> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.davinci-app.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Reference

<img height="20" noZoom src="https://mintcdn.com/celedonsolutions/Jrllsva0Wnxsp6y9/images/objecticons/reference.svg?fit=max&auto=format&n=Jrllsva0Wnxsp6y9&q=85&s=53641338fcae8d7e9a6b9ff52534f431" data-path="images/objecticons/reference.svg" />

## Description

Reference objects allow users to upload data directly into their Davinci system model. This is useful for keeping all data sources in one location, and for access by the agent.

<Info>
  For the full workflow around uploading files, using references as source evidence, grounding Agent output, and managing citations, see [Files And References](/pages/editor/files-and-references).
</Info>

When the agent uses reference objects to generate or modify other model objects, it will create reference relationships between the reference object. This relationship will describe where in the reference object it found the information that it used.

Files can be uploaded and added as Reference Objects to the model by dragging and dropping the file into Davinci when a project is open, or by uploading with the upload button in the Library Index header.

The files that Reference objects contain can be managed inside [Project Settings](/pages/editor/project-settings/files).

## Importing Files

Reference objects support importing various file types, making it easy to integrate existing documentation, data, and media into your Davinci model.

### Supported File Types

**Documents:**

* PDF files - Technical specifications, datasheets, research papers
  <Note>Word (DOCX) and Excel spreadsheets (XLSX) all will be converted automatically into Davinci documents and tables.</Note>

**Images:**

* PNG, JPG, JPEG - Photographs, screenshots, diagrams
* GIF - Animated graphics, simple diagrams
* WebP - Modern compressed images

**Arbitrary Files:**

* Any file type can be uploaded for storage and agent access
* Non-standard formats stored as-is for reference

### Import Methods

**Drag and Drop:**

1. Open a project in Davinci
2. Drag files from your file system into the Davinci window
3. Files are automatically uploaded and Reference objects are created
4. Multiple files can be dragged simultaneously

**Upload Button:**

1. Click the upload button in the Library Index header
2. Select files from the file browser dialog
3. Files are uploaded and Reference objects are created

Both methods create Reference objects with appropriate metadata extracted from the file (filename, type, size).

### Document Conversion and Agent Usage

**Automatic Content Extraction:**
The Davinci agent can read and analyze imported files to extract information:

* PDF text extraction for datasheets and specifications
* Image analysis for diagrams and photographs
* Excel data parsing for tables and datasets
* Word document text extraction for requirements

**Agent-Assisted Model Population:**
When you ask the agent to extract information from a Reference object, it:

1. Reads the file content
2. Analyzes and structures the information
3. Creates appropriate model objects (requirements, attributes, parts, etc.)
4. Establishes reference relationships linking new objects back to the source

**Example:** Upload a component datasheet PDF, then ask the agent to "extract the specifications from @DatasheetReference and create attributes." The agent creates attribute objects with values from the datasheet and links them to the Reference object.

### Image Integration

Images imported as Reference objects can be:

* Inserted into Documents as figures or inline images
* Added to Slides for presentations
* Referenced in model object documentation
* Analyzed by the agent for diagram interpretation

Images are stored efficiently and can be reused throughout the model without duplication.

## View Types

| View                                                  | Description                                             |
| :---------------------------------------------------- | :------------------------------------------------------ |
| [Reference](/pages/user-guide/views/reference)        | View the uploaded file content.                         |
| [Properties](/pages/user-guide/views/properties)      | Edit the object's properties, attributes, and metadata. |
| [Relationships](/pages/modeling/common/relationships) | Explore the network of connections to other objects.    |

## Properties Fields

<ParamField path="Inheritable" type="boolean">
  **No.** Reference objects do not currently support [object inheritance](/pages/modeling/common/inheritance).
</ParamField>

<ParamField path="Name" type="string">
  Name of the object.
</ParamField>

<ParamField path="Short Name" type="string">
  Short name of the object.
</ParamField>

<ParamField path="Description" type="string">
  Description of the object.
</ParamField>

<ParamField path="Relationships" type="connection">
  A list of all Relationships this object has with other model objects.

  [Read more about Relationships](/pages/modeling/common/relationships)
</ParamField>

### Citation

<ParamField path="citation.name" type="string">
  The citation name.
</ParamField>

<ParamField path="citation.authors" type="string">
  The authors of the reference.
</ParamField>

<ParamField path="citation.title" type="string">
  The title of the reference.
</ParamField>

<ParamField path="citation.publication" type="string">
  The publication where the reference appeared.
</ParamField>

<ParamField path="citation.volume" type="string">
  The volume number of the reference.
</ParamField>

<ParamField path="citation.issue" type="string">
  The issue number of the reference.
</ParamField>

<ParamField path="citation.pages" type="string">
  The page numbers of the reference.
</ParamField>

<ParamField path="citation.month" type="string">
  The month of publication.
</ParamField>

<ParamField path="citation.year" type="string">
  The year of publication.
</ParamField>

<ParamField path="citation.doi" type="string">
  The Digital Object Identifier (DOI) of the reference.
</ParamField>

<ParamField path="citation.url" type="string">
  The URL link to the reference.
</ParamField>

<ParamField path="citation.isbn" type="string">
  The International Standard Book Number (ISBN) of the reference.
</ParamField>

<ParamField path="citation.publisher" type="string">
  The publisher of the reference.
</ParamField>

<ParamField path="citation.edition" type="string">
  The edition of the reference.
</ParamField>

<Note>If using references in Davinci documents, use the @reference inline in text. Any added bibliography section will use the citation data of the object and rendered a citation list with numbered citations in documents.</Note>