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"Select by Name" Frustrations... ARGHHHH!!


Michael J. Brown
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Max 2008 has a new interface for the "Select by Name" dialog that is driving me absolutely INSANE!!! I'm sure I'm not alone in my delirium. Unless, that is, I'm the only clown left who hasn't found how to collapse all those (needless) object display trees and whatnot.

 

This dialog use to be so simple to use in Max9. Now they've gummed it all up with endless geneologies of every object, sub-ojbect and distant cousin related to said object. I know about the "Display" buttons near the top of the dialog for narrowing down the search fields. And I know about disabling the "Children" option under the Display pulldown. But even after having done this, it seems there is much more information being displayed than what is necessary (for architectural visualization purposes, that is).

 

It takes me intirely too long to sift and scroll through the mile-long list of scene objects to find what i'm looking for. And don't let me need to select multiple objects that aren't next to each other on the list...ARGHHHH:mad:

 

I'm only using Max2008 here at work. But as far as upgrading to it for my home office...THIS IS A DEAL BREAKER. :mad: :mad:

 

Has anybody found a way to make this dialog simplify the display of scene objects to the break-down Max9 gives?

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We were irritated by this change also, and after searching we found this fix:

 

To put it back to the old dialog, open your currentdefaults.ini, and change this line: SelectByNameUsesSceneExplorer=0

 

It’s set to 1, just change it to 0 and save.

 

The ini is located here:

 

C:\Documents and Settings\username\Local Settings\Application Data\Autodesk\3dsmax\2008 - 64bit\enu\defaults\MAX

 

 

I wish I could credit the source, but I forgot where we found the answer.

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;)

I agree: the "Select by Name" dialog now sucks.

I'm using the "Selection Floater", it's identical to the old "Select by Name".

 

 

caffa, you are 'the man'. This makes everything bearable once again.

 

Thanks, also, CRD. I may try your solution also. But now that I've found the "Selection Floater" and added it's button to my interface I think i'm good to go.

 

THANKS!!

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We were irritated by this change also, and after searching we found this fix:

 

To put it back to the old dialog, open your currentdefaults.ini, and change this line: SelectByNameUsesSceneExplorer=0

 

It’s set to 1, just change it to 0 and save.

 

The ini is located here:

 

C:\Documents and Settings\username\Local Settings\Application Data\Autodesk\3dsmax\2008 - 64bit\enu\defaults\MAX

 

 

I wish I could credit the source, but I forgot where we found the answer.

 

Thanks Colin, it's a brilliant and definitive solution for me

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We were irritated by this change also, and after searching we found this fix:

 

To put it back to the old dialog, open your currentdefaults.ini, and change this line: SelectByNameUsesSceneExplorer=0

 

It’s set to 1, just change it to 0 and save.

 

The ini is located here:

 

C:\Documents and Settings\username\Local Settings\Application Data\Autodesk\3dsmax\2008 - 64bit\enu\defaults\MAX

 

 

I wish I could credit the source, but I forgot where we found the answer.

 

 

Yeah, this one's a keeper. I decided to just delete the extra "Selection Floater" button I had created and go with this .ini mod.

 

Thanks Colin.

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I dont know I kind of like it, I got rid of all the extra columns and defaulted it to not show sub tree. I do find the colours difficult to read though.

 

I use the layer manager more than select by name wich makes scene exploration much easier.

 

The Select similat is fantastic, just select one object, hit ctrl Q and the the relevant objects are selected.

 

JHV

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yeah the new dialogue takes 5 minutes or much more to open depending on how many objects you have in the scene.

One of the latest projects had 25.5 million polys, and if you hit the new select by name button, it takes many many hours. once you hit it you will have to stop max using the task bar end "process" and restart max, and reopen that giant file.

I was so happy to have found the old selection tool when I searched for a solution online...

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One of the latest projects had 25.5 million polys...

 

 

WHOA!!!

 

25.5 million polys? What kind of setup are you running to even handle all of that? the most I've ever had at one time is about 3.5 million. Of course, my models have been all restricted to several rooms within a singular building - versus say, an entire campus of buildings or the like.

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Ay, select by name in the new 2008 is a complete pain.

 

I have another problem though, I found the solution in the Max help files that is listed below, and I have changed the CustomDefaults.ini file as suggested to..

Select ByNameUsesSceneExplorer=0

 

but it still doesn't bring back the old Selection Floater. !!!!!!!!!!!

 

Anyone have any ideas as to why.

 

The only differences I can see to the solution below is that I'm using 32bit v2008 and I've installed to my D drive rather than my C drive, hence putting my CustomDefaults.ini file in a subfolder of Max 2008 rather than in Documents and Settings. I'm looking all over my C drive too but can't find any other CustomDefaults.ini

 

 

Autodesk drive me round the .?£%>? bend, on a regular basis.!!!!

 

Tony

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...The only differences I can see to the solution below is that I'm using 32bit v2008...

 

 

I'm running the 32-bit version too, and this fix has worked fine for me.

 

 

...and I've installed to my D drive rather than my C drive, hence putting my CustomDefaults.ini file in a subfolder of Max 2008 rather than in Documents and Settings...

 

It sounds to me like you may not have changed the .ini file that Max is pulling from. Try doing a search for all "currentdefaults.ini" files on both your C: and D: drives. Then just make that change to all of them.

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Have found the necessary ini file and amended it.

 

I have the selection floater back now.

 

One other note, don't know if anyone has noticed this or whther its just the file I'm working on, but the rename objects utility seems to take forever to work.

I'm renaming just short of 200 objects, and its taking about ten times longer than Max 8 , (we never used Max 9 in here), in fact its still going, as long as its taken me to open my explorer, log into CG architect site and type and post this e-mail. !!!

 

this is crap.! Just finished

 

193 objects renamed, at least 6 minutes.!!!!

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