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File Link Settings: DWG and DXF Files

This dialog appears when you reload a DWG or DXF file, or edit the settings of a DWG/DXF preset.

  • File menu > References > Manage Links > Manage Links dialog > Files tab > Highlight a DWG or DXF file. > Turn on Show Reload Options. > Click Reload.
  • File menu > References > Manage Links > Manage Links dialog > Presets tab > Highlight a DWG/DXF preset. > Click Modify.
  • Utilities panel > Utilities rollout > More button > Utilities dialog > File Link Manager > Manage Links dialog > Files tab > Highlight a DWG or DXF file. > Turn on Show Reload Options. > Click Reload.
  • Utilities panel > Utilities rollout > More button > Utilities dialog > File Link Manager > Manage Links dialog > Presets tab > Highlight a DWG/DXF preset. > Click Modify.

The File Link Settings: DWG Files dialog gives you control over the detailed aspects of how geometry is translated from DWG or DXF files and interpreted in 3ds Max. It also allows you to control whether only a portion of the 3ds Max objects will be affected by subsequent reloading.

The File Link Settings dialog lets you:

  • View and exclude layers in a linked DWG/DXF file.
  • Control how geometry is converted.
  • Define how linked objects are converted to the 3ds Max objects known as VIZBlocks.

The selections you make in the File Link Settings dialog can affect the amount of memory used by 3ds Max to hold the linked data. Use the Select Layers To Include option to reduce the amount of information added to your scene.

In some cases, it might be more efficient to create multiple links to the same file, making different file link settings for each file.

Topics in this section
  • Basic File Link Settings
    The Basic panel of the File Link Settings: DWG Files dialog defines how 3ds Max converts the linked file’s objects into corresponding 3ds Max objects.
  • Advanced File Link Settings
    The Advanced panel of the File Link Settings: DWG Files dialog controls how 3ds Max derives AutoCAD primitives and whether 3ds Max uses the scene material definitions when linking to or reloading the AutoCAD drawing. It also lets you selectively reload your scene, so that you reload only specific objects, not the entire file.
  • Spline Rendering File Link Settings
    The Spline Rendering panel of the File Link Settings: DWG Files dialog controls how shapes will appear in the scene once the DWG or DXF file is linked. You can control the appearance of the shape, its smoothing, mapping coordinates and if they can be rendered.
  • Select Layers Dialog
    This dialog lets you toggle a DWG file layer's include/exclude status and choose other options, as described in this topic.
  • Select Linked Objects Dialog
    The Select Linked Objects dialog displays the linked objects associated with the selected linked file, including VIZBlocks, lights, and cameras. You use this dialog when reloading a linked file so that you can include/exclude specific objects from the reloading process. You might want to do this in order to reload only the objects that have changed.
  • Object Enablers
    AutoCAD and AutoCAD applications, such as AutoCAD Architecture (formerly Architectural Desktop or ADT), have custom objects that are unique to the product. In order to view them in 3ds Max, you need the appropriate Object Enabler (OE).
  • Resolve External Reference File Dialog
    The Resolve External Reference File dialog is displayed when 3ds Max can't find the externally referenced files it needs in an attached DWG file.
Parent topic: File Link Manager

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