Link & Append

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.

Newly added collections types are available in Add ‣ Collection Instance in the 3D Viewport.

Look in the Outliner, with display mode set to Blender File, to see all your linked and appended data-blocks.

Note

It is not possible to Append or Link data from much newer blend-files

Link

Reference

Editor:

Topbar

Mode:

All Modes

Menu:

File ‣ Link

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 usually not editable. Library Overrides can be created from linked data to allow some level of local editing, animation, etc.

In the File Browser, navigate to the external source blend-file and select the data-block you want to reuse.

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.

Options

Relative Path

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.

Instance Object Data

Create instances for object data which are not referenced by any objects.

Append

Reference

Editor:

Topbar

Mode:

All Modes

Menu:

File ‣ Link

Append makes a full copy of the data into your blend-file, without keeping any reference to the 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.

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.

Options

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.

Instance Object Data

Create instances for object data which are not referenced by any objects.

Fake User

Defines the appended data-block as Protected.

Localize All

Appends also all indirectly linked data, instead of linking them.

Library Reload & Relocate

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. You can reload and relocate a whole library from the context menu of the library items in the Outliner’s Blender File view,

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 the library file was moved or renamed 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 a library, it will create placeholder data-blocks to replace missing linked ones. That way, references to the missing data is not lost, and by relocating the missing library, the lost data can be automatically restored.

Make Local

Reference

Editor:

3D Viewport

Mode:

Object Mode

Menu:

Object ‣ Relations ‣ Make Local…

Reference

Editor:

Outliner

Menu:

Context menu ‣ ID Data ‣ Make Local

Makes the selected or all external objects local to the current blend-file. Links to the original library file will be lost, but it will make those data-blocks fully editable, just like the ones directly created in that blend-file.

Options

The operation available from the Outliner’s context menu has no options, and only affects the selected data-block.

The operation available from the 3D Viewport 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 can 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).