by cmjohncheng·Simulation
Illustrative cover generated by AnyPlugins — no product screenshot available.
ArborSway earns its place in the scriptspot library by automating a wind-setup process that would otherwise mean adding and linking modifiers path by path. It is narrow by design, GrowFX objects only and no Editable Mesh or Poly, but within that scope it covers setup, physics distribution, looping, batch handling, and Point Cache baking.
ArborSway is a utility MaxScript that adds wind to GrowFX vegetation in 3ds Max. Setting up wind on GrowFX trees usually means selecting individual paths, adding modifiers one by one, linking Wind Helpers, and guessing stiffness values for different branches. ArborSway handles that setup: select a GrowFX tree, click Apply Wind, and the script creates a Wind Helper, adds the required Wind Modifiers to the paths, and links everything.
It assigns varying stiffness and amplitude based on the tree structure, so main trunks stay rigid while thinner branches and leaves sway more freely. Overall intensity, stiffness, and speed sit in a single floating dialog rather than the modifier stack. Checkboxes let you skip main trunks or restrict animation to leaf and flower models to save viewport performance, and a batch mode applies or removes the setup across multiple GrowFX trees at once.
A quick looping toggle recalculates stiffness and amplitude for smoother looping animations for video renders, and version 2.1 adds Point Cache baking to optimize heavy scenes and reduce viewport lag. The script works only with GrowFX objects and runs on 3ds Max 2018 or newer.
ArborSway is best for adding wind animation to GrowFX vegetation in 3ds Max, including Maxtree GrowFX models.
ArborSway is completely free to download and use.
ArborSway works only with GrowFX objects and will not run on trees converted to Editable Mesh or Editable Poly. It was developed and tested primarily with Maxtree GrowFX models. On a live GrowFX tree the script can create a Wind Helper, add the required Wind Modifiers to the paths, and link everything with one click. On the GrowFX side it supports GrowFX 1.9.x and GrowFX 2.1.2 or later, with version 2.0 adding native support for the latest node-based architecture. Keep your vegetation as GrowFX objects to use it.
ArborSway runs on Autodesk 3ds Max 2018 or newer and works with GrowFX 1.9.x and GrowFX 2.1.2 or later. Version 2.0 added full native support for GrowFX 2.1.2 and its node-based architecture, and version 2.1 fixed a "server connection failed" error that affected activation on older 3ds Max versions such as 2021. If you are on a supported GrowFX version and a compatible release of 3ds Max, you can select your tree, apply the wind setup, and adjust the master intensity slider to test the resulting sway.
ArborSway can bake wind animations into Point Cache sequences, a feature added in version 2.1. Baking is meant to optimize heavy scenes, reduce viewport lag, and lock in loops. It pairs with the quick looping toggle, which recalculates stiffness and amplitude for smoother looping animations for video renders. If you are preparing a loop for a render and your scene is running slowly in the viewport, these are the two features aimed at that situation. Point Cache baking arrived in the same 2.1 release that fixed the activation error on older 3ds Max versions.
ArborSway is listed as free here in the catalog, and you can check the developer's page for current licensing terms. The script does involve an activation step: version 2.1 fixed a "server connection failed" error that affected activation on older 3ds Max versions such as 2021, so if you hit activation trouble, make sure you are on version 2.1 or later. Beyond that, it is a utility MaxScript for 3ds Max 2018 or newer that automates wind setup on GrowFX vegetation.
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