Multiple objects modifications

[pyroskat]

We have a copy of 50 boxes, we want to add lenght segments to all of them. Is not possible to do it since selecting them nothing is displayed on modifer tap. We need to use Maxscript.

Can we have an elegant solution that when we select objects that are the same type (all are boxes, or all are spheres, or all has the same modifier), we can modify them?

I will say if we introduce a new value, this value will override whatever we had before, and if we use the spinners, this values will be added or substracted to anything existing.

[Tupaia]

Ex-act-ly!!!

Softimage always had this, as does Cinema4D...

Soft's equivalent to Max' Modify Panel is called 'Property Page', or 'PPG'.

It can hold the parameters of many nodes at once, too, which is called a 'Multi-Property-Page' or 'Multi-PPG', which is what this idea post suggests.

There can be as many PPGs open as one needs. They have a 'lock' button to prevent them from 'loading' the params of the next selection.

It goes without saying that all sorts of nodes can be loaded. Geometry Generators, Deformers, Lightsources, everything.

Max would not need stuff like this crappy 'LightLister' script, if it had a modern equivalent to Soft's Multi-PPG.

Heck the LightLister even has to be reloaded to update... that's so... 80ies!

If there parameters differ in the loaded nodes, the parameter would be greyed out, but can be set for all at once - see screenshots.

In fact, Max has one panel that if capable of change the parameters of multiple objects at once: the Object Properties dialog. BUT, it is modal... (Btw. - modal dialogs can and should be avoided as much as possible by programmers, but that is another story)

The Modify Panel will display the parameters of multiple objects at once - when they are instances. So, that does not really count.

In C4D, this is the 'Attribute Editor', and it works pretty much the same way (there are many nice similarities of Softimage's and C4D's UI, btw.)

Not that this is a new concept - Softimage had this right from the beginning - it was designed in the late 90ies!

3ds Max architects just missed this opportunity back then, and it still suffers from it.

Hope it's possible to, after all, introduce a modernized Modify Panel, without having to tear apart everything.

Thanks for reading!

[RGhost77]

Modifier Modifier Zorb do that job, but I agree such feature must be from the out from box.

[Tupaia]

Interesting plugin... however, does not look like a particularly clean solution for the issue.

What I don't like at a first glance is the fact that it creates a completely different panel layout than the modifiers natively have.

However, the Modify Panel and the Stack are sort of a 'central hub' of the whole software. This is Autodesk's turf. Core expertise of of Max' architects.

[Tupaia]

Something that fits here:

If it would be possible to enter simple formulas like

x*10

or

x+20

into a parameter input field shared by multiple objects, it would be possible to relatively change the params for all objects at once (x means the existing value).

Cinema4D supports this!

Example:

Create an object, a sphere maybe, copy it, set their radii different, select both spheres, enter x*2 in the Radius parameter. Both become twice as big.

I'm aware of Max' Numeric Expression Evaluator' (CTRL-N in any parameter field), but it seems not to support this.

It's the little things...

[Tupaia]

Cool, make it happen!!!

Btw. Maya does not have something like a 'multi-PPG' either.

[msouza]

Yep. That´s needed. I had to write my own tool to modify many similar parameters over all selected items. My script just search for the property and change it accordingly. My script even change similar parameters over different primitives. Because the parameter names are the same on some...  (Of course some results are unexpected lol) 
    

      

[Anonymous]

The Zorb script is definitely useful, I use it all the time. But a native solution would be optimal.

[Tupaia]

Doing this right would have some logical consequences for the whole Modify Panel UI. Here's some stuff to contemplate on, for those who never touched another program besides Max (or Maya):

Basically, the idea here is about editing equal Modifiers or Base Obejcts - that are NOT instances - at the same time, in one Modify Panel, right?

If multiple objects are selected, or extra ones added to the selection, this new Modify Panel would have some built-in logic that searches their stacks (starting at the bottom), and if equal Modifiers or Base Objects are found, the Parameter Rollouts would be displayed for editing (with greyed out parameters if there are differences).

Softimage or Cinema4D do it that way.

BUT: which object's Modifier Stack would be displayed, then?

- All of them, with a separator line or something?

- Or, should the Modifier Stack and the Parameters Rollout be decoupled, freely dockable panels, á la Softimage, C4D?

-> Maybe it's time to rethink the Modifier Stack user interface as well (I'm ONLY talking about the user interface, not the architecture!)...

Because the M.Stack, in fact, is a simplification of the Scene Tree, filtered down to the selected object, and only it's 'Modified Object' branch, only showing modifiers, no parameters.

Actually, 3ds Max already has a Scene Tree representation: If you open a Parameter Wiring panel, there are 2 of them side by side.

In Softimage, such a Scene Tree panel is called 'Explorer'. There is no extra 'Modifier Stack' panel, but filter states of the Explore, to help simplify things.

It's simpler than it sounds - open an Explorer, hover over it, press 'E', and only the selected objects are listed. Press 'S', and the whole scene tree is listed again. 'L' for Layers, and 'P' for Passes (= 'State Sets' in Max), etc.

You can also let it display the full scene tree, with all the parameters.

Also, you can have as many Explorers open as you like, and do drag&drop operations for parent/child relations, parameter wiring, etc.

So, the Softimage Explorer fulfills the same function as 3ds Max'...

- Scene Explorer

- Modifier Stack

- Layer Manager (there's an extra one, too, in Softimage)

- Parameter Wiring dialog

... in one generic panel.

Since this works well and proven for many years now in Softimage (or, similar, in C4D), why should Max not allow for multiple Parameter Panels, too?

In fact, even more, Max' whole Command Panel could need an overhaul:

- The Tabs could be dockable/undockable.

- Tabs could be docked to the top, and become a Ribbon. Now, we have duplicates all over the place.

- The Modifier Stack and the Parameter Rollout could be separable, as mentioned.

- Multiple Parameter Panels could be allowed.

- The Motion Panel's Controller List does not react to panel resizing

etc. etc.

There's so much clutter now. Old UI thinking colliding with new Qt UI...

So, since there are serious UI modernization efforts going on - please think it through really well! No need to copy things 1:1, but really, Softimage and C4D have some **** logical and clean UI concepts that are worth getting inspired from.

For those who get nervous now over so many changes: of course all the panels should be dockable, so that the usual UI can be created as one possible UI layout, and saved as a Workspace.

Thanks for reading!

[Anonymous]

Если заботиться о тех, кто будет осваивать 3д макс, необходимо
скомпоновать, например, модификаторы по функциональным разделам поэтапного
производства. Моделирование полигональное: наиболее важный, проверенные
временем "Эдит поли". Стремясь к простоте, уже сразу - "Эдитэйбл поли".
Дублирующий "Эдит меш" лучше удалить. Такая логика.
Кнопки, наиболее часто используемые в полигональном моделировании - на
первое место. Прочерчивание разделяющих грань линий - "Кэт"; "Экструд";
скругляющий модификатор - "Меш смоут"; "Коллапс". В начале моделирования -
еще "симметрия". Всего несколько кнопок, которые дают бесконечность.
И так по всем разделам поэтапного производства. Из всех альтернатив
выбираем оптимальный, отработанный метод, проверенный временем. Такая
упрощенная прграмма была-бы хороша для ленивых режиссеров, странных
художников, которые, однако, на выдумки горазды.
Спасибо, кто прочтет.

[Anonymous]

Yes, i think it`s very tempting to marry the SceneExplorer and Modifier-Stack. 

[Kranos_Orphydian]

Yup marying scene explorer and Modifier stack would free so much space on Command panel

But whats with all these Under review for so many years thing !  It is clearly just a marketing stuff