SG-38773 Fix testing instructions not working on Max versions 2026 & 2022 (shotgunsoftware#55)

* Fix testing instructions not working on Max versions 2026 & 2022

Also improve the overall README to make tests as painless to run as possible

* Apply suggestion from @Copilot

Co-authored-by: Copilot <175728472+Copilot@users.noreply.github.com>

* Apply suggestion from @Copilot

Co-authored-by: Copilot <175728472+Copilot@users.noreply.github.com>

* Apply suggestion from @Copilot

Co-authored-by: Copilot <175728472+Copilot@users.noreply.github.com>

* Update tests/README.md

Co-authored-by: Copilot <175728472+Copilot@users.noreply.github.com>

* fixup! Fix testing instructions not working on Max versions 2026 & 2022

---------

Co-authored-by: Copilot <175728472+Copilot@users.noreply.github.com>

Author: julien-lang

tests/README.md

@@ -5,28 +5,53 @@ you must be on Windows with 3dsMax installed.
 
 To run these tests, you need to do the following
 
- 1. Make sure the following tk repositories are clone in the same base folder as
-    this one:
-      * tk-core
-      * tk-multi-publish2
-      * tk-framework-shotgunutils
-      * tk-framework-qtwidgets
-
-    In general, anything defined in `tests/fixtures/config/env/test.yml`
-
-1. From a PowerShell terminal, create a virtual environment at `tests/venv`
-    ```ps1
-    & "C:\Program Files\Autodesk\3ds Max {version}\Python\python.exe" -m venv tests/venv
-    ```
-
-1. Install all dependencies needed for the test:
-    ```ps1
-    tests\venv\Scripts\pip install -U -r tests\requirements.txt
-    ```
+ 1. From a PowerShell terminal, in the tk-3dsmax git clone folder:
+     1. Make sure the **following** tk repositories are cloned in the same base
+        folder as this one:
+         * tk-core
+         * tk-multi-publish2
+         * tk-framework-shotgunutils
+         * tk-framework-qtwidgets
+
+        > **Note**
+        >
+        > In general, anything defined in `tests/fixtures/config/env/test.yml`
+
+        Also make sure those repositories are up-to-date.
+
+        One way to do all this is to run the
+        [prepare-test-repos.ps1](./prepare-test-repos.ps1) script:
+
+        ```ps1
+        tests\prepare-test-repos.ps1
+        ```
+
+     1. Set the `$max_version` variable to the tested version of Max:
+        ```ps1
+        $max_version="2025"
+        ```
+
+    1. From a PowerShell terminal, create a virtual environment at `tests/venv`
+        ```ps1
+        & "C:\Program Files\Autodesk\3ds Max $($max_version)\Python\python.exe" -m venv --clear tests/venv
+        ```
+
+    1. Install the `wheel` package:
+        ```ps1
+        tests\venv\Scripts\pip install -U wheel
+        ```
+
+    1. Install all dependencies needed for the test:
+        ```ps1
+        tests\venv\Scripts\pip install -U -r tests\requirements.txt
+        ```
 
 1. Launch 3dsmax from the Windows shortcut (not from FPTR Desktop)
     1. Go to the "**Scripting**" menu → select "**Scripting Listener**"
     1. "**File**" → "**Run Script**"
     1. Browse to `tests/run_tests.py`
 
-Note that after running the tests about a dozen time or so, the 3dsMax session seems to be getting corrupted and Toolkit's module importer fails at resolving the location of our bundles.
+> [!NOTE]
+> After running the tests about a dozen time or so, the 3dsMax session seems to
+> be getting corrupted and Toolkit's module importer fails at resolving the
+> location of our bundles.

tests/prepare-test-repos.ps1

@@ -0,0 +1,33 @@
+$repos = @(
+    "tk-core"
+    "tk-framework-qtwidgets"
+    "tk-framework-shotgunutils"
+    "tk-multi-publish2"
+)
+
+foreach ($repo in $repos) {
+    Write-Host
+    Write-Host
+    Write-Host "### Updating $repo"
+    Write-Host
+
+    # if not present, clone the repo
+    if (-not (Test-Path "../$repo")) {
+        Write-Host "$repo does not exist, cloning"
+        git remote -v | Select-String -Pattern "origin\s+(.+)\s+\(fetch\)" | ForEach-Object {
+            $baseUrl = [System.IO.Path]::GetDirectoryName($_.Matches[0].Groups[1].Value)
+        }
+
+        git clone "$baseUrl/$repo.git" "../$repo"
+    }
+    else {
+        Write-Host "$repo already exists, pulling latest changes"
+        git -C "../$repo" fetch
+        git -C "../$repo" checkout .
+        git -C "../$repo" clean -f -d -x .
+        git -C "../$repo" switch master
+        git -C "../$repo" merge
+    }
+
+    git -C "../$repo" clean -f -d -x .
+}

tests/requirements.txt

@@ -1,2 +1 @@
 https://github.com/shotgunsoftware/tk-toolchain/archive/master.zip
-wheel ; python_version >= '3.11'