Convert a Reference vs Break It

When a Reference is no longer meant to stay as linked generated content, Foxel gives you two different follow-up actions:

• Convert To Voxel Layer
• Break

They sound similar, but they do different things.

Why This Matters

A Reference object gives you generated voxel data in the scene.

While it stays a Reference, that generated result cannot be edited directly as individual voxels.

When the workflow needs to move beyond linked generated content, Foxel provides two different actions.

Choosing the right one depends on what result you actually want.

Convert To Voxel Layer

Use Convert To Voxel Layer when you want to turn the current generated result into one directly editable voxel object.

Use:

Object > Reference > Convert To Voxel Layer

This creates a Voxel Layer from the currently generated result.

Use this when:

• You want to edit the result directly as voxels.
• You want one editable voxel object.
• You no longer need the Reference to stay linked to the source asset.
• The current generated result is already the result you want to continue editing.

A useful mental model is:

Convert = current generated result → one editable Voxel Layer

Break

Use Break when you want to remove the link to the source asset and insert converted content into the scene hierarchy.

Use:

Object > Reference > Break

Breaking a Reference is different from converting it to a single Voxel Layer because the result depends on the referenced asset type.

Use this when:

• The Reference should stop depending on the source asset.
• The converted content should become part of the scene hierarchy.
• You want the result to preserve more of the referenced structure where possible.
• You need a source-type-specific conversion result.

Break Results By Source Type

When you break a Reference, Foxel behaves differently depending on the source asset.

Voxel Scene

When the source is a Voxel Scene, Foxel copies the Voxel Objects into the hierarchy.

Nested references are converted to Voxel Layers.

Use this when a referenced scene should become local scene content.

Mesh Asset

When the source is a Mesh Asset, Foxel voxelizes the mesh data and adds the result to the hierarchy.

Use this when an imported mesh should become voxelized scene content instead of staying as a Mesh Reference.

Voxel Movie

When the source is a Voxel Movie, Foxel copies the frames and adds visibility keyframes so the animation is preserved.

Use this when the frame-by-frame source should become scene content while keeping the animation behavior.

Heightmap

When the source is a Heightmap, Foxel creates a copy of the generated voxel data.

Use this when the height-generated result should become local scene content.

The Practical Difference

A simple rule is:

• Use Convert To Voxel Layer when you want one editable voxel result.
• Use Break when you want to remove the source link and bring converted content into the hierarchy.

The two commands are related, but they are not interchangeable.

Convert To Voxel Layer is focused on producing one editable voxel layer from the current generated result.

Break is focused on removing the source link and converting the Reference into scene content based on the referenced asset type.

What To Remember

• A Reference object uses generated voxel data.
• That generated result is not edited directly as individual voxels while it stays a Reference.
• Convert To Voxel Layer creates one editable Voxel Layer from the current result.
• Break removes the source link and inserts converted content into the hierarchy.
• The exact Break result depends on the source asset type.
• Use Convert for a single editable voxel result.
• Use Break for source-type-specific scene content conversion.