flowstate

flowstate 1.5.1 is a collection of 3ds Max tools for faster parameter editing, shader creation, modifier access, modeling, and mouse-driven viewport workflows.

Install

1. Copy the matching FlowState.gup build to 3ds Max <version>\plugins.
2. Drag flowstate_config.ms to viewport.
3. Restart 3ds Max.

Release packages require both FlowState.gup and flowstate_config.ms.

Quick Start

Shader Search Utility

• Search materials, maps, scene shaders and OSL
• Open with TAB key in SME or Shift+M5 anywhere
• Start typing to search
• Right Click to pin to list
• Middle Click to pin to brick
• Drag and Drop to any slot, object, or SME location
• Right Click a pinned brick to rename it (max 4 chars)
• SHLL button creates a shell material for textured viewports for renderers that fail to display nitrous textures. Right click to change bitmap resolution.
• LINK button links U and V tile of bitmap nodes (including uberbitmap)

Floating Modifier Stack

• Shows object, modifier and Editable Poly parameters
• Open with Mouse5 or via hotkey
• Click on a parameter to type a value
• Enter or Tab applies typed value
• Drag on a parameter to change it
• Scroll on a parameter for small changes
• Hold Shift for 10x or Alt for 0.1x while dragging
• Right Click on a parameter to pin it
• Esc cancels and closes
• Hit the O button in the panel to hide parameters completely
• Click the percentage button for 75–250% UI scale, scroll over it to adjust, or right-click to reset to 100%. The setting is saved and capped to fit your screen; text and controls redraw at your monitor's DPI.

Auto Orbit

• Ctrl+M5 to cycle Orbit / Selected / POI / Dynamic / Off
• Dynamic switches between POI and Selected depending on your selection
• All modes are in Hotkey Editor too

Mouse Slider Macros

• Mouse4 to Screen Grab
• Shift+M4 to Time Slider
• Ctrl+M4 to Param Slider
• Ctrl+Shift+M4 to Opacity Slider
• Alt+M4 to UV Grab
• Ctrl+Alt+Shift+M4 to clear parameter sliders
• Alt+Shift+M5 swaps vertical and horizontal parameters
• Change any combo in Config
• Turn off Mouse Slider Macros in Config to release both side buttons

Smooth Bridge

• Editable Poly only
• Select 2 open edge loops with the same amount of verts
• Run Smooth Bridge from CloneTools
• Use Smooth A / B for continuity and Flip if bridge twists

F2 Extend

• Editable Poly only
• Select an open edge and run F2 Extend
• Select the new edge again if you want to keep extending

Loop Subdivision

• Add it from modifier list or Macro Search
• Made for triangle meshes
• Increase Iterations to smooth it

Normalize Poly

• Add it from modifier list or Macro Search
• Threshold controls how many straight verts it catches
• Keep Select Only on to preview them
• Turn Select Only off to remove them

Interface

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Issues

• When creating materials/maps in SME make sure to drag and drop from the menu, otherwise it will create at SME origin.
• Auto Orbit requires Autocam.gup to exist. If you removed it please restore it, otherwise automatic orbit will not work. If you don't know what I am talking about just ignore what I said.
• F2 Extend can fail with weird angles.
• Screen Grab and UV Grab are work in progress so avoid using them as they're buggy.
• Dynamic POI is a literal hack, it can show wrong cursor for a split second and it uses polling. Other modes are much cleaner.

Build

Requires Visual Studio 2022, CMake 3.20+, and the SDK matching the target 3ds Max version.

cmake -S . -B build -G "Visual Studio 17 2022" -A x64 -DMAX_VERSION=2026
cmake --build build --config Release

Set MAX_VERSION=2027 or override MAXSDK_PATH for another supported SDK; the Release output places the GUP and config script together.

Native source layout

Area	Sources
Core module and exports	src/flowstate.cpp, src/FlowState.def
Floating editors	src/powershader.*, src/modstack.*
Modeling commands	src/normalize_edges/f2_extend_tool.cpp, smooth_bridge_tool.cpp
Normalize Poly modifier	src/normalize_edges/normalize_poly.*
Loop Subdivision modifier	src/modifiers/loop_subdivision/

The CMake project groups those areas explicitly while linking them into the single FlowState target.

Uninstall

Remove FlowState.gup, the installed flowstate_config.ms copies/startup loader, and optionally <plugcfg>\FlowState.cfg.

License

GPL-3.0 with an Autodesk 3ds Max SDK linking exception; see LICENSE and LICENSE-EXCEPTION.

Copyright (C) 2026 clone