9

XRef Objects Dialog 401
Note:
World-space modifers remain at the top
of the modifier stack and are not merged with
XRef objects.
•
Merge—Modifiers assigned to the XRef object
(in the source file) are merged into the master
scene. When you load the external reference
file, you will see the changes caused by the
modifier and they will appear in the mo d ifier
stack in the Modify panel. The modifiers
are copies of the original source modifiers.
Although they inherit their original state,
updates to the XRef will not overwrite changes
made in the m aster scene. However, these
changes are not reflected in the source file.
•
Ignore—Any modifiers assigned to the XRef
object (in the source file) are disregarded and
thebaseobjectisbroughtintothemasterscene
as an XRef object. When you load the external
reference file, the modifiers are not applied to
the object so the modifications in the source file
w i ll not be reflected in the master file.
Although the Merge Transforms, Merge Materials,
Merge Manipulators, and Modifiers settings
are disabled after you add a record, when you
high light the record in the XRef Record list, the
toggles and list field show the settings used when
the record was created.
XRef Entities toolbar
Add Obj ects—Click to add further entities
to the highlighted XRef record. This button is
available only when the highlighted XRef record
contains objects that you have not yet referenced
externally. The XRef Merge dialog appears, with a
list of the available objects. Hig h light the objects
to reference externally, and then click OK.
Note: Ifnewobjectshavearelationshipinthe
source file with objects that are already in a record
in the master file, update the record after Add
Objects to refresh the relationship. For example,
if a car is referenced in a master scene, and the car
is later constrained to a new path in the source
scene, adding the path with Add Objects will not
put the ma ster car on the path. To do that, update
the record.
Delete XR ef E ntity—Click to delete the
highlighted XRef. An alert prompts you to confirm
the action. All highlighted entities are removed
from the scene. You can delete XRef objects,
controllers, or materials.
Note: Deleting XRef controllers is equivalent to
merging them into the master scene. The reason
for t his is t hat nodes must have a transform
controller at all t imes, in order to be positioned in
the scene. Deleting XRef materials is equivalent
to merging them into the master scene. Th is
action could could impact all objects in the master
scene that use an XRef material, a nd could have
implications difficult to be foreseen.
Merge In Scene—Merges the current selection
in the XRef Entities list into the master scene (the
currentscene). UsethisbuttontochangeXRef
objects, controllers, or materials into objects,
controllers, or materials that are native to the
current scene. The connection between the
external entity from the source scene and your
master scene is broken, and the object, controller,
or material that you merged is no longer updated
when the source scene changes.
3dsMaxpromptsyoutoconfirmthemerge.
Since a merged XRef object becomes p art of the
scene and is no longer an XRef object, its name is
removed from the list.
Merging an XRef object load s the full modifier
stack of the orig inal object, while maintaining
any additional stack items that were added while
the object was an XRef object. Thus, you can use
Mergetoupdateanoriginalobjectthathasbeen
altered as an external reference. If you do this, use
Convert Selected Object(s) to X Refs to save out the