Problem...Max 2014 crashes when using xref objects

[danb4026]

It doesn't crash if I xref a scene, but crashes anytime I load an xref of objects. Anyone see this problem before?

[notamondayfan]

I've always found xref objects troublesome, not really for crashing, but other issues. If you are using Vray, and want to link the models to a master model, use vray proxies. Then if you want to update the model, just overwrite the proxy file.

I presume it would be similar for mental ray proxies, but I don't use it so can't confirm.

 

Dean

[danb4026]

Thanks Dean, but an associate and I are working on the same scene remotely from each other, using Dropbox to house our files. Turning our respective objects onto proxies doesn't seem suitable under the circumstances. Xref objects seems the most reasonable way to collaborate.

[Scott Schroeder]

I've never had too much of an issue with xrefs, other than some circular dependencies with an old scene manager tool at a previous place of work.

 

Are you both on Max 2014? Do you have dropbox actively syncing when your xref crashes?

[danb4026]

Yes to both questions.

[Scott Schroeder]

What if you turn off dropbox or pause the sync? Maybe it has something to do with how dropbox runs access to the file?

[danb4026]

I actually moved both files to my local drive and the problem persists.

[Josef Wienerroither]

Do you have some heavy/complex materials on the xref objects ( AD maybe ) ?

 

Are some of the object's materials in the xrefs set to display with maps/realistic with maps in the viewport ?

 

You might test the xref objects with a simple grey material applied or all maps/material set to NOT display in the viewport.

This should be changed in the xrrefed scene of course ...

 

I think i remember xref'd objects getting touchy when they have their materials/maps set to be displayed and the materials are more complex...

[Jesper Pedersen]

Daniel,

Did you get a solution to this?

We have been using xRefs for years and now sudden we are getting crashes when loading a new or enabling an xRef within the scene. XRefs which were already enabled when the max file was opened are importing fine, but we cannot import a new xRef or enable a previously loaded (but un-enabled) xRef into the scene.

We have tried opening other projects and these are working fine, so it's specific to a certain scene (and therefore presumable not a 3DS Max problem) but rather an incompatibility caused by the content of the "parent" file or one of the files we are trying to import. We also cannot un-enable a loaded xRef, which makes me think the problem is within the paretn file !?

 

Jesper Pedersen

http://www.pedersenfocus.ie

[trevorbaudach]

Maybe the problem I've been having (and my partial solution) will throw some light on what's going on....

 

My problem is that xrefing certain scenes corrupts the layer manager. Not right away, mind: that would be too simple. No, everything works fine until Max has been shut down. When you restart Max, the file containing the xrefs opens okay, but the moment you try to select a layer in layer manager, the program crashes. Restart Max, reload the file, remove the xrefs, save out the file, restart Max, reload the file (is this starting to sound familiar yet?) and the layer manager works just fine.

 

This doesn't happen with every xref. What's strange is that the xrefs causing the crash are absurdly simple. For example, a red brick wall: a box with a UVW Map and a texture. The only common denominator is that the xrefs I've been having trouble with are old scenes created in Max 2010 or 2011. I tried loading them and re-saving them from inside Max 2014 but the problem persists. Since the models are so simple I tried merging them into the scene, saving out the file, restarting Max and reloading the file: layer manager crashed. I even tried merging them into a new scene, saving that out and xrefing it: didn't help. So I don't know but I plan on finding out. When I do, I'll post the result.

 

Personally, I've started learning Blender. I spend more time troubleshooting in Max than I do creatively, a situation I can only describe as intolerable. "I'm an artist, not a factory worker." (Liz Butsky, Wag The Dog 1997 dir. by Barry Levinson)