NON-3DSMAX
TOOLS - free for RPManager licensees. |
Below are some tools
that are freely useable for licensees of RPManager. Some are free for
non-commercial or academic use for anyone, but all require payment for
commercial usage if not RPManager licensees.
FolderGit - Category: Workflow Aid |
Directory navigation
shortcut system, for 32 and 64 bit XP/Vista.
Go
to the FolderGit Info/Download page
PLUGINS
- mostly free, some are not, but no licensing: |
Below are some plugins. Used by Brad Nobles rig and some others, a link for convenience: 3dsmax2018
64 bit 3dsmax2019
64 bit 3dsmax2020
64 bit
3dsmax2022
64 bit
3dsmax2023
64 bit
ColorPolyByVerts - Category:
Modelling Aid |
This tool colours
polygons by 3, 4 or 5+ verts/edges. Makes it easy to see triangles,
quads, and 5+ sided polygons for cleaning up models. Also has a numeric
feedback as tiny triangles may be missed at a first glance.

Works on both poly and
mesh stacks, but note it will convert mesh to poly.
Go
to the ColorPolyByVerts Help/Download page
Transmographier - Category:
Modelling/Morph Target Creation Aid. |
This tool mirrors, flips or
resets vertex positions,
based on a symmetrical reference node. Created for morph target generation. Unlike the symmetry modifier,
vertex ordering will not change so morph targets will not lose validity.

Works on poly, mesh and
patch models.
Go
to the Transmographier Help/Download page
PasteVertexBuffer - Category:
Modelling |
This
is a tool that enables you to copy and paste vertex positions and
vertex selections to and from anywhere in the stack.

Works on poly, and mesh
models.
Go
to the PasteVertexBuffer Help/Download page
Modifier
based edge based compression/expansion/convexity data generation.

Works on poly, and mesh
models.
1.11 has no license file
required anymore, and a new tension algorithm.
Go
to the Tension Help/Download page
Surface based morphing/pointcache time remapping plugin

Go
to the SurfaceMorph Help/Download page
Below are some free
plugins. Use at own risk.
Meshes splines. In some
ways like renderable spline, but you can use a curve to control the
shape.
Go
to the SplineMesher Info/Download page
Map To Vertex Color (MapToVColor) |
Converts maps to vertex
colours.
Go
to the MapToVColor Info/Download page
Blur Vertex Colours (BlurVColor) |
Blur your vertex
colours.
Go
to the BlurVColor Info/Download page
Sets an entire objects
soft selection value based on the maximum detected over the object.
Go
to the SSPropagate Info/Download page
This is a modified
version of the standard wind modifier that ships with max. The update
primarily affects how the turbulence operates, although falloff for
wind has been modified too.
Go
to the BetterWind Help/Download page
Extended Multipass Motion Blur |
This is a modified
multipass motion blur. Same settings as the built in one, with some
extra options for the blending mode:

   
Clockwise from top left:
Regular, additive, lighten, screen (with more steps).
The screen and additive
modes were originally intended for separate specular only passes - not
accurate, but stops the per-pass clamping from leaving your supposedly
hot speculars barely visible.
Download
here R6/R7/R8- copy it to your plugins
directory and restart max.
Download
here R9 32
bit
Download
here R9 64
bit
3dsmax2009
32 bit
3dsmax2009
64 bit
3dsmax2022
64 bit
3dsmax2023
64 bit
R5 version here.
This is a rewrite of my
old Translucency fake script as a plugin - so many many times faster.
Works on vertex colours, you can either paint them or use the assign
vertex colours utility.
Download
here (R6/7/8) - - copy it to your plugins
directory and restart max.
3dsmax2009
32 bit
3dsmax2009
64 bit
3dsmax2012
32 bit
3dsmax2012
64 bit
3dsmax2013/4
32/64 bit
3dsmax2015/2016
64 bit 3dsmax2017
64 bit 3dsmax2018
64 bit 3dsmax2019
64 bit
3dsmax2020
64 bit
3dsmax2022
64 bit
3dsmax2023
64 bit
For some basic
instructions on how to use it watch
this. (2meg quicktime)

Note you'll need to set
up your materials with vertex colour maps to see the results in a
render - say in the selfillumination and/or diffuse. For a simple
sample scene with this plugin applied and a material setup download
this. (R6 scene, zipped)
BE AWARE: this modifier
converts the incoming data to trimesh - so poly data flowing up the
stack will end up as mesh. The e.poly code is almost working, so if
anyone really needs it to stay a poly (ie putting a turn to poly
modifier above it is not enough) let me know and I'll see if I can
finish it off.
This is a map plugin
that allows you to have a single map render out to multiple material
ID's. There are times when a Multi-Sub *material* is way more than you
need, where the only real difference between the different materials
will be one or two maps. So just use maps instead.

Hacked together for use
with the Vray Displacement modifier, also useful for specular slots,
displacement via material, etc.
Current limitation is
that it is not mental ray compatible. Also that it is hard-wired to 15
slots. If anyone needs more there is at least one other free plugin
that does the same thing with unlimited slots.
Download
here R6/R7- copy it to your plugins directory and restart max.
3dsmax2009
32 bit
3dsmax2009
64 bit
3dsmax2010 32
bit
3dsmax2010
64 bit
3dsmax2012 32
bit
3dsmax2012
64 bit
3dsmax2013/4
64 bit
3dsmax2015/2016
64 bit 3dsmax2017
64 bit 3dsmax2018
64 bit 3dsmax2019
64 bit
3dsmax2020
64 bit
3dsmax2022
64 bit
3dsmax2023
64 bit
This is a Render Effect
that stamps on some useful data - specifiable text (ie render time,
result of a script), image aspect guides, center guide, left/right
guides, monitor and title safety (TV).
Go HERE
for the information and download page.

Material for generating
shadow passes - based on the Matte/Shadow but outputs colour
information (so supports coloured lights).
Go HERE
for the information and download page.

This is a map plugin
that allows you to control the individual RGB output of the map, with 3
slots to populate with submaps and various transfer modes.
Loosely based on the
Digital Fusion Boolean tool, it also has features from the Digital
Fusion Color Corrector - with color correction by shadows, midtones and
highlights. There is also some control over what is defined as
shadow/midtones/highlights to cater for a range of inputs.
Some basic emulation of
the photoshop levels tool is also included.
Current limitation is
that it pretty much does nothing in the Bump channel, I'll hopefully
get time to work it out some day. In the meantime this can still
occasionally be a useful tool.

Go to the ChannelOps
Info/Download page
Below are some freely
downloadable and useable tools for commercial or non-commercial use,
some require that RPMdlx.dlx from either the RPManager or RPManagerLite
installations is installed, or you can download the R5.1 plugin here,
or the R6.0/R7.0 plugin here
(put it in your plugins directory, or equivalent, and restart 3dsmax).
PSDPathUnwrapper
- version 0.5: (requires RPMdlx.dlx) |
This tool unwraps your
mesh and exports the edges as paths in an Adobe Photoshop file - the
unwrapped mesh is then easily used as a template for painting etc. and
allows resizing of the psd file with no loss of precision in the
accuracy of the paths. Photoshop's built in hotkeys to show/hide the
current path make it easy to work with, and each polygon is exported as
a separate path allowing for selections in photoshop based on poly's.
Supports specified mapping channel, UV/VW/UW unwrapping, with filters
for selected faces, material id's, smoothing groups, as well as
offering a Wrap Around mode (as per most other unwrappers). Batch
unwrapping multiple objects is supported, but not batch unwrapping
multiple UV channels (yet).
Interface
snapshot
Download
sample exported PSD file
Download
PSDPathUnwrapper - (note it needs RPM.dlx from one of the RPManager
downloads)
NOTE:
PSDPathUnwrapper is an .mzp file that needs to be 'Run' from within max
to install - if your download has a filetype of '.zip' change it to
'.mzp'.
Skin
Tools: Envelopes 2.0 |
This is a new version of
the skintoolsenv that is has been available for some years now, it can
save large amounts of time when setting up skinned characters.
New features include a
reworked UI allowing finer control over start/middle/end envelope
crosssections with modify value by absolute/relative/percent, the
ability to rotate indvidual bones (very useful for when they initialise
in the wrong orientation), an assign skin feature which allows you to
set the initialisation parameters, dockability, compact floaters for
all and selected bone controls, choice of axis for the move
crosssection end mode, and a replace bone feature which allows you to
replace an existing bone in your rig with an object not currently in
the rig while maintaining the enveloping and weighting.
After running the script
in the downloadable zip file you can find it in the 'RPManager'
category of your customise UI controls. Note that you need to have a
skin modifier active in the modify panel, and if this tool was already
open have used the 'rebuild Selection Sets/Bones' button to initialise
the script properly.
Interface
snapshot 1
Interface
snapshot 2
Download
SkinTools:Env 2.0
QuickNav - faster and easier
open/merge/save/browse your scene files. v0.96 |
This tool is designed to
make it easier to get to the files you are currently working on, or
just want to have handy - it presents a customisable list
of directories that you can open from with a double click - or merge
from, save from, or open scripts from (useful for scripters too...
funny about that).
New for 0.96 is
View Image From...
Load Bitmap into Active Bitmaptex From...
Load Xref Scene From...
Save Selected Objects To...
Export Scene To...
Export Selected Objects To...
Import From...
Ideal for times you are
working with many shots and find yourself jumping around between them,
TD's should get good value from this, as will scripters working on
multiple scripts.
You can colour code the
directories it lists, have them display an alternate name to the base
directory, and set up filters for which directories to show for the
container directories. Check the help file (not yet
available) for a description of how to manage your paths.
Usage: There are two
ways of setting up what paths to display - container paths and include
sets. Container paths display all the directories
in the path you specify, which you can filter (ie a filter of 'shots*'
will show only directories starting with 'shots'). Include
sets allow you to specify the exact paths to display in the
list. Both container paths and include sets can be used together and
are picked from the dropdown list at the bottom of the interface.
To manage the sets and paths RC in the list and pick 'Manage Paths',
this brings up this
interface.
When you first install
quickNav a container path and an include set are created automatically
to get you started.
Install by running the
.mzp that is downloadable - if it ends up as a .zip file rename it to
.mzp. It can be found in the RPManager group of the customise UI, but
also opens immediately after intallation, from there via a RC on the
list you can set it to open automatically when you open max and do
stuff like have it dock by default too.
When first it opens it will ask whether you want to use an existing
paths .ini file or create a new one.
For the sacrifice in screen space you may find it worth it to have it
visible at all times docked to the left (or right), but if you have it
floating there is the option to have it automatically close after
successfully opening/merging/saving to one of its directories.
NOTE The secondary paths
feature in the RC menu is unavailable at the moment, it will allow you
to load a second list of paths so you could have both a local set of
paths as well as being able to subscrbe to a second set which could be
on a network drive and shared by many.
Interface
snapshot: Floating
Interface
snapshot: Docked
Interface
snapshot: Path Manage Dialog
Interface
snapshop: RC Menu
Help file (soon)
Download
QuickNav
NEW:
updated for .NET controls ie for 64 bit max9/2008. Also works in 32 bit
max9+.
Download QuickNav for Max9/2008 using .NET controls (.mzp)
or for just the .mcr try here.
|