LIBRARY (part of the MDO Plants product)

The Library plugin from the MDO Plants product offers an easy way to organize models.
A library is a collection of Autodesk 3ds Max files from a specific folder on a system (local or network drive). When opening a library, it places all files from a folder on a floating window with thumbnails to organize and visualize them. These thumbnails and renders are created automatically and are used throughout the software to easily identify objects. Clicking a thumbnail gives advanced options to merge and place objects in a scene with ease.

The Library plugin contains a basic set of 20 different WacoPlants species and is compatible with any other third party 3D models content.
No other 3D models content is bundled with the Library plugin for now.
More WacoPlants library sets are available for sale later on.

KEY FEATURES:

• Organize libraries (floating windows)
• Organize models in libraries (keywords and descriptions)
• Detailed previews of models (perspective or orthogonal views)
• Group libraries to open with a single click
• Advanced merging options like transformations, stick to surface, modular object building and painting
• Merge objects into a scene with a single click
• Search libraries
• Automatically generate different renders to visualise objects with ease
• Presets to store and apply frequently used settings

PRESENTATION MOVIE: (more tutorials are included with a license)

Library screenshots:

Library object screenshots:

Library UI information:

Library Navigation
Click to easily navigate throughout the Library rollout floater.

Settings Add Library Add Model To Library Group Library Library (right click for Library Presets) Search Library Prepare Library (right click for Prepare Library Presets) Help Close (click to close all rollouts and right click to open all rollouts)

Module
Adjust different settings for the Library plugin.

Save Settings Saves the plugin settings manually. Save Settings Automatically Saves the plugins settings automatically. Save Layout Saves the plugins layout (position on your desktop). Save Layout Library Saves the library layout of each library floating window (position on your desktop). Save Parameters Saves the plugins parameters (different UI control settings). Display UI at Mouse Point Displays the user interface at your mouse point instead of its fixed position on screen. Dynamic UI Loads the user interface dynamically. Show License Rollout Shows the license information. Show About Rollout Shows the about box.

Object Floater
Organize all your models on floating windows.
Merge them easily into your scene (or in a WacoSystems object) by clicking them or right click to preview.

Object Window
Models can be previewed automatically to get images of your library items, from perspective to orthogonal views.
Each item can have a description and different keywords to easily search through your libraries.

Merge Merges a model into your scene. More Opens the window to show more previews. Click until the cycle closes the window again or right click to close. Close () Closes the preview window. Description Description of your model. Keywords Keywords of your model.

Add Library
Add different libraries to your library list.
Select a folder from your system (local or network drive) and name for your library to add.

Help () Shows help information for the Add Library rollout. Path Folder on your system where 3ds Max files are stored for a library. Name Name for a library. Get Library from Folder Opens a dialog to navigate to a folder on your system where 3ds Max files are stored for a library. Add to Library Adds a library to your library list.

Add Model To Library
Add models from your scene to a library.

Help () Shows help information for the Add Model To Library rollout. Select a Library Select a library to add your model to. Select Library Dialog (little button) Opens a larger dialog to select a library from. Name A name for your model. Group Models Groups your objects before sending it to a library. Center Pivot Centers the pivot from your objects. Pivot at Floor Places the pivot from your models at floor level.

Group Library
Group different libraries to easily open floating windows of all libraries which are part of that group.

Help () Shows help information for the Group Library rollout. Name Name for your group of libraries. Group Libraries Groups all currently selected libraries (selected on the Library rollout) to the groups list. Select a Group of Libraries Opens all library rollouts that are part of the selected group. Select Group Libraries Dialog (little button) Opens a larger dialog to select a group of libraries from. Remove Removes the selected group of libraries. Up Moves the selected group of libraries up in the list. Down Moves the selected group of libraries down in the list. Close Open Libraries Closes all currently open libraries prior to open a group of libraries.

Library Presets
Store different settings you frequently use and apply them to the Library rollout settings.

Help () Shows help information for the Library Presets rollout. Preset Selects a preset from the dropdown list. Apply Applies the selected preset settings to the Library rollout settings. Update Preset Updates the selected preset with settings from the Library rollout. Add Adds a preset to the dropdown list. Remove Preset Removes the selected preset from the dropdown list. Add/Rename Preset Name of preset to add or to rename the selected one.

Library
Select a library to open a floating window with thumbnails which represents all items from that library.
Clicking a thumbnail will merge that object into your scene with advanced options.

Help () Shows help information for the Library rollout. Select a Library Single click shows the library floater on your desktop. Double click opens the library info on the Add Library rollout to edit the library info (path and name). Right click deselects the library. Select Library Dialog (little button) Opens a larger dialog to select a library from. Remove Removes the selected library from the list. Up Moves the selected library up in the list. Down Moves the selected library down in the list. Display # (Library) Number of library items in a horizontal row. Will also display desktop library floater items twice as big. Display # (Desktop) Number of library items on a floater in a horizontal row. Display on Library Displays selected library on the Library rollout as a separate rollout. Display on Desktop Displays the selected library on your desktop as a floater. Select Objects Selects objects after merge. Bounding Box Objects Shows objects as bounding box after merge. Replace Objects Replaces the selected object(s) in your scene with merged object. Multiple selected objects in your scene will be replaced with the same merged object keeping each selected objects transformation. Add to WacoSystems Adds merged object directly to the currently opened WacoSystems object. Place at Mouse Point Places merged object at your mouse point. Places merged object at the origin if it's not checked. Advanced options become available when checked. Clone Mode Makes a copy, an instance or a reference of merged object. Use Surface Places merged object on the selected surface. Select Surface Click to pick a surface object from your scene. Right click to select a surface object by name. Place along Normals Places merged object along the normals of selected surface. Link to Surface Links merged object to the selected surface. Position X, Y and Z Sets position offsets (minimum and maximum) for merged object. Object Position Places merged object on the surface of previous merged object. Modular Position Places merged object on modular positions of previous merged object(s). Modular positions are defined for a library item individually. Rotation X, Y and Z Sets rotation offsets (minimum and maximum) for merged object. Shift key will rotate object around the Z axis. Control and shift key will rotate the object in the opposite direction around the Z axis. Snap Z Rotation Snaps Z rotation in a fixed rotation pattern. Scale X, Y and Z Sets scale offsets (minimum and maximum) for merged object. Alt key will scale the object uniformly making it bigger. Control and alt key will scale the object making it smaller. Uniform Scale Scales merged object(s) uniformly. Paint Paints objects with a minimum to maximum amount. Density Defines density of painted objects. Paint as Objects Paints as single objects instead of an adjustable advanced WacoSystems object. Do Not Merge if Object is Present in Scene Will not merge object if it is already present in your scene. Unique Object Name Names all merged objects with a unique name based on the objects base name. Random Object Color Assigns a random color to the merged object. Keep Object Color Tone Assigns a random color to the merged object keeping the color tone of the defined object color. Object Color Sets object color of merged object. Layer Name of layer to add merged object to. You can enter one or select one from existing layers in your scene from the dropdown list. MDO Layer Sets the default layer.

Search Library
Search your libraries for matching keywords and descriptions.
They will open in a floating window. Frequently used keywords can be stored.

Help () Shows help information for the Search Library rollout. Keyword Name of a keyword to add. Add Keyword Adds the keyword to the keywords list. Select Keywords Select one or multiple keywords to search for. Select Keywords Dialog Opens a larger dialog to select a keyword(s) from. Search in Keywords Searches in library item keywords only. Search in Descriptions Searches in library item descriptions only. Search Keywords Opens a floater with library items with matching keywords or discriptions as selected keyword(s). Remove Removes selected keyword(s) Up Moves the selected keyword up in the list. Down Moves the selected keyword down in the list. Close Open Libraries Closes all currently open libraries prior to open a keyword library floating window.

Prepare Library Presets
Store different settings you frequently use and apply them to the Prepare Library rollout settings.

Help () Shows help information for the Prepare Library Presets rollout. Preset Selects a preset from the dropdown list. Apply Applies the selected preset settings to the Library rollout settings. Update Preset Updates the selected preset with settings from the Library rollout. Add Adds a preset to the dropdown list. Remove Preset Removes the selected preset from the dropdown list. Add/Rename Preset Name of preset to add or to rename the selected one.

Prepare Library
Create all thumbnails and renders for your library items automatically with advanced options.

Help () Shows help information for the Prepare Library rollout. Select a Library Selects a library or multiple libraries to prepare items for. Select Library Dialog (little button) Opens a larger dialog to select a library from. File Name Adds a file name stamp on your library item renders. File Name (Short) Adds a short file name stamp on your library item renders. Date and Time Adds a date and time stamp on your library item renders. User and Machine Name Adds a user and machine name stamp on your library item renders. Render Time Adds a render time stamp on your library item renders. Camera Name Adds a camera name stamp on your library item renders. Keyword 3ds Max files with entered keyword value in their name will be processed as global or additional files. Get File for Rendering Sets the 3ds Max file for rendering global or additional files. Dummy Rendering Uses a non dummy rendering as base instead of rendering global or additional files from scratch. All Views Rendering Renders all views of global or additional files instead of the selected views on What to Render. Diffuse Rendering Renders a diffuse version of global or additional files by deactivating the diffuse map and assigning the background color as diffuse color. Greyscale Rendering Renders a greyscale version of global or additional files. Greyscale Thumbnails Renders a greyscale thumbnail version of global or additional files. Overlay Activates the overlay image to render on top of your renders for global or additional files. Overlay Thumbnails Activates the overlay image to render on top of your thumbnail renders for global or additional files. PNG (Overlay) Selects an overlay PNG image file (with transparancy) from your system to render on top of your renders for global or additional files. PNG (Overlay Thumbnail) Selects an overlay PNG image file (with transparancy) from your system to render on top of your thumbnail renders for global or additional files. B Sets brightness and contrast (spinner 1: brightness, spinner 2: contrast) for renders of global or additional files. BGC Sets a background color for renders of global or additional files. C Sets color correction (spinner 1: cyan to red, spinner 2: magenta to green, spinner3: yellow to blue) for renders of global or additional files. Enable/Disable (little icon on additional files) Enables or disables additional files from being processed. Top View Renders a top view of a library item. Front View/(Back) Renders a front or back view of a library item. Left View/(Right) Renders a left or right view of a library item. Perspective View Renders a perspective view of a library item. Zoom Orthogonal Zooms orthogonal views with a value where 1 means no zoom. Zoom Perspective Zooms perspective views with a value. Move Plane (Orthogonal) Moves a plane with name "Plane01" or "Plane001" (in the 3ds Max file to render) down so it doesn't show on orthogonal renders but it still adds global illumination to the bottom of your objects. Center Plane Centers a plane with name "Plane01" or "Plane001" (in the 3ds Max file to render) to the bounding box bottom of your objects. Scale Plane Activates scaling a plane with name "Plane01" or 'Plane001" (in the 3ds Max file to render) to match the bounding box of your objects. Scale Scales a plane with name "Plane01" or "Plane001" (in the 3ds Max file to render) where 100% matches the bounding box of your objects. Rotate Object Activates rotating your objects prior to rendering. Z Rotates your objects where 0 degrees keeps the original rotation for your objects. Get Master for Rendering Sets the master 3ds Max file for rendering. This file is always used when no file for rendering is set on a global or additional file. Overwrite Existing Files Overwrites previously rendered files. A dialog will prompt you with a warning. Prepare Selected Libraries Prepares all selected libraries.

Help
Help system for the Library plugin.

Library Tooltips Adds or removes tooltips to/from UI controls where available. Library Help Opens the help system for the Library plugin.