When you save a file expecting it to be referenced later, you can lock all the assets in it so that only their published attributes can be manipulated in the parent file. Additionally, you can lock the file itself so that no reference edits can be saved to the file from a parent file.

To lock unpublished attributes for referencing

1. In the file to be referenced, select File > Save Scene As > .

   The Save Scene As Options window appears.

2. In the Referencing Options section, set Asset unpublished to Lock.
3. Optionally, you can set Lock File to Lock as well.

   This prevents users from saving any reference edits to this file from the parent file.

4. Select Save Scene As and enter a name for the file.

   When the file is saved, all the unpublished attributes for all assets in the scene are locked. This is the equivalent of selecting Assets > Lock Unpublished Attributes for each asset in the file. For more information, see Lock an asset.

Locking is important for referenced assets because changes made to the unpublished attributes are invisible at the asset level. Likewise, changes saved to unpublished attributes are lost if the referenced asset is replaced. Locking ensures users use published attributes so as to avoid these pitfalls.