Import/Export

Import

  • You can drag and drop a .blend  file and you'll be asked with the available options.

Copy / Paste

  • You can copy elements from one .blend  file to another, just by using ctrl+c and ctrl+v.

  • Everything is local; unlinked-copy.

Append

  • Basically a fancy way of "copy / paste".

  • Everything is local; unlinked-copy.

  • Ideally, you append a Collection, not individual Objects / Meshes.

    • The reason for that is organization.

  • Brings an instance from another .blend  file, and every time you make a change to the original file, the instance will be updated.

  • How linked data looks :

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      • Cannot be edited.

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      • A Library Override  was made.

      • The data can be edited, but will revert to the original data once the file is reloaded.

      • Edits made after a Library Override are not saved anywhere, so this is only useful for testing; as changes are not saved.

      • Despite this, you can still make Poses and create new animations (old ones cannot be modified).

      • The idea is that you cannot modify the data, but you can animate the data.

        • These new animations are stored in the current Blender file, not in the source file.

    • A Collection is instanced as an Empty.

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      • .

      • To see its contents, you have to make a Library Override .

  • Good workflow :

    • "An animator would work on a linked version of the file, while a modeler / rigger would work on the original file."

    • "A level designer would work on a linked version of the file, with the low-poly mesh, while the modeler would work on the original file."

    • You should link Collections , not just anything.

      • "You can easily add or remove assets from a Collection. Objects can only store their own data."

      • An Object cannot even be moved.

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      • "Use a master collection", etc.

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      • Name your collections as obviously as possible, to not link wrong collections.

      • My Master Collection is fully capitalized.

  • Fixing Broken Link :

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    • .

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    • If the path of the linked .blend  file is changed/renamed, this will make the object have missing data, showing the 'missing data' icon (torn paper).

    • The path can be fixed by going to Outline -> Blender File -> Libraries -> ~file -> Relocate .

  • Remove Link :

    • Assumption: Clicking the 'chain icon with arrow' breaks the link, allowing edits to be made normally, as the file becomes saved locally.

    • If you Shift + Click the icon, something else happens, but I don't know what.

Asset Library

  • .

    • "Mark the Collection as Asset".

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    • Add this file to the asset library, so I can access all this stuff more easily in other files.

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    • You can change the import method in the Asset Library.

    • Link will make it so that if the asset is updated in the original file, all other files will change as well.

      • Library Override can be used. For what?

    • For something specific for my current scene, I go for Append, so I can edit the file here, without having to edit the original model.

Export

glTF

  • Better glTF Exporter .

  • What is not exported by default :

    • Collections.

      • It's as if they don't exist. The content of a Collection "comes out" of the Collection during export.

  • Export glTF -> Data -> Scene Graph -> Full Collection Hierarchy :

    • Each Collection becomes a Node in the glTF.