by lbrooks·Workflow
Illustrative cover generated by AnyPlugins — no product screenshot available.
Version 2.8 reorganised the display options into a new Display rollout and added hierarchy tools such as Select Full Hierarchy, Store and Restore, Straighten Evenly, and a Joint Shifter. An online guide is linked on the developer's page.
Helper Manager is a support panel for 3ds Max that gathers many methods for working with point and dummy helpers. Helpers can be created from origin, surface, object pivots, picked points, or selected sub-object components, and a shared size setting unifies all helper sizes across every creation method. Point helper styles toggle between axis, cross, box, and x.
Beyond creation, the panel adds helpers to a selection with linkage, constraints, or baked keys, and converts existing bindings such as hierarchy links, Link Constraints, and Pos/Rot constraints to an alternative type. It can link selections into hierarchies by sorted node names or selection order, re-orient helpers or align them down the X-axis, and select and manipulate full hierarchies.
An existing hierarchy can be duplicated with new helpers, with baked keys or constraints matching the original animation and skinned meshes transferred across. Helper hierarchies can also be replaced entirely with a matching Bones System. A Display rollout groups options for toggling links, trajectories, names, and pivots.
Helper Manager is best for 3ds Max artists building and managing helper hierarchies who need bulk helper creation, linking, constraining, orienting, and conversion to a Bones System.
Helper Manager is completely free to download and use.
Helper Manager lists compatibility with 3ds Max versions 2020 through 2025, so it runs across that range including 3ds Max 2025. Within those releases the panel covers helper creation, linking, constraining, orienting, hierarchy duplication, and replacement with a Bones System. For the latest details, any version-specific notes, and installation guidance, check the developer's page, which also links an online guide for the panel.
Helper Manager can completely replace an existing hierarchy of helpers with a matching Bones System, using a separation of CORE bones and EXTRA bones to handle bone lengths. Alternatively, it can replace the hierarchy while keeping the existing local axes using a legacy algorithm, along with display-only bones. This sits alongside the panel's other hierarchy tools, such as duplicating a hierarchy with new helpers and baking keys or adding constraints to match the original animation.
Helper Manager 2.8 moved all display options into a new Display rollout to shorten the UI and added a Toggle Bones option affecting bone system objects, CAT parts, and Biped parts. It can filter display of names and pivots by object selection and offset names away from objects with a visible connection line. The Hierarchies rollout gained Select Full Hierarchy from a partial selection, Store and Restore, Straighten Evenly, a Joint Shifter, and toggles for Skins On and Skins Off.
Helper Manager is listed as free in this catalog. Licensing terms can change over time, so check the developer's page on ScriptSpot for the current details before relying on it for a project. That page also links an online guide that covers the panel's helper creation methods, its linking and constraint options, hierarchy duplication, and complete replacement of a helper hierarchy with a matching Bones System.
Also in Workflow for 3ds Max.
by miauu
miauu's Live Measure Pro is a 3ds Max script for measuring scene elements — distances, areas, lengths, angles, sizes, volumes, radius, diameter and slopes. Each measurement can be controlled separately and updated manually or in real time.
by andrfil
OutFiler file browser is a tool for 3ds Max that replaces the standard save, load, save selected, merge, import and export dialogs with a folder tree. It saves and loads scenes and objects.
by lbrooks
Biped Helper + Picker is a support interface for 3ds Max that runs alongside the main Biped panel, giving quick access to existing Biped tools while adding functionality the Biped panel doesn't support.
by Averkin
Assembly Tool is a large set of scripts and tools for 3ds Max, gathered in one place. It covers object transformation, scene assembling, modeling, unwrapping, texturing, renaming, layers, scattering, randomization, physics and more.
by Cremuss
Game Tools is a Blender add-on by Cremuss that bundles several techniques from the video game industry, including animation-to-texture baking, signed distance fields, and a flexible data baker for baking data into UVs, vertex colors, or normals.
by JTB World Inc.
JTB FlexReport LT is a freeware add-in from JTB World for 3ds Max that creates HTML reports on current usage of FlexNet/FLEXlm network licenses. Autodesk Network License Manager and other FlexNet vendors are supported.
by Colin Senner
Relink Bitmaps is a 3ds Max script for relinking missing assets — bitmaps, VRay proxies, VRayHDRI, IES files and Mental Ray proxies — when files change directories or you move to a new computer.
by Inglobe Technologies
AR-media, developed by Inglobe Technologies, exports Autodesk 3ds Max models directly into the AR-media Studio platform, where you can create Augmented and Virtual Reality experiences and add events, interactions, digital assets and media.
by SiNi Software
Forensic is a scene-cleanup and diagnostics app from SiNi Software for 3ds Max that interrogates 3D scenes, removes CAD and Revit blocks, unifies normals, and searches for and removes malicious MAXScripts, ADL, CRP and ADSL.
by 3DZver
V-RayMax Converter PRO is a 3ds Max script that converts materials, maps, lights, cameras, proxies and render elements from various render engines to V-Ray, and from V-Ray to Corona Renderer. It also outputs Standard, Physical, PBR/OpenPBR and glTF materials.
by Hannes
Dark Listener enables dark mode for the 3ds Max listener, switching it on automatically at startup. The darker background is easier on the eyes and reduces eye strain during late-night work, with no manual setup after install.
