Blender addon: PowerLink

Introducing PowerLink

PowerLink is a standalone tool built to work in conjunction with PowerSave to assist with linking and appending assets.

Linking creates a link to the data while maintaining the connection to the original file.

Appending brings over all connected data (ie: materials) and appends it to the current file.

Video by masterxeon1001

Couldn't I do this in Blender?

Yes!

You can drag a blend file onto the 3D view and link or append any piece of data you want!

This tool however aims to improve the process and expand on the intial PowerSave workflow of utilizing Blender as a sketchbook and recalling the data in a similar fashion.

What does PowerLink do?

It shows lists of blend files from a directory location (ie: your PowerSave folder) and allows for rapid insertion of collections into your file.

Why PowerSave?

By PowerSaving using PowerSave, PowerLink allows users to link collections into scenes.

This tool was designed to be a standalone capable of expanding on the PowerSave ecosystem.

The tool can work without it in the N panel or in conjunction with PowerSave in the 3D view.

Does it require PowerSave?

No. But it does dock up in the 3D view and are built to work together.

Why did you make PowerLink?

With PowerSave, as saves accumulated a question came about to what could be done with quick saves.

PowerLink represents the first idea of what to do with PowerSave with other iterations to come.

About HardOps. (986_12 and higher)

HardOps received a function called COLLECT attached to Unify/Extract under alt that allows for users to quickly create collections.

This addition was added primarily to facilitate PowerLink and preparing files for it using PowerSave.

Smart Collections can be made on the fly for meshes and other renderable items.

Light Collections can also be made allowing blank light rigs to be available for reuse.

Documentation

Installation

Just go to Blender Preferences, click install and choose the zip file.
In the addon preferences there are some options you might want to change.

Usage

After installation you will have a new panel in the PowerSave category in the list of addons on the right of the 3D view (opened by pressing N on the keyboard).
There you'll find a path, from which PowerLink will load blend files.

Below it, the list of blend files, a checkbox, and a button.
The checkbox is for advanced mode, which allows you to import from multiple blend files at the same time.
The button refreshes the list of blend files, though since this is done automatically when you change the path, you won't need it often.

And below that, another list, this time for collections in the chosen blend file(s).
It has the same checkbox and refresh button.
The checkbox allows you to import from multiple collections at the same time.
The refresh button is only necessary when using advanced blend file mode, where the collection list doesn't refresh automatically.

At the bottom of the panel is the PowerLink button, and to the right of it, the append version.
Linking will add collection instances on the 3D cursor, appending will add objects and move them appropriately.

Community

Join the discord server: https://discord.com/invite/xSj7jhRqRQ