Autodesk 12812-051462-9011 User Guide 3 - Page 1729

in order to apply rendering parameters; however, this is not possible with spline objects from AutoCAD. Instead, you can apply a Renderable Spline modifier on page 1652 to the spline. This lets you set rendering properties without having to collapse to an editable spline. External References and Block Names A linked AutoCAD or AutoCAD Architecture drawing can include xrefs that reference files but use the same block names. 3ds Max keeps the blocks distinct by prepending xref names to block names. In Revit, a DWG, DXF or RVT file can be linked to the project. This kind of link is called a RVT Link on page 8110. When the project is exported to a DWG file, this type of link is represented in the exported drawing as an external referenced drawing. In this case, more than one drawing file may be created, with one referencing the other(s). Circular References An xref file that contains a sequence of nested references that refers back to the xref file is considered a circular reference. 3ds Max resolves xrefs until it detects a circular reference. For example, if you have the circular reference A|B|C|A, 3ds Max detects and breaks the circularity between C and A. This is consistent with the way AutoCAD and AutoCAD Architecture handle circular xref dependencies. Overlay External References 3ds Max treats overlay xrefs in the same way as AutoCAD when resolving xrefs. For more information regarding overlay xrefs, refer to your AutoCAD User Reference. Cloning Actively Linked Objects If you want to clone actively linked objects, you should only use the Copy option. Creating references or instances of actively linked objects is not recommended, as reliability issues can arise when the instanced or referenced object is deleted in the linked file. When you copy actively linked objects, linked through the File Link Manager on page 6987, the copies are automatically converted to editable mesh or editable 6984 | Chapter 23 Managing Scenes and Projects