8

Working with Drawing Files 425
Using File Link with
AutoCAD a nd Ar chitectur al
Desk top Files
Fi le Link Bas ics
Working with Drawing Files
You can attach any DWG fi le (p age 3–1024)
(or DXF file (page 3–1024) )withthe File Link
Manager (page 3–431)
.Thisfeatureallowsyouto
work in another design software’s environment,
such as AutoCAD
®
,Autodesk
®
Architectural
Desktop, or Autodesk Revit
®
while maintaining a
single design database.
Note: For this documentation, the term “drawing”
is used as reference to either D WG or DXF files
created with AutoCAD and Architectural Desktop,
or exported from Revit.
Creat ing Links to Files
You can establish, reload, and detach links to
any number of linked files. You can also edit out
unnecessar y information by using layers and
other filters. The File Link Manager defines which
geometry is included in the scene from the linked
file, how the geometry is organized, and when
it’s regenerated. You can also create links to files
using the drag and drop feature. The objects that
youbringinfromlinkedfilesbehavejustlikeany
other object created in 3ds Max. You can scale,
rotate, and move them as well as attach modifiers
and materials.
When 3ds Max stores linked file data, you’ll need
to decide how the objects from the linked files will
be organized in the scene. For example, drawings
are commonly organized by layers, blocks, and
objects, and 3ds Max scenes are organized by
hierarchies of objects. For translating between
systems, 3ds Max includes object t ypes called
VIZBlocks (page 3–1125) and Block/Style Parents
(page 3–1012)
.
Work ing with V IZBlock s and B lock /Style
Par ent s
A VIZBlock and a Block/Style Parent is like
a nested block; it has an object/sub-object or
parent/child hierarchy structure. In many cases,
linked drawing data initially appears as a VIZBlock
or Block/Style Parent (depending on the
Derive
AutoCAD Primitives By options
you choose).
Using VIZBlocks is helpful when you’re working
w ith layering and color schemes. You can create
multiple lin ks to the same linked file, so you can
use the same geometry in different combinations.
Dynamic Blocks in 3ds Max
Dynamic Blocks are new in AutoCAD 2006 and
they give blocks flexibility and intelligence. A
dynamic block reference can easily be changed in
a drawing while you work. You can manipulate
the geometry through custom grips or custom
properties.
The File Lin k Manager handles dynamic blocks
much the same way as any other block found in a
DWG file. Dynamic block instances, even those
that have b een grip-edited, display certain types of
instance behavior such as material propagation.
For more detailed information about dynamic
block handling in 3ds Max, see
Blocks (page
3–464)
.
Reloading, Binding and Detaching Links
to Files
You can also reload or detach linked files. When
you reload a linked file, any changes you ’ve made
tothelinkedfileareappliedtothereloaded