3ds Max 2017: Adding custom menu item to Application menu

[Anonymous]

Hello,

Is it possible to add a custom menu item to the Application dropdown menu in 3ds Max 2017?

More specifically I would like to add a new option to one of the sub menus (see image).

so far I've tried the following:

macroScript TestItem category:"File"
(
   print "test!"
)

id = genClassID returnValue:true
if menuMan.registerMenuContext id[1] then
(
    fileMenu = menuMan.findMenu "&File"

    testImportAction = menuMan.createActionItem "TestItem" "File"; --create an ActionItem from the MacroScript
    testImportAction.setTitle "Test";
    testImportAction.setUseCustomTitle true;
    fileMenu.addItem testImportAction -1; --add the ActionItem to the menu

    menuMan.updateMenuBar() --update the menu bar
)

However with the above code no new items show up in the application menu.

I've placed the script in the "C:/Users/{MyUserName}/AppData/Local/Autodesk/3dsMax/2017 - 64bit/ENU/scripts/startup/" folder as a .ms script.

Am I adding to the wrong menu?

[drew_avis · Accepted solution]

Hi Viktoria, for the Ribbon and the "Jewel" menu (the 3ds Max logo menu), you need to edit a XAML file.  See if this help topic gets you on the right track:

http://help.autodesk.com/view/3DSMAX/2018/ENU/?guid=__files_GUID_4FF16589_C618_41D4_86A2_794BAA1C275...

Hope that helps,

Drew

[Anonymous]

Hi Drew, this is exactly what I was looking for, thank you!

[Anonymous]

In the documentation it says: "Since 3ds Max 2011, the XAML files of the Ribbon interface can be customized using dedicated tools."

What is a dedicated tool I can use to edit the XAML file?

Also, is it possible to move the xaml file into the AppData folder, or is there an equivalent file in the AppData folder that can be edited instead of the one in the install root? I tried copying it into "C:\Users\{User}\AppData\Local\Autodesk\3dsMax\2017 - 64bit\ENU\en-US\UI", but it didn't seem to have an effect.

Thank you,

Viktoria