isolate stack pop

[Anonymous]

There should be a way to not only "End Isolate" but also a way to "pop isolate stack".

Use case:

I often want to isolate a few objects, and then isolate one of those (for example to carefully position a pivot). I would then like to return to the isolated group without having to re-isolate the group.

I have also had need for even a third level of isolation, so it would be nice to have not only an "isolate" and "end isolate", but also a "pop isolate" menu item.

(for some reason I cannot post to "submit ideas": product drop-down is empty

[10DSpace · Accepted solution]

@Anonymous 

I completely agree that the "isolate stack pop" this would be a useful feature and your described use case describes a frequent scenario for me in which it is annoying to have to exit isolate mode to adjust the selection to a subset of the initial selection and then re-enter isolate mode and to have to repeat this multiple times.   

I have been putting off creating a maxscript solution for this for too long, so inspired/reminded by your post, I wrote the attached script to create this functionality.  I made it so that you can select any subset of the original selection set to isolate at any time and to also be able to return to the isolated initial selection set.   

Let me know if this works for you.   If it's useful for you, put it on a toolbar and/or hotkey it. 

[10DSpace · Accepted solution]

@Anonymous 

Please use the attached version of the script if you plan to use it as a macro.  The first version sent in my above post will run as an .ms from the Script Editor window or via Run command but if you install it as a .mcr it will throw an error message.  So the attached can be used as the .mcr version if you want to install it in a menu or a toolbar.

FYI,  the .ms version sets the size of the rollout dynamically based on the number of initially selected items to be isolated.  The .mcr version (attached) changes the height of the rollout to a fixed amount which will accommodate 10 selected items and eliminates the error message (which relates to type conversion of the dynamicHeight).    Personally I never isolate more than 10 items at a time, but if/when I figure out how to get the dynamic height working in the .mcr, I will post an update if anyone is interested. 

[Anonymous]

Bravo! Many thanks for this contribution!

I added your macro to a button and tried it out.  My first attempt to sub-isolate went well.    It could perhaps be refined further, but isn't that always the case (e.g., cannot select isolated objects in the view to further isolate, but instead have to select [well named] objects in the iso2 list to further isolate).

I hope THE MASTERS pick up on your great start, to better integrate into the whole, enhance and support.

Your talent is open: zip up!  Ah you already did!  😉

[Anonymous]

How difficult is it to add a callback so that if I add an object during isolation, it can be added to the 'iSel' list of objects that can be included in further isolation?

I tried adding a when clause to the 'Isolate_Plus2' directly but get errors like UNDEFINED OBJECT.   Would one have to make iSel somehow global and create a separate function to register to the callback mechanism?  I don't see any highly useful example in the documentation: when handler examples are too basic there.

Such enhancements are probably why it should be escalated as a SUBMIT IDEA, but that area has stopped working for me, so I can't.

[10DSpace · Accepted solution]

@Anonymous 

How difficult is it to add a callback so that if I add an object during isolation, it can be added to the 'iSel' list of objects that can be included in further isolation?

I agree that it would be useful to be able to add objects from scene explorer to your current group of isolated objects, so I added this capability in the attached. It is not necessary to do this via callbacks, because as you probably saw already,  the strategy I took to begin with was to create a temporary selection set that stores the initial selection to be isolated.  What I did was to add another button(cleverly)  named "Add" that when the user clicks adds the current selection (presumably from scene explorer) to the temporary selection set .  Then I had to update the iSel  multilistbox  in terms of content and height and adjust the button positions accordingly, which for me was actually the biggest pain.   This version also sizes the rollout dynamically based on the number of selected objects.  Let me know what you think. 

[Anonymous]

I'm gonna have to find out your favorite charity/cause to donate to!

[10DSpace]

@Anonymous 

Thanks for the positive feedback.  If you are so moved you can donate to:

https://www.directrelief.org/

[Anonymous]

this might make you a average paid consultant in the NYC finance community, if you spent an hour including zip and upload.

[10DSpace]

@Anonymous 

Thanks very much for following up with a generous donation to Direct Relief.   Also, thanks for your original post which got me off my @#*! on this.  I have been using the script regularly and it has saved me time and aggravation already.   I may post it to ScriptSpot in case anyone else would find it useful.