Documentation

Getting Started

1. Install a LinkedFiles early access build on your Windows PC.
2. Open the application.
3. Select an asset file to trace.
4. Select your Blender project folder.
5. Run Find Usage to scan or search the index.

Blender Setup

LinkedFiles reads .blend files in the folder you choose, including nested subfolders. Blender does not need to be running. Save projects before scanning so the latest file links are detected.

For faster scans, close Blender while LinkedFiles indexes projects. Unsaved changes in open files may not appear until you save and scan again.

Searching

After indexing, searches use the local project index instead of re-reading every file on each query. Refresh the index when you add or change projects.

Results

Results are grouped by project file. For each hit, LinkedFiles shows the connection path, which may include:

• Projects: the .blend file name
• Objects: mesh or object names
• Materials: material slots using the asset
• Nodes: shader or image texture nodes

Project Index

The index is stored on your computer. Scanning builds a cache of project references so later searches stay fast. Re-scan when your library changes significantly.

System requirements

• Windows 10 or later (64-bit)
• Read/write access to the folders you index
• Supported asset types include common images (PNG, JPG, EXR, HDR, TGA, WEBP) and linked external files referenced from Blender

Troubleshooting

• Blender not detected: LinkedFiles reads project files directly; ensure the folder contains valid .blend files.
• Project scan errors: Check file permissions and that projects are not locked by another app.
• Missing files: Broken paths inside a project may still list the expected asset name.
• Unsupported files: Only .blend projects and externally linked files referenced from them are indexed.
• Search returning no results: Confirm the asset path matches what projects reference; refresh the index.