Aside from Chaos Scatter, the array modifier since Max 2024 has had very good features and can even be more handy, specifically in spline scattering (e.g. spline projection over a surface and others).
As I understand, what you want to achieve is quite straightforwardly achievable with 3ds Max Array modifier (not the Array tool).
Feel free to give it a try.
Not a good idea if the objects to be scattered are hundreds of plants. This is something we do a lot in our studio.
The workaround was provided specifically for the case originally posted.
And apparently the "system" is the same for different scattering tools/plugins, so array won't help much - to achieve a rotation along specific axis in local transform, there should be a separate control for it. In short, when the instance is rotated in any axis, its local pivot is not affected, so the further rotation would respect it (and this is intended and by design). The transformations always happen based on the "orientation" of the originally generated point, on which the instances are placed. It can maybe be handy to have a separate control for local transformations, maybe in the form of "Respect/Keep X | Y | Z" checkboxes. Order of rotation won't help here, the coordinate system should be changed.
But what Basshunter is trying to achieve can be done in a arguably more intuitive way - the rotation on X can be handled differently, by generating a surface and a normal, so Scatter only takes care of Z rotation randomization. Of course this method will need to use UV mapping (with or without Real world scale) and there is no straightforward control over the distance between the instances. Nevertheless, maybe this workaround can be useful - there is simple sweep modifier on the original spline, with a straight line as profile, which controls the inclination, aka X rotation.
