I just wanted to start a Wishlist thread. My intention is to take the most useful stuff and pass it on to the development team once a week. Post away...

Id like to have the parameters be able to belinked to maps too, not just the colors.
Like you could link a noise map, for the U Tile, or a gradient for the Noise High setting.
Thanks,
Pieter3d

Do you mean generalities like "improve the renderer", specifics like "build splinetools and meshtools into the package", feature specific like "figure out a way around Pixar's stochastic sampling patent", or the contraversal like "work out a payment too Blur for the work on the latest RayFX, and all their plugs, so that we can get area shadows in r4"?

I don't imagine it's a good idea to comment on the last one.

It really depends on the data being manipulated. Controllers in MAX are very powerful and you can layer them in lots of ways. You can, for example, keyframe a value, then layer in fractal noise and/or a waveform controller. This allows you to procedurally manipulate the data at the same time that you continue to keyframe. The data types have to be compatible though. For example, a color swatch is a matrix of three values and not easily manipulated with a single scalar data stream (maybe one element in the matrix). So theoretically you could separate the RGB values in a light's color parameters and drive each one individually with controllers - Noise/Waveform/Float, etc.

Specifics would be most useful. I have a semi-direct line to the development team and can pass off useful wishlist items for the future as well as reproduceable bugs (currently a high priority).

I have a bug for you..

When I've assigned my Wacom middle click to the button on the pencil. All works well and when I press this "middle" button I pan as usually in max, BUT(!) When I at the same time click, i.e. touch the pad with the tip of my pencil max just dissappears... I can do this over and over again.

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Joakim Sv

That sounds like maybe a driver issue. Hardware problems are the most common reason for a fast exit crash like that. Does it also happen with your mouse?

No, this does not happen with my mouse, and I don't really se how I could do it with my mouse?
Also, I've had this problem with both my computer at work and at home, and with different installations of max...


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Joakim Sv

There a lot of people here at Blur that use Wacom tablets with MAX. I'll ask around and see if anyone has the same problems. Incidentally, a middle-click and left-click shouldn't do anything unless they are assigned to a certain function. Also, if you click and hold one button, then click another, the second should override the first click.

3D MAX - GET RID OF THAT DAMN XZY COORDINATE SYSTEM AND MAKE IT X-Y-Z

No,please don't.
Just ADD the Y-up OPTION to the existing one, since the existing one is much more logical if you look at it from the right POV. Max does not have a XZY coordinate system right now, you are just reading it the wrong way ;o)



Bobo
VR Boboland
http://gfxcentral.com/bobo/

Maya4me, I'll be sure to pass that info on to the developers. There has been lots of discussion about the Y-Z up vector issue. Personally I think it should be a switchable option. Some people like how it is currently while others don't.

Incidentally though, when working in MAX you have several different coordinate systems to work with, all dynamically adjustable on the fly. For example, you can move an object based on View coordinates (relative to your viewport), World (Z up, sorry), Screen (Z depth), Parent Object's coordinates, Grid helper coodinates, Local (object transform) or you can even use the transform of another object. So there are options and theoretically if you want to work with Y being "up" all you have to do is add a dummy or point helper and set it's coordinates appropriately. From there it's just a matter of using those coordinates for manipulation.

Good grief no. Just switching from one to another would be a step back. Give the option to switch between them sure, but suddenly drop what you've been doing for years... that would be silly.

Me, I'm used to going between both, and hardly notice anymore. Frankly, for the most part, I rarely have to deal with it but in scripts/expressions.

The biggest thing for me would be a full set of sub-object hide/freeze tools. That can get annoying right now, especially since polyobject/meshtools have really improved the quality of the modeling experience and made for more complex meshes .

Something else would be an improvement to the named selection sets, maybe taking them into the style of D. Humphery

Another vote for the NLA mixer (

You've been able to do non-linear animation with MAX since version 3 through block controllers and more powerfully through Character Studio since version 2 with Motion Flow. I would expect over time to see both of these tools expanded to a higher level, at least to the level that Alias and Soft have implemented them.

Regarding your Wacom. THat's interesting. I reported a similar bug back in MAX 2.x that existed in 1.0 as well. I'd click the left-then right button (not letting go of left until right was pressed) I'd then let go of the left, then the right... poof, max would go away. Haven't seen that problem in 3.0 or 4 though... ;/ Hope you figure it out. Doesn't seem very common these days.

Brandon, I hope Discreet does some hard work in this area. I must admit that I haven't taken a good look at the block contollers (I got lost when I attempted to use them at first hehe ... but I will just to see how much work really needs to be done. I just haven't seen anything nearly as well polished as XSI or Mirai's NLA systems. (haven't honestly seen Maya's) It's kinda like max R3 introduced some nice rendering improvements on top of an existing renderer that did an 'ok' job for most stuff - I hope to see equally impressive improvements to the IK and animation system rather than Discreet saying 'good enuff' I'd like to see more speed in Skin rather than having to buy CS just to get 'optimized' and threaded code - the way it should be. (physique) *shakes head* heh.

Actually, afaik skin got multi-threaded, and highly optimized in r4.
With it's angle-dependant morphs, deformation-lattices, it's now a good concurrent of physique!

A wish: the ability to render ghosting in previews would be excellent. Just a buttonclick in the preview window.
Maybe it could be done somehow with the motion-blur multipass camera effect, but that would need some extra work.


Laszlo Sebo

I'd like to see a way to organize your wiring parameters and expressions into a global manager. Maybe use Schematic View to show you who is wired to what and allow you to view and edit the expressions. Perhaps a specially colored line with an expression node in the middle?

This is related to wiring, and may already be in the software, I just can't find where, if anyone knows, enlighten me... Please?

I'd like to be able to convert wiring into an expression controller so that I can use it in a list controller.

How about a PCloud that can fill a volume evenly, placing a particle ever N units in X, Y and Z space. The random distribution is fine for some things, but sometimes it is useful to make a predictable arrangement of particles. Also, you could make the particle count dependent on the volume of the emitter.

Ever use Realflow? They have exactly what I'm talking about in their FILL button.

Just as useful would be a way to fill a volume with vertices to make a sort of point cloud. Would make flex more useful, and would allow you to apply object modifiers o a volume. Especially cool with AB's Sticky Particles.

What do you think?

I want the ability to use an object as a atmospheric gizmo. I don't think it would be too hard to implement, and boy would it ever be useful.
Greg

....and then if that gizmo mesh could be used with the morpher....

1. How about the ability to open viewports for different frames? In other words, why can't I open a top view corresponding to frame 50 and other corresponding to frame 100? I do a lot of work that requires objects to be at certain places at certain frames, but the keyframes are set at later frames. It's a pain to adjust a KF at frame 100 to get an object in a certain place at frame 50, without being able to see what is happening at frame 50.

2. OBJECT COLLISION DETECTION. Not Dynamics, but just in the viewports.

3. Ability to open multiple projects/files at once.

Eric Twiste

@Eric:
1) How about go to frame 50 in the viewport and adjust your key(s) in the trackview?

My wishes:
- Layers. I don't know the previously mentioned plugin, but the concept I know from Rhino is quite good, same to the snap system.
- Shortkey for "Show result" in the Mod-stack (is this one in R4? Haven't used it yet), like using Tab.
- Project management including used plugin (useful for setting up netrender)
- And better NURBS...

Yu-Chung

a few suggestions:
- you can select hierarchies by a doubleclick - but not if you press CTRL to add to the selection. should be easy to implement.
- if you rotate (scale, move) a hierarchy with the children selected, all the objects and not only the parent should be rotated (scaled, moved?). works in maya and also in cstudio with the biped-fingers.
- a better rotate gizmo, so you don

Two things:

1. Better controls for painting weights for bones. The tool as it is now is clumsy at best and could definately use some improvements. The include and exclude functions are really tedious and hard to use. It should be more of a WYSIWYG style of painting weights, not this include/exclude crap.

2. I would definately like to see a true Non Linear Animation system similar to Mirai, SoftImage, and Maya. They are easy to use and would be a great help to most animators using MAX in my opinion.

Thanks for listening

-Carl

Integrate a Uzife Lasso esque selection into the core.

When assigning a controller via: motion > assign controller > path (etc), it would be nice to be able to just double click on the controller you want to change instead of having to hit the green Assign Controller button every time.

a few other details:
- a checkbox in the render dialog to turn raytracing on/off globally
- an extrusion axis gizmo for the extrude modifier
- should be possible to paste a copied modifier also when multiple objects are selected.
- an editable attenuation curve for lightsources (so their influence can start at a distance from the light for example)
- should be possible to manipulate a camera viewport the same way you do with any other viewport (CTRL / ALT / MMB should have the same meaning)

cheers,
gene

Dunno about 4, but in 3.1 you cant save UVW-modifier settings to reload in other scenes...I know this isn't ground breakin [censored], but it would be sweet...

Can't you just save out and then load a .uvw file?

First, let me say that I'm not a Max user, although it's on the list for consideration. One thing that would make the choice easier is if Max had something like the explorer window in XSI. Basically, a non-modal hierarchical view of all scene elements with filtering (not a Hypergraph!). It would also be nice if you could drag and drop as a means to group elements and change hierarchical relationships. For complex scenes with hundreds (if not thousands of elements) this, IMHO, is a very efficient way of getting around. Maya has the outliner, and there's a lower end app called Cinema4D that has a crude version of the XSI explorer (they call it the object manager).

I guess I'm curious if this type of interface element is useful to others, or perhaps it's more specific to the way I work. By the way, many high-end CAD/CAM packages work this way ...

Dan

Well, there's a schematic view which will give you hierarchical node access. What's a real shame is that it didn't come around until R3 and it's nowhere near as useful as the sub-$100 schematic view written by Cuneyt Ozdas. TrackView gives you a hierarchical view of the scene too, but in a windows explorer format. It's primary purpose is obviously parameter control access.

@TrackView gives you a hierarchical view of the scene too, but in a windows explorer format. It's primary purpose is obviously parameter control access.

sometimes the track view is a pain tho. because when you want to change multiple parameters quickly then it takes a while to open up each group, and find the exact parameter.

so perhaps beefing up the navigation method of the track view could help or adding some filters to it.

____________
-M-K-
ambient-whisper

first i think the trackview could be implemented into a extendable area (like the side panel) below the timeline. (where the keys are displayed) for the selected object, so you can control animation curves here.

quick method to change viewport layouts and create your own.

schematic view annoyingly mimicing hypergraph without the functionality.

first i think the trackview could be implemented into a extendable area (like the side panel) below the timeline. (where the keys are displayed) for the selected object, so you can control animation curves here.

Well the functionality to have multiple customized and filtered floating trackviews is there since R2. Also, since R3 you've been able to put Trackview in a viewport.

quick method to change viewport layouts and create your own.

Anything in particular you want to do outside of the available ones? In R4 you can adjust the size of each viewport by click-dragging on the borders.

schematic view annoyingly mimicing hypergraph without the functionality.

Well, like I said, for R2 there was a VERY nice and very functional schematic view available for under $100. Unfortunately Discreet made their own and never finished it.

"Well, there's a schematic view which will give you hierarchical node access. What's a real shame is that it didn't come around until R3 and it's nowhere near as useful as the sub-$100 schematic view written by Cuneyt Ozdas. TrackView gives you a hierarchical view of the scene too, but in a windows explorer format. It's primary purpose is obviously parameter control access."

Seems like a relatively painless way of implementing what I'm talking about is to improve on the schematic view Perhaps a menu option for switching to explorer mode - like track view with schematic view functionality. Of course bookmarks and filters and a instant pizza button would be cool too

i agree about the floating trackview option but it can get cluttered, and if i dock it into a viewport its a little irritating to get the original view back.
thats why being able to customise viewports into a menu or tab would be fab!
know of any
i remember having a predefined set of views for max 3 but i want to be able to define whats in the views so when i click one associated to say animation i get a two up one down setup with track view in the bottom and camera and perpective in the top 2??
the dragging borders rox
i guess what i meant about schematic view is that they need to finish it instead of getting people to buy another bit even though <100 is good.
thanks man!

With soft selection enabled, it would help to have a hotkey/mouse drag combo to interactivly
adjust the selection strength. Or maybe a left/rightclick-and drag combo. Lightwave has something
similar to this, I think, with its drag tool ( ? been a long time, not sure of this).

>>With soft selection enabled, it would help to have a hotkey/mouse drag combo to interactivly adjust the selection strength.<<

You are in luck! I have written a scripted manipulator that allows you to adjust the falloff value on the fly. The manipulator's size represents the falloff size.

Right now I only have it working for Editable Polys, but am hoping to get the bugs worked out for the e. mesh soon.

I will post the one I have working now at www.scriptspot.com.

i would very much appreciate a consistent way how tools are quit / finished.
if you look at editable mesh for example:
the createVertex-tool can be quit with the RMB, the slicePlaneTool cannot.
createFace-tool is quit by the MMB if you already picked a vertex. this is impractical since you could want to pan in the viewport with MMB to reach other vertices.
... and there are lots of other examples.

the ESC-button has no effect at ending tools, i think it should.

also, i find it annoying having to click RMB to end a tool before i can access the RMB-menu again.


and something different:
you can press RMB on any parameter and select the menuitem "Show in Track View". would be useful also for the transform-type-in.
i know, ALT-RMB-Track View Selected, but this would be a shortcut.

ok, thanks for listening
cheers
gene

Ok Brandon, this is a bug to pass on if you would I was on the beta program for R4, but my bugs were not being passed on to Discreet by my superior (who I understand has now got his company kicked off the program). Anyway....

Reflect/Refract maps
1. If you create a series of maps for use in a Reflect/Refract map, they generate incorrectly if you have an environment map. The entire scene renders as semi-transparent. A work around for this is to completely remove the map from the environment. Disabling the map will not do.
2. If you use a Reflect/Refract map as an environment map(something I used a great deal in the TV series I just completed work on) It will not load on the first freame of a render. This can be worked around by placing the map in the diffuse slot of a material, apply the material to an object in your scene (doesn't have to be visible, can be under the ground etc) and then instancing the map from the diffuse slot, into the env map slot.
3. Not a bug but a wishlist feature. The Reflect/Refract maps atmospheric range spinner has an upper limit of 10,000. This should be extended to the same limit as the camera's. (if you use the camera's range tick box, it does use the camera range correctly, however if its above 10,000 it will display as 10,000, confusing.......)

Anyway, great to see another board for Max, the more the merrier as far as I'm concerned


Chris T

On a similar line, It would be usefull to have the ability to limit volume lights to a volume. The atmospheric gizmo's are there and waiting. I've had problems a number of times in the past with a volumetric passing from one volume to another i.e through a window. At the momment the volumetric starts from the lightsource, and using near atenuation on the light is not feasable as the light needs to be perpendicular to the window, even more difficult is a cirular tunnel with windows etc.

Chris T

The schematic view is a definate must for improvement. My take on it would be to implement it fully and use it to display schematic views of scene info and materials. Most high end packages feature this system and boy is it usefull. The basics are there, it just needs implementing (just.... such a small word )


Chris T

Ok, three more wishes before I pop off to play some Black&White

1. The meshsmooth modifier built into the polyobject should have an option to execute at the top of the stack (not sure if this is possible) At the momment for a Sub-D character you have to turn it off, apply morphing modifiers and then apply a meshmooth modifier at the top of the stack.

2. Make all spinners accesible to wiring with a right click. As far as I remember the material editors spinners dont work as do a few others such as the tape measure dummies display.

3. Soft selection visibility should be made consistant across all areas (I believe it works an almost everything in max now, but does not display on some things)

Chris T

Looks like the combustion didn't get any attention...how about Pheonix fire built in? (I don't ask for much do I?)
Also, is there a way to adjust the pivot on a grouped selection with an FFD applied ( a subselection of the grouped objects pivot) And to be able to adjust the falloff? I know there are other ways to do this without an FFD, but they would make my like harder at the moment.

hi brandon, could you please give us some feedback again?
You replied to some posts and seemed to ignore others (mines for example... ; P )
Don

I'm sorry, what did I miss?

guess you didn