9

444 Chapter 20: Managing Scenes and Projects
See also
Using Modifiers (page 1–499)
Select Objects D ialog (page 1–78)
AutoCAD Architecture Files
in 3ds Max
D WG files from A utoCAD Architecture (formerly
Architectural Desktop or ADT) often con tain
additional information, such as special objects,
material definitions, and sty les. 3ds Max
is thoroughly compatible with A utoCAD
Architecture, and it recognizes all of these
specialized objects and definitions during the file
link process.
AutoCAD A rchitectur e Objects in
3ds Max
Each instance of an AutoCAD Architecture
(formerly Architectural Desktop or ADT) object
is represented by multiple objects in 3ds Max.
Whenever the file link process detects a useful
distinction bet ween elements of an AutoCAD
Architecture object, it automatically separates,
names,andgroupstheelementsin3dsMaxto
make them easier to work with. The new objects
created in 3 ds Max through file linking are
grouped together hierarchically below a special
object called a VIZBlock,allowingyoutodealwith
individual objects in the hierarchy or with al l of
them as a group. You can view this hierarchy,
but you cannot change it in 3ds Max. You c an
only change the hierarchy indirectly by editing
the objects in AutoCAD Architecture, and then
reloading them into 3ds Max using the File Link
Manager (page 3–422).
Note: 3ds Max does not display linked AutoCAD
Architecture light objects. The best way to link
lights from your AutoCAD Architecture design to
3ds Max is to define them as blocks in AutoCAD
Architecture, and then use the Substitute modifier
(page 1–840) to replace them with 3ds Max lights
with photometric (page 3–993) parameters. This
allows you to use 3ds Max radiosity functions (page
3–51) to simulate the behavior of real lights in your
scene.
Criter i a for S ubdiv idi ng AutoCA D
Architecture Objects
The File Link Manager divides an AutoCAD
Architecture object into multiple objects in
3dsMaxifitdetectsdistinctionsbasedonthe
following features:
•Componentname
• Component subtype (for example, in sectioned
bodies)
•Layer
• Material assignment
So, for example, if a window object in AutoCAD
Architecture contained a m ullion component,
butaportionofthecomponenthadadifferent
material assignment than the rest of it, the mullion
component would appear as two separate objects
when linked into 3ds Max. The objects will be
linked together with all the other components of
the window, but you could modify the material
properties of the two mullion objects separately.
If you changed the material assignments in
AutoCAD Architecture so that the entire mullion
component only had one material assignment,
then when you reloaded the drawing in 3ds Max
there would only be one mullion object present.
Note: Material assignment and Layer are two of the
properties used to sep arate one component from
another. When these are changed in the AutoCAD
Architecture drawing, new objects are c reated in