What's New in MAXScript in 3ds Max 2022 and Updates

This topic will give you a quick overview of the MAXScript language changes and improvements in 3ds Max 2022 and updates. For details on each feature, please follow the links to the respective documentation pages.

Note:

New additions to MAXScript in 3ds Max 2022 are marked with NEW in 3ds Max 2022:... throughout the MAXScript Reference. The word NEW links back to this page.

New in MAXScript in 3ds Max 2022.3 Update


Error Dialog Improvements	When an auto-loaded startup script contains an error, the error dialog now displays the full script path and name in the dialog itself, rather than in the title bar where it can be truncated. The line number is also displayed.
New Unwrap UVW Pack Option	The `Unwrap_UVW.pack()` method has a new option for the `method` argument to specify the Unfold3d algorithm.
Startup Scripts and Hidden Directories	In previous versions, startup scripts that were in a directory tree where any directory in the tree was hidden would not load. This meant that the 3ds Max install directory or directories above it could not be set to hidden. Now you can set the 3ds Max install directory or directories above it to hidden, and startup scripts contained in them will be loaded.
LookAt_Constraint Defaults	The default values for two LookAt_Constraint properties have changed. The `.lookat_vector_length` property now defaults to 0.0, and `.viewline_length_abs` defaults to `false`.
Previously undocumented items	The `.AutoExpand` property of the SceneExplorerInterface is now documented. The MultiOutputChannelTexmapToTexmap class is now documented. The "Updates" flag for `INodeExposureR.isExposed()` is now documented.

New in MAXScript in 3ds Max 2022.2 Update


Hyperlink Control	When a hyperlink control in an embedded scene script is clicked, a security warning dialog is displayed to confirm that the user trusts the target website.
INI Default Value	The `getINISetting()` function now takes an optional `defaultValue` keyword parameter that defines a value to return if the specified key is not found.
Text File Encoding	The new `getEncoding()` function returns the character encoding of a specified text file.
Bitmaptexture Output	Two new properties are added to the `TexOutputClass` class to expose previously unexposed UI controls: `.enableColorMap` and `.useRGBColorMap`.
Auto Backup	New methods have been added to the `autosave` interface: `secondsUntilNextAttempt()`, `canProceed()` and `isRequired()`.
Mouse Window Capture	The `windows` struct has a new function, `getCapture()`, that returns the HWND of the window that is capturing mouse input.

New in MAXScript in 3ds Max 2022.1 Update


Safe Script Execution	The `safeExecute()` function is a new version of `execute()` that always evaluates the string expression as if Safe Scene Script Execution is enabled. The `.end()` RolloutCreator function now has an optional `executeDefinition:<bool>` to specify whether to evaluate the rollout definition using `safeExecute()`. The `safeReadValue()` and `safeReadExpr()` functions are new versions of `readValue()` and `readExpr()` that always evaluates the value or expression as if Safe Scene Script Execution is enabled.
Script Planting Mitigation	To reduce the risk of script planting, the way 3ds Max searches for and loads scripts has changed. The list of directories searched is reduced to the currently running script directory (if applicable), the user scripts directory, and the 3ds Max system scripts directory. Windows system directories and directories in the PATH are no longer searched. This change affects any function that can take an unqualified script name, including `fileIn()`, `callbacks.addScript()`, the `mzip` utility, and the Particle Flow script operator. This change also affects how startup.ms is searched for.
String to point conversion	You can now use the `as` operator to coerce string values to point2, point3, or point4 values.
Dynamic Script Type	The `getCurrentScriptSourceType()` function has a new possible return type, `#dynamicScript`.
Viewport Settings	The ViewportViewSettingImpl object representing current viewport settings has a new `AmbientOcclusionSamples` property.
Environment Variables	The systemTools struct has a new `getEnvVariables()` function that returns an array of all currently defined environment variables

New in MAXScript in 3ds Max 2022


Safe Scene Loading	The new `getCurrentScriptSourceType()` function returns whether the current script has the Safe Scene Script Execution security policies applied to it. The new `SceneScriptSecurityManager` interface lets you obtain information about the state of Safe Scene Script Execution.
Box2 and Box3	New methods and operators have been added. Operator +, enlargeBy() and expandToInclude() for Box2, and Operator + for Box3
Bounding Box property	These value types have a new `.boundingBox` property that returns a Box3 value representing the contained nodes' bounding box: node, NodeChildrenArray, pathname, SelectionSetArray, and ObjectSet.
Bounding Box methods	The Node bounding box methods `nodeGetBoundingBox()` and `nodeLocalBoundingBox()` now take an optional `asBox3:<bool>` argument that, when true, cause the methods to return the bounding box as a Box3 value.
Spinner and Slider controls	The type of the value returned by the `.value` property and `on changed` event for both the Spinner and Slider ui controls now matches the type of the control specified when it was created, either #float or #integer.
Custom Attributes array	The Custom Attributes virtual array class `MAXCustAttribArray` now supports the `isDeleted()` method as well as standard comparison operators `==` and `!=`.
Non Localized Name Access	Scripted Plug-in Parameters can take a new `nonLocalizedName:<string>` that defines the parameter name when it is accessed in a script The `maxclass` value has a new read-only `nonLocalizedName` property that contains the non-localized name of the class.
ATSOps	New keyword arguments have been added to ATSOps methods `GetDependencyFileList()` and `SelectFiles()` to control how to repath and compare files.
Localized Name Access	Several methods now have a `localizedName:<bool>` parameter (or `localizedNames:<bool>` when they return an array) to control whether they return the localized or non-localized name for the target object: `getObjectName()` `getSubAnimName()` `getSubMtlSlotName()` `getSubTexmapSlotName()` `getClassName()` `WM3_MC_GetName()` `WM3_MC_SetName()` `getSubAnimNames()`
Previously Undocumented Items	Box2 methods: `<bool>intersects()`, `<box2>copy()` Box3 methods: `<box3>copy()`, `<box3>rectify()` pathConfig struct methods: `doSetProjectFolderSteps()` and `doSetProjectFolderStepsUsingDirectory()` `<ViewportViewSettingImpl>.ProgressiveRenderingEnabled`
Deprecated Items	`Airflow_Node` and `Airflow_Spline` are now deprecated

Inclusive Language Changes

Several terms in the 3ds Max user interface, class, and method names in MAXScript have been changed or removed because they were not aligned with Autodesk values of diversity and inclusion. We want everyone to feel welcome when using 3ds Max as an end user or tool developer.

Therefore, the names of several MAXScript APIs that included words such as "master" or "slave" have been changed to use the terms "driver" and "driven" respectively. We tried to keep MAXScript as backward compatible as possible; however, there may be cases where scripts break.

Here is a list of all the MAXScript API names that were updated, followed by their new name:

BipSlave_Control -> BipDriven_Control 
GetMasterController -> GetPointControllerContainer 
NewDefaultMasterPointController -> NewDefaultPointControllerContainer 
Master_Controller_plugin_not_found -> Driver_Block_Control_plugin_not_found 
Master_Point_Controller -> Point_Controller_Container 
MasterPointController -> PointControllerContainer 
RetimerMasterCtrl -> RetimerDriverCtrl 
Slave_Control -> Driven_Control 
Slave_Point3 -> Driven_Point3 
SlaveFloat -> DrivenFloat 
SlaveMatrix3 -> DrivenMatrix3 
SlavePoint3 -> DrivenPoint3 
SlavePoint4 -> DrivenPoint4 
SlavePos -> DrivenPos 
SlaveRotation -> DrivenRotation 
SlaveScale -> DrivenScale 
Daylight_Slave_Controller -> Daylight_Driven_Controller 
Daylight_Slave_Intensity_Controller -> Daylight_Driven_Intensity_Controller 
Sunlight_Daylight_Slave_Controller -> Sunlight_Daylight_Driven_Controller 
Sunlight_Daylight_Slave_ControllerMatrix3Controller -> Sunlight_Daylight_Driven_ControllerMatrix3Controller 
Sunlight_Daylight_Slave_Intensity_Controller -> Sunlight_Daylight_Driven_Intensity_Controller 
Sunlight_Daylight_Slave_Intensity_ControllerFloatController -> Sunlight_Daylight_Driven_Intensity_ControllerFloatController 
Sunlight_Slave_Controller -> Sunlight_Driven_Controller 
Sunlight_Slave_Intensity_Controller -> Sunlight_Driven_Intensity_Controller 
MasterBlock -> DriverBlock 
MasterBlockController -> DriverBlockController 
MasterList -> BlockControl 
Master_Layer -> Main_Layer 
MasterLayer -> MainLayer 
MasterLayerControlManager -> MainLayerControlManager 
Master_Motion_Clip -> Driver_Motion_Clip 
MasterClip -> DriverClip 
Max_Master_Clip -> Max_Driver_Clip 
MaxMotionClipMaster -> MaxMotionClipDriver 
Motion_Clip_SlaveFloat -> Motion_Clip_DrivenFloat 
Motion_Clip_SlavePoint3 -> Motion_Clip_DrivenPoint3 
Motion_Clip_SlavePos -> Motion_Clip_DrivenPos 
Motion_Clip_SlaveRotation -> Motion_Clip_DrivenRotation 
Motion_Clip_SlaveScale -> Motion_Clip_DrivenScale 
Reaction_Master -> Reaction_Driver 
ReactionMaster -> ReactionDriver 
SprayMaster -> SprayDriver 
StereoCameraSlave -> StereoCameraDriven 
MAXScript properties 
<ClipAssigner>.masterblocks -> driverblocks 
<MassFX_RBody>.GetRBMeshOverrideMasterMat -> GetRBMeshOverrideDriverMat 
<MassFX_RBody>.SetRBMeshOverrideMasterMat -> SetRBMeshOverrideDriverMat 
<nvpx>.GetRBMeshOverrideMasterMat -> GetRBMeshOverrideDriverMat 
<nvpx>.SetRBMeshOverrideMasterMat -> SetRBMeshOverrideDriverMat 
<MaxLiquidSolver>.masterVoxelSize -> baseVoxelSize 
<Point_Cache>.loadTypeSlave -> loadTypeNetwork 
<Point_CacheSpacewarpModifier>.loadTypeSlave -> loadTypeNetwork 
<Select_the_Biped_for_use_as_a_retargeting_reference>.masterMaxClip -> driverMaxClip 
<Float_Wire>.isMaster -> isDriver 
<Float_Wire>.isSlave -> isDriven 
<Float_Wire>.slaveAnimation -> drivenAnimation 
<Point3_Wire>.isMaster -> isDriver 
<Point3_Wire>.isSlave -> isDriven 
<Point3_Wire>.slaveAnimation -> drivenAnimation 
<Point4_Wire>.isMaster -> isDriver 
<Point4_Wire>.isSlave -> isDriven 
<Point4_Wire>.slaveAnimation -> drivenAnimation 
<Position_Wire>.isMaster -> isDriver 
<Position_Wire>.isSlave -> isDriven 
<Position_Wire>.slaveAnimation -> drivenAnimation 
<Rotation_Wire>.isMaster -> isDriver 
<Rotation_Wire>.isSlave -> isDriven 
<Rotation_Wire>.slaveAnimation -> drivenAnimation 
<Scale_Wire>.isMaster -> isDriver 
<Scale_Wire>.isSlave -> isDriven 
<Scale_Wire>.slaveAnimation -> drivenAnimation 
MAXScript Enums 
<SchematicView>.testIncludeFilter: #masterPoint -> #pointControllerContainers 
<SchematicView>.setIncludeFilter: same 
<SchematicView>.clearIncludeFilter: same 
MAXScript interfaces 
Interface: IRingArrayMaster -> IRingArrayDriver 
MAXScript SubAnim Names 
#Master_Point_Controller -> #Point_Controller_Container 
#Master -> #Point_Controller_Container 
#Master_CV_Control -> #CV_Controller_Container 

Others 
gxmlio.wireparams: #(..., #isMaster, #isSlave, #slaveAnimation,...) -> #(..., #isDriver, #isDriven, #drivenAnimation,...)