Xref is an interesting feature of 3dsmax, especially when it comes to a large scale project. Actually, it is far from providing the experience of a live multiple user interface but at least, well it looks like it. Some fellow users might have wonder if it was possible to use xref over the internet. I’ve been thinking about it and maybe I have found a little solution. The trick is to mount an ftp folder containing your 3ds files as a virtual drive on the client’s machine, if then the client access, modify and save his changes, the host, running the same file as an xref will update these changes.
(So far I have only tested this as being both the host and client myself, if someone could test on it’s own and/or with someone else and tell me the results, I’d appreciate.)
Here is how to proceed.
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Download a good ftp server application such as serv-U ftp.
(http://www.serv-u.com/) -
Download the webdrive application from: http://www.topshareware.com/WebDrive-download-1721.htm
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Install and start-up your server, allowing users to access the file you loaded as an xref scene.
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Then users haves to access your ftp and mount it has a partition trough webdrive application.
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Since the ftp is mounted on the client’s computer, he can simply open the file, modify and save; the changes shoud appear to the other user as well.
Again, I’ll be most pleased if anyone can test that.