Software:
3ds max 2017
- Select one of the instanced objects.
- add an Edit Poly modifier on top of its Modifier Stack.
- Right-Click the Edit Poly modifier and choose Collapse To.
3ds max – Unwrap UVW snapping to a defined grid
Software:
3ds max 2018
There are cases where we need to have the UV borders and edges placed precisely on a certain grid. an example of this is when preparing a UV layout intended for baked lightmaps in a game engine, that should preferably be aligned to a 64 by 64 or 128 by 128 grid.
To set the Unwrap UVW editor window grid to 64 by 64:
- In the Unwrap Options window:
Set the Checker display to 64/20 which is 3.2.
Set the Grid Size to 1/64 which is 0.015625 (the numeric field displays the value rounded to 0.016) - Turn on the grid display in View > Show Grid.
- In the Unwrap Snap Settings, make sure Grid Snap is checked.
* Hold and drag the snap button to open the Snap Settings. - Activate Snap.
Note:
It works only in Vertex selection mode.
3ds max – Quickly move multiple objects pivot points to a specified location
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
Exporting 3D camera data from After Effects to 3ds max
Software:
After Effects 2020
- Download the AE3D_Export script here:
http://www.urbanspaceman.net/shared/AEscripts/AE3Dexport/AE3D_Export.jsx - Perform 3D tracking on the footage if necessary.
- Select the 3D Camera layer and also Null layers if available.
- Choose File > Scripts > Run Script File and locate the AE3D_Export script.
- In the Script parameters highlight 3ds max.
- Click Options and set the scale.
* you might need to try and see the scale in 3ds max to set it right. - Set a name for the exported ms (MaxScript) file.
- Click Export.
The resulting MaxScript file will appear on the desktop named <your after effects project name>.ms
Note:
You may be prompted to check the Allow Scripts to Write Files and Access Network option in File > Preferences > Scripts & Expressions.
- Drag the generated MaxScript file into the 3ds max viewport.
The script will run and create an animated Camera and Dummy object, and also set the timeline range to fit the animation. - Create a new Point Helper object.
- Align the new Point Helper to the Dummy object in both position and orientation.
- Group the Camera and the Dummy objects together, and link the group to a new Point Helper.
This will allow for easy orientation and scaling. - Set the Point Helper object’s rotation to default (0,0,0) , this will also reset the Dummy + Camera group’s orientation relative to the world.
Scale the Point Helper object if needed, to scale the whole camera setup. - Display the original video sequence as viewport background to check how the camera motion fits the video.
The center of your Point Helper should appear “glued” to a specific point in the background video.Â
Related:
After Effects 3D Camera tracking
Deactivate Snap to Frames in 3ds max
Software:
3ds max 2017
- Click the Time Configuration button or right click the animation playback buttons to open the Time Configuration Window.
- In the Time Configuration window, set Time Display to FRAME:TICKS
- Right click the timeline and choose Configure > Snap To Frames to toggle the main timeline frame snapping.
- In the Dope Sheet editor, activate or deactivate the Snap To Frames button to toggle the Dope Sheet frame snapping.
3ds max Map Scaler Modifier
Software:
3ds max 2017
Use the Map Scaler (MapScalar) Object Space Modifier to make UV coordinates conform to a uniform map real-world size.
Tip:
Create effective UV coordinates for angular geometrical meshes quickly by applying an Unwrap UVW modifier, and in the UV Editor, selecting all the mesh, and choosing Mapping > Flatten Mapping, and than applying a Map Scaler modifier and setting its Scale parameter to the wanted texture size..
Notes:
- When applying the Map Scaler modifier to an object with deformed UV’s, it will break the UV’s in order to force consistent scale.
- If the Scale parameter matches the file’s system unit definition in Customize > Units Setup > System Units Setup, than it will effectively work as real world map scale, and allow you to set a real world texture size in the Coordinates rollout of the texture in the Material Editor.
3ds max Project Folder
Software:
3ds max 2017
Setting up a ‘Project Folder’ for every project we work on in 3ds max can improve workflow efficiency by having the software file opening, saving, and importing operations etc. be directed to a specific defined destination in the hard drive by default,
And by doing that save us the time it takes to locate the same folders in the hard drive again and again.
When using this workflow, we must create a unique folder for every project we work on,
And set the Project Folder in 3ds max to the the relevant folder when switching between projects.
To set up a Project Folder:
File > Manage > Set Project Folder
or press the Project Folder button located at the top left of the 3ds max window:
Quick friendly-topology sphere in Blender and 3ds max
Software:
Blender 2.79 | 3ds max 2017
Blender:
Create Cube
Add ‘Subdivision Surface’ modifier and divide it couple of times
Apply the ‘Subdivision Surface’ modifier
Enter Edit mode and spherify the mesh using ‘To Sphere’ Command (Shift + Alt + S)
3ds max:
Create Cube
Add a TurboSmooth modifier and set wanted iterations
add Spherify modifier
Convert to Editable Poly if needed
3ds max Transform Toolbox
Software:
3ds max 2017
Edit > Transform Toolbox
A utility providing handy transform operations like scaling to a set size, quickly setting the pivot point to useful preset positions, ect.
Notes:
1) Scaling works only in system units.
2) Scaling works in local coordinates of the object
Fine tune camera orientation in 3ds max
Software:
3ds max 2017
Press Alt while using camera navigation tools, this will slow the movement significantly so you can place the camera very precisely.