Project dependency guide

Blender simulation caches and portable projects

A .blend can contain a packed bake or store only the setup and a path to data on disk. Check the simulator's storage mode before you decide whether copying the scene is enough.

The direct answer

Identify whether the bake is packed, stored in a Blender disk cache, managed by an extension, or referenced as an export. Move every external dependency with the .blend, then test separated frames on the target machine. Pack Resources handles supported data, but does not promise to capture every extension cache or companion export.

Blender packed-data manual Blender baking manual Geometry Nodes bake storage

Four dependency layers

.blend scene

Objects, modifiers, domain settings, file paths, and the current saved state.

If missing: There is no project to open.

Simulation cache or bake

Baked meshes, particles, volumes, or other frame data. Depending on the simulator and its storage mode, this may be packed in the .blend or written to disk.

If missing: The result can disappear, reset, or show only a saved frame. The symptom depends on the simulation system.

Extension or simulator code

Installed in Blender on the machine that evaluates the project.

If missing: Custom frame loading or evaluation may stop even when a plausible object remains in the scene.

Prepared export

A companion USD, Alembic, VDB, or other interchange file referenced by a render copy.

If missing: The prepared copy can lose animation or geometry. Exporting removes one dependency only when the new files travel with the project.

Transfer checklist

1 Finish the bake and save the .blend before copying either item.
2 Use a relative cache path when the simulator supports one.
3 Copy the .blend and every cache or export directory that is not packed into it.
4 Open the copy from its new location and check three separated frames.
5 Confirm whether the render machine needs the extension, native simulator, or an approved embedded script.
6 Keep the source project unchanged when you create a farm-specific render copy.

Diagnose the symptom

A plausible frame stays frozen

The saved scene may contain one loaded mesh while the missing extension or export file prevents per-frame updates. Check three separated frames before accepting a still image as proof.

The simulated object is empty

Confirm the cache path, directory contents, permissions, and the baked frame range. A moved .blend may still point to the old location.

The new location reads the wrong data

Give each project its own cache, avoid active bakes on synced or shared folders, and inspect relative paths after relocation.

Viewport and render disagree

Use the simulator's documented command-line or background path, then compare the target engine, Blender version, and frame range.

Extension examples

FLIP Fluids Compare the native cache path with a prepared USD render copy, including the tested missing-cache and missing-add-on symptoms. Open tested guide Bioxel Nodes Track source volume data, generated layer caches, packaged node assets, and the platform-specific import extension. Open source-backed guide