Hello, I am new to this forum and pretty new to max.  I am modelling an 18th century village street scene with approximately 8 pretty detailed buildings, streetlamps, and trees for an animation and was wondering the best way to created the scene to minimize the size. 

1.  Would it be best to model each building and lamp as a separate scene and xref the buildings into the animation scene?
2.  Create the animation scene and create a group of each building?  These are the only methods I have heard of to help reduce file size but I may be totally off base.

Any thoughts, comments, or ideas?

Thanks,

K.

Modeling efficiency will not be helped by XRef or Groups.

While XRef will reduce the saved file size, once you open the scene file, all the geometry must be loaded into memory, regardless of its source. Use of proxy objects will improve viewport performance by reducing displayable geometry.

You should design only that which will be visible. Start with a concept, outline, script, and storyboard of the final animation. Build only that which you need. Instance objects when possible.

I learned modeling efficiency from Ted Boardman. http://www.tbmax.net/

Sometimes working on isolated objects is a best practice, then merging them into the final scene. Other times, the objects in the final scene are necessary for reference.

I tend not to try things out on the final scene, but rather work out the procedures on “sample” objects in separate scenes. Once I understand the procedures necessary, then apply them to the final object.

Just my opinion.

Tim Wilbers [FA]

College of Arts and Sciences
Department of Visual Arts
University of Dayton
http://www.udayton.edu/
3ds Max: 7.5, 8, 9, 2008, 2009, 2010