ScriptSpot

Script

Select Active Camera

By Christopher Grant · 2009-02-27

Version
1.00
Version requirement
3ds max 6-2009
Date updated
2008-11-05
Votes
30
Homepage
http://www.christophergrant.com
Description

Simply selects the active camera from the current viewport (even if cameras / layer is hidden). If you've ever been frustrated because you're working full screen looking through the camera lens then need to change something about your camera, this script is for you. In that case you just run the script and bam you're able to edit camera properties in the stack or adjust keys in the time slider all with a single keystroke instead of having to hunt around in the select by name dialog...

Usage:
Assign a keyboard shortcut / right click menu then activate when in a camera view - voila, camera selected.

Additional Info

Installation: 1. Click Maxscript / Run Script and choose this file from wherever you saved it (probably your desktop) 1a. It will seem like nothing happened but that's exactly what it should do, you now need to assign a shortcut to it 2. Click Customize / Customize User Interface / Keyboard (tab) 3. Change the Category to "CG_Tools" 4. Click "Select Active Camera" and change its Hotkey to something, maybe Alt+C .Click Assign 5. Click Save and save your custom UI settings to a file, do yourself a favor and don't use the default. 6. That's it. Switch your viewport to a camera view, then press your hotkey and voila your camera will be selected.
Attachments

Tags: Cameras, selection, camera, select

Comments (7)

EKDTools · 2025-06-03

Is there a way to select the camera being rendered? I know how to callback prerender, I want the way to get the camera being rendered

very usefull one!

crystal3d · 2014-03-26

infact there is one command that can be short-cut but it does not work, this works very good! thank you!

enhanced code

drimka · 2011-05-07

sorry for my english :)
this code detect camera type, and if this target camera (and now select camera) - select camera.target.
and vice versa :) if now select camera.target - select camera

------------------------------------

macroScript cg_SelectActiveCamera Category:"CG_Tools" toolTip:"Select Active Camera" buttontext:"Select Active Camera"
(
sel = $
curcam = try(getActiveCamera()) catch()
if curcam != undefined do (
camType = curcam.type
if camType == #target then (
case sel of (
(sel = curcam.Target): (
print("select [target] cam ")
select curcam
)

(sel = curcam): (
print("select [target] cam.target")
select curcam.Target
)

default: (
print("nothing selected. select cam")
select curcam
)

) -- case sel
)
else (
print("select [free] cam")
select curcam
)
) -- cam != undefined
)
------------------------------------

kilad · 2009-03-01

Hi, good idea, i have been wanting this for a while.

 I`ve been using laky`z "CamChangerFwd" for cycling through cameras, and now i put these two together:

macros.run "Laky'z" "CamChangerFwd"

macros.run "CG_Tools" "cg_SelectActiveCamera"

 ..and bind this to my c key.

nice

Christopher Grant · 2009-03-01

Haha. Well actually to be honest I had forgotten you can select a camera by right clicking on the viewport label... Now that you mentioned it I dug through customize/ui and didn't find any pre-existing command that could be assigned a keyboard shortcut though...

In my case this script came out of wanting to take a file with a ton of cameras in it and quickly cycle through the cameras and remove ones I didn't need. This script helps because I assign it a keyboard shortcut and quickly cycle through camera views and remove unnecessary cameras.

titane357 · 2009-02-28

yes, it is already implemented, but it is good to see how to do it by script ! :-))

CgRay · 2009-02-28

Hi, do you know that this functionality is already in max?  If you right'click the viewport label, you can select "select camera" or "select camera target" this works with lights too.