Documentation Updates after 3ds Max 7 Release

New Topics:

Added new topic documenting the properties, methods, events and usage of the TabStrip ActiveX Controls used to create tabs for switching UI pages.

Added new topic (shared with the SDK documentation) describing the general differences between plug-in development using MAXScript and the SDK.

Previously Undocumented Features:

Added missing documentation for the filterAnim event handler in the Scripted TrackViewUtility Plug-ins topic.The feature has been available since 3ds Max 5.

The new 3ds Max 7 method getCurrentException() was documented butnot included in the MAXScript Language Improvements in 3ds Max 7 topic or the Index keywords list. Now it is.

Documentation Fixes

Fixed the documentation of setFilter() and clearFilter() methods in the Interface: trackviews topic. setFilter() was missing the TrackviewName parameter, clearFilters() is now pointing at the list of possible flag names.

Fixed the documentation of the units structure in the 3ds Max SystemGlobals-U topic. The location of the System Units Setup controls changed a couple of versions ago; thepossible values listof units.CustomUnits was missing.

Fixed the documentation of the meshop.defaultMapFaces method in Meshop General Mapping Methods. The previous definition listed a 3 ^rd argument,<Integer count>, but the method requires only 2 arguments.

Updated the documentation of Interface: ParamCollectorOps and added some examples.

Fixed the description of the getVertSelection() method in the Mesh Vertex Methods topic. Previously, the documentation claimed that when no modifier is specified, the selection is taken from the base object. In fact, the selection is taken from top of the stack.

Completely rewrote the documentation of Interface: renderpresets, which contained incorrect information. Added more examples and notes.

Commented the interface methods of RayMeshGridIntersect : ReferenceTarget.

Added a note to the Editable_Mesh : GeometryClass and TriMesh : Value topicr egarding a known bug and temporary workaround for creating a mesh with a tverts array of mapping coordinates.

Added a note to the Script Controllers topic regarding trying to assign a script string as construction parameter.

Added a new paragraph to the How To Make It Faster? topic regarding the execution speed of matchPattern() vs. findString(). Also added a note to the String Values topic.

Fixed the description and added an example to the loadLayer() method in the Interface: BitmapLayerManager topic.

Added missing sysInfo.DesktopSize, sysInfo.DesktopBPP and sysInfo.getMAXPriority() to the System Information topic. These global variables and function were previously documented under MaxSystemGlobals-S only.

Fixed the description of some ActiveX helper functions like hitTest(), getCursorPos() and mapPoint() which were previously documented as expecting/returning values in Twips while in reality they work in Pixels.

Fixed a small typo in EditablePoly Interface GetNumFaces() function.

Fixed the documentation of collapseStack() in both Editable_Mesh : GeometryClass and TriMesh : Value and Node Common Properties, Operators, and Methods. The previous description was written for 3ds Max 2 when the result of the collapsed stack was typically an Editable Mesh. The result could be actually Editable Patch, Editable Poly, Editable Spline etc. and is based on the class evaluated on top of the stack. The example code in the Editable_Mesh topic also needed a fix - it listed NormalModifier() as a possible modifier to turn an object to Editable_Mesh, but since 3ds Max 5 it would collapse to Editable_Poly instead of Editable_Mesh if the result on top of the stack were of classPolyMeshObject.

Added a note that the viewport drawing methods gw.hTriStrip and gw.wTriStrip are currently broken.

Removed the obsolete note about edited normals not being supported by the renderer from the Edit_Normals : Modifier topic.

Formatting

Changed the Dark Blue headers background color to Dark Teal. The default Windows color of search highlights was almost invisible in header areas.

Fixed black on DarkBlue divider text in some topics.

Fixed spacing in Index keywords of newly added Interfaces, for example "Interface ParamCollectorOps" should be "Interface ParamCollectorOps".

Added inverse Index keywords to dozens of recently added Interfaces. For example, in addition to "Interface ParamCollectorOps", you can now alternatively use the keyword "ParamCollectorOps Interface" to find the same topic.

Continued the ongoing reformatting and color coding of the complete Reference by placing some properties of Interfaces and ActiveX controls on ablue background as was already done for methods and event handlers.