The Tabbed Scripting Editor introduced in 3ds Max 2008 lets you define your own custom color schemes to highlight lexical components of the MAXScript language.

Global Definition:

Custom colors can be defined in the file MAXScript.properties , which is easily accessible through the Tools > Open MAXScript. properties menu item. See Scripting Editor - Properties File Settings for Lexer options.

A COLOR SCHEME SIMILAR TO 3DS MAX 9 COLORS:

   # MAXScript styles

   # Default
   style.MAXScript.32=$(font.base)
   # White space
   style.MAXScript.0=fore:#808080
   # Comment: /* */.
   style.MAXScript.1=fore:#009900
   # Line Comment: --.
   style.MAXScript.2=fore:#009900,eolfilled
   # Number
   style.MAXScript.3=fore:#000000
   # String
   style.MAXScript.4=fore:#800000
   # Verbatim strings
   style.MAXScript.5=fore:#FF0000,$(font.monospace),eolfilled
   # End of line where string is not closed
   style.MAXScript.6=fore:#000000,$(font.monospace),back:#E0C0E0,eolfilled
   # Identifiers
   style.MAXScript.7=
   # Operators
   style.MAXScript.8=fore:#406060
   # Keyword arg name
   style.MAXScript.9=fore:#000080
   # Name value
   style.MAXScript.10=fore:#600080
   # Pathname
   style.MAXScript.11=fore:#005000
   # Keywords1 - Keywords
   style.MAXScript.12=fore:#0000C0
   # Keywords2 - Rollout controls
   style.MAXScript.13=fore:#202080
   # Keywords3 - Functions
   style.MAXScript.14=fore:#3060A0
   # Keywords4 - MXS Classes
   style.MAXScript.15=fore:#6030A0
   # Keywords5 - MAXClasses
   style.MAXScript.16=fore:#60A030
   # Keywords6 - MAXSuperClasses
   style.MAXScript.17=fore:#0040B0
   # Keywords7 - Core interfaces
   style.MAXScript.18=fore:#00B040
   # Keywords8 - Object sets
   style.MAXScript.19=fore:#D0B080
   # Keywords9 - StructDefs
   style.MAXScript.20=fore:#804020
   # Keywords10 - Const reserved globals
   style.MAXScript.21=fore:#3060A0
   # Keywords11 - Reserved globals
   style.MAXScript.22=fore:#B00040
   # Keywords12 - User defined
   style.MAXScript.23=fore:#FF0000

See bottom of this page for the result.

Local Directory Overrides:

If you have set the property,

   properties.directory.enable=1

in the Global Options File "MXS_Editor.properties", you can create local property files called "SciTEDirectory.properties" in any directories containing MAXScript files. If you open a MAXScript file from a directory containing such a local property file, the lexer settings in it will override the global properties.

This allows for project-specific color configurations.

Here is the shipping \\scripts\\Startup\\BTT\\OpacityMap.ms file using the default color scheme:

After saving a new "MXS_EditorUser.properties" file containing the color definitions listed in the beginning of this topic, the same script looks like this:

Changing the property properties.directory.enable=0 and saving the "MXS_EditorUser.properties" file to disk will instantly change the color coding back to the default color scheme in all currently opened tabs showing MAXScript files.