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TABLE OF CONTENTS
- Update the old UI (Full QT UI, modern and consistent UI style, a smoother and interactive experience)
- Merge\Import dialog could use similar updated UI and similar tech
- Integrate Crease, Material, Boolean Explorer etc. into its modes/Boolean Explorer for the new Boolean Modifier
- Merge Light Lister into Light Explorer and improve upon
- Selection Sets improved workflow and better integration with Scene Explorers
- Drop-down and detachable panel for Filters
- Add option to display Objects by Class, and Objects by Material
- Layer Sets - Multiple layer setups per Scene via a Tab System
- Floating Panel position to be stored in maxstart
- Add Additional "Rendering Control" Columns in Scene Explorer/Layer Explorer like "Visible to Camera" and "Cast/Receive Shadows
- Thumbnails display option for the Materials in addition to names
- Optimize scene explorer's real estate (Use icons for column headers instead of text, Lock column width, Minimize all widths to apply to Name column as well etc.)
- Colored layers options
- Add object/Attach to an "existing group" directly in scene explorer
- Fuzzy Search in Scene Explorer
- Stop the Scene Explorer hierarchy from collapsing everything when switching to Layer Explorer and back
- Option to Sort by Layers and Hierarchy combined
- Drag and drop through the list - Faster and smoother experience
- Creating Nested Layers - A more predictable position where they appear
Remove the redundancy of having two buttons (for both Scene and Layer Explorer) in the main toolbar to open the same thing
Allow the user to rename and delete the default layer
A way to select all children of 2 layers by pressing the parent using a shortcut (not a toggle)
Update the old UI (Full QT UI, modern and consistent UI style, a smoother and interactive experience)
The current Explorers environment is full of antiquated UI style elements and a mix of different styles (see the picture below!). It should be built with QT and designed on modern principles. A starting point would be to clean it up, making it simpler in terms of workflow and order of operations. Filters should be a drop-down panel and detachable. Docking it, dragging and dropping items within the list, resizing the window and columns etc. should be a smoother and more interactive experience and ofc get rid of all the persistent bugs in these areas.
Merge\Import dialog could use similar updated UI and similar tech
This same dialog could easily be used as a Merge/Import dialog as well. Giving users the ability to choose which objects they want to bring in based on the Context they choose. So, users could import objects by Material, Layer, or a Flat List. I would really like to see the merge dialog upgraded to use the same tech or something. It doesn't always show everything in a scene that you are merging from, and you have to wind up doing a merge all and deleting out what you don't want.
Integrate Crease, Material, Boolean Explorer etc. into its modes/Boolean Explorer for the new Boolean Modifier
Scene Explorer in 3ds Max has great functionality and flexibility. I love how its window can be switched to different Modes like Layer Explorer and Light Explorer reducing the number of extra floating windows. There are other great tools in Max with lots of potential also called explorers and that are still not directly accessible from the same dialog. Material, Crease, Boolean Explorers etc. should be integrated into it and improved upon.
One particular that needs attention in the light of the new Boolean modifier is the now abandoned Boolean Explorer. When the operands list got crowded with the previous Boolean and Shape Boolean, the Boolean Explorer was pretty handy as a unified control system. With regular geometry Booleans you could add the column with the open subdiv iteration and change the level of iteration from the same place. Plus, with the Shape Booleans it could also display Seam Type and Seam Length and you could adjust them from there. I find this pretty important in the light of the splines being supported by the new modifier in the future unless the operands list or other controls in the modifier UI could remediate that. See Eloy vid at 1:30 and 7:00 (link)!
Merge Light Lister into Light Explorer and improve upon
There is a bit of redundancy like in many other areas in 3ds Max on the light managing side. We need a unique robust, flexible and modern light manager/editor. For the sake of not creating additional dialog/floating windows this could be done at the Light Explorer level, which is already a mode of the Scene Explorer, and this means we are already getting rid of two additional windows.
Light Lister is quite handy but seems rather an old tech. If you change the light selection for ex, the Light Lister does not update interactively. You Need to click Refresh to update the list. We are not able to select multiple lights in Light Lister to edit them at once. We are not able to isolate a light like in Maya Light Editor (link). The new improved Light Explorer should get over these limitations.
Light Explorer should get the few handy extra functionalities of Light Lister and improve upon surpassing its limitations. By now I've noticed that in the Light lister when you have light instances, they are all grouped in a single object because basically the settings you change on one of them will affect all of them. Also, when it comes to Arnold lights in Light Explorer, there is no Configurable Column to show the type of Arnold light (Skydome, disc etc.) unlike the Light Lister. Pls include these in Light Explorer.
Selection Sets improved workflow and better integration with Scene Explorers
I think Selection Sets is just another way of doing scene managment a part from Layers and Hierarchy as it allows one object to be part of two selection sets unlike layers same like Blender collections. Selection Sets is in another old window and it cannot handle folders and it is quite incovenient to work with as it needs some UX and UI updates.
Drop-down and detachable panel for Filters
Add option to display Objects by Class, and Objects by Material
Layer Sets - Multiple layer setups per Scene via a Tab System
It would be useful to be able to create multiple layer assignment sets per scene, and not just the single one that the Layer Explorer currently provides.
Let's say for example that you have a scene containing many different categories of objects. You put these objects into layers for better scene management.
However, if you need to categorize these objects in another way for any other purpose you are stuck with the one single setup that Layer Explorer currently provides. Sure, Selection Sets can be used as an alternative, but then you don't have the functionality of the layer system and Layer Explorer.
The State Sets tool features tabs that allow for multiple state setups.
Why not have the same functionality for layer assignments?
I am sure I am not the only one who has felt a need for multiple layer setups in a scene.
Floating Panel position to be stored in maxstart
We should make the Scene Explorer - Layer Explorer Dialog Box behave the same way as all the other dialog boxes, ie. its position is remembered for future opening? Other floating dialog boxes, including the Render Dialog box, the Material Editor, Enviroment, Effects, etc etc all remember their last positions when they are reused or when 3DS Max is started. The Scene Explorer - Layer Explorer floating Dialog box doesn't remember its last placed position so each time you close and open it, it starts life in a completely different position to the one where you last put it.
Add Additional "Rendering Control" Columns in Scene Explorer/Layer Explorer like "Visible to Camera" and "Cast/Receive Shadows
In the same manner like "Renderable" and "Visible" columns in the Scene Explorer/Layer Explorer, it would be great to have the ability to add columns that can checkbox toggle "Rendering Control" options from the Layer/Object Properties window - specifically "Visible to Camera" and "Cast/Receive Shadows". Having easy visibility to these settings in a column in the Layer Explorer saves the user from having to dive into sub menus.
Thumbnails display option for the Materials in addition to names
A nice feature that would make the Explorers more visually appealing and informative. There is already a Material Explorer that has them as thumbnails but that is a specialized variant explorer only for materials. For a sneak peek at materials inside the Scene Explorer this would be very welcome.
Optimize scene explorer's real estate (Use icons for column headers instead of text, Lock column width, Minimize all widths to apply to Name column as well etc.)
The ability to lock column width to a fixed dimension, regardless of contents would avoid the situation in which long names, inherited from Revit, would expand the column width. At the moment double clicking on a layer does three things: select all objects within the layer, expands the layer, and resizes the name column to make all names fully visible. This quickly pushes other columns outside of the area of the explorer, so that sideways scrolling is required or constant resizing of the columns. Removing the expanding layer double click function and just retaining select all on double click would also fix this, although the issue would still exist when expanding layer for whatever reason. The ability to expand a layer comes from the layer arrow anyway, so the double click function isn't required.
Minimize all widths, Best fit all etc. are good commands but Name column width with these commands doesn't seem to be optimal. With the first command it doesn't get minimized at all but rather it gets widened unnecessary to a weird default. With the Best fit all command it defaults to a slightly wider format than with the Best fit command specifically for this column. When resizing it manually, allow the object name column to be resized smaller than the longest object name.
Use icons for column headers instead of text.
Colored layers options
Controls for changing individual layer colors in the docked scene explorer panel. The same way layers can be colored in Photoshop. Ability to select a layer and/or objects in that layer and change the layer color with 'change object wire color' as an option. Colored layers display should able to be toggled to display /wire-colors-only/layer-colors-only/both/ as options. When hiding/unhiding layers often, it would be useful to have the layers themselves colored so they stand out and are easier to identify, especially when importing hundreds of CAD layers that are similarly named. An idea could be developed to assign imported data to new random layer colors etc.
Add object/Attach to an "existing group" directly in scene explorer
It would be very helpful if there was a way to add/attach an object to an existing group in the Scene Explorer. There is only "add to new parent" (normal linking) or "add to new group". Attaching to a group would be useful here.
Fuzzy Search in Scene Explorer
Please implement fuzzy search in said search fields just like it exists in Global Search.
I know we can use * but in my mind it would totally make sense. On some keyboard layout we have to use the CAPS-Key to type an asterisk.
Stop the Scene Explorer hierarchy from collapsing everything when switching to Layer Explorer and back
When rigging and having a large hierarchy open within the scene explorer, switch to the layer explorer, and switch back to the scene explorer you have to always reopen every nested object to get back to the view and place in the hierarchy. It's quite cumbersome. I know there is auto-expand selection, but that introduces other headaches. ex. it collapses parts of the hierarchy that aren't specifically part of the nested parents of the selected child. Which makes it impossible to work within/view two (or more) different parts of a hierarchy at the same time.
Option to Sort by Layers and Hierarchy combined
In Scene Explorer, the user can choose to sort by layers and sort by hierarchy. Combine these items together or add a third item that combines both layers and hierarchy.
Drag and drop through the list - Faster and smoother experience
Drag and drop stuff while moving up and down through the list should be a faster and smoother experience. (Check other software like Blender)
Creating Nested Layers - A more predictable position where they appear
Creating folders sometimes is not so predictable where they appear... or at least is not intuitive, the hierarchy should be preserved, and it should be created wherever it is the object, now it goes and place a layer outside everything if you click new layer selecting an object.
Remove the redundancy of having two buttons (for both Scene and Layer Explorer) in the main toolbar to open the same thing
Allow the user to rename and delete the default layer
A way to select all children of 2 layers by pressing the parent using a shortcut (not a toggle)
ORIGINAL INDIVIDUAL IDEAS LINKS:
- [UI Scene Explorer] Thumbnails display option for the Materials instead names
- [UI Scene Explorer] Integrate Crease, Material Explorer etc. into its modes
- [UI] [Boolean Modifier] a Boolean Explorer is still needed
- [UI Light Explorer] Merge Light Lister into it and improve upon
- Layer Sets - Multiple layer setups per Scene
- Coloured layers options in Scene Explorer
- Add Additional "Rendering Control" Columns in Scene Explorer/Layer Explorer like "Visible to Camera"...
- Scene Explorer - Layer Explorer Floating Panel position to be stored in maxstart
- Layer manager - lock column width
- Add object to an "existing group" in scene explorer
- Fuzzy Search in Scene Explorer (and Select from Scene Dialog)
- Sort by Layers and Hierarchy Combined
- Optimize scene explorer's real estate
- STOP the Scene Explorer hierarchy from collapsing everything when switching to Layer Explorer and ba...
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