Managing Scenes and Projects > File-Handling Commands >  References >  File Link Manager > 
File Link Manager Dialog
 
 
 
Command entry: Application Menu References File Link File Link Manager File Link Manager dialog
Command entry: Utilities panel Utilities rollout Click the More button. Utilities dialog File Link Manager File Link Manager dialog

The main interface to the File Link Manager is the File Link Manager dialog

Procedures

To link a drawing file:

You can link drawings in the form of DWG, DXF, or FBX files. A DWG is the native file format for AutoCAD and  AutoCAD Architecture; when you work with a Revit project, you can export to either DWG or FBX format. (The File Link Manager does not recognize RVT files.)

  1. Choose Application Menu References File Link Manager.
  2. On the Attach panel, click Files to select a file from the appropriate directory on either your local or network system, and click Open.
  3. Choose a Preset from the drop-down list, if you have one defined.
    TipIf this is your first File Linking, and you have not defined any presets, you might want to create one on the Presets panel of the dialog.
  4. If the file is a DWG or DXF file, turn on Rescale and change the Incoming File Units, if necessary.
  5. Click Attach This File.

To reload a drawing:

Reload is most often used when your drawing or project has been changed in AutoCAD, AutoCAD Architecture, or Revit, or if the linked drawing file has been moved and you have to tell the File Link Manager where to find the drawing.

NoteIf your Revit project has been updated, remember to export a new FBX or DWG file that can be reloaded.
  1. On the Files panel of the File Link Manager, click the file name in the Linked Files list and click Reload.

    Linked files that have been changed are prefaced with the symbol.

    TipTurn on the Show Reload Options switch if you want to make changes to the settings used to link the drawing. Otherwise, the reload process will use the same settings you originally used when creating the link.
  2. If Show Reload Options is turned on, 3ds Max displays either the File Link Settings: DWG Files dialog or the File Link Settings: FBX Files dialog, depending on the file type. This dialog lets you change your link settings.
    NoteWhen you reload a DWG or DXF file, you cannot change the sorting or layer options.
  3. Click OK to reload the file.

Interface

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.

NoteAn xref is an AutoCAD external reference. This is different from a 3ds MaxXref, 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, or FBX file that you want to link. Once you have chosen a file, its path and name appear in the File list.

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.

TipYou can resize the File Link Manager 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

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 File Link Manager 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 unitsLists the units to which you can choose to 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.

NoteYou can't change units when you reload a linked DWG or DXF file.
NoteBy default, 3ds Max system units are inches. Consider carefully before changing the default system units. For more information, see Using Units.
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 Esc. 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 Esc.

Closing the File Link Manager 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

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.

  • Show Reload options When this is on, clicking Reload opens either the File Link Settings: DWG Files dialog or the File Link Settings: FBX Files dialog, depending on the file type. In this dialog, you can change the settings used to link the file (some initial settings can’t be changed). When off, Reload relinks the file using the currently active link settings. Default=on.
NoteChanges 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 Esc. 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 Esc.

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

Lists all existing presets.

Modify

Opens the File Link Settings: DWG Files dialog or the File Link Settings: FBX Files 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.

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