Scripting Mini Listener

The Scripting Mini Listener is a single-line view of the contents of the Scripting Listener window.

• Click the tag bar, to the left of the status and prompt lines, and drag it to the right to display the Scripting Mini Listener.

The Scripting Listener window is divided into two panes: one pink, and one white. The pink pane is the MacroRecorder pane. When the MacroRecorder is enabled, everything that is recorded is displayed in the pink pane. The pink line in the Mini Listener shows the latest entry into the MacroRecorder pane.

The white pane is the Scripter window where you can create scripts. The last line you type in the white area of the Listener will appear in the white area of the Mini Listener. Use the arrow keys to scroll the display in the Mini Listener.

You can type directly into the white area of the Mini Listener, and the command executes in the viewports.

Right-click either of the Mini Listener lines to open the floating Scripting Listener window. It will also display a list of the last 20 commands recorded. You can choose any of these commands and press Enter to execute them.

For more information about the Scripting Listener window, as well as about creating scripts, see the MAXScript Help: choose Help MAXScript Help.

Procedures

Example: To create a sphere using the Mini Listener:

1. Click the tag bar at the left end of the status bar, and drag it to the right to expand the Mini Listener.
2. In the Scripter (white, lower) line, type sphere radius: 50 and press Enter.

   A sphere appears in the viewports.

Example: To redo a command using the Mini Listener:

1. Click the tag bar at the left side of the status bar, and drag it to the right to expand the Mini Listener.
2. Right-click the Mini Listener and choose Open Listener Window.
3. From the MacroRecorder menu, choose Enable.
4. Using the command panel, create a sphere in the perspective viewport.
5. Convert the sphere to an Editable Mesh.
6. Delete the sphere.
7. Make a box.
8. Right-click the MacroRecorder (pink, upper) line and choose macros.run "Modifier Stack" "Convert_to_Mesh" from the list. The box has been collapsed to an editable mesh.

Example: To make a script and add it to a toolbar:

For this very simple example, you’ll make a script that collapses an object to an editable mesh, and then create a toolbar icon to run the script.

1. Right-click the Mini Listener, and choose Open Listener Window.
2. From the MacroRecorder menu, choose Enable. Close the listener window.
3. Create a box in the Perspective viewport.
4. Right-click the box and choose Convert to: Editable Mesh from the quad menu.
5. Left-click in the MacroRecorder line.

   The MacroRecorder line goes blank because the cursor goes to the last line.

6. Press the up-arrow key to move up the list of recorded command scripts.
7. Click and highlight the macros.run "Modifier Stack" "Convert_to_Mesh" line.

   Highlight the command script as you would highlight a line of text in a text editor by clicking at the start of the line and dragging along the entire length.

8. Click and drag the highlighted script from the Mini Listener to a toolbar.

Interface

MacroRecorder Line

The pink, upper line displays the last thing recorded by the MacroRecorder. If the MacroRecorder is not enabled, nothing will appear in this line.

Scripter Line

The white, lower line displays the last entry typed into the Scripter window. You can type directly into this line and execute the commands in the viewports.

History List

Right-clicking either of the Mini Listener lines displays a history of the last twenty commands recorded by the Macro Recorder (provided it has been enabled). Click any of these commands to execute them in the viewports.

Open Listener Window

Right-clicking either of the Mini Listener lines displays a dialog that allows you to open the Scripting Listener window. You can also open the Listener using the Utilities panel MAXScript rollout. You can display the Listener window in a viewport by clicking or right-clicking the Point-Of-View (POV) viewport label, then on the POV viewport label menu, choosing Extended Viewports Scripting Listener.

Note: When you open the Scripting Listener in this way, and then change the viewport POV, 3ds Max opens the Listener in a window of its own.