File referencing is a workflow in which a project points to separate files—such as character rigs, textures, or other scene components—instead of embedding every asset in one file. The project stores links or paths to those assets and loads them when needed.
This approach supports reuse and keeps production files manageable, but it creates dependencies: a project may be incomplete if linked assets are missing, moved, or inaccessible. In security reviews, referenced files can reveal how creative work is organized, while copied or detached assets can make provenance harder to verify. Teams should restrict access to both projects and their referenced assets, track versions and sharing, and preserve file lineage so they can distinguish authorized materials from files that were copied or repackaged.