Docking a .NET window inside 3dsmax viewport

If you are writing a tool that contains a separate window it can be very useful to make that window dockable in the viewport. Following code demonstrated how to do that using Max.NET and any .NET form:

class MainViewWindow : global::Autodesk.Max.Plugins.ViewWindow

{

       IntPtr previousParent;

       WindowStyles previousStyle;

       public override IntPtr CreateViewWindow( IntPtr hParent, int x, int y, int w, int h )

       {

              this.previousParent = GetParent( Plugin.Instance.MainFrame.Handle );

              this.previousStyle = GetWindowStyle( Plugin.Instance.MainFrame.Handle );

 

              Form mainFrame = GetMyForm();

              SetWindowStyle( mainFrame.Handle, WindowStyles.WS_CHILD | WindowStyles.WS_VISIBLE );

              SetParent( mainFrame.Handle, hParent );

 

              mainFrame.dockedInsideExtendedView = true;

              return mainFrame.Handle;

       }

 

       public override void DestroyViewWindow( IntPtr hWnd )

       {

              GetMyForm().dockedInsideExtendedView = false;

              SetWindowStyle( Plugin.Instance.MainFrame.Handle, this.previousStyle );

              SetParent( Plugin.Instance.MainFrame.Handle, this.previousParent );

              GetMyForm().FormBorderStyle = FormBorderStyle.Sizable;

              GetMyForm().Close();

       }

 

       public override string Name

       {

              get { return "Main Window"; }

       }

 

       /// <summary>

       /// Can only have one mainframe!

       /// </summary>

       public override int NumberCanCreate

       {

              get { return 1; }

       }

}

SetWindowStyle(...) and SetParent(...) are native Win32 methods marshalled into .net using PInvoke.

Undocking the window

Once you have docked the window inside the viewport you will probably need a way to undock it (revert the viewport back to a 3d view or to another extended viewport option). This is achieved pretty simply- 3dsmax provides a method to bring up a context menu that will allow a user to switch a viewport to another option.

To bring this context menu handle a right click event somewhere in your .NET window and when it happens call the IGlobal.COREInterface.PutUpViewMenu(...) method. For example:

void menuStrip_MouseDown( object sender, MouseEventArgs e )
        {
            if( e.Button == MouseButtons.Right && this.dockedInsideExtendedView )
            {
                Plugin.Instance.Global.COREInterface.PutUpViewMenu( this.Handle, e.Location );
            }
        }

Once the user picks an option from the context menu 3dsmax will automatically call your ViewWindow class to destroy the window and replace it with something else.