Hide and unhide all bones and helpers before Rendering

By Script_Butler · 2011-06-09

Version: 1.0
Version requirement: All
Other software required: None
Date updated: 2011-06-09
Votes: 13

Description

Hi all.

These are my first scripts and are rediculously simple and obvious, but should be quite handy, if like me, on the odd occasion due to tight deadlines and final renders having to be sent, you forget to turn off the bone objects of your character studio bipeds and they render in the scene. A re-render is required and there's no time left.....doh!

Here begins my MaxScripting journey.....wish me luck!

Additional Info

How to use:

1. Download the two scripts and save them on to your machine anywhere you like, just remember where they are!

2. In the render dialog box, Scripts roll-out, in Pre-Render click on the file button and choose the Hide all Bones.ms.

3. If you want the bones to be turned back of after the rendering has finished, click on the Post-Render File Button and load in the Unhide all Bones.ms.

Now you don't have to worry about forgetting to turn them off before rendering!

Enjoy and let me know if they are handy for you.

Attachments

hide_all_bones.ms — hide_all_bones.ms105 B
unhide_all_bones.ms — unhide_all_bones.ms109 B

Comments (5)

tassel · 2011-06-09

Here is a start to make it a littlebit more userfriendly :o)



	--Destroy the dialog if it is already open 
	try(destroyDialog roll_SB_Tools)catch()
	
	-- Create a rollout
rollout roll_SB_Tools "SB Tools V1.0"
	(
		-- UI STUFF
		group "Hide / Unhide (Bones And Helpers)"
		(
			button btn_SBHide "..:: HIDE ::.." width:85 height:24 align:#left tooltip:"Hide bones and helpers" across:2
			button btn_SBUnhide "..:: UNHIDE ::.." width:85 height:24 align:#right tooltip:"UN-Hide bones and helpers"
		)
		
		HyperLink hl_homepage "..:: MY SCRIPTS ::.." address:"http://www.scriptspot.com/users/script-butler/" color:(color 255 255 255) hovercolor:(color 111 111 111) visitedcolor:(color 255 255 255) height:22 align:#center
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-- GROUP "Hide / Unhide (bones and helpers)"
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
		on btn_SBHide pressed do
		(
			hideByCategory.bones = true
			hideByCategory.helpers = true
		)
		
		on btn_SBUnhide pressed do
		(
			hideByCategory.bones = false
			hideByCategory.helpers = false
		)
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
		
	) -- End of script

	--Create the dialog and stuff
	createDialog roll_SB_Tools width:200 height:75

Thanks tassel

Script_Butler · 2011-06-10

I messed around with having a rollout with buttons and initially had a version with. But after some thought and tests I didn't want a window to popup each time that has to have a button pressed to make rendering work. Also I wasn't sure what would happen on a network render farm if a popup had to be negotiated. I need to test that.

I literally wanted a script that you could add in to run before render time that you didn't have to worry about ever again! Hence the simplicity of it.

But thank-you for putting in some time to improve it. I will take this and hopefully it will grow into something for more people.

Tassel

Script_Butler · 2011-06-13

Hi Tassel,

Thanks again for the input. I've finally run your version and seeing the script there really helped me understand a bit more about scripting. I perticularly like the link to my Scriptspot page!

Can you email PM me? I'd like to ask you a question regarding this script at rendertime.

I can't find any contact details for you on here or on your website.

br0t · 2011-06-09

You should write a script that adds your script to the pre render slot ;)! I had a similar problem once with spline controls of a facial rig, forgot them and the whole thing rendered...argh... but hiding all splines wont do so much good either. Cheers

Good idea Br0t!

Script_Butler · 2011-06-10

Perhaps my script will evolve in to something that will run at render time and you can choose various things you want to hide on or off before rendering!

My knowledge of Maxscript is pretty much non existent so it will take me ages and I bet someone else will be able to write it in 5minutes! Lol.

Definitely something I will try though as a good start to learn Maxscript!