The Lazy UVW editor is a way to procedurally create seamless textures without having to unwrap uvs.
It accomplishes this by using multiple uvw channels to cover pinching, stretching, or seams of the basic uvw mapping options, and the resulting map may be baked down to one channel if desired.
Continue reading “Lazy UVW editior – Procedural UVW layout and texture baking tool for 3dsMax”
Even after having worked in 3dsMax for so long, I find myself thinking of small workflow improvements that aid in daily workflow. Today while I was lighting a character, with multiple lights with different colors to them, I thought it would be nice to see the target line represent the color value of the light. So it would change something that looked like this:
Continue reading “Lights wirecolor – simple workflow script and tip”
Often times while skinning a character, as you can see in my lazy skinning and binding video, sometimes I used helper or faux muscle bones to help with some areas, like around the legs/crotch, or the armpit/chest area. Adding a bone that is connected on both ends to different bones, and stretches and squashes in between them can help preserve volume by adding nice subtleties to the skinning, or just flat out make it possible.
Continue reading “Stretch point – making cheap muscles in max”
Recently I was asked for an alternate version of the macroscript ‘Slap Parent’ that speeds up the parenting process in 3ds Max. The alteration was to have each object parent to the next, by order of selection. Well, you can get it here . Simply put it in your max directory/macroscripts and assign it to a keyboard shortcut.
It is cold out and I am getting cabin fever, so today I made a module that makes procedural snowflakes.
Just another little update on that I am still working on this thing, and that I am eager to share it with everyone!
Another little piece of the debris maker, got some prototype procedural falling leaf stuff going on here!
A quick script for randomly changing the startup image for 3ds max, it is a nice way to make Max feel nice and cozy.
I have seen other ones out there, but they require additional software, and have more complicated installations, so I made this one for me.
So anyone that has had a script do anything that takes more than 3 seconds, or have ever tabbed out of, and back into a max that was working, you know what the window ghosting problem is.
Continue reading “3ds Max UI freezing during scripts? Disable window ghosting.”
The whole family together!
Two sedimentary rocks that are similar, but built in completely different ways. Using correct materiality on these things will probably differentiate them a bit more.
Continue reading “Debris Maker – Sandstond and Slate modules update”
Riverstones, eroded versions of other rocks! Pitting, chipping and banding simulate different levels of erosion over time.
Obsidian shards module finished up.
Continue reading “Debris Maker – Obsidian shard module update”
One of my favorites so far, the meteor debris module. I used this one in the first few shots of the ‘space shots’ thing on vimeo: https://vimeo.com/55744842
There was additional bump and displacement, but otherwise those are out of the box meteors from this thing.
Piles of gemstones and gravel courtesy of the debris maker!
The gravel objects here are the optimized versions that the script has the option of making.
Continue reading “Debris Maker – Crystal and Gravel module updates”
Fourth in the series of speed and workflow tips for 3ds Max.
I hate doing things three times. Here is how to use Maxscript and the built in listener to make batch changes to things in your scene. Also how retrieve variables from objects quickly to develop scripts that actually save you time, the first time you use them.
Get the macroscript here: www.aarondabelow.com/v1/scripts/slap_parent/SlapParent.zip
Using the 3ds Max select and link thing is terrible. Using the provided macroscript, when bound to the suggested keyboard shortcut makes this process a snap. Saves a bunch of time, and a real nice way to streamline your workflow.
Hey everyone, I am starting a series of speed and workflow tips for 3DS Max that I have picked up over the years of working production. I have seen my fair share of tutorial videos, and am tired of slow paced ones that are 45 min long, and you only see 1 or 2 new things. So I’ve made an effort to keep these videos short and fast paced, and targeted at an intermediate experience level in 3Ds Max.
Here is a free tool for copying animation from 3ds Max into After Effects via the clipboard, and the native AE clipboard data. You will be able to copy and paste keyframe data for position, rotation and scale onto any 3D object in AE.
Just finished up the crystal module for the debris maker, so now you can make all the types of crystal that you want, over whatever objects you want!
I have a few more of these I haven’t posted anywhere yet, and more yet that are in development, and they will be coming soon!