XRef Record List Right-Click Menu

This contextual menu appears in the XRef Objects dialog when you right-click the XRef Record list. It provides additional options for managing the list.

File menu > References > XRef Objects > XRef Objects dialog > Right-click the list of XRef Record list.

Some of the options on this menu are unavailable unless you have highlighted an XRef record.

Create XRef Record from File

Launches an Open File dialog so you can select the source file for your XRef record. When you a select a file, the XRef Merge dialog appears.

Any transform animation assigned to the source objects can be merged along with the XRef object, but it will not be updated with the source object.

Note: If you want to maintain externally referenced transforms, materials, and manipulators, make sure Merge Transforms, Merge Materials, and Merge Manipulators in the XRef Objects dialog are off before you click Create XRef Record from File.

Remove XRef Record

Deletes the highlighted XRef records after you confirm the action. All entities associated with the highlighted records are removed from the scene.

Note: Once you have removed an XRef record, you cannot undo this action.

File Submenu

Open: Opens the source file. If you have not saved changes to the main (current) file, 3ds Max prompts you to do so.
Open in New 3ds Max Session: Launches a new session of 3ds Max and opens the source scene in that session.
Browse: Displays the Open File dialog that enables you to browse for a new source file. The file you choose replaces the highlighted XRef record in the XRef Objects dialog. Available only when a single file is highlighted.
Reveal Location in Explorer: Launches Windows Explorer, open to the folder in which the highlighted source file resides with the source file highlighted. Available only when a single file is highlighted.
Strip Path: Removes path information from the file name, saving only the file name. The source file location is saved relative to the main file location.

Warning: If you strip the path before you have saved the main file, the record's XRefs can become unresolved. This is because there is no location for the Untitled, unsaved MAX scene.
Resolve Path to UNC Location: If the record's file name has had its path stripped, this option restores the full path name.

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Combine XRef Records: Click to combine the contents of more than one XRef record from the same source file into one record. This is useful when you want to clean up the organization of your XRef records. Rather than having multiple records of the same file, you can group all of the objects, controllers, and materials from that file under the same record. This option is available only when you highlight two records that refer to the same file name and path; both records must have identical settings. XRef records must refer to the same file with the same XRef entities. Combine XRef Records only allows you to consolidate all of the entities of one file into one XRef record entry. It does not allow you to combine the contents of different files, even if the files have the same name.

Note: Nested externally referenced records cannot be combined.
Update: Refreshes the contents of the selected XRef record. If the objects, controllers, materials, or manipulators referenced have changed in the source scene, you will see these changes in your main scene.

Note: The changes must be saved in the source file before you see them in the main file. If you remove externally referenced entities from the main file using the Delete XRef Entity button, these entities will not be externally referenced when you update the XRef record, even though they continue to exist in the source scene.

Warning: If you update an XRef in a scene with radiosity, probably this will invalidate the radiosity solution. After you update the XRef, reset the radiosity solution and then recalculate it.

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Select: Selects the entities that belong to the currently highlighted XRef record.
Select by Name: Opens the Select Objects dialog, which lists all objects and highlights those belonging to the currently highlighted XRef record. Use this dialog to select XRef objects.

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Highlight Selected Objects' XRefs Records: Based on the objects selected in the scene, the corresponding records that contain these objects are highlighted in the XRef Objects dialog.

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Highlight All: Highlights all XRef records in the XRef Record list.
Highlight Inverse: Highlights all XRef records in the XRef Record list except the currently highlighted records.
Highlight None: Turns off highlighting for any XRef records currently highlighted in the XRef Records list.
Hide All Unresolved: Hides all unresolved XRef records in the XRef Record list.
Select All Unresolved: Highlights all unresolved XRef records in the XRef Record list.

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Merge In Scene

Converts all XRef entities of the highlighted record into native (local) entities in your main scene. The objects, controllers, materials, and manipulators are no longer referenced from the source file but become part of your main scene. A prompt appears so you can confirm the action. Since a merged XRef entity becomes part of the scene and is no longer an XRef entity, its name is removed from the XRef Entities list. This works on a XRef record basis, so all entities belonging to the highlighted XRef record are converted. The contents of the source file are not affected by this option.

Merging an XRef object loads the full modifier stack of the original object into the main scene (your current scene), while maintaining any additional stack items that were added while the object was an external reference. Thus, you can use Merge In Scene to update an object that has been modified as an external reference. Similarly, merging an XRef controller into the main scene maintains any offset transformation you might have applied to the controller in the main scene.

Convert Selected Object(s) to XRefs

Creates a source file for the currently selected objects. This means that you can select objects in the current scene, including their transform controllers and materials, and then save them to a separate scene file. This file is then listed as an XRef record that contains the entities you selected.

Note: This option can be used on both—native (local) objects or externally referenced objects. If you use it for an object that is already an XRef object, it creates a nested XRef. Nested XRefs still behave as you expect, but they can reduce performance when you open a scene or render it.

Proxy Object Settings Submenu

Enable/Use Local on: Turns on the Proxy Object rollout Enable/Use Local checkbox.
Enable/Use Local off: Turns off the Proxy Object rollout Enable/Use Local checkbox.
Use in Viewport on: Turns on the Proxy Object rollout Use In Viewport checkbox.
Use in Viewport off: Turns off the Proxy Object rollout Use In Viewport checkbox.
Use in Rendering on: Turns on the Proxy Object rollout Use In Rendering checkbox.
Use in Rendering off: Turns off the Proxy Object rollout Use In Rendering checkbox.