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Swapping assets

Lesson 2: Using assets in a scene

Creating a proxy container

 

Learning Resources > Tutorials > Getting Started with Maya > Assets > Lesson 2: Using assets in a scene > 

Referencing assets in a scene

In the previous section you imported a fire truck asset directly into the scene. However, you can also reference assets from other files. File referencing allows you to represent an object from another file in your scene without actually importing that file.

References do not use as much memory as full imports, and have the added benefit of allowing you to tweak referenced material in their source files, and have the referenced material automatically update in your main file. This allows multiple people to work on different pieces of a single scene simultaneously.

To reference an asset

1. Select File > Reference Editor.

   The Reference Editor window appears.

2. In the Reference Editor, select File > Create Reference > .
3. Select Edit > Reset Settings.
4. Click Reference.

   A file browser appears.

5. Navigate to Getting Started/Assets/assets and select police_car.mb.
6. Click Reference.

An entry appears in the Reference Editor. This represents the police car. You can turn the reference on and off by clicking the check box next to the reference name.

Now you can move the police car asset to the appropriate spot in your scene. Up until now, you’ve been using the Outliner to select your containers. However, you can change the selection method so that you can select them in your scene.

To turn on container centric selection

1. Select Window > Settings/Preferences > Preferences.

   The Preferences window appears.

2. In the select the Selection section under Settings.
3. Turn on Container centric selection.
4. Click Save.

Now if you click on any part of the police car in the main scene, Maya selects the object’s container.

Now select the Move Tool and move the police car to the edge of one of the streets in the scene. Using the same procedure outlined above, reference the same police car file 3 more times and arrange the police cars around the scene, but not in the path of the fire truck.

Now you need a reason for all the emergency vehicles crowding around.

To reference a fire asset

1. In the Reference Editor, select File > Create Reference > .
2. Click Reference.

   A file browser appears.

3. Navigate to Getting Started/Assets/assets and select flames.mb.
4. Click Reference.
5. Use the Move Tool to position the explosion a window on the building that the fire truck stops at. You can also use the Rotate Tool to angle the fire out towards the street.

Now if you play the scene, the apartment burns before the fire truck arrives.