHALLENGE - Topics and Suggestions

#21

Just another idea …

(l) SNOW/RAIN STORM
A script to create an animated snowstorm or rain effect in a scene eg. using pflow. Could have settings for intensity, wind direction, wind force / random windbursts.

(m) SPECIAL DISPLACEMENT
A script for fun to run through a b/w bitmap and randomly (or in eg. jumps of say 10 pixels on the bitmap) create a geometry object (eg. a box) for each pixel eg. with a height or other setting based on the “blackness” of the given pixel (eg. white resulting in tall boxes and grey in smaller boxes).

(n) WAVES
A script to create foam on top of waves, eg. combining the wave modifier with pflow, or some other method.

#22

Have todays Dilbert load as the start up screen. Or just random images from a folder. Easy one I know but it would be fun.

#23

Just letting you know the new challenge will be up in a few hours.:wip:

#24

How about a maxscript that utilised Max 7’s editable poly GrowSelect function, and used an incremental setMapFace operation to allow creeping textures.

I only ask as i could really use one!!

#25

I vote for these kinds of tools as well… maybe something, that simplifies ocean-animation in general, like a plane-mesh with a distance-dependant density, and showing only faces visible in the camera frustrum. And of course something for creating foam, white caps (though that would probably have to be a plug-in, rather than a script) and maybe particle flow splashes. I know, Dreamscape offers these, but I guess it should be possible to script.

Furtermore, I’d like to see some scripts making it easier to create natural environments, like scripts for tree-placement, grass creation and animation, especially keeping an eye on polygon count (so mostly using textured planes).

#26

The new challenge will be up in a few hours (had a late film night!)

#27

I’m noticing a severe lack of attendence in the maxscript challenges. What do we need to do to make them work for you? :slight_smile:

#28

erilaz,

I am too slow to solve the challange in my lunch time, so please extend my lunchtime or make me faster :slight_smile:

Still like/love to “think” about the challanges, ie the idea of generating textures with maxscript.

Maybe “challange” is a difficult approach as , - I can only speak for myself -, many tasks at work are challenges.

Georg

#29

I scripted a tool to do something like that a couple of weeks ago while at work… will post it up when I got a mo :slight_smile:

#30

Hi Erilaz,

Well it has been Siggraph week so I imagine a lot of people have been busy into the lead-up to that.
I also think that some of the challenges so far have maybe been a little too in depth for a week for the normal full time employee of a 3d sweatshop. Maybe there should be two categories, a month task and a weekly task.
The weekly task would be more basic scripts, like useful functions:

select duplicate faces,
deselect invisible edges,
select spline segments that are zero length or even as stated above,
align slice plane to selected faces – i have one, download it herejonahhawk
explode elements (and many other things that were in footools once!)

or basic utilities:
coffee table script (challenge no. 1)
rename all bitmap paths

Then the monthkly taks could be something a little more full on like the footprints task,

a material converter,
project manager (to manage scene resources),
storyboard editor,
and some of the things that have already been suggested.

I’m just thinking this might help younger scripters to learn a bit more rather than feeling a bit put off by more advanced scripters.

Anyway, keep up the good work.

cheers,

Josh.

#31

I’ll try to put a new one up tonight. Something simpler. :slight_smile:

#32

Okay! Going to start this up again next week. Had a crap load on my plate te last few weeks. I’ll make something a little easier to fill the gap between now and the new cg challenge. Stay tuned for Monday…:smiley:

#33

How about a script that mimics Maya’s append face?

It creates a face by clicking two edges instead of 3/4 verts. Small but useful timesaver.

#34

I actually could have used that today and thought about writing a script to do it. But then I got lazy and just did it the old fashioned way. :slight_smile: Another thing I could have used is an explode function for splines. There’s one there, but it breaks each segment into a seperate object, not each spline, unless I’m missing something.

#35

Juan,

You use Bridge Edges of Orionflame to do that which works in max 5, 6 & 7.

Light

#36

I’ve already restarted Max 20 times. :frowning:

I was trying to test it out to get the leads at Ensemble to buy it for everyone (40+ seats of Max). But I shouldn’t have tried it in the middle of crunch. I barely got to play with it before the demo was over.

#37

here are just my suggestion or I should say, my wishlist:

1)climbling vine or blood vain:
Just like the blood vain in the movie “War of the Worlds”. Creat a climbling vain grow from ground and climb any object nearby. They are not just still model but also animatable.

2)Full body IK controller:
A script can turn a standard CS characeter into a fully body IK, just like Alias motionbuilder does.

3)Relax biped, natural form.
This can affect the CS biped pose and turn the pose to more relax form. For example, after create a CS biped by click and drag, you apply this script, then the script generate a more relax, natural form for the biped pose. Or you rigged your biped sitting, apply this scripte, your biped looks more relax and natural.

4)interactive birds, by click and drag.
Like the game “Deus Ex”. There one level have interactive pigeons in the park. A script that create a controller that controll a helper object so (a) the helper tend to stay longer time on a ground object then in the sky (b)when the helper stay ground, the helper move in x-y dimenstion. ©when the helper in the sky, swith their animation to flying (d) in the sky a group of birds may have a leader. (e) when any object walk toward the helper, the helper fly away.

#38

Would this be possible?

On a poly model to insert a radius. Like in any graphic program including max you can select the “circle tool” click down were you want the circle and drag out to the desired radius and let go bam you have a circle. Why can’t you do that right on the poly model surface?

thanks

#39

refresh auto grid for drawing splines.

if you try to draw a spline that would stick onto an objects surface (like a sphere) by using autogrid, max always takes the very first point for the autogrid - so the spline is always twodimensional instead of following the surface of the sphere.

Dunno if there already is a way to solve this or a script which could help.

another idea:

the modeling recorder:

-click record

-select one (or more) polygons and start modeling (shift-scaling, chamfering, extruding, beveling, insetting, connecting etc.)

-click stop recording

-select another poly

-click play

-> voila! he saves the steps and applies them to the newly selected surface

-> as a plus you can really record these steps and animate them… with this you can animate how you are modelling

-> you can also save your steps… after using it for a while you have a lot of variations and can turn any surface into various amounts of detailed interesting decorations

damn that’d be great… don’t know how hard it is since I have no clue about maxscript whatsoever! I’d kill for this script :stuck_out_tongue:

#40

Wishlist: UBER BATCH RENDER PROGRAM

A batch rendered which is atleast as powerful as the one in adobe photoshop.

Minimum Options

  1. Select Script to Run
  2. Choose Source Directory
    (Open / Import / Already Open in scene)
    [ul]
    [li]Checkboxes: Override Current Open? / Include Subfolders: / Ignore Errors, Quiet open / Reset Scene[/li]> [/ul]3. Choose Desination Directory
    (Same folders / New Folder /Save and Close / Render + dont save / Render + Save / Dont Save)
    [ul]
    [li] Checkboxes: Override Save Command / Render(has sub menu to it) [/li]> [/ul]
  3. Output to naming convention (similar to photoshop)
    Document Name / serial numbers / type(max/blp/3ds/) ect. . .

Checkbox: Save name to log file

The more options the better.

The more modular the better. You should be able to insert scripts the same way you would use an action in photoshop.
Just a thought, I think the community as a whole could benefit greatly from this. I downloaded a base sort of program from scriptspot which is cool but nowhere near as extensive as the one currenrly in photoshop

–J