To Add an XRef Object

1. Choose File menu References XRef Objects.

   The XRef Objects dialog enables you to choose to Merge Transforms, Merge Materials, and Merge Manipulators.

   Note: If you want to maintain externally referenced entities (transforms, materials, manipulators, or modifiers), make sure Merge Transforms, Merge Materials, and Merge Manipulators are off and the Modifiers setting is set to XRef before you proceed to the next step.
   Tip: To include all objects and bypass the XRef Merge dialog, turn on Include All on the XRef Objects dialog before you click Create XRef Record From File.
2. Click the Create XRef Record From File button in the XRef Objects dialog. The Open File dialog appears. Choose the file you want by highlighting it in the list, then click Open. The XRef Merge Dialog appears.

   If the Merge Manipulators toggle is off before you click Create XRef Record From File, manipulators applied to XRef objects are linked to the (externally referenced) source file. In a similar way, the Modifiers drop-down list gives you three alternatives for how to handle object modifiers.

   If the Merge Materials toggle is off before you click Create XRef Record From File, materials applied to XRef objects are linked to the (externally referenced) source file. If Merge Materials is on, the materials are merged with the main scene.

   If the Merge Transforms toggle is off before you click Create XRef Record From File, transforms applied to XRef objects are linked to the (externally referenced) source file and cannot be keyframed in the main file. If Merge Transforms is on, the transforms are merged with the main scene and can be keyframed.

3. Select the objects that you’d like to appear in your main scene as XRef objects.

   You can choose as many as you want by holding down the Ctrl key and highlighting them in the list. If the source scene has a lot of object types you don't need to include, you can filter the list by using the List Types radio buttons. Use the All button to select all of the entries, the None button to select no entries and the Invert button to highlight the opposite of your current selection. You can also choose to display Influences and Select Influences.

4. The XRef record appears in the upper list of the XRef Objects dialog and has the same name as its source file. The externally referenced entities appear in the lower list, where an entity can be either an object, a controller, or a material. Make additional choices at this time if you like. You can control how the objects will update (either automatically or on demand). Updating is done at the XRef record level: all objects, transforms, and materials from a single XRef record are updated at the same time.