topic Re: Is there a reason why we can't delete an Unresolved XRef object? in 3ds Max Forum

Is there a reason why we can't delete an Unresolved XRef object?

stragalet — Tue, 03 Mar 2020 10:06:19 GMT

everytime I have a missing XrefObject I need to delete the controller first and then the object itself.
why is that? is very inconvenient. wouldn't it be much more easy that if I just wanna delete all of what is unresolved I just press delete simply is gone?

Well If there is a reason just wanna know 🙂 might be a very useful reason.

Re: Is there a reason why we can't delete an Unresolved XRef object?

stragalet — Mon, 30 Mar 2020 06:59:58 GMT

still waiting for a reply here is a video of the problem.

in 2020.

Maybe I'm weird but if I confirm the deletion I want it to be deleted no matter what.

Re: Is there a reason why we can't delete an Unresolved XRef object?

darawork — Fri, 29 Jan 2021 11:46:26 GMT

I'm getting the same errors here. Unresolved Xref Objects not being able to be deleted outright. The objects are no longer necessary in the scene, no longer exist as part of the xref object but still can't be purged or deleted.

Re: Is there a reason why we can't delete an Unresolved XRef object?

stragalet — Fri, 29 Jan 2021 14:33:27 GMT

you have to delete the object reference in the scene first.... haven't tried int 2021 but that was the only solution so far.

Re: Is there a reason why we can't delete an Unresolved XRef object?

darawork — Fri, 03 Mar 2023 22:55:06 GMT

I found out more reasons too, for not being able to delete the entries. Max 2020 defaults to automatically import Xref Transform Controllers (Tracks) in the Xref Objects dialogue box at the start. If you change this variable to 'local' instead of 'Xref' it doesn't give you empty controller objects when you add Xref Objects. Transform Controllers (Tracks) are only useful if you're Xrefing an object into your scene and want to bring in its animation constraints, tracks and controllers. Which in most cases the average user doesn't need/want to bring them in.

You can't delete Xref Transform Controllers (Tracks) from inside the Xref Object window because they can't have a zero attribute, they always need to exist in some value or another. The only way to stop them giving out errors is not to include them in the Xref object initially. Or as stated in the above post, select them in the Xref Object lister, right-click, 'Select' and then press delete in the main scene window with them selected. Make sure to isolate them first, and zoom extents, to make sure there is no visible object attached to them in the scene. My scene had thousands of them, ghost Xref controller entities, not attached to anything in the scene. I deleted them there and they dissapeared from the Xref Object lister. No more errors when opening the scene file.

Always choose 'local' if you don't need to bring them in, in the first place.

Once again, all this could have been avoided if 3DSMax had a valid "in-house" 'PURGE' routine; Typing "(gc)" garbage collection, into the maxscript listener window is not a valid scene cleaning command for software that costs more than an average family car. Maya has a proper routine.

https://knowledge.autodesk.com/support/3ds-max/learn-explore/caas/CloudHelp/cloudhelp/2020/ENU/3DSMax-Animation/files/GUID-D34EF40C-A420-4FE4-A372-CB6BFB46A8B0-htm.html

Re: Is there a reason why we can't delete an Unresolved XRef object?

darawork — Fri, 03 Mar 2023 23:15:01 GMT

TL;DR,

Sorry for bringing back an old post, but I had this problem again earlier. Took me a good 1/2hr to remember how to clean a scene full of vacant, no longer needed Xref Objects... that were dragging my viewport framerate to its knees.

In the Xref Objects window, select the item that can't be removed.
In the bottom right corner select the cursor with question mark icon.
In the tracks and modifiers dropdowns, which should be selectable now, change both fields from 'Xref' to 'Local'.
The item can now be deleted. But only if the ghost (null) objects are selected in the scene first. CTRL+A, then manually remove what you can see. The rest is junk that needs to be deleted. Little grey Transform gizmos, That when selected, have 0 faces, maybe a few vertexes, but nothing else. Souless junk entities, that slow down the viewport massively.

I've tried scripts to delete things like this, but they couldn't, or weren't allowed to find them.
It would be safer for all if Max had a nice Scene purge routine. 😞

https://www.scriptspot.com/3ds-max/scripts/null-objects-cleaner

Regards,