Exporting Models

You can export models created for use in other scenes. Using models to export objects is the main way of sharing objects between scenes.

When you export a model, a copy is saved as an independent file. The file names of exported models have an .emdl extension.

The original model remains in the scene. If you ever need to modify the model, you can change it in the original scene, and then re-export it using the same file name. If other scenes use that file as a referenced model, they will update automatically when you open them. If you imported the file into another scene as a local model, you must delete the model from that scene and re-import it from the file to obtain the updated version.

The exported model contains only its internal relationships — the export process removes modeling relationships, expressions, linked parameters, constraints, and so on if they involve elements that are not children of the model.

One exception to this rule is envelopes — the export process preserves envelope operators even if they involve deformers that are not part of the same model. When you later import the referenced model containing the envelope into a scene containing objects with the same name as the envelope's original deformers, the deformers are automatically reconnected to the envelope. This lets you export an envelope model, delete it from the scene, and then import it back as a referenced model with the envelope still connected to the original deformers.

Tip

For deformers to be reconnected automatically, they must have exactly the same model name and object name as the originals. Remember that the model name of a referenced model is based on the .emdl file name — this means that if the deformers are in another referenced model, it must have been exported using the unaltered name of the original model as the .emdl file name.

In addition, when you import the deformer model, Referenced Models: Use Prefix for Referenced Model Names should be off in your General preferences. Otherwise, you must manually specify model names as described in External Connections: Envelopes, Constraints, Etc..

To export a model

Select the model to be exported.
Choose File Export Model from the main menu.
In the Export Model browser, open the folder in which the model is to be saved. Under File Name, enter the name of the model to be exported and click OK.

Note

Although the Scene_Root is considered a model, you cannot export it as a model.
Animation of the model's root is not exported. Only animation of the objects within the model is exported. However, you can add a null to the model, make all other objects in the model children of the null, and animate the null within the model.
If the render region is displayed when you export, it will be used as a thumbnail for the model in the browser. Note that previous thumbnails are not kept when you re-export and overwrite the model file; if the render region is not open when you re-export, any existing thumbnail is lost.

Baking Scene Properties when Exporting Models

There is a preference to bake scene properties when exporting models. When this preference is active, properties that the model inherits from the scene root, such as geometry approximation, are copied locally before exporting. If this option is off when a model is exported, it will inherit its new properties from the scene into which it is imported.

To set the preference

Choose File User Preferences.
Select Data Management.
On the Files tab, set Bake scene properties on model export.

Note this preference does not affect properties that are inherited from anywhere other than the scene root, such as from groups, scene layers. or intermediate objects in a hierarchy.