Tweaker | ScriptSpot

Tweaker

By colinsenner · 2010-07-23

Version: .10
Version requirement: 3ds Max 2008+
Other software required: None
Date updated: 2010-07-28
Votes: 33
Homepage: http://www.colinsenner.com
Download: Download

Description

Download tweaker on my website: http://www.colinsenner.com (click "Scripts" at the top)

Changelog from version .08:
- Now includes support for tweaking any property controller applied to an object
- Includes support for tweaking the sun/sky system hours and days, to select the entire assembly you need to use the "Pick List" button.
- Includes minor UI tweaks, like the ability to not display all of the images after the renders are done, thanks for the suggestion Br0t.

Here is a short video showing how it works:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0DnNKhvsZJc

It's called Tweaker. It allows you to tweak almost any property on an object, an object's material, an object's modifiers, any map, and renderer settings and it will render out a sequence of images for the settings you choose.

For instance, I have a 3d ZBrush head that I'm finishing up and I just can't nail down the glossiness value for good looking skin. Load up tweaker, select "Pick Object" and select the head. Under the "Material Properties" select the VRaySSS2 material's "specular_glossiness". Set the spinner "From" to maybe like .3, and "To" to .9 and by ".05" and hit render, select the directory to save the images to and check them out when they're done!

Ok, ok, now let's say I have a HDRI map that's lighting my scene and I want to find the best horizontal rotation for a shot. Easy. Run Tweaker, click "Pick Map" and select the HDRI that is lighting your scene. Double click on "Horizontal_Rotation" (or whatever it's called) and set from to 0, and to to 360, and by 25. And you'll get renders every 25 degress of the HDRI.

The script is located on my site under the top heading "Scripts", I would post it here, but it'll be too hard to maintain the most current version on multiple sites. Use it and enjoy it, let me know your experiences with it. Features: - All frames are frame stamped with the corresponding changing value and the current value of it - All filenames are saved with the corresponding changing value and the value it is set to in the render - Allows you to edit almost any property and displays the result (modifiers, materials, render settings, etc)

Videos

Comments (10)

jsrocha · 2010-09-22

Hi Colin, thanks for the script, a very good one :) i have two suggestions, if you have time to do it: make it accept crop/region render. It will be nice to test materials and shaders. The other one is to render the images with backburner, in a render farm. I don´t know if my suggestions are technically possible, cause i don´t know maxscript, but here they are anyway.
Cheers,

Jsrocha - Brasil

br0t · 2010-09-06

Hi Colin,

if you find the time, would it be possible to add an option for rendering a sequence (e.g. frame 20 to frame 60) with the same settings, then automatically render the same sequence with the tweaked settings and so on? This way I could do short renders of animations and see which settings work best e.g. in terms of reducing flickering. Would be super useful, as doing this stuff manually means so much waiting and so less doing something useful - perfect for overnight rendering.

Greets

colinsenner · 2010-09-13

Absolutely br0t, I'll add this feature in when I get around to it soon.

Anubis · 2010-08-05

I hit a lot of errors from a few quick tests. It w'd become a nice tool after handling in depth. Cheers, anyway!

colinsenner · 2010-08-05

Hey Anubis, good seeing you again.

Can you give me some info so I can replicate the errors?

What max version, renderer, anything else specific?

I've had absolutely no problems with it at all, I can't even get it to error if I wanted to.

Some errors might be just from user error, for instance.

If you are using VRay and are changing some strange value like the Antialiaser-type and assign it to anything besides 1, 2, or 3, it will spit a nasty error on the renderer. The script enables you to set things to values they aren't allowed to be set to by the GUI, so you have to be a bit careful. I added a value type label so you know that what value the parameter expects (float, integer, color, true/false boolean, etc). That should help guide users to know what appropriate values are.

Let me know so I can look into it and fix it. Anyone else have problems with it?

-Colin

Anubis · 2010-08-06

Hi Colin,

I'm on Max 2009 and test the script with Max's materials like Standard, Blend and so on. It's hardly ever a version issues.
I wrote some notes to a script file with hoppe they're useful.

I see a lot of possible arrays for improvements in this script, and am sure you'll go ahead without wish-list and suggestions, but to not sounds so mysterious I'll tag one idea. So, what if the user double click on material property in the list that expect texture map and if (1): there no map assigned to ask him with querybox to assign a map to it, and if (else) (2): already has map assigned to ask him did he want access to theis map properties and if he confirm to diplay them in the list.

Best Regards,
Anubis

Attachments

tweaker_notes.ms — tweaker_notes.ms5.5 KB

colinsenner · 2010-07-28

Br0t,
Thanks everyone for your comments. Br0t, I will add that functionality today or tomorrow as well. As extending the scrit to work with controllers applied to objects (so you can tweak the sun/sky system for finding te perfect time of day etc.)
Ill post the update here soon. This scrit is really really fun. It's my new favorite.
Br0t, I only have a sense of what people need because I know what I need and I'm constantly in max refining my skills and figuring out how to make my life easier and releasing it to the public.

Be well,
Colin

br0t · 2010-07-28

You seem to have a keen sense for what people need. I thought about writing something like this for some vray properties (like DMC sampling stuff), because I thought it would be great to just set max to render a series of images so I can go for lunch and later pick the best/efficient one.
And now your script does it all and even much more, great job ;)

Without having tested it now: It seems (in the video) that when you are rendering, every rendered image is opened separately in 3ds Max, so you have to kill all those windows afterwards. Maybe you could add a little checkbox in your script that says "Do not show rendered images in 3ds Max" or so (adding a "vfb: false"-property to the render command). So you don't have to do so much manual work *cough* :)

asymptote · 2010-07-25

Brilliant Idea, fine tuning renders can be tedious...
This is so cool...I can't put it down :)

thanks

Nafetsu · 2010-07-24

WOW !
Great idea, and it seems working very well !
I'm sure it would be very very useful to me, so thanks a lot !