[3DSMAX] Reference external materials (I can't use XREF Scene)
interpolator
I have a complex scene of about 500MB. I can't use an 'XREF scene' because somehow it crashes 3dsmax for this particular file and I have not been able to determine why. When I start rendering and make interactions in scene and materials but not in the model, I don't want to have to save the unchanged 500MB of data each time.
Normally I think XREF scene would be best suited. But is there an alternative way to only save the changes to the materials and the scene, while not saving the data of the unchanged meshes?
Normally I think XREF scene would be best suited. But is there an alternative way to only save the changes to the materials and the scene, while not saving the data of the unchanged meshes?
Replies
And can you use Xref to import all objects as one? I got some controller problems when refreshing (objects moved to wrong positions). When using XREF scene all changes to the file are reflected in the containing 3dsmax file.
I am also having difficulties with the XREF materials. I want all my materials to reside in the containing scene, and when I import the XREF file, I want these to be automatically assigned to the XREF objects. So when I import the XREF objects I want 3dsmax to ask if it should use the materials from the Main scene or the XREF file. When using 'merge scene' you get that query dialog, but when using XREF, it just creates XREF materials that you have to manually link/reassign.
It does since 2017. Check "Include All" option.
Thanks!
Could you please tell me where I can find that option? I tried enabling Merge for materials but it did nothing. I also did not get a query dialog when I added an XREF from a file.
When you save changes to the Material max file you open your model max file and reload the library, then apply to scene. It's pretty easy.
How do you make that work with XREF objects automatically? Could you please post the exact steps?
I would prefer not having to reload the library as monster suggests. I want to save a small .max file containing the scene (cameras, lights) and the materials locally. And only Xref the objects. So the materials are in containing scene and not in the Xref file. But when the xref file is reloaded/reimported then the local scene mat's should be reapplied to the xref objects.
I would prefer not having to reload the library as monster suggests. I want to save a small .max file containing the scene (cameras, lights) and the materials locally. And only Xref the objects. So the materials are in containing scene and not in the Xref file. But when the xref file is reloaded/reimported then the local scene mat's should be reapplied to the xref objects.
You have to re-export the .vrmesh file though if you edit it, so you do have to keep a separate .Max file somewhere.
Maybe you could do something similar with a vertex cache.
'For material, you can use Update Material in Scene, as long as 'material name is same.'
When I refresh the xref objects the current scene materials should be automatically assigned to these objects.
So I'm not sure to understand correctly your issue.
The only way for a material to exist in a scene is either to be assigned to an object or beeing in the material editor.
(! If it just lies in an open library, it is not actullay loaded into your scene.)
Otherwise the duplicate dialog won't open, as there is indeed no duplicate material.
So are you sure to have existing local materials in your scene with the same names as materials in your xref objects ?
You can still assign materials to your xref objects in the "materials" scene and they will remain. Updating your xref shouldnt revert materials.
Now if you need to automatically replace by name xref materials by some materials in a library, it's not a big deal to script.