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I am wondering, would GameDev be a suitable place for questions about MaxScript?

MaxScript is a scripting language developed by Autodesk for 3DS Max, therefore, its specific to a content creation app. which is used predominantly in game asset creation*. That said, its likely any questions will be 'generic programming' questions, and have not so much to do with game development but more with using this particular program - therefore StackOverflow or SuperUser may be better places.

However, if an esoteric question about this particular package was going to be answered anywhere, I would reckon it would be here as the concentration of users of Max are going to be much higher on GameDev than anywhere else.

(*Probably)

Are programming with Maxscript questions on-topic for GameDev? Are those capable of answering those questions most likely to be here?

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If you're using it in a game development scenario and it's, well, having to do with game development, I'm pretty sure it'd be acceptable. It strikes me as being the same as asking questions about, say, C#.

What I'd suggest is looking at , and looking at all the questions it does have, especially recent ones. There's obviously a whole bunch that are directly GameDev-related. But some will stretch the line somewhat, and they seem to be acceptable since the underlying intent is still around.

Not every question satisfies it, though. There's a lot of cross-overlap with Stack Overflow, but if it's far enough then it'd be off-topic.

In understanding that, I'd expect that MaxScript, which is predominantly but still not exclusively used in game asset creation, would be valid as long as you're still within the realm of asking about game development. Rather than, say, basic scripting elements. Basically, acceptable MaxScript questions that'd get answers would probably be on the same lines as our acceptable C# questions.

That's my interpretation of how it'd be acceptable here.

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  • \$\begingroup\$ I was thinking it would be much the same as a question about any other language. The thing is, what makes a programming question specific to game development? Really, if you break down any question far enough it will always be a generic programming problem. This is confounded more by the fact that Maxscript will never be used 'at runtime' and so it is likely all Qs will be 'generic', as they will relate to things like building exporters. (Does the fact that its for an exporter make it game related? hmm). In any case, when I get stuck next ill post a Q about it and see how it fares :D \$\endgroup\$
    – sebf
    Commented Jun 1, 2011 at 14:46
  • \$\begingroup\$ @sebf What I'd suggest is getting yourself a handful of example "MaxScript" questions. You can either post them in your question here, or you can do a primer evaluation of your own by comparing it with how they look like our questions about other languages. \$\endgroup\$
    – Grace Note StaffMod
    Commented Jun 1, 2011 at 14:47
  • \$\begingroup\$ One I really need answered is "Can I reference a MaxScript file from another one, in order to call functions from it?" That, I would say, is a general scripting question; but that said, some of those you linked are no more 'game oriented' than that other than the context given (making my game classes more OO as opposed to my program design). The most game specific part of my question is probably (the rather tenuous) 'its a likely requirement for any exporter'. \$\endgroup\$
    – sebf
    Commented Jun 1, 2011 at 15:50
  • \$\begingroup\$ @sebf How does it compare to the making classes available to others C# question? \$\endgroup\$
    – Grace Note StaffMod
    Commented Jun 1, 2011 at 16:01
  • \$\begingroup\$ well I'd say I can't really see any difference other than that the linked Q has given context of a game (I would say the answer to that question would be identical whether or not it was for a game, just like the answer to mine would be the same whether it was for an exporter or a script to setup a render for a movie). I personally like the way GameDev operates; I think its much better to have too many OT programming questions, than too little. But I don't want to clog up GD with scripting questions simply because its on the only SE site I think ill get an answer ;) \$\endgroup\$
    – sebf
    Commented Jun 1, 2011 at 17:01
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I'd think it would be on topic, but would make no guarantees about whether or not a hypothetical question would be answered.

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If the question is directly about game development then it fits here. If it's not directly about game development however (eg. general 3D animation) then unfortunately there's no place for that in SE. Try asking on highend3d or cgartists.

There probably ought to be a 3D animation site actually, but oh well.

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