CP The 30,000-Foot View of Autodesk® 3ds Max® Customization and Plug-in Development Kevin Vandecar Principal Developer Consulting Engineer – M&E Sparks Autodesk Developer Network © 2011 Autodesk

bio: Kevin Vandecar Autodesk for over 18 years  all customization related  Experience with AutoCAD, AutoCAD Architecture, 3d Studio (DOS), Autodesk Revit  Last five years as Software Engineer on AutoCAD Architecture API and Revit API  now focusing on 3ds Max customization in ADN Sparks team  Based in Manchester, New Hampshire, US 

© 2011 Autodesk Autodesk Developer Network  Access to almost all Autodesk software and SDK’s  Includes early access to beta software  Members-only website with thousands of technical articles  Unlimited technical support  Product direction through conferences  Marketing benefits  Exposure on autodesk.com  Promotional opportunities  One to three free API training classes  Based on user level

© 2011 Autodesk 3ds Max - Introduction to Customization  Presentation Goal  Discuss What, Why, and How for each “type” of customization  Covering these:  General User Interface Customizations  MAXScript .NET API  C++ MAX SDK

© 2011 Autodesk Customize User Interface  Why make UI customization?  Make your most common tasks more accessible, making you more productive  Improve efficiency of your Designers or Artists  If you are developing plug-ins, you can place it where you want in the UI

© 2011 Autodesk Customize User Interface  How to do it?  user commands in the User Interface  MAXscript  SDK plug-ins

© 2011 Autodesk Customize User Interface  What can you Customize in the User Interface?  Keyboard  Toolbars  Quad menus  Regular menus  Colors  Ribbon

© 2011 Autodesk Customize User Interface  All can be managed via “UI” file set  Save/Load  Text based sub-files for each type  Can also be implemented from your plugin:  MAXScript  3ds Max SDK (.NET or C++)

© 2011 Autodesk Customize User Interface  Resources for further information:  3ds Max help: “Customizing the User Interface”  Book: 3ds Max (2011) Bible: “Chapter 4, Customizing the Max Interface and Setting Preferences” (newer edition available)  ADN DevTech in conjunction with plugin

© 2011 Autodesk MAXScript  What is MAXScript?  The 3ds Max scripting language  Simpler and easier to use than C++  Interpreted “scripting” language  Use to “drive” 3ds Max  Not to be confused with SDK plug-in development  Proprietary/Specific to 3ds Max

© 2011 Autodesk MAXScript  Why use MAXScript?  Customize the user interface  Automate repetitive tasks  Provide “algorithmic” traits to geometry/animation  Quick and easy, no compilation required

© 2011 Autodesk MAXScript - Functionality  Almost “anything” 3ds Max does, MAXScript can automate!  Including, but not limited to: User interface Geometry Cameras Lights Helpers Particles Modifiers Animation Controllers Trackview Renderer Materials Batch process files Batch process objects Import/Export

© 2011 Autodesk MAXScript  How to use MAXScript  MAXScript is built-in  Listener and Editor windows  Text based storage  Auto-Loading and Running capabilities

© 2011 Autodesk MAXScript  Resources for further information:  MAXScript docs and samples included with 3ds Max  Books:  3ds Max (2011) Bible: “Chapter 49, Automating with MAXScript” (newer addition available)  3ds Max MAXScript Essentials  Web resources  ADN DevTech

© 2011 Autodesk 3ds Max.NET API  What is MAX.NET API?  Managed 3ds Max API assemblies  Current state:  In product has UI specific utilities  Subscription Advantage Pack introduces full 1 to 1 wrappers to match the C++ SDK  Can use managed languages like: C#, VB.NET, C++/CLI (managed C++)

© 2011 Autodesk 3ds Max.NET API  Why use MAX.NET API?  Sophisticated managed UI capabilities  access to Max’s UI,  Microsoft’s WPF/XAML and associated design tools  Interfacing with other.NET API components  At the moment, it has the least amount of exposure into Max internals, but with Subscription Advantage Pack there is much more!

© 2011 Autodesk 3ds Max.NET API  What is the 3ds Max.NET API? - It’s a bit complicated…  Initially introduced a.NET API UI component in 3ds Max 2008  Enhanced.NET API comes in subscription advantage pack  Provided as a set of assemblies that you consume to program 3ds Max.

© 2011 Autodesk 3ds Max.NET API  How to use MAX.NET API  Install MAX SDK  Choose a managed language and IDE  Visual C#  Visual Basic.NET  Visual C++/CLI  Reference assemblies

© 2011 Autodesk 3ds Max.NET API  Resources for further information:  MAX SDK documentation  ADN DevTech

© 2011 Autodesk 3ds Max SDK  What is MAX SDK?  Used for plug-in development  Object Oriented, Set of C++ libraries  Requires knowledge of C++ (but… has a long history and many resources available)

© 2011 Autodesk 3ds Max SDK  Why use MAX SDK?  Functionality for nearly everything  Flexible  Modify or Change existing behaviors  Provide new functionality  Many samples

© 2011 Autodesk 3ds Max SDK  Why use MAX SDK?  Commercial Plug-ins for resale  Pure compiled language and associated binaries  Performance  Internal use for task automation, proprietary internal features, etc.  Sophisticated functionality for your pipeline  Performance

© 2011 Autodesk 3ds Max SDK - Functionality  The most robust and flexible access to 3ds Max!  The following is a list of the most important plug-in types: 3D Texture Map Animation Controllers Atmospheric Bitmap Texture Camera Object Color Selection Compound Objects Crowd Behavior File Export File Import Geometric Objects Global Utility Hardware Shaders Image Filters Image Import/Export Image Viewers IK Solver Helper Objects Light Objects Linear Shape Object Manipulator Objects Material Plug-in MAXScript Extensions Modifier Multi-pass Camera Effects Particle Objects Patch Objects Radiosity Effect Renderer Rendering Effects Render Elements Sampler Shader Shape Objects Snaps Sound Spline Objects Spring Systems Texture Map Track View Utility Utility World Space Modifier

© 2011 Autodesk 3ds Max SDK  How to use MAX SDK?  Install from 3ds Max media. Both win32 and x64 supported  Visual C (Visual Studio 2008) Visual C (Visual Studio 2008)  Service Pack 1 with the July 28, 2009 security patch installed.  Either VS2008 or VS2010 IDEs will work (but for VS2010 must use VC90 toolset)  Samples projects for 3ds Max 2012 are in VS 2010 format  Plugin Wizard  Many samples provided  Including many built-in features

© 2011 Autodesk 3ds Max SDK  Resources for further information:  Docs included with MAX SDK  Web resources  ADN DevTech

© 2011 Autodesk 3ds Max - Intro to Customization Summary  UI Customization  Easy and low investment of time/money  Easy in-house standards/customization  May be needed for plugin exposure, toolset, etc.  MAXScript  Easy to get started and low investment of time/money  Powerful  Proprietary

© 2011 Autodesk 3ds Max - Intro to Customization Summary .NET API  Initially useful for UI or consumption of other.NET Framework functionality  Currently, with SAP, full managed wrappers matching C++ SDK  MAX SDK  Requires serious programming skills  The most powerful and flexible customization capabilities  Consider for commercial or complex functionality

© 2011 Autodesk Web Resources for 3ds Max Customization  Autodesk AREA     

© 2011 Autodesk Additional Resources for 3ds Max Customization   Autodesk Developer Network – Sparks program  Annual subscription  Get access to almost all the software for development purposes  Technical and Marketing support  Direct technical support via DevHelp online  Trainings and Mentoring 

© 2011 Autodesk Autodesk University Session Feedback  Your feedback is very important to Autodesk! You can complete the session survey on your mobile device, PC, or at a survey station. Each completed session survey enters you in that day’s drawing for a free AU 2012 pass. You can help make AU 2012 better! Complete the AU Conference Survey at a survey station and receive an AU 2011 T-Shirt.

© 2011 Autodesk Questions?  Feel free to contact me later