3ds max Scripting

A collection of Python snippets for 3D

Posted on December 14, 2020January 25, 2021 by Oded Maoz Erell

If you’re interested in taking the first step into Python for 3D software,
Or simply would like to browse some script examples, your welcome to visit my Gist page,
It contains a useful library of Python code example for Blender, Maya, 3ds max and Unreal engine:
https://gist.github.com/CGLion

Python for 3ds max – Loading an image file and reading pixel values

Posted on May 12, 2020May 12, 2020 by Oded Maoz Erell

Software:
3ds max 2020

An example of loading and displaying an image file using Python for 3ds max:
* The EXR image file is located in in the same directory with the 3ds max file in this case.

from MaxPlus import BitmapManager
image_file_path = r'BG_park_A.exr'
bmp_storage = MaxPlus.Factory.CreateStorage(17)
bmp_info = bmp_storage.GetBitmapInfo()
bmp_info.SetName(image_file_path)
bmp = BitmapManager.Load(bmp_info)
bmp.Display()

Script explanation line by line:

1. Import the BitmapManager class needed to load image files.

2. Set a variable containing the path to the image file

3. Call the MaxPlus.Factory class’s CreateStorage method to initiate a BitmapStorage object.

This is embarrassing IMO..
And it may very well be that I simply didn’t find the correct way it should be done..
I couldn’t find any other way to independently initiate the BitmapInfo object needed for loading the image, other than Initiating a BitmapStorage object and getting referece to its BitmapInfo object. (the BitmapInfo class has no constructor..)

* If you know a better method to do this I’ll be very grateful if you take the time to comment.

Note:
that the 17 integer argument we supply sets the storage to be compatible with:
32-bit floating-point color depth format (without an alpha channel).
See list of other color format options in this example here:
https://help.autodesk.com/view/3DSMAX/2020/ENU/?guid=__developer_using_maxplus_creating_a_bitmap_html
* They wrote a class containing convenient named constants of the integer arguments (see example code below).
* In this example of creating the BitmapStorage just as a way to generate a BitmapInfo object the actual format you’l supply doesn’t matter, but you can’t use a format that can’t be written to like 8 for example (see list below)

4. Get a reference to the BitmapInfo object contained in the BitmapStorage object.

5. Setting the name property (full file path) of the BitmapInfo object.

6. Loading the image.

7. Displaying the image in 3ds max‘s image viewer window.

Example code for a BitmapStorage format constants container class:
* This example’s source is in the 3ds max help Python examples:
https://help.autodesk.com/view/3DSMAX/2020/ENU/?guid=__developer_using_maxplus_creating_a_bitmap_html

class BitmapTypes(object):
     BMM_NO_TYPE = 0 # Not allocated yet
     BMM_LINE_ART = 1 # 1-bit monochrome image
     BMM_PALETTED = 2 # 8-bit paletted image. Each pixel value is an index into the color table.
     BMM_GRAY_8 = 3 # 8-bit grayscale bitmap.
     BMM_GRAY_16 = 4 # 16-bit grayscale bitmap.
     BMM_TRUE_16 = 5 # 16-bit true color image.
     BMM_TRUE_32 = 6 # 32-bit color: 8 bits each for Red, Green, Blue, and Alpha.
     BMM_TRUE_64 = 7 # 64-bit color: 16 bits each for Red, Green, Blue, and Alpha.
     BMM_TRUE_24 = 8 # 24-bit color: 8 bits each for Red, Green, and Blue. Cannot be written to.
     BMM_TRUE_48 = 9 # 48-bit color: 16 bits each for Red, Green, and Blue. Cannot be written to.
     BMM_YUV_422 = 10 # This is the YUV format - CCIR 601. Cannot be written to.
     BMM_BMP_4 = 11 # Windows BMP 16-bit color bitmap. Cannot be written to.
     BMM_PAD_24 = 12 # Padded 24-bit (in a 32 bit register). Cannot be written to.
     BMM_LOGLUV_32 = 13 BMM_LOGLUV_24 = 14
     BMM_LOGLUV_24A = 15 BMM_REALPIX_32 = 16 # The 'Real Pixel' format.
     BMM_FLOAT_RGBA_32 = 17 # 32-bit floating-point per component (non-compressed),
     RGB with or without alpha
     BMM_FLOAT_GRAY_32 = 18 # 32-bit floating-point (non-compressed), monochrome/grayscale
     BMM_FLOAT_RGB_32 = 19
     BMM_FLOAT_A_32 = 20

Reading pixel values from the image:

bmp_storage = bmp.GetStorage()
hdr_pixel = bmp_storage.GetHDRPixel(3000,200)
print(hdr_pixel)

1. Get reference to the Bitmap‘s BitmapStorage object.
* in this case, writing over the BitmapStorage object we created earlier just to get the BitmapInfo object..

2. Read the pixel value.

Note:
When copying and pasting a script from this example, the indentation may not be pasted correctly.

2. 3ds max python – Mesh manipultion

3. 3ds max python – Create Objects

Python for 3ds max – Select objects of type

Posted on February 11, 2020February 12, 2020 by Oded Maoz Erell

Software:
3ds max 2020

Continuing this example,
If you need to select objects (nodes) of a certain type i.e. lights, cameras etc.
You can use the INode class’s GetObject() method to get a reference to the node’s object, or “modified object” in 3ds max terms, and use the object’s GetSuperClassID() method to get the integer id representing the object’s superclass.

In addition, the MaxPlus SuperClassIds class contains convenient constants that can be used to avoid having to check and remember the superclasses numeric ids.
See reference here:
https://help.autodesk.com/view/3DSMAX/2017/ENU/?guid=__py_ref_class_max_plus_1_1_super_class_ids_html

An example of a script that selects all light objects in the scene:

from MaxPlus import SuperClassIds
from MaxPlus import SelectionManager

def scene_objects():
   def list_children(node):
      list = []
      for c in node.Children:
         list.append(c)
         list = list + list_children(c)
      return list
   return list_children(MaxPlus.Core.GetRootNode())

for o in scene_objects():
   obj = o.GetObject()
   if obj.GetSuperClassID() == SuperClassIds.Light:
      SelectionManager.SelectNode(o, False)

* note that when copying and pasting a script from this example, the indentation may not be pasted correctly.

Python for 3ds max – Mesh manipulation

Posted on May 11, 2019 by Oded Maoz Erell

Software:
3ds max 2019

An example of creating a mesh ripple deformation using Python for 3ds max:

Script steps:

Define the effect intensity and a helper point object that will serve as the effect center.
Collapse the object to an Editable-Mesh so its vertices will be accessible by Python.
Note that the Node‘s Object has to be cast as a TriObject, to access the object’s Mesh data.
Loop through the Mesh’s vertices, get their world position, and set a new Z position as a sine function of the distance from the effect center.

import math
from MaxPlus import Factory
from MaxPlus import ClassIds
from MaxPlus import INode
from MaxPlus import TriObject
from MaxPlus import Matrix3
from MaxPlus import Point3

# Intensity:
effecr_mult = 1.0

# Effect center:
effector = INode.GetINodeByName('Point001')
effect_pos = effector.GetWorldPosition()

# Prepare object and eccess it's mesh data:
node = INode.GetINodeByName('Teapot001')
new_edit_mesh_mod = Factory.CreateObjectModifier(ClassIds.Edit_Mesh)
node.AddModifier(new_edit_mesh_mod)
node.Collapse(True)
node_tm = node.GetWorldTM()
node_pos = node.GetWorldPosition()
obj = node.GetObject()
triobj = TriObject._CastFrom(obj)
mesh = triobj.GetMesh()

# Process the object's vertices:
for i in range(mesh.GetNumVertices()):
     # Get vertex in world space
     vert_pos = mesh.GetVertex(i)
     vert_world_pos = node_tm.VectorTransform(vert_pos)
     vert_world_pos = vert_world_pos + node_pos
     # Get vertex distance from effect center:
     diff_vec = vert_world_pos - effect_pos 
     diff_vec.Z = 0
     dist = diff_vec.GetLength()
     # Set new vertex position:
     mesh.SetVert(i,vert_pos.X,vert_pos.Y,vert_pos.Z + math.sin(dist)*effecr_mult)

* note that when copying and pasting a script from this example, the indentation may not be pasted correctly.

Related Post:
Python for 3ds max – Animated Mesh

Python for 3ds max – replace selected objects with a merged object

Posted on April 20, 2019September 28, 2020 by Oded Maoz Erell

Software:
3ds max 2020

The following Python for 3ds max snippet replaces all selected objects with an object merged from an external 3ds max file.

Get this code on gist

Notes:

The ‘model_path’ string variable should be set to the path of the 3ds max file containing the replacement model.
This example takes into account that the merged file contains only a single object, otherwise the first of the merged objects will be used.
The script actually replaces the Object node of the selected objects with the Object node of the merged model (creating instances), assigning them the merged material giving them the merged object’s name appended with numbers.

from MaxPlus import FileManager
from MaxPlus import SelectionManager

model_path = r"D:\Models\Bar_Stool_A.max"

place_holders = []
for o in SelectionManager.Nodes:
     place_holders.append(o)

FileManager.Merge(model_path,True,True)

model = SelectionManager.GetNode(0)

for i in range(len(place_holders)):
     place_holders[i].SetObject(model.GetObject())
     place_holders[i].SetMaterial(model.GetMaterial())
     place_holders[i].SetName(model.Name + "_" + str(i))

model.Delete()

* note that when copying and pasting a script from this example, the indentation may not be pasted correctly.

Python for 3ds max – list scene objects

Posted on March 28, 2019February 11, 2020 by Oded Maoz Erell

Software:
3ds max 2019

Iterating through a list of all of an object’s hierarchy or all of the objects in the scene is a very common requirement for scripted tools and utilities in 3D animation software.
Coming from a MaxScript background, I was used to just have to write the word ‘objects‘ to reference a list of all of the objects in the scene.

Unless I’m missing something obvious,
There isn’t a shortcut like this available in the 3ds max Python API.

In order to list all the objects in the scene you need to use a recursive function that will return a list of all of a node’s children, and children’s children, etc.

In the following example, the function ‘list_children()’ will return a list all of the objects in the supplied node’s hierarchy, and when given the scene’s root node via MaxPlus.Core.GetRootNode() it will return a list of all the objects in the scene.
Wrapping ‘list_children()’ within the ‘scene_objects()’ function, provides a convenient way get a list of all the objects in the scene just by calling ‘scene_objects()’.

def scene_objects():
    def list_children(node):
       list = []
       for c in node.Children:
           list.append(c)
           list = list + list_children(c)
       return list
    return list_children(MaxPlus.Core.GetRootNode())


for o in scene_objects():
    print o.Name

* note that when copying and pasting a script from this example, the indentation may not be pasted correctly.

Related:

Python for 3ds max – Select objects of type

Python for 3ds max – Animated Mesh

Posted on March 23, 2019May 11, 2019 by Oded Maoz Erell

Software:
3ds max 2019

This is an example of procedurally animating a mesh’s vertices via Python script.

Notes:
1. The model has to be converted to Editable Mesh before the script is run.
* unless the scrip will be extended to do it.
2. The model must be selected for the script to work.

import MaxPlus
import math
from MaxPlus import INode
from MaxPlus import TriObject
from MaxPlus import SelectionManager
from MaxPlus import Factory
from MaxPlus import Animation
from MaxPlus import Point3
from MaxPlus import Control

ticks_frame = 160

#Selection
sel = []
for n in SelectionManager.Nodes:
    sel.append(n)
node = sel[0]

#Setup Controllers
obj = node.GetObject()
Tri = TriObject._CastFrom(obj)
mesh = Tri.GetMesh()
num_verts = mesh.GetNumVertices()
mesh_anim = obj.GetSubAnim(0)
pnt_ctrl = Factory.CreateDefaultMasterPointController()
node.AssignController(pnt_ctrl,1)
for i in range(num_verts):
    bezp3 = Factory.CreateDefaultPoint3Controller()
    bezp3.SetPoint3Value(mesh.GetVertex(i))
    mesh_anim.AssignController(bezp3,i)

#Animation
Animation.SetAnimateButtonState(True)
for t in range(100):
    time = t * ticks_frame
    Animation.SetTime(time)
    mesh_anim.AddNewKey(time,0)
    for i in range(num_verts):
        vert_anim = mesh_anim.GetSubAnim(i)
        vert_ctrl = Control._CastFrom(vert_anim)
        vert_val = mesh.GetVertex(i)
        vert_val.SetZ(vert_val.GetZ() + math.sin(((Animation.GetTime()*0.5)/(ticks_frame))+i))
        vert_ctrl.SetPoint3Value(vert_val)
Animation.SetAnimateButtonState(False)

* note that when copying and pasting a script from this example, the indentation may not be pasted correctly.

Python for 3ds max – Create Objects

Posted on February 22, 2019March 28, 2019 by Oded Maoz Erell

Software:
3ds Max 2019

from MaxPlus import ClassIds
from MaxPlus import Point3
import random

# Define Sphere geometry object:
sphere_obj = Factory.CreateGeomObject(ClassIds.Sphere)
sphere_obj.ParameterBlock.Radius.Value = 5
sphere_obj.ParameterBlock.Segs.Value = 64

# Create a list of 10 sphere instanced objects:
spheres = []
for i in range(10):
    spheres.append(Factory.CreateNode(sphere_obj))

# Move spheres to random positions
for s in spheres:
    s.SetLocalPosition(Point3( random.randint(-50,50),
                               random.randint(-50,50),
                               random.randint(-50,50)))
    scale = 5.0 * (random.randint(30,100)/100.0)
    s.SetLocalScale(Point3(scale,scale,scale))

* note that when copying and pasting a script from this example, the indentation may not be pasted correctly.

3ds max – Quickly clearing materials in multiple objects

Posted on March 19, 2018March 20, 2018 by Oded Maoz Erell

Software:
3ds max 2017

To move clear the material in multiple objects:

Select the objects.
In the MaxScript Mini Listener at the bottom left of the 3ds max window,
Type:
for o in $ do (o.material = undefined)
And then press Enter

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3ds max – Quickly move multiple objects pivot points to a specified location

Posted on February 4, 2018February 8, 2018 by Oded Maoz Erell

Software:
3ds max 2017

To move the pivot point of multiple objects to 0,0,0 location:

Select the objects.
In the MaxScript Mini Listener at the bottom left of the 3ds max window,
Type:
$.pivot = [0,0,0]
And then press Enter

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