Append entire files
I would like to append or import entire files into other files without going through the folders. A checkbox 'append entire file' would be ideal.
I would like to append or import entire files into other files without going through the folders. A checkbox 'append entire file' would be ideal.
6 Comments
After a couple of years working with Blender, I still believe that this interaction leaves a lot to ask for. Most users new to blender WILL FAIL to import content from another blender file, because the current import dialog doesn't follow any conventions.
I assume they would expect something like the following:
I know that many old school blender-users tend to get fundamental on changing stuff. I can only repeat: Do a usability test and be amazed.
A just a side note: In a chat other blender user in our office confirmed that the current import flow is non-intuitive and painful. Geometry nodes and Eevee FTW, but sometimes it would great to improve the basics.
You can write your own python script to append what you want. Please see this stack-overflow question.
blender.stackexchange.com/questions/66243/appending-entire-blend-file-into-another/271850
But... There are a lot of things in a .blend file that you probably don't want to append.
As an example, this is a preview of the content of the startup file:
And that's only 112 elements.
So unless you make extremely clean files that contain absolutely nothing else than assets (making the file almost impossible to work on), appending "everything" from even one file will add a lot of clutter in your .blend. And it scales up quickly.
That's why we use containers such as collections, scenes or layers to make a one-click pack to get the data you want.
Having the option to add everything independently is important, I do understand that.
It is equally important to be sure that you can transfer a file 100%. This is especially important for very large projects.
And sometimes files get "broken": With such a hack they work again.
Furthermore, there is always a homemade scripting solution for things – but why not just integrate one of those?
I think what could be made simpler, would be the ability to select the folders within a .blend file to import their content.
Which would mean:
That would make sense, and profit every user case instead of just one corner case.
That being said, in what case do you need to append the entirety of a .blend file, really?
Again, have you seen all the data contained just in the startup file ? That's a lot of data that should not be duplicated. Imagine how much more an actual production file can have.
Usually you only need to import objects with their dependencies. Which is easy and fast to append, even when you want all the objects in a file:
Just go in the objects or collections folder and select everything with A . Which could be done faster if what I mentioned above is done.
In very large projects, you never want to duplicate data you only need once, if at all. Files are complex and heavy enough, and any "thing" added is one more "complexity" with its own added load on the ecosystem, and with it its chances of failure somewhere in and out the pipeline.
Furthermore, in big projects you always want to keep your files tidy so to make them easy to get back on months later or when you transfer it to someone else.
So there should be no poorly named elements, everything well sorted, and definitely no cluttered files with duplicates and whatnot.
Appending "everything" from a file will make tons of unnecessary and duplicated data. It will create clutter in all aspects of the file.
It will make it harder to keep track of what is what, what is up-to-date or not.
And it will also increase storage usage, transfer times and chances of failures, which are some biggest enemies in big projects' file managements.
If you have a broken file: the very point of appending things from a broken file is precisely to recover what is healthy and leave behind what is not.
Appending "everything" will probably append what's breaking the file in the first place.
I agree with the first part (above the line) you added to the discussion. That would be great in itself.