by Lightbluespaces·Workflow
Illustrative cover generated by AnyPlugins — no product screenshot available.
Link Tools earns its place in the superhive library for tackling a specific optimization problem: duplicate meshes that are hard to find and combine by hand. Version 1.1.0 added Blender 4.1 support and fixed selection issues in Find Duplicates, Color Instances, and Active Instances.
Link Tools is a Blender add-on from Lightbluespaces that locates duplicate meshes in a scene and lets you merge, group, or instance them. Duplicate meshes make Blender carry unique object data for each copy, which can slow down large scenes, heavy animations, and complex models. Instancing links that object data instead, speeding up performance and reducing memory costs.
The add-on opens from a menu triggered by pressing the Y key. Select a mesh to make it active, run Find Duplicates to select every copy, then choose to merge the meshes, link their data as instances, or group them. Merge Selected combines duplicates and generates an origin at the center of the resulting geometry, while Group Selected parents the selection to a plain axis empty.
Additional operators cover the instancing workflow: Create Instance and Unlink Instance handle linking through pop-up options, Active Instances selects the instances tied to the active mesh, and Color Instances applies a random color material to every instance to help visualize them. Link Tools runs across a range of Blender versions and is distributed under the GPL license.
Link Tools is best for working with large and complex models or scenes where duplicate meshes are hard to find and combine manually.
Link Tools is completely free to download and use.
Link Tools lists support for Blender 4.1, 4.0, 3.6, 3.5, 3.4, 3.3, 3.2, 3.1, and 3.0, so it covers both current and older releases across the 3.x and 4.x lines. Version 1.1.0 was specifically updated for Blender 4.1. If you run a version outside this range, check the developer's page for the latest compatibility details before installing so the operators behave as described.
Link Tools opens from a menu you pull up by pressing the Y key. From there you select a mesh to make it active, run Find Duplicates to select all of its copies, then choose whether to merge the meshes, link their data as instances, or group them. The remaining operators, such as Active Instances and Color Instances, are reached from the same menu, so the whole workflow stays in one place.
Link Tools 1.1.0 was updated for Blender 4.1 and addressed three issues. It fixed the Find Duplicates button, where cubes were not being selected, corrected Color Instances so it no longer adds color to un-instanced meshes, and improved Active Instances so you can now select multiple instances and their children rather than only the actively selected mesh. The developer also offers free lifetime updates for the add-on.
Link Tools is listed as free here in the catalog, and it comes with free lifetime updates from Lightbluespaces. The add-on is distributed under the GPL license. For current licensing terms and any changes to how it is offered, check the developer's page. You can also reach the developer directly for support or to suggest updates and changes to the add-on, which the listing invites users to do.
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