Drivers? Drivers with time curves?

[robcat2075]

A "Drivers" folder seems to show up under a model in the Objects folder when you change a parameter to something that was external to the model.

 

For example, if you drop a green shiny material on model of a vase, your vase will become green and shiny.

 

If you edit the color of that material in the shortcut that is in the model rather than in the original material in the Materials folder, a Drivers folder will be added to the model that seems to contain that custom change.

 

Or does it? If I delete that Drivers folder, the custom change I made doesn't go away.

 

For further confusion, these drivers sometimes acquire keyframe curves with values changing over time.

 

What causes this when i am editing a model in the model window, which is basically timeless?

[Rodney]

I'll guess that by 'drivers' what is meant is 'relationships'.

Do the models you save that gain a driver file have poses or something else that creates a permanent 'relationship'?

 

Since poses are the only real 'action'-type data attached to otherwise static models that would be my guess.