Library overrides #73318

New Issue

Status: Achieved 2021 targets have been 'archived' at the end of this task, which is now updated for 2022 targets.

Team

Commissioner: @eyecandy @Hjalti @Rikstopher
Project leader: @mont29
Project members: @JulianEisel @Jeroen-Bakker

2022 Targets

Milestone 1 - Resync Performances

#94059 (Library Override Resync Performance).
- #95283 (LibOverride Stronger Hierarchy)
- #94185 (Outliner ID remapping performance), #95279 (Remap multiple items in referenced data)
- #95682 (Library Override partial Resync)

Milestone 2 - Improve Usability

#95708 (Library Override - Usability).
- #95707 (Library Override - System override IDs)
- #95802 (Library Override - Outliner UI/UX)
- #95816 (Library Override - 'Cherry-Picked' Properties)

Milestone 3 - Dynamic Overrides

#54792 (Dynamic Overrides - View layer overrides with override sets) (old, to be revised/updated and fleshed out)

Not A Milestone - Library Overrides for Material

Solve issues related to the weird way materials are linked to object or obdata.
Support properly nodegroups (i.e. embedded data-blocks, some preliminary work has already been done but needs to be finalized and validated). #82404 (Library Overrides: Shader drivers stop working after save and reload)

Not A Milestone - Future Ideas
Those are ideas existing from the beginning of the project, and which have a partial implementation in core code, but need more UI/UX design and development.

#72629 (Library Override: Support editing of animation data in overriden data-blocks.).
#82503 (Add Support of PointCaches to Library Overrides).
Allow addition of CustomData layers to geometry IDs (new UV maps, shape keys, vertex groups...). This will require a lot of preliminary work.
Advanced types of override operations (multiplicative factor for 'factor' porperties like scale, 'bit wise' operations on enum flags, ...).

Relevant links:

2021 Targets

Description
Big picture: Replace animation proxy system, and support local changes from linked data.

Use cases:

Animators using proxies for animation.
Multiple instances of the same character with different animations.
Multiple instances of the same character with variations (e.g., material tweaks, ...).
Set dressing with local variations of instanced assets.
Override linked in character with cached animation [cache modifier]

Design:

Asses feasibility of auto-override - direct change of linked data
Need storage optimization document #78944 (LibOverride: How to handle heavy data-blocks (meshes, shape-keys, actions...))
Need final signed off design for outliner interaction
Need final design for the ID template #78012 (UI: Search Menu Design for Linked Data-blocks)

Engineer plan:
None - underlying code is already implemented.

Work plan

Milestone 1 - Usability Pass

#76555 (Library Overrides: Usability issues/paper-cuts)
#78012 (UI: Search Menu Design for Linked Data-blocks), #79959 (Data-block Selector Design Changes)
D7631: Library Overrides UI: Show library overrides in Outliner
#73154 (Library Overrides - UI: Add access to the 'auto override' flag of IDs) (Might become unnecessary, postponed until we know.)
Enhance ways to add more than one overrides of same data (this is currently possible, but not obvious nor user-friendly at all).
#77083 (Library Overrides Constraint and Modifier Access)
#79562 (LibOverride: Support edition of lists (colletions) of ID properties/py-defined RNA collections)

Milestone 2 - Proxy Replacement

#81049 (Add operator to convert proxies to library overrides )
#72629 (Library Override: Support editing of animation data in overriden data-blocks.)
#82503 (Add Support of PointCaches to Library Overrides)
~~Implement real override of shapekeys data-blocks (not editing existing shapekeys, but being able to add new ones, and change influence of existing ones).~~ on hold, we probably want to get rid of shapekeys as data-blocks first.

Milestone 3 - Storage Optimization

Do not store whole Mesh data-block in overrides, this is useless and uses a lot of disk space (other obdata IDs are much less critical on that regard, being much lighter, #78944 (LibOverride: How to handle heavy data-blocks (meshes, shape-keys, actions...))).
ShapeKeys may need investigation here as well.

Milestone 5 - Remove Legacy

#91671 (Remove Proxies).

Not A Milestone - Address technical Dept

#82160 (LibOverrides - Refactor how diffing of RNA collections is handled, and extend diffing possibilities.). Refactor/technical dept is fixed, potential future improvements are for later.
#83811 (Library Override: Investigate Resync Improvements.).

Relevant links:

#53500 (Library Override (parent task))
Blender Manual
@eyecandy did a video to show shortcomes of the current implementation. state_of_overrides_in_production.mp4

**Status:** Achieved 2021 targets have been 'archived' at the end of this task, which is now updated for [2022 targets](https://code.blender.org/2022/02/overrides-workshop/). --- **Team** **Commissioner:** @eyecandy @Hjalti @Rikstopher **Project leader:** @mont29 **Project members:** @JulianEisel @Jeroen-Bakker ### 2022 Targets **Milestone 1 - Resync Performances** - [x] #94059 (Library Override Resync Performance). - [x] #95283 (LibOverride Stronger Hierarchy) - [x] #94185 (Outliner ID remapping performance), #95279 (Remap multiple items in referenced data) - [x] #95682 (Library Override partial Resync) **Milestone 2 - Improve Usability** - [ ] #95708 (Library Override - Usability). - [ ] #95707 (Library Override - System override IDs) - [ ] #95802 (Library Override - Outliner UI/UX) - [ ] #95816 (Library Override - 'Cherry-Picked' Properties) **Milestone 3 - Dynamic Overrides** - [ ] #54792 (Dynamic Overrides - View layer overrides with override sets) *(old, to be revised/updated and fleshed out)* **Not A Milestone - Library Overrides for Material** - [ ] Solve issues related to the weird way materials are linked to object or obdata. - [ ] Support properly nodegroups (i.e. embedded data-blocks, some preliminary work has already been done but needs to be finalized and validated). #82404 (Library Overrides: Shader drivers stop working after save and reload) **Not A Milestone - Future Ideas** *Those are ideas existing from the beginning of the project, and which have a partial implementation in core code, but need more UI/UX design and development.* - [ ] #72629 (Library Override: Support editing of animation data in overriden data-blocks.). - [ ] #82503 (Add Support of PointCaches to Library Overrides). - [ ] Allow addition of CustomData layers to geometry IDs (new UV maps, shape keys, vertex groups...). *This will require a lot of preliminary work.* - [ ] Advanced types of override operations (multiplicative factor for 'factor' porperties like scale, 'bit wise' operations on enum flags, ...). --- **Relevant links**: * [Blender Manual ](https://docs.blender.org/manual/en/latest/files/linked_libraries/library_overrides.html) * [the workshop report about overrides from January 2022 ](https://code.blender.org/2022/02/overrides-workshop/) ----------------------- ### 2021 Targets **Description** **Big picture:** Replace animation proxy system, and support local changes from linked data. **Use cases**: * Animators using proxies for animation. * Multiple instances of the same character with different animations. * Multiple instances of the same character with variations (e.g., material tweaks, ...). * Set dressing with local variations of instanced assets. * Override linked in character with cached animation [cache modifier] **Design:** - [x] `Asses feasibility of auto-override - direct change of linked data` - [x] `Need storage optimization document` #78944 (LibOverride: How to handle heavy data-blocks (meshes, shape-keys, actions...)) - [x] `Need final signed off design for outliner interaction` - [x] `Need final design for the ID template` #78012 (UI: Search Menu Design for Linked Data-blocks) **Engineer plan:** None - underlying code is already implemented. **Work plan** **Milestone 1 - Usability Pass** - [x] #76555 (Library Overrides: Usability issues/paper-cuts) - [x] #78012 (UI: Search Menu Design for Linked Data-blocks), #79959 (Data-block Selector Design Changes) - [x] [D7631: Library Overrides UI: Show library overrides in Outliner](https://archive.blender.org/developer/D7631) - [x] *#73154 (Library Overrides - UI: Add access to the 'auto override' flag of IDs) (Might become unnecessary, postponed until we know.)* - [x] Enhance ways to add more than one overrides of same data (this is currently possible, but not obvious nor user-friendly at all). - [x] #77083 (Library Overrides Constraint and Modifier Access) - [x] #79562 (LibOverride: Support edition of lists (colletions) of ID properties/py-defined RNA collections) **Milestone 2 - Proxy Replacement** - [x] #81049 (Add operator to convert proxies to library overrides ) - [x] #72629 (Library Override: Support editing of animation data in overriden data-blocks.) - [x] #82503 (Add Support of PointCaches to Library Overrides) - [x] ~~Implement real override of shapekeys data-blocks (not editing existing shapekeys, but being able to add new ones, and change influence of existing ones).~~ *on hold, we probably want to get rid of shapekeys as data-blocks first.* **Milestone 3 - Storage Optimization** - [x] Do not store whole Mesh data-block in overrides, this is useless and uses a lot of disk space (other obdata IDs are much less critical on that regard, being much lighter, #78944 (LibOverride: How to handle heavy data-blocks (meshes, shape-keys, actions...))). - [x] ShapeKeys may need investigation here as well. **Milestone 5 - Remove Legacy** - [x] #91671 (Remove Proxies). **Not A Milestone - Address technical Dept** - [x] #82160 (LibOverrides - Refactor how diffing of RNA collections is handled, and extend diffing possibilities.). *Refactor/technical dept is fixed, potential future improvements are for later.* - [x] #83811 (Library Override: Investigate Resync Improvements.). --- **Relevant links**: * #53500 (Library Override (parent task)) * [Blender Manual ](https://docs.blender.org/manual/en/latest/files/linked_libraries/library_overrides.html) * @eyecandy did a video to show shortcomes of the current implementation. [state_of_overrides_in_production.mp4](https://archive.blender.org/developer/F8624582/state_of_overrides_in_production.mp4)

Added subscribers: @JulianEisel, @Hjalti, @mont29, @eyecandy, @dfelinto

#53500 was marked as duplicate of this issue

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Changed status from 'Needs Triage' to: 'Confirmed'

This issue was referenced by 1743326889

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Here's another movie demonstrating the beginner user experience:

annotated-experience.mp4

I feel that Blender developers usually don't care about beginners, so go ahead and ignore/delete this if you want to.

Here's another movie demonstrating the beginner user experience: [annotated-experience.mp4](https://archive.blender.org/developer/F10045980/annotated-experience.mp4) I feel that Blender developers usually don't care about beginners, so go ahead and ignore/delete this if you want to.

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Just wanted to slip in a comment here to summarize a discussion we had IRL, regarding this bullet point:

Allow addition of CustomData layers to geometry IDs (new UV maps, shape keys, vertex groups...). This will require a lot of preliminary work.

This would be huge for us, and allow us to phase out a lot of hacky pipeline tools and remove a lot of maintenance overhead. Our use cases (very much in a nutshell):

Multiple artists working on an asset: Each artist needs control over a lot of overlapping data. For example, Vertex Groups on a character may need to be added for modeling, rigging, and shading, which could all be a series of .blend files linked in a chain.
Animators want to tweak extreme deformations by adding a shape key on an overridden mesh and sculpting into it.

@mont29 Could you re-iterate here some of the major challenges that will need to be tackled in the coming years, before these ideas have any chance of becoming a reality?

Just wanted to slip in a comment here to summarize a discussion we had IRL, regarding this bullet point: > Allow addition of CustomData layers to geometry IDs (new UV maps, shape keys, vertex groups...). This will require a lot of preliminary work. This would be huge for us, and allow us to phase out a lot of hacky pipeline tools and remove a lot of maintenance overhead. Our use cases (very much in a nutshell): 1. Multiple artists working on an asset: Each artist needs control over a lot of overlapping data. For example, Vertex Groups on a character may need to be added for modeling, rigging, and shading, which could all be a series of .blend files linked in a chain. 2. Animators want to tweak extreme deformations by adding a shape key on an overridden mesh and sculpting into it. @mont29 Could you re-iterate here some of the major challenges that will need to be tackled in the coming years, before these ideas have any chance of becoming a reality?

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Library overrides #73318

2022 Targets

2021 Targets