File menu > Merge
Merge brings objects from other gmax files into the current scene.
When Automatic Unit Conversion is turned on in the General tab of the Preferences dialog, in the System Unit Scale group, merged objects from a file with a different system unit scale are scaled to maintain their correct size in the new scene. No conversion is done when merging files created in 3ds max 1.x.
If Automatic Unit Conversion is off, a 100-unit radius sphere that was created in a 1=1 foot system becomes a 100-inch sphere in a 1=1 inch system with a 100-unit radius.
See also
Procedures
To merge items:
This is the general procedure. Detailed steps follow.
Choose File > Merge.
Select a file from which to merge items.
Choose a group or an item to merge.
To specify object types to list, do any of the following:
Display or hide the subtree. If the subtree is not displayed, you can sort items in the list alphabetically or by type or color.
Select the object types that you want displayed in the list box.
Click All or None to select or clear all of the object types.
The names of all objects that match the selected object types are displayed in the list window.
To select objects to merge, do any of the following:
Enter the name of an item, or use wildcard characters to specify multiple items that share a set of characters in their names.
Click to select single objects.
Press CTRL and click to add and remove single objects from the selection.
Press SHIFT and click to select all objects between the previously selected object and the current object.
Click All or None to select or deselect the entire list.
Click and drag to select items to merge from the list on the left.
To resolve conflicts when merged objects have the same name:
When one or more incoming objects have the same name as objects in the scene, an alert gives you the following options:
Merge: Merges the incoming object using the name in the field at the right. To avoid having two objects with the same name, type a new name before proceeding.
Skip: Does not merge the incoming object.
Delete: Deletes the existing object before merging the incoming one.
Apply to All Duplicates: Treats all subsequent incoming objects with duplicate names the same way you specified for the current object. No further alerts will appear. This option is not available if you renamed the current object.
Cancel: Cancels the merge operation.
When one or more materials assigned to incoming objects have the same name as materials in the scene, an alert gives you the following options:
Rename Merged Material: Defines the name for incoming material.
Use Merged Materials: Assigns the characteristics of the incoming materials to the same-named scene materials.
Use Scene Materials: Assigns the characteristics of the scene materials to the same-named incoming materials.
Note: Only top-level material names (not sub-materials) are checked for duplicates.
Auto Rename Merged Materials: Automatically renames the incoming materials to new names. Uses Material number names based on the next available Material number.
Apply to All Duplicates: Treats all subsequent incoming Materials with duplicate names the same way you specified for the current object.
Interface
In the standard file selector dialog, select the scene file to merge. To see more than one file type at a time, choose the All Files file type.
After you select a file, select the objects to merge in the Merge dialog. Either enter the object name or select the object from the Object List.
All/None: Selects all list items or no items.
Invert: Reverses the current list selection.
Display Subtree: Displays the objects in the list in an indented format. Turn off this option to activate the Sort group options.
Select Subtree: When this option is turned on, all items indented below the selected one are also selected.
Case Sensitive: Distinguishes between uppercase and lowercase for item names.
Sort group
Options allow you to sort the list on the left. If the Display Subtree check box is on, these options are not available.
Alphabetical: Sorts from A at the top to Z at the bottom.
By Type: Sorts by category, using the same order as the check boxes in List Types.
By Color: Sorts by object wireframe color.
List Types group
Determines which components in the scene are displayed in the list on the left: geometry, shapes, lights, cameras, helpers, and groups. Group names appear in brackets.
All/None: Turns all check boxes on or off.
Invert: Reverses the current status of check boxes.