Efficiency is very important to me. To aid in efficiency, I’ve learned to create tools in Maxscript, Javascript, Python, and Unreal Blueprints.

Maxscripts

Spline Selector

This tool can select edges between two faces that are within a range of define angles. It can exclude edges of a certain length to ensure aisles are not selected.

Seat Placer

This tool can place seats along splines pulled from a structure. It can place straight or curved sections. It can place unique seats on the aisles. It can also place seats to exactly match a manifest.

Face Angle Selector

This tool can select faces based on their orientation in world space.

Edge Unifier

This tool can join and weld two edges based on the intersection point of their faces. This tool can easily be bound to a macro to speed up modeling.

Object Aligner

This tool can space a selection of objects between two points. It can average their positions and rotations. Alternatively, it can align the objects based on the vector between the two points. It can also exclude any axis.

Curtain Maker

This tool can extrude a dynamically generated curtain from a spline. You can customize the height and turbulence. It can also flatten out the top if the curtain needs to run in a track.

mod_instance_fixer.jpg
 

Modifier Instance Fixer

Sometimes modifiers get applied as separate instances from objects. This can cause problems and sometimes even crash 3DS Max. This tool can fix or break modifier instances so they match the instances of objects.

Metadata Scrubber

Sometimes old data can get stuck in the metadata of 3DS max. This can cause missing asset messages and other errors. This tool goes through the metadata, finds all assets that are not being used by the file, and removes them.

 
 

Object Replacer

This tool can replace a selection of objects with another specified object. It can match the name, wireframe color, material, position, rotation, or scale of either the original object or the replaced object. It can also delete the replaced object.

Object Lister

This tool can take a list of objects in the scene and rename them based on a list. It’s kind of a mass find and replace function.

 

Unreal Blueprints

Overhead Render Rig

This tool can automatically animate a camera over a section, ensuring all the seats fit in the view. The camera positions can be adjusted if needed. The tool can preview the seat locations, render images, and generate coordinates for all the seats.