MAX AND AUTOCAD

[Anonymous]

First off, if this is a redundant post, I apologize, but I´ve been looking online for a while now and I haven´t had much luck finding an answer.

Is there a script for Max that emulates certain functions in Cad that i can´t seem to find in Max (if they exist) and it makes working in max a bit frustrating. Anyone know of a script or plugin that works like Boundary and/or align to object (the ucs alignment where you can click on a line and the UCS changes along the direction of the line)?

Thanks. Also, if these don´t exist and anyone has suggestions to get around this, please let me know.

[Anonymous]

This sounds a bit weird... not sure if you are mistakenly thinking that you have to work in Max like you do in AutoCAD. The Boundary command allows you to pick a location and it fills a bounded area with polylnes. Does it take 2 or more polylines and make then a region if the Polylines are already drawn? I think what you secretly want is Spline, Attach. That attach is available at any subobject level in a spline objet. If you want Max to take a bunch of disparate lines and you get to create polylines like you do with 1 command, No, Max has not such command... just use AutoCAD for those kinds of things. Or learn how to work in the way Max is designed. For example, you can take all the boundary lines and join them (Attach in Max) so that they become 1 or more boundary lines... just a mtter of shifting your perspective. If you actually give an example of something specific you want to achieve, then I can tell you whether I think Max can or cannot.

You can use the Align Tool which will align the Pivot of an objet, just as well as aligns the object... there is no UCS in Max really, so I don't understand what you mean here either. In AutoCAD, you can only draw on 1 2D plane at any time, so you had to adjust UCS to the plane you wanted. In Max, you can draw whereever, so there is no UCS per se. But, you can adjust / move / rotate / etc, the Pivot of an object. Anyway, to adjust the pivot, go to the Hierarchy Panel, Affect Pivot Only. Use the Align Tool which has Axis check boxes for angle on a given axis.

I don't think either ot those functionalities is what you are talking about... but I also do not believe you need the functionalty you asked for in Max... there are other ways to do things in Max. So, what are you trying to achieve?

[Anonymous]

there is no UCS in Max really, so I don't understand what you mean here either.

Well, there are two things that can be seen as a sort of UCS in Max - the Grid Helper which creates a custom coordinate system for drawing in a different plane, and the Custom transform mode which picks any scene node to perform transformations in its coordinate space.

At least for the first one, creating a script where you pick a line (or two or even better, three points) and it creates and aligns a Grid Helper to it would be possible.

[Anonymous]

Well, there are two things that can be seen as a sort of UCS in Max - the Grid Helper which creates a custom coordinate system for drawing in a different plane, and the Custom transform mode which picks any scene node to perform transformations in its coordinate space.

At least for the first one, creating a script where you pick a line (or two or even better, three points) and it creates and aligns a Grid Helper to it would be possible.

Here is a quick example of a MacroScript that creates a UCS by 3 points (you can use Snaps to pick world space points on geometry etc.)

macroScript GridBy3Points category:"Forum Help"
(
    local thePoint1 = pickPoint snap:#3D 
    if classof thePoint1 == Point3 do
    (
        local thePoint2 = pickPoint snap:#3D rubberband:thePoint1
        if classof thePoint2 == Point3 and distance thePoint1 thePoint2 > 0 do
        (
            local theShape = splineShape()
            addNewSpline theShape
            addKnot theShape 1 #corner #line thePoint1
            addKnot theShape 1 #corner #line thePoint2
            updateShape theShape
            local thePoint3 = pickPoint snap:#3D rubberband:thePoint1
            if classof thePoint3 == Point3 and distance thePoint3 thePoint2 > 0 and distance thePoint2 thePoint1 > 0 do
            (
                local theX = normalize (thePoint2-thePoint1)
                local theY = normalize (thePoint3-thePoint1)
                local theZ = normalize (cross theX theY)
                theY = normalize (cross theZ theX )
                local theGrid = Grid transform:(matrix3 theX theY theZ thePoint1)
                activeGrid = theGrid
            )    
            delete theShape
        )    
    )    
)

[Anonymous]

I tried the script, it works well but one question ... why is the grid skewed when it's created?
looks strange to me ... haha

[Anonymous]

I tried the script, it works well but one question ... why is the grid skewed when it's created?
looks strange to me ... haha

Because I am a moron? 😉
I fixed the script, try again...

[Anonymous]

lol you are too hard on yourself ...

[Stefan_L]

Took me years to find this. You now own a place in my "personal heroes shelf" 🙂