Xref Usage

[winberg]

I have always heard that there were lots of problems with xrefs, so stayed away from it up until now. However I am trying it out on a project now.

I am on max2010, and fortunately I am in the "pre" fase of the project.
I am experiencing that the relatively complex xref objects move to different places when opening saved files again.

- Is this STILL a "no go"?
- Is It usable in a production?
- Is there tricks I need to know?


-Tom

[tricky]

Can't say I've ever had issues with XREF scenes moving around. Are you using XREF scene or XREF objects? We have tried to work with XREF objects in the past and had all sorts of issues with them (though I don't exactly recall what the issues were). XREF scenes can be VERY useful for large scenes with multiple buildings and lots of planting etc.

Main issues we sometimes have is that adding or changing XREFS can sometimes 'break' the vray camera. You need to clone the camera and delete the old one.

[mikeh]

I use xref scenes in every project. Invaluable.
I never use xref objects. Too clumsy and limiting.
mh

[winberg]

Thanks for feedback, I am using XREF objects - I need to move the XREF objects, so linking to dummy etc.
Could be that this is causing the problems, guess I need to test XREF scene too.

-Tom

[steveblake]

XREF scene's link to objects too.

[YoyoBoy]

I had been told that Containers were really bad, but I had a project recently where Containers the only way to go and they worked great. It was a factory assembly line with lots of complex conveyor belts and other machines that I had to instance and place around.

[flino2004]

I always use xref...useful when you use backburner so you don't have to send the view again if you updated something!!
I never have had any problem with it.

[thablanch]

Xref scenes are great, even if there is a problem in 3ds 2013 when having too many layers, it does not keep all the open close values. ( which was not there in 3ds 2011)
Usefull with network rendering, usefull for breaking down big scenes, or when many people work on different parts to assemble.
Xref objects are nice as well, but with limitation. Has the advantage to select an object to move or change a material.
We tried containers a couple times, seems nice, but not matching our workflow, so did not use it o a big scale, but there is potential there also.

[Pictor2]

still using 2010 here too, we use Xref scenes all the time and have no problems with them. Xref objects are a different matter with exactly the problems you described, objects jumping all over the place when opening the scene. Don't know if it's still an issue in later Max versions but as steveblake says you can also link Xref scenes to dummy objects so I'd do that if I were you and avoid Xref objects totally.

[winberg]

Thanks everybody. Seems like I need to use XREF scene instead of objects then.

-Tom