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526 Chapter 20: Managing Scenes and Projects
TheVIZBlockuserinterfaceontheModifypanel
Note: VIZBlocks can contain both mesh and spline
geometry. This can cause some confusion when
applying modifiers like Edit Mesh. If a spline
component is closed, it will be converted to a mesh
with no extrusion. If a spline is not closed, it will
disappear and leave behind stray vertices in the
mesh.
VIZBlocks are assigned a special controller called
a LinkTM controller. If a sub-object component
is extracted and converted to an Editable Mesh
or Editable Spline, the LinkTM controller is
replaced with a PRS controller. Likewise, if an
entire VIZBlock is converted to an Editable Mesh
or Spline, the LinkTM controller for the node is
replaced with a PRS controller.
When using Track View, sub-object components
of VIZBlock do not display. Data pertaining to the
LinkTM controller is not displayed, however, you
can access the PRS subcontroller.
While working on VIZBlocks, it is very possible
that the you might lose portions of the original
data organization of the scene, for example, when
a sub-object component is extracted from an
instanced VIZBlock, the extracted object is not
instanced the same number of times.
File Linke d G e om etry in 3ds Max
This file linked object type appears in Autodesk
VIZ w hen you use the Entity Combine-By option
or if you extract a component from a VIZBlock.
These objects display in the Modify panel as
Linked Geometry. If a linked geometr y object is
moved, rotated, or scaled, you can use the Reset
P osition option.