MAX SETUPInstall 3Ds Max as per installation instructions |
|
MAX SETUP
Install 3Ds Max as per installation instructions
Once Max & Vray are installed:
Customize > custom UI & defaults switcher >
initial settings for tool options: Max.vray
UI Scheme:ame-dark.Restart Max. VERY IMPORTANT!
SET SYSTEM UNITSCustomise > Units set up / System Unit setup: Meters. |
|
SET SYSTEM UNITS
Customise > Units set up / System Unit setup: Meters.
Display Unit Scale: Meters, or mm if you like, Avoid using mm as your system unit, it can cause rounding and display errors. cm is probably the best compromise. Furniture models are commonly modeled in cm.
PREFERENCESCustomise > Preferences |
GAMMA AND LUTTick Enable Gamma/LUT correction |
PREFERENCES
Customise > Preferences
General
Leave ‘Scene Undo’ at 20, a good compromise. (Too many can lead to Max crashing)
‘Scene Selection’, tick Auto Window crossing: Right>Left
Files:
Number of Autobak files: 10
Backup Interval (minutes): 20-25 mins
To save hard drive space you can choose compress on save.
GAMMA AND LUT
Tick Enable Gamma/LUT correction
Gamma: 2.2
Materials and Colors:
Don’t tick Affect Colour Selector.
Tick Affect Material Editor.
Input Gamma: 2.2
Output Gamma: 2.2 (this does not exist any more)
MAXScript:
Memory
Initial heap allocation (MBytes): 1000 (Helps FBX import from Revit)
CONFIGURE MODIFIER SETSCustomise > Preferences |
My favourites: Edit mesh Edit poly Edit spline UVW map Sweep Extrude Shell |
Push Vray displacement Slice Symmetry Quad Chamfer Smooth |
CONFIGURE MODIFIER SETS
Customise > Preferences
Click on Modifiers tab (blue arch)
Configure modifier sets (icon on bottom right of window):
Tick Show Buttons
Click ‘Configure modifier sets’ at top of list
You can then drag and drop any modifier from the list – A quick way of applying your most commonly used modifiers.
| My favourites: Edit mesh Edit poly Edit spline UVW map Sweep Extrude Shell |
Push Vray displacement mod Slice Symmetry Quad Chamfer Smooth |
SAVE CUSTOM UICustomize > Save UI > Create a folder on your server called ‘Custom UI’. Add your name and max version to the file name, ie Tim_Max 2014.UI |
|
SAVE CUSTOM UI
Customize > Save UI > Create a folder on your server called ‘Custom UI’. Add your name and max version to the file name, ie Tim_Max 2014.UI
Scripts
Scripts are utilities and tools people have written to make tasks faster and easier. For instance, ‘Object dropper’ will drop your objects to a ground plane, ‘Relink bitmaps’ will greatly speed up the monotonous task of pathing missing assets.
INSTALLING SCRIPTSClose Max if it’s open. |
My favourites: Scripts lister UI Transform randomiser UI Bitmap Collector UI Find Instances UI Make Objects Unique UI Material ID Randomizer UI Object Detacher UI Object Dropper UI Object Painter UI Object Replacer UI Put Pivot UI |
INSTALLING SCRIPTS
Close Max if it’s open.
Create a ‘Scripts’ folder in your 3D drive.
Go to neilblevins.com
Download Soulburnscripts by Neil Blevins.
Unzip. You should have a few folders:
MacroScripts, scripts, UI_In.
Copy the folders, then paste into your max ‘root’ directory.
c:\program files\autodesk\3dsmax2014\
Windows will ask if you want to merge folders, say yes.
My favourites:
Scripts lister UI
Transform randomiser UI
Bitmap Collector UI
Find Instances UI
Make Objects Unique UI
Material ID Randomizer UI
Object Detacher UI
Object Dropper UI
Object Painter UI
Object Replacer UI
Put Pivot UI
SAVE TOOLBARCustomize > Customise user interface |
|
SAVE TOOLBAR
Customize > Customise user interface
Toolbars Tab
Select your toolbar from the drop down list
save as .cuix
This is actually included in the save custom UI, but there is no option to save or load independently. Sometimes it is helpful just to load a toolbar, so it won’t affect your other UI set up.
