Advanced Rigging with Linked Meshes in Blender Using Library Overrides

Blender interface showing a linked mesh with Library Override applied, along with an armature and the Outliner window highlighting the hierarchy.

Advanced Rigging with Linked Meshes in Blender Using Library Overrides

Tired of duplicating meshes every time you need to do rigging in Blender? 🎭 With the Library Overrides system, you can rig linked meshes directly, maintaining the connection with the original file. Goodbye to proxies, hello to professional efficiency. 🚀

Step 1: Link the mesh correctly

Open your rigging file
Go to File > Link (not Merge)
Select the .blend file and the specific mesh
Place it in your scene

Step 2: Create the Library Override

Quick method:

Select the linked mesh
Right-click > Library Override > Make

Advanced control:

Use the Scene Properties panel
Library Overrides section
Manage all your references

Step 3: Rigging over the override mesh

Now you can: - Create/Add armature - Assign vertex groups - Set up weight painting - Add constraints But DO NOT: - Modify topology - Edit original UVs - Change base materials

Key advantages vs the old system

Feature	Proxies	Overrides
Partial editing	Limited	✅ Complete
Updates	Manual	✅ Automatic
Compatibility	Obsolete	✅ Future-proof
Hierarchical control	❌	✅ Total

A well-configured Library Override is like having the key to someone else's house: you can rearrange the furniture, but not knock down walls.

5 errors that ruin your workflow

Trying to edit topology in the rig file
Forgetting to update libraries (F8)
Breaking the dependency hierarchy
Using Merge instead of Link
Not naming consistently the assets

Professional workflow for studios

Maintain a clear folder structure
Use collections to organize elements
Document asset versions
Set up Asset Browser for quick access

With this system, your pipeline will be so smooth that you'll forget the proxy era. And when you need to update the original model, simply reload the libraries and Blender will do the rest. Modern asset management magic! ✨

Technical bonus: For complex projects, combine Overrides with Asset Libraries and the new Prelights system in Blender 3.0+. Your rigging department will thank you.