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Copying Rotation and Position Controllers Using MAXScript

Summary: This document outlines the process of copying controllers from object to object using MAXScript.

Product(s)	Release(s)	Platform(s)
3D Studio MAX (TM)	2.x	Win95, WinNT
3D Studio VIZ	2.0	Win95, WinNT
Audience:	For Public Distribution - Global
Keywords:	MAXSCRIPT ROTATION CONTROLLER 5490
Related documents:		TD805498
Document: US-XT-TD805490.DOC	Revision: A
Creation date: October 13, 1998	Last revised: December 11, 1998	Expires: January 31, 2000

The tips, tricks, examples and suggestions outlined in Autodesk Product Support technical documents are suggested for use at your own risk. Document contents are subject to change without notice. Autodesk is not responsible or liable for any damage or events that occur as a result of following suggestions from any Autodesk Product Support technical document.
© 1998 Autodesk. Autodesk and the Autodesk logo are registered trademarks of Autodesk Inc. All other brand names, product names or trademarks belong to their respective holders.

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Note: This document addresses copying controllers, and does not discuss MAXScript language in general. For more information on controllers, refer to the MAXScript Reference under the Help menu in 3D Studio MAX. Also, Technical Document 5498 - Copying controllers between linked hierarchies offers more detailed examples of copying controllers.

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Note: This script will reset your scene by default. Save any previous work before continuing.

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1. From the Utilities panel, press the MAXScript button.

2. Push the New Script button from the MAXScript rollout.

3. Copy and paste the following text into the new MAXScript window:

--create objects
reset MaxFile #noPrompt
t = teapot handle:false position: [-100,75,0]
t.rotation.controller = Euler_XYZ ()
b = box length:3 width:75 height:5
animate on
    (
    at time 50 (t.pos.x = 0; rotate t 90 z_axis)
    at time 100 (t.pos.x = 100; rotate t 90 z_axis)
    )

4. In the Script window, save the new Script as ‘Simple Rotation.MS.’

5. Make sure that the title bar of the new script is active (blue, not gray), then select all the text.

6. Press and hold the <Shift> key, while pressing <Enter>. This will evaluate the highlighted code.

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Tip: Evaluation will run the entire script. To evaluate one line of the script at a time, place the cursor at the end of that line and hold the <Shift> key while pressing <Enter>. To evaluate multiple lines, highlight the lines and press and hold <Shift> while pressing <Enter>.

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7. Press the play button. You see a rotating teapot passing behind a stationary bar. First we will clone the bar, then copy the rotation of the teapot to the clone, and the XYZ translation of the teapot to the original bar.

8. Copy and paste the following text into the script, after the existing lines, then evaluate the new lines of code:

-- Copy first box
b2 = copy b position: [0,0,25]

9. This creates another stationary bar, floating above the first bar. This is an example of copying geometry, as opposed to movement. It is the same as shift-cloning the bar (pressing <Shift> while transforming the first box). Here we are using the copy method, but the instance method can also be used when cloning objects.

10. Now copy and paste the following text into the script, after the existing lines, then evaluate the new lines of code:

-- Copy teapot’s position controller to first box
b.position.controller = copy t.position.controller

The first bar snaps to the same position as the teapot, and follows the teapot’s movement exactly. This is the same as the Track View operation of copying the teapot’s position controller and pasting it over the first bar position controller. Notice that copying controllers looks the same as copying objects. You can also instance controllers, using the following syntax:

b.position.controller = a.position.controller