Linked Libraries¶
These functions help you reuse materials, objects and other data-blocks loaded from another blend-file. You can build libraries of common content and share them across multiple referencing files.
Append and Link¶
Reference
| Editor: | Topbar |
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| Mode: | All Modes |
| Menu: | |
| Hotkey: | F4, A or L |
Link creates a reference to the data in the source file such that changes made there will be reflected in the referencing file the next time it is reloaded. But linked data is not editable (to some extend, see Proxy Objects).
Whereas Append makes a full copy of the data into your blend, without keeping any reference to original one. You can make further edits to your local copy of the data, but changes in the external source file will not be reflected in the referencing file.
In the File Browser navigate to the external source blend-file and select the data-block you want to reuse.
Tip
Blend-files can also be linked/appended by dragging and dropping blend-files into the Blender window.
Options¶
- Relative Path
- Available only when linking, see Relative Paths.
- Select
- Makes the object Active after it is loaded.
- Active Collection
- The object will be added to the active collection of the active view layer. Otherwise, it will be added to a new collection in the active view layer.
- Instance Collections
- This option instantiates the linked collection as an object, adding it to the active scene. Otherwise, the linked collection is directly added to the active view layer.
- Fake User
- Defines the appended data-block as Protected.
- Localize All
- Appends also all indirectly linked data, instead of linking them.
When you link an object, it will be placed in your scene at the 3D cursor position. Many other data types, cameras, curves, and materials for example, must be linked to an object before they become visible.
Newly added collections types are available in in the 3D View.
Look in the Outliner, with display mode set to Blender File, to see all your linked and appended data-blocks.
Note
Appending data you already have linked will add objects/collections to the scene, but will keep them linked (and un-editable).
This is done so existing relationships with linked data remain intact.
Library Reload & Relocate¶
From the context menu of the library items in the Outliner’s Blender File view, you can reload and relocate a whole library.
Reloading is useful if you changed something in the library blend-file and want to see those changes in your current blend-file without having to re-open it.
Relocating allows you to reload the library from a new file path. This can be used to either fix a broken linked library (e.g. because library file was moved or rename after linking from it), or to switch between different variations of a same set of data, in different library files.
Broken Library¶
While loading a blend-file, if Blender cannot find any more a library, it will create placeholder data-blocks to replace missing linked ones.
That way, references to those missing data are not lost, and by relocating the missing library, the lost data can be automatically restored.
Proxy Objects¶
Reference
| Editor: | 3D View |
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| Mode: | Object Mode |
| Menu: |
This makes the active linked object into a local proxy, appending “_proxy” to its name. It allows you to make changes locally over an object (or collection) linked from an external library.
Possible changes are restricted, you can mainly edit and animate transformations of the proxy object, and its constraints. Those changes remain local, they are not sent back to the external library.
Hint
Another way to transform a linked object locally is with the use of Collection Instancing. Instead of linking objects directly, it is often more useful to link in collections, which can be assigned to empties and moved, while maintaining the link to the original file.
It is also useful to be able to add/remove objects from the collection (from within the library blend-file) without having to manage re-linking of multiple objects.
Proxy Armatures¶
On rigged models, proxy objects allow to also edit and animate their poses.
It is also possible, in the source (library) blend-file, to protect some bone layers from being editable in proxies. This helps keeping complex rigs usage sensible, by only exposing some ‘public’ bone layers as editable by users.
Set the Protected Layers in the source file using the Skeleton panel of the Armatures properties. See Armature Layers.
Make Local¶
Reference
| Editor: | 3D View |
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| Mode: | Object Mode |
| Menu: |
Reference
| Editor: | Outliner |
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| Menu: |
Makes the selected or all external objects local in the current blend-file. Link to original library file will be full lost. But it will make those data-blocks fully editable, just like ones directly created in that blend-file.
Options¶
The operation available from the Outliner’s context menu has no option, and only affects select data-block.
The operation available from the 3D View only directly affects selected objects, but it can also make local the objects’ dependencies:
- Type
Optionally unlinks the object’s Object Data and Material Data.
Selected Objects, + Object Data, + Materials, All (i.e. including all scenes)
Known Limitations¶
For the most part linking data will work as expected, however, there are some corner cases which are not supported.
Circular Dependencies¶
In general, dependencies should not go in both directions.
Attempting to link or append data which links back to the current file will likely result in missing links.
Object Rigid Body Constraints¶
When linking objects directly into a blend-file, the Rigid Body settings will not be linked in since they are associated with their scene’s world.
As an alternative, you could link in the entire scene and set it as a Background Set.
Compression & Memory Use¶
Linking to blend files with compression enabled may significantly increase memory usage while loading files.
Reading data on demand isn’t supported with compression (this only impacts load time, once loaded there is no difference in memory use).