Link, Append, Pack & Library Overrides Explained
Get the: Add Bloom Back Add-on: - Gumroad: https://michaelbridges.gumroad.com/l/addbloom - Canopy Games: https://www.canopy.games/p/add-bloom - Superhive Market: https://superhivemarket.com/products/add-bloom-back In this video, I break down Blender's asset importing system, showing you exactly when to use Link, Append, and Pack. I'll help you avoid the two most common asset nightmares: broken update propagation and accidental global overrides. 🔗 LINKS MENTIONED: - My Asset Pack: https://michaelbridges.gumroad.com/l/mad - Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/michaelbridges MY CURATED COURSES - The Blender Creative Suite https://bit.ly/BlenderCreativeSeries MY DESK TOOLS & GEAR 📷 Sony ZV-E10 (Primary) | Panasonic G7 (Secondary) 🎙️ Shure MV7 | https://amzn.to/3zcikjL 🎛️ Audio Interface Revelator io24 | https://amzn.to/3ze4A85 🖥️ Dell AW3423DFW | https://amzn.to/4cptVKG 💻 THE PC: AMD Ryzen 9950X3D 128GB DDR5 NVIDIA RTX 5090 1TB+ Samsung Pro SSD 🖱️ Logitech G903 / G703 / Powerplay | https://amzn.to/3KYyVuc | https://amzn.to/45FkEMm | https://amzn.to/45FkEMm ⌨️ Logitech G915 Wireless (Tactile) | https://amzn.to/3VB1keC 🎧 Bose QC35 | https://amzn.to/4benxVv 🔊 Alesis M1 Active 520USB | https://amzn.to/3zchLq9 🎛️ Elgato Stream Deck | https://amzn.to/3xtw7ly 🖊️ Wacom Intuos | https://amzn.to/3xrUsIv 🖊️🖥️ XPPen Artist 15.6 | https://amzn.to/4eEtu0P MY *ON THE GO* TOOLS & GEAR 💻 Macbook M1 Pro | https://amzn.to/3RBPGyX 📱 iPhone 17 Pro (Mobile Recording) 🎤 DJI Mini Mic (Wireless) | Rode NT-1 USB (Studio) 🖱️ Logitech Pebble | https://amzn.to/4caDRYT MY OTHER SOCIALS: 🎙 My podcast - Dive into game development and gaming topics | https://www.youtube.com/@CanopyGames/streams 🌍 My website / Courses | https://bit.ly/CanopyGames 🐦 Twitter / X | https://x.com/TechEdMike 💬 Discord | https://canopy.games/p/discord WHO AM I? Hi there! 👋 I'm Mike, and I'm relatively new to YouTube. I've been teaching Blender professionally for over 10 years, and I'm excited to share my knowledge with the community here. On this channel, you'll find full guides, courses, and tools to help guide, reassure, and educate you on your Blender journey. Let's create something amazing together! ⌚️Timestamps: 00:00 - Introduction 00:24 - Understanding the Asset Setup 00:50 - Import Methods Overview 01:35 - Link vs Append vs Pack 03:12 - Instance Collection Setting 04:23 - Testing Asset Updates 06:20 - Understanding Link vs Pack 07:24 - How Append Works 08:01 - Library Overrides Explained 11:09 - Testing Library Overrides 12:33 - Summary PS: Some of the links in this description are affiliate links that I get a kickback from 😜 In this video, I dive deep into Blender's asset importing system and show you how to avoid two devastating mistakes that can waste hours of your time. Have you ever linked assets perfectly, made updates to the source file, but nothing changed in your scene? Or worse, made what you thought was a small edit to one instance only to watch every asset across your entire project change simultaneously? Today we're exploring the three import methods available in Blender's asset browser: Link, Append, and Pack. Each one has a specific purpose, and understanding when to use each one is critical to maintaining a smooth workflow. I demonstrate exactly what happens under the hood with each method, showing you how linked data behaves versus packed data versus appended copies. We also tackle library overrides, which let you make unique edits to individual instances while still receiving updates from the source file. This is the secret to having both flexibility and consistency in your projects. I show you how to set up overrides correctly, how to monitor what's been overridden using the outliner, and how to force updates when you need them. By the end of this video, you'll have a complete understanding of Blender's asset system and know exactly which method to use for your specific workflow needs. No more guesswork, no more broken links, and no more accidental global changes.