How to work with nested scenes (XRefs) in C4D for the Render Network (Advanced)

Working with XRefs in the C4D Beta

Like simulations, XRefs need preparations to work correctly on the Render Network.

If you want to include Cinema4D files as nested scenes inside your main project, you need to add the .c4d using the "XRef" object, which you can find in "Create" -> "XRef" -> "Add XRef".

Please note: the “Simple XRef” object is currently not supported by the Cinema 4D Octane Plugin.

After adding the XRef and saving your scene file, make sure you collect all files next to the project file either by choosing "File" -> "Save Project with Assets", or by going into the Project Asset Inspector and choosing "Asset" -> "Consolidate Assets" for all assets in the scene.

You will most likely need to turn the link for the XRef into a relative path, and will need to do this right before saving the project file.

Click on the loaded scenefile in the Project Asset Inspector and choose "Asset" -> "Localize Filename." Make sure that your XRef are using a relative path in the Project Asset Inspector as well as the actual XRef object like this:

In this case the Male_1.c4d file is located right next to our actual project file.

Before creating a Zip-file from the project folder, make sure that your main project file is called exactly as the zipped folder you are uploading to the network. All nested project files, which are imported as XRefs, will need to be named differently to the main project file and the folder it is located in.