Create a proxy asset

You can create a proxy as a stand-in for an asset in your scene. This is useful to temporarily simplify complex scenes by substituting simpler geometry while still allowing you to work with an asset’s published attributes.

To create a proxy asset

1. Select a referenced asset in your scene. You can also select multiple referenced assets, but they must all be from the same source file.
2. Select File > Export Proxy Asset.

   For more information, see Export Proxy Asset Options.

   A file browser window appears.

3. Select a location, enter a filename, and select Export.

   A proxy file is created. The proxy file consists of a locator representing the asset’s selection transform node and an additional locator for each parent or child anchor for the asset (if any).

Once you have created the proxy file, you can then display the proxy file instead of the referenced file in the main scene.

To substitute a proxy asset

1. In the parent file, right-click the referenced object and select Proxy > Reload Proxy As.
2. Select the proxy file from the list that appears.

   The referenced asset’s geometry is replaced with the proxy asset’s geometry and locators. However, you can still access all the asset’s published attributes and nodes.

If you open the Reference Editor (File > Reference Editor), referenced files with associated proxies appear with a small proxy icon next to their name.

Related topics

• Assets and File Referencing
• Reference Editor