Another Wish - Input Object At Stack Level

Deprecated Genome Discussion
1

It would be cool to be able to input geometry at a defined modifier stack level. For instance, if I have a modifier like turbosmooth, I can pull the geometry into Genome under that to evaluate it at a lower resolution.

2

So it would be like specifying the node and a stack index which would only evaluate the mesh until that point? As opposed to the current method where only the node is specified.

EDIT: node meaning scene object, not magma node.

3

exactly.

4

But it would also be useful if the stack index could report as the modifier name in the UI. Not 100% necessary, but makes it a bit more user friendly since stack index in script counts from the top down, which is a bit counter intuitive to those who do not know this.

5

I could have used this today. Needed to get another mesh beneath a shell modifier. Have workaround, but it would have been nice.

6

A modifier can catch the data as it’s being processed in the stack but max doesn’t store objectstate except where requested (like the top of the stack). The trick is one modifier has to talk the other to pass that objectstate around. It can be done but you have to be careful of dependency loops.

if you needed to reference the mesh before the shell in another object.

Max way:

shell
twist
bend
box

becomes with references

            shell        relax
            =====        ====
twist       twist        twist
bend        bend         bend
box          box         box

suggested way:

shell                     
genomestate1
twist
bend                      relax                      genome (uses genomestate1)
box                       genomecreater     or       sphere
7

Hey Ben, I think I need a legend or something to help me understand your diagram.

8

Each column is an object with its modifier stack. The “=====” means reference, like the grey bar you see in the modifier stack.