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We need quick, easy align and distribute tools. The parametric array feature I already mentioned would make these less useful -- but still they have their place.
Adobe Illustrator and After Effects have very simple functional tools for handling alignment and distribution of objects. Max should have the same type of functionality.
Funny - I was coming on this site to post something about getting Array tool features as modifier ! so that definitely gets my vote. We use Clone modifier (Itoo Software) pretty often, but it's too limited ... please Autodesk, do something on that side. We need something that fills the gap between Clone modifier (too limited) and RailClone (amazing, but sometimes too complicated for simple needs).
Isn't there a few MCG cloners and modifiers that can do what you are asking already? Railclone from Itoo looks amazing and it has smart ways of improve performance for heavy scenes, but for simple stuff you can try the gridcloner or pathcloner.
Yes, there are already multiple different MCG clone modifiers available (and several others like the brick wall that don't have clone in their name). Plus given the nature of MCG, if you miss something there, you can add it or combine several together in one modifier. Some of the modifiers keep the objects as one mesh, some of them allow you to 'bake' the result to instanced nodes.
- A Compound object in Max combines the Modifier Stacks of multiple objects into one, allright.
This parametric Array modifier would do the opposite: create multiple objects out of one... is this a 'valid' concept in Max' architecture? (would make perfect sense, of course).
- Say, you create a Cylinder with a Bend Modifier, then use this as input for this new Array tool.
What happens if the Array's stack gets collapsed? Logically, the result would be 10 Cylinders, with their Bend Modifier live, right?
- Should particles be involved?
After all, you can already create particle arrays and use any object as particle type.
Like the ancient 'PArray'. Unfortunately, this does not take curves as input for distribution...
- Btw., I don't think this can be a Controller. Controllers do only one thing - modify an object's transformation matrix. They cannot and should not create new objects.
- Wouldn't it be best to go all the way and start introducing something like Cinema4D's MoGraph, or Maya's Motion Graphics extension?
Pretty poweful tools - all about cloning object in all thinkable ways.
1 - Clone multiple objects (instances of the original object along x/y/z) (Optionally also random 2 - Optionally Start and Cap Geometry (Like Zbrush IMM) - For example for a belt. 3 - (Weld open vertices) Either within the Welder Modifier or build in vertex welding.
This is extremely useful together with the new PathDeform2 modifier (with Uniform + Auto 'stretch' on. You can dynamically create repeating geometry (with optionally welded vertices) along paths and still modify everythig afterward: Geometry, Number of Items... This way you can create Hozes, Ropes, Belts, everything with repeatable geometry.
- Start Cap Geometry (Optionally)
- List view of selected objects that can sequentially or randomly be repeated/cloned
I'd like to see a blend between option in a parametric array.
It takes 2 geometry inputs...eg. most simply a cube and a sphere and I set the number of steps and the spacing as it blends between them. Sure, let's have rotation and scale per step as we go. Or even have spacing increase as it goes.
Oh wait, that would only be a 1 dimensional array. Then I could make another and blend between the two, to make a square blend.
Repeat those processes to make a second square, blend between the two and I've got a cube blend array.
Nah...forget that, this tool needs to be simply procedural but also not just cubic. Spherical, cylindrical etc. would all be great.
As would incrementing modifiers as we go. As someone else suggested, adding more bend with each step.
Autodesk I see you are running out of ideas for improving max for future releases so here is my second idea:
- Array modifier similar to what Blender has. Doesn't have to be as powerfull as railclone but still a simple array modifier would be nice. Maybe something like the "Array Tool" but as a modifier so it would be non destructive.
