Manage Links Dialog

The Manage Links dialog is the main interface to the File Link Manager. Linking a file lets you incorporate data from other applications such as AutoCAD and Revit into your 3ds Max scene. The File Link Manager dialog contains three panels:

These panels let you attach files, update attachments and settings, and change the presets used by File Link. The terminology is similar to the terminology for managing AutoCAD external references, or xrefs.

Note: An xref is an AutoCAD external reference. This is different from a 3ds Max Xref, which is an externally referenced file that can be a 3ds Max object or scene.

Attach panel

File
Displays a file Open dialog where you can the browse for the DWG, DXF, FBX, or RVT file that you want to link. Once you have chosen a file, its path and name appear in the File list.

If the file is an RVT file that has multiple cameras, the File Link Manager prompts you to choose a camera view.

Before you attach the file, you can change the view by using the Revit View button (see below). You can also change it by reloading the link; see File Link Settings: Revit and FBX Files.

File list

The file to link to your scene. You can enter the path and name in this field, or you can use the drop-down list to display a history of the last ten files that you have linked.

Tip: You can resize the Manage Links dialog by dragging any corner or edge. This is useful for viewing a file path if it’s too long to fit in the default-sized file list field.
Preset drop-down list

Displays a list of preset settings you can choose to use when attaching the file. Each list entry in this list represents a unique collection of attach and reload settings. You can create additional presets in the Presets panel of the Manage Links dialog.

Rescale

(DWG/DXF files only.) Alters the scale of the geometry from a linked file to match the system unit scale in 3ds Max. When Rescale is on, you can specify what the base units should be for the geometry in the linked file. For example, if the length of a line in the linked file is 2 units, you can specify that these units be considered as any of the units listed under File Units (below), such as inches, millimeters, or parsecs.

  • Incoming file units Lists the units to which you can rescale the linked file. This is active only when Rescale is on.

When Rescale is on, and the units you specify are different from the system units currently set in the 3ds Max scene, the incoming objects are scaled appropriately. For example, if a door measures 914 units in the linked file, and you specify millimeters to convert from, the door will measure 36 inches in the 3ds Max scene.

Note: You can't change units when you reload a linked DWG or DXF file.
Note: By default, 3ds Max system units are inches. Consider carefully before changing the default system units. For more information, see Using Units.
Revit View
(RVT files only.) Click this to choose a camera view other than the one you chose when you clicked File.

After you click Attach, this button is no longer available, but you can change the active view by reloading the link; see File Link Settings: Revit and FBX Files.

Select Layers to include

(DWG/DXF files only.) Displays the Select Layers dialog, which you use to select the layers to import from the linked file.

Attach this file

Attaches the selected file to your scene, using the settings specified by the preset in the Preset list, if you chose one.

To cancel the File Link operation, press . You can do this at any time during the process. Cancelling the File Link operation removes every object the process has linked to the scene up to the moment you press .

Closing the Manager Links dialog cancels all changes you made to the File Link settings.

Files panel

The Reload, Detach, and Bind buttons are available only when you have highlighted a particular file in the Linked Files list.

Linked files list

Lists linked files. The File Link Manager displays an icon next to the path name of each linked file. The icon reflects the status of the linked file:

The linked file hasn't changed, and there are no errors.

The linked file can't be found at the specified location.

The linked file has changed, or another file has been selected by changing the path or using the browser from this list. If you want to update your scene with the changes in this file, you must reload your link.

You can change the path name by highlighting it and clicking again to enter a new location. Clicking the path twice also displays a file browser button to the right of the file name. Click this to locate a file using a file Open dialog. If the directory of a linked file is no longer valid, then you must enter a new, valid path name.

Reload

Click to refresh the link between the file and the 3ds Max session. Reload is useful when the original file has been modified and you want to see the changes reflected in your 3ds Max scene.

Note: Changes that have been made to the base file are applied to the objects at the bottom of the 3ds Max modifier stack. In other words, the local 3ds Max modifiers are not changed. If you have 3ds Max materials applied to walls in a floor plan in your scene, the same materials are applied to the walls when you reload an updated version of the linked file.

To cancel the Reload, press . You can do this at any time during the process. Cancelling the Reload removes every object the process has linked to the scene up to the moment you press .

Detach

Click to removes an existing link to a file. Detach also removes all geometry associated with or dependent on the link.

When you click Detach, 3ds Max displays a warning that you're about to remove all objects associated with the linked file. You can either proceed or cancel the operation.

Bind

Click to remove the link to the file, but retain the geometry in your 3ds Max scene. The geometry is no longer linked back to the original file, and if the original file changes, you can no longer update the geometry by using Reload.

When you click Bind, 3ds Max displays a warning that you’re about to break the link between the objects in the current 3ds Max scene and the original file.

Presets panel

Named Presets list

Lists all existing presets.

Modify

Opens the File Link Settings: DWG Files dialog or the File Link Settings: Revit Files (RVT o) dialog, depending on the file type. In the dialog, you can change the settings for the selected preset.

Modify is available only when you have highlighted a preset in the list.

New

Opens the New Settings Preset dialog, creating a new preset with default settings.

New is available only when no preset is highlighted in the list. If a preset is highlighted, this button changes to Copy.

Copy

Opens the New Settings Preset dialog, creating a new preset with the same settings as the currently selected preset.

Copy is available only when a preset is highlighted in the list. If no preset is highlighted, this button changes to New.

Rename

Opens the Rename Settings Preset dialog, letting you change the name of the highlighted preset.

Rename is available only when a preset is highlighted in the list.

Delete

Deletes the selected preset.

Delete is available only when a preset is highlighted in the list.

Parent topic: File Link Manager