Making a single modifier in the stack unique

[Terri Brown]

Hi all,

 

Ok this question makes me feel a bit daft as I'm sure it is so simple, but in the 10 years or so that I've been using Max i've never found a solution (this is where you ask why on earth i haven't posted earlier). So, here it is:

 

As a basic eg, I have two boxes as instances of each other, onto which I then apply a bend and a twist modifier to them (which are obviously also instanced). Duh. Ok, so now what if I want to keep the boxes' basic parameters instanced (like height, segments etc), and also the bend, but want to make ONLY the twist modifier unique to add some variation??? Is this possible? Because whenever I have tried my entire stack un'bolds' and the whole object is made unique.

 

I know this must be very obvious but I can't for the life of me figure it out...or find the answer online.

 

Please help me before I do something drastic.

[Peter M. Gruhn]

You want references, not instances. In the stack a heavy line shows up. Stuff below the line is shared, stuff above the line is unique.

[salvador]

Not quite sure about this but maybe if you add an EditPoly modifier to one of the boxes if you add the Bend mdifier to one the the boxes in element sub-object, I think it will not be reflected to the other one.

 

Like I said, not quite sure.

[Terri Brown]

Yes I've thought about that thanks Peter, but what happens if I originally wanted them all as instances, and only later decide I'd prefer them as references? There's no way to revert without doing it over from scratch? The MAX geniuses must have countered this surely?

[Peter M. Gruhn]

Soulburn has a replace script that I would think/hope has a "reference" option. If you don't have the Soulburn yet, you should change that anyway.

[Peter M. Gruhn]

Now, if you have an existing deep stack... Hm... Enh, shouldn't be a problem. I can't check it out now. Try the replacer and see what it does with the stack.