I built MarkingForge: customizable marking menus and a visual editor for 3ds Max
Hey everyone,
I’ve been working on MarkingForge, a marking-menu plugin for 3ds Max 2026 and 2027, and wanted to share it with the community.
The idea is simple: hold a shortcut, move toward a command, and release to run it. You can build menus around the tools you actually use and configure different commands for different selection contexts.
The video shows it in action, along with the editor used to build and customize the menus.
Here’s what you can do:
- Create your own marking menus with nested submenus.
- Make menus context-sensitive, with different tools for object and sub-object selections.
- Assign Max actions, macros, and custom MAXScript commands through the visual editor.
- Customize shortcuts, mouse bindings, labels, and colors.
- Access native Max menus through a Hotbox at your cursor.
- Generate a printable cheat sheet reflecting your current saved bindings.
One small feature I particularly like: for supported commands, moving past the dashed ring switches whether the command opens its settings or runs directly. That lets you choose between repeating an operation and adjusting its parameters using the same menu entry.
It’s a paid plugin, and I’m the developer. I’d appreciate feedback from people who spend their day in Max—especially on the menu interaction and editor workflow.
Which commands would earn a spot in your marking menu? And do you currently use quad menus, keyboard shortcuts, or another setup?
