If you look closely at the Blender file in the example, you will see that some geometry elements in the Outliner feature a small icon that looks like a chain. T

If you look closely at the Blender file in the example, you will see that some geometry elements in the Outliner feature a small icon that looks like a chain. This signifies that it is referencing (linking in Blender parlance) that geometry in other files. Linked files cannot be edited unless you round-trip to the original files. Max would not have this problem. Sorry if I came off as anti-Blender, but I am anything but. I have written over 100 pages of open-access Blender related learning material and was responsible for moving our school (400 design students) from max and Maya to Blender. No one regrated this move, even those who have spent their entire creative lives in Autodesk's shadow. However, it was not without cost. My top animator loves Blender, but says that its animation tools are not yet equal to those of Max/maya. And Max/maya can crease through files which Blender (currently) chokes on.