DropToSlate

Getting started

2024.1+ adds nodes at the drop point. Older versions replace the selected node: select a node before dropping, otherwise nothing is created.

Dropping files

• HDR is detected by the header: .exr .hdr .vrimg .cin, or more than 16 bits per channel. 16-bit files count as LDR.
• Gamma: HDR gamma 1.0 (if on) > Gamma Override hotkey > Default gamma > renderer default.
• Paths: relative paths are kept when 3ds Max preferences ask for relative paths.
• After drop: maps are selected.
  The first opens in the Parameter Editor (2014+) unless disabled.
  Focus to Slate is optional.
• Esc stops the rest of a running drop. Nodes are stacked by their real cluster height.

Tiled textures

Find UDIM / UVTILE tiles (General, default on) turns a tileset into one node.

• One node per set, named after the base name. Duplicate tileset maps are filtered.
• Off makes each file a single map. Use it when a name only looks like a tile.
• Tile numbers are read from the file name only.
  Neighbours are not checked.

Texture sequences

Group texture sequences (General, default on) puts files that differ by one number into one multi map.

• Slots are filled in sequence order and enabled. A group larger than the slot count is split into base, base (2), …
• Tilesets built as one tiled map are not grouped. Ordinary tile files in a bitmap-only map class can be grouped as a sequence.
• Grouping is name-based: tex_4k + tex_8k can become a sequence. Turn the option off for drops like that.

Real-World Resize

Resizes the bitmap maps selected in the active Slate view. Works on BitmapTexture, VRayHDRI, VRayTriplanarTex, CoronaBitmap, CoronaTriplanar, FStormBitmap, RS_Bitmap, Substance/Substance2. Container maps such as MultiTile and multi maps are not resized.

• The size fields never resize by themselves: press Apply or double-click a preset.
• Aspect comes from the map's file.
  Unreadable files keep the typed size.
  Tiled containers have no single file and are not resized.
• The dialog remembers its height and the last width/height.
  Presets are saved in the ini.

Settings

Renderer sections appear only for installed engines. The dialog saves on close (X/Esc).

Renderer reference

Hotkeys and mouse

• Drop modifiers: Open Resize (Alt default), Gamma Override (off), Tiling by aspect ratio (off). The first and third can be Always.
• Resize: Apply
  Ctrl+click applies and closes
  Right-click disables real-world/triplanar and resets tiling 1:1
  Ctrl+right-click also applies aspect tiling
• Presets: double-click applies
  Ctrl+double-click applies and closes
  Right-click the lock switches Width ↔ Height
• Esc closes the Resize dialog.
  Slate toolbar buttons were removed in 1.30.
  Use the Nik Scripts macros or hotkeys.

Scripting API

Drop listeners for other scripts

DropToSlate owns the Slate drop callback, so a second script that assigns SME.fileDropCallback replaces the tool instead of joining it. The listener hub lets a script join instead: register a function and it receives every real drop, after DropToSlate has already done its work.

fn myDropHandler test files pos =
(
    -- test is always false here: the hub reports real drops only
    format "DropToSlate: % file(s) at %\n" files.count pos
    for f in files do format "    %\n" f
    true
)

::SMEDragAndDropHandler.AddDropListener myDropHandler      -- returns the listener count
::SMEDragAndDropHandler.RemoveDropListener myDropHandler   -- same, after removal

• The signature must be exactly fn name test files pos, the same one Slate uses for its own callback, so the same function also works on a machine without DropToSlate.
• test is always false. Slate asks twice per drag, once while the files are still being dragged. The hub reports only the real drop, so a listener is never asked to preview anything.
• files is the full list of dropped paths, before the tool takes material libraries off it, so a listener sees .mat and .max files as well.
• pos is the drop position inside the Slate view, in view coordinates. Below 3ds Max 2024.1 it is [0,0].
• The call happens once per drop, after the nodes are created: whatever DropToSlate built is already in the view when your code runs.
• A listener cannot cancel or modify the drop, and its return value is not read. Listeners are a notification, not a decision.
• Every listener is called inside its own try, so a broken script does not silence the listeners registered after it.
• The same function registered twice is stored once. The list is cleared when the script is reloaded, so register again after a reload.
• Drops the tool refuses are announced too: an unsupported file, or a material library turned into no node. Check files if it matters to you.

Troubleshooting