Curve Control

 

   

Creating User Interfaces - Quick Navigation

You can create CurveControls in scripted rollouts by using the following syntax:

CurveControl <name> [<caption>] \
[visible:<boolean>] [numCurves:<integer>] \
[x_range:<point2> ] [y_range:<point2>] \ 
[x_value:<float> ] \ 
[zoomValues:<point2>] [scrollValues:<point2>] \
[displayModes:<bitarray>] \
[commandMode:<#move_xy | #move_x | #move_y | #scale | #corner | #bezier] \
[uiFlags:<array_of_ui_flags> ] \
[rcmFlags:<array_of_rcm_flags>] [asPopup:<boolean>]

   

uiFlags: 

Any combination of the following flags:

#drawBG - Specifies to draw the white background in the graph window.   
#drawgrid - Specifies to draw the grid lines and coordinates in the graph window.   
#upperToolbar - Specifies to draw the upper toolbar above the control.   
#showReset - Specifies to display the Reset button in the upper toolbar.   
#lowerToolbar - Specifies to draw the lower toolbar beneath the control.   
#scrollBars - Specifies to draw the horizontal and vertical scroll bars for the control.   
#autoScroll - Specifies to do auto scrolling. Auto scroll happens when you drag a CurvePoint out of the currently visible range. In case you're zoomed in, the window will automatically scroll.   
#ruler - Specifies to draw a small moveable ruler window (measures horizontal coordinates).   
#constrainY - Specifies that no points (or handles) can be moved out of the value that is set bySetYRange().   
#hideDisabled - Specifies that disabled curves won't be displayed at all.   
#all - All the listed uiFlags are on except #singleSelect, #noFilterButtons, and #xvalue   
#xvalue - Specifies to draw a vertical bar over the graph to show the current X value   
#singleSelect - this flag allows the user to single select a point. Normally if a bunch of points are stacked in area if you click on the area you get all of them. With this flag you get the first one   
#noFilterButtons - this flag turns off the curve visible/editable toggle in the top of the menu bar 

   

rcmFlags: 

Any combination of the following flags:

#move_xy, 
#move_x, 
#move_y, 
#scale, 
#corner, 
#bezier, 
#delete, 
#all 

   

Properties

<curvecontrol>.visible : Boolean 

When set to false, the CurveControl is invisible. When set to true, it is visible.

   

<curvecontrol>.x_range : Point2 

Specifying x_range sets the absolute position of the first and last CurvePoints. That is, the X value for the first and last CurvePoints is always specified by x_range.

   

<curvecontrol>.y_range : Point2 

Sets the absolute upper and lower Y-constraint. This method only has an effect if the uiFlags option #constrainY is specified.

   

<curvecontrol>.x_value : Float 

This property is used to show a vertical line in the graph window if the uiFlags option #xvalue is specified.

   

<curvecontrol>.displayModes : BitArray 

The Bits in the BitArray control which of the available Curves are displayed. When the BitArray is empty {}, no curves are shown, when bit 1 is set {1}, the first curve is displayed, when bit 2 is set {2}, the second curve is displayed and so on. When two or more bits are set, multiple curves are displayed at the same time, for example {1..2} shows the first two curves, {1,3} shows curves 1 and 3, and so on.

   

<curvecontrol>.commandMode : Name 

Get/Set the current command mode. Possible values are: #move_xy, #move_x, #move_y, #scale, #corner, #bezier .

   

<curvecontrol>.zoomValues : Point2 

Get/Set the horizontal and vertical zoom values. The higher the value, the closer the zoom (the lower the displayed values relative to the x and y ranges).

   

<curvecontrol>.scrollValues : Point2 

Get/Set the horizontal and vertical scroll values.

   

<curvecontrol>.curves : Array, read-only 

Returns an array of curves of type MAXCurve

   

Methods

zoom <curvecontrol> #all 

Perform a zoom extents all.

   

Events

In the following events <ci> represents the active Curve Index.

on <curvecontrol> selChanged <ci> <val> do <expr> 

Sent when a point is selected or deselected. <val> is the number of points, which are selected.

   

on <curvecontrol> ptChanged <ci> <val> do <expr> 

Sent when a point is changed, <val> is the index of the changed point

   

on <curvecontrol> tangentChanged <ci> <val> type do <expr> 

Sent when a point's in or out tangent is changed, <val> is the index of the changed point.

type is #inTangent or #outTangent, depending on what changed.

   

on <curvecontrol> deleted <ci> <val> do <expr> 

Sent when a point is deleted, val is the index of the deleted point.

   

on <curvecontrol> reset <ci> do <expr> 

Sent when a curve is reset

   

on <curvecontrol> rightClick do <expr> 

Called when the user right-clicks the Curvecontrol control.

If not defined, the curve control provides its own internal right-click handler.

Available in 3ds Max 2010 and higher.

ccCurve

ccCurve represents a single curve in a curve control

Properties

<ccCurve>.animatable : Boolean 

When set to true, the curve points can be keyframed.

   

<ccCurve>.color : Color 

Get/Set the color of the curve when it is enabled.

   

<ccCurve>.disabledColor : Color 

Get/Set the color of the curve when it is disabled.

   

<ccCurve>.width : Integer 

Get/Set the width of the curve when it is enabled.

   

<ccCurve>.disabledWidth : Integer 

Get/Set the width of the curve when it is disabled.

   

<ccCurve>.disabledStyle : Name 

   

<ccCurve>.style : Name 

These are the drawing styles for the curve when disabled and enabled. Possible values are:

   

#solid, #dash, #dot, #dashDot, #dashDotDot, #null, #insideFrame 

   

<ccCurve>.lookupTableSize : Integer 

This method sets the size of the Curve Control lookup table. The lookup table allows users of the Curve Control to easily speed up their value access. The default value for the lookup table size is 1000. Used when getValue() is called on the curve.

   

<ccCurve>.numPoints : Integer 

Get/Set the number of points in the curve.

   

<ccCurve>.points : Array, read-only 

Returns a CurvePointsArray

   

Methods

getValue ccCurve <time_value> <float_x> [lookup:<false>] 

Returns a Point2 value corresponding to the specified X position along the curve at the specified time.

   

isAnimated ccCurve <index> 

Returns a true if the curve's indexed point is animated (has keys), false otherwise.

   

getSelectedPts ccCurve 

Returns a BitArray with bits set for selected points.

   

setSelectedPts <ccCurve> <bitarray> [#select] [#deSelect] [#clear] 

Selects the points specified by the bits in the bitArray.

   

setPoint <ccCurve> <index> <ccpoint> [checkConstraints:<true>] 

Sets the indexed point on the curve to the specified value. If checkConstraints is set to true, the point will be constrained.

   

getPoint <ccCurve> <index> 

Returns the Point2 value of the indexed point on the curve.

   

insertPoint <ccCurve> <index> <ccpoint> 

Inserts a new point at the indexed position with the specified value.

   

deletePoint <ccCurve> <index> 

Deletes the indexed point from the curve.

CurvePointsArray represents an array of curve points.

CurvePointValue represents a curve point.

CurvePointValue

CurvePointValue represents a curve point. You can create a curve point as follows:

ccPoint <pt_point2> <in_point> <out_point2> \ [bezier:<false>] [corner:<false>] [lock_x:<false>] \ [lock_y:<false>] \ [select:<false>] [end:<false>] \ [noXConstraint:<false>] 

Properties

<ccpoint>.value : Point2 

Returns the Point2 value of the point.

   

<ccpoint>.inTangent : Point2 

Returns the Point2 value of the point's inTangent.

   

<ccpoint>.outTangent : Point2 

Returns the Point2 value of the point's outTangent.

   

<ccpoint>.bezier : Boolean 

When set to true, the point behaves as a Bezier point.

   

<ccpoint>.corner : Boolean 

When set to true, the point behaves as a Corner point. If the .bezier property is set to true, the point becomes a Bezier-Corner.

   

<ccpoint>.lock_x : Boolean 

When set to true, the point is locked along X.

   

<ccpoint>.lock_y : Boolean 

When set to true, the point is locked along Y.

   

<ccpoint>.selected : Boolean 

When set to true, the point is selected.

   

<ccpoint>.end : Boolean 

When true, no point is an end point.

   

<ccpoint>.noXConstraint : Boolean 

When set to false, the X coordinate is constrained. When set to true, no X constraints are imposed on the point.

EXAMPLE

rollout uTestCurveControl "Curve Control"
(
-- Curve control Properties
local ccProps = #(
#visible,
#numCurves,
#x_range,
#y_range,
#displayModes,
#zoomValues,
#scrollValues,
#commandMode)
-- Curve properties
local curveProps = #(
#name,
#animatable,
#color,
#disabledColor,
#width,
#disabledWidth,
#style,
#disabledStyle,
#numPoints,
#lookupTableSize)
-- Curve Point properties
local cpProps = #(
#value,
#inTangent,
#outTangent,
#bezier,
#corner,
#lock_x,
#lock_y,
#selected,
#end,
#noXConstraint)
button btn_props "Print Properties"
checkBox chk_visible "Visible" checked:true
checkBox chk_enable "Enable" checked:true 
CurveControl cc_test "Curve Control:"
height:200
width:400
align:#center
numCurves:2
visible:true
x_range:[-100,100]
y_range:[-100,100]
scrollValues:[-100,100]
commandMode:#move_xy
-- The following parameters default to all flags if not specified
--uiFlags:#(#drawBG, #drawgrid, #upperToolbar, #showReset, #scrollBars, #constrainY, #xvalue)
rcmFlags:#(#delete)
asPopup:false
on chk_visible changed state do cc_test.visible = state
on chk_enable changed state do cc_test.enabled = state
on uTestCurveControl open do
(
zoom cc_test #all
local colors = #(red, green, blue)
local styles = #(#solid, #dash, #dot, #dashDot, #dashDotDot, #null, #insideFrame)
local num = cc_test.numCurves
-- Initialize curve properties
for i=2 to num do
(
local crv = cc_test.curves[i]
local ci = ((mod (i-1) colors.count)+1) as integer
local si = ((mod (i-1) styles.count)+1) as integer
crv.name = "Curve" + i as string
crv.color = colors[ci]
crv.disabledColor = colors[ci]*0.5
crv.style = styles[si]
--crv.width = crv.disabledWidth = i
crv.numPoints = i*2
local del = (cc_test.x_range.y - cc_test.x_range.x)/(crv.numPoints-1)
-- format "del:%\n" del
-- Place intermediate points equally spaced
for j=1 to crv.numPoints do
(
local cp = crv.points[j]
format "% end: % -> " j cp.end
--cp.corner = true
cp.value = [cc_test.x_range.x+(j-1)*del, cp.value.y]
cp.inTangent = [0.2,0.2]
cp.outTangent = [0.2,-0.2]
crv.points[j] = cp
format "%\n" crv.points[j].end
format "value: %\n"crv.points[j].value
)
)
)
on btn_props pressed do
(
local tab ="\t"
-- print the CC properties
format "Curve Control Properties\n"
for p in ccProps do
format (tab +"% : %\n") (p as string) (getProperty cc_test p)
format (tab + "Curves:\n")
tab += "\t"
for i=1 to cc_test.numCurves do
(
local crv = cc_test.curves[i]
-- print each Curve's properties
format (tab + "Curve%\n") i
for p in curveProps do
format (tab + "\t% : %\n") (p as string) (getProperty crv p)
format (tab + "\tPoints:\n")
for j=1 to crv.numPoints do
(
local cp = crv.points[j]
format (tab + "\t\tPoint%\n") j
-- Print each curve point properties
for pp in cpProps do
format (tab + "\t\t\t% : %\n") (pp as string) (getProperty cp pp)
)
)
)
-- Curve control event handlers
on cc_test selChanged ci val do format "curve % numSelected : %\n" ci val
on cc_test ptChanged ci val do format "curve % ptChanged : %\n" ci val
on cc_test tangentChanged ci val type do format "curve % tangentChanged : % %\n"ci val (type as string)
on cc_test deleted ci pi do format "curve % deleted : %\n" ci pi
on cc_test reset ci do format "curve % resetted\n" ci
)
curveFloater = newRolloutFloater "Curve Control Test" 500 400
addRollout uTestCurveControl curveFloater

See Also