Time Values

Values and Collections - Quick Navigation

The Time class implements animation time in MAXScript.

Time values reflect the properties of animation time in 3ds Max.

Resolution is in ticks, with 4800 ticks per second.

You can work with time as ticks, frames, h.m.s, or normalized time.

You can intermix numbers and time values in time computations defined below.

The rule is that numbers are always interpreted as frame counts, with floating point numbers specifying fractional frames.

The numbers are always converted to tick-based time values internally and so have an ultimate resolution of 4800 ticks per second.

You can do time arithmetic and comparisons using numbers as well as time values and convert between time and (frame) numbers using the as operator. See also Time Literals.

Literals

[-]{<decimal_number>[m | s | f | t]}+

minutes/sec/frames/ticks

[-]{<digit>}:{<digit>}[.{<digit>}]

SMPTE mins:secs.frame

[-]<decimal_number>n

Active segment normalized time

Example Literals

2.5s -- 2.5 seconds
1m15s -- 1 minute 15 seconds
2m30s5f2t -- 2 minutes 30 seconds 5 frames 2 ticks
125f -- 125 frames
17.25f -- 17.25 frames
1f20t -- 1 frame 20 ticks
2:10.0 -- 2 minutes 10 seconds 0 frames (SMPTE)
0:0.29 -- 29 frames (SMPTE)

Constructor

normTime <float>

Time from normal fraction based on the current scene animation range:

FOR EXAMPLE

animationRange --check out the current animation range:
(interval 0f 100f)
theHalfTime = normTime 0.5 --get the middle of the range:
50f
animationRange = interval 42f 1024f --set new scene range:
(interval 42f 1024f)
theHalfTime = normTime 0.5 --get the middle of the new range:
533f
theTenth = normTime 0.1 --get the frame at 1/10 of the range:
140.2f

Properties

<time>.ticks

Time as ticks.

<time>.frame

Time as frames.

<time>.normalized

Time as normalized fraction of active segment (scene animation range):

FOR EXAMPLE

animationRange --check out the current animation range:
(interval 0f 100f)
theHalfTime = 50f --the middle of the range:
50f
normalizedTime = theHalfTime.normalized --the normalized time:
0.5

This is the inverse of the normTime constructor described earlier.

Operators

<time> + <time>

Time values addition.

<time> - <time>

Time values subtraction.

- <time>

Invert time value

<time> * <number>
<time> / <number>

Scale time

<time> == <time>

Compare time values for equality. Returns true if the two time values are equal, false if they are not.

FOR EXAMPLE

if sliderTime == 42f then "It is time!" else "Not yet!"

<time> != <time>

Compare time values for non-equality. Returns true if the two time values are not equal, false if they are equal.

<time> > <time>

Returns true if the first time value is greater than the second time value, false if it is less or equal to the second time value.

<time> >= <time>

Returns true if the first time value is greater or equal to the second time value, false if it is less than the second time value.

<time> < <time>

Returns true if the first time value is less than the second time value, false if it is greater than or equal to the second time value.

<time> <= <time>

Returns true if the first time value is less than or equal to the second time value, false if it is greater than the second time value.

<time> as <class>

You can coerce a time value to an Integer or Float number - you get the time in ticks:

EXAMPLE

sliderTime = 35
35
currentTime
35f
currentTime as integer
5600
currentTime as float
5600.0
(currentTime as integer)/TicksPerFrame
35
(currentTime as float)/TicksPerFrame
35.0

NOTE:

To coerce a Time Value to Frames integer, you can use the .frame property documented above:

currentTime
35f
currentTime as integer
5600
currentTime.frame
35

Methods

random <time> <time>

Generates a random time value in the range defined by the two time values.

FOR EXAMPLE

random 10f 100f

POSSIBLE OUTPUT VALUES:

70.9813f
78.175f
59.225f
...

NOTE:

To generate full frame random values, use Integers instead of Time Values instead. Integers are always assumed to represent full frames when used in place of Time Values.

random 10 100

abs <time>

Returns the absolute value of the time value.

FOR EXAMPLE

theTime = -100f
-100f
abs theTime
100f

Some of the examples above refer to system global variables. See 3ds Max System Globals for more details.