There are different options and they depend on what format you have your libraries.JQL wrote: ↑Thu Jun 27, 2019 12:37 pmI think the question relates to the "merging" of thea libraries. We have extensive libraries already for Thea with models and materials. I have them organized in my hard drive with a method I use for T4SU. You now have these new assets that I might use. What I would like is for them to be installed, in the way I want, into my library. This would allow me to:
- Keep them in my D: Drive, freeing memory on the SSD;
- Keep them organized with my structure, instead of someone else's structure.
- Share them in the network for everyone working with Thea to access it.
This would be key to have them always updated if, with every install I would be able to update the assets in that custom location.
I love to have new assets and yours seem very good, however I rather not have them than destroying my organizational structure or if I'm going to spread library locations or duplicate assets.
It would be important if you could share more details about how your libraries are organized.
To start I'll describe in detail the Assets folder format.
The new Assets folder contains (I'll only include primary folders):
- Textures
- Materials
- Models
Code: Select all
<Author>/<Package>/<Category>/...- <Author> - This is a name describing who created the asset. There are two reserved names: "Altair" and "User".
"Altair" means of course the author of the assets is Altair.
"User" means it is the current user of the software.
Other names may be created by third parties willing to provide (free or by selling them) their own assets.
The idea is that it will be possible, by following some easy specifications, for a third party to provide updates that will be downloaded and installed automatically at program start (not yet fully implemented as of now). - Package - This a package, that is a collection of assets (textures, materials, models). This usually groups assets that are related to each other, or make up a "package", in fact.
For example this could be "Metals" or "Jewelry metals", or "Bathroom tiles", etc.
A user usually groups assets into a package as a major container.
A third party put a number of assets into a "Package" as a unit to be sold and downloaded. - Category - This a subdivision of a Package.
For example if the package is "Metals" possible categories are: "Polished", "Brushed", "Hammered", etc.
NOTE that a Category is optional, an assets can be directly in the <Package> folder if it is general and doesn't need a category by itself.
You can directly see this in action in the Texture/Material/Model browsers:
- If you click on the <Author> on the left you'll see all the assets of that author, in every package and every category.
The Packages are shown as "Titles" grouping the icons in the panel on the right. - If you click on the <Package> on the left you'll see all the assets of that package, including every category.
The Categories are shown as "Titles" grouping the icons in the panel on the right. - If you click on the <Category> on the left you'll see all the assets of that category (subfolders included, if any).
Models and Materials format
For the Materials, we are introducing a new material file format, .iStudioMat
With time, all the online databases and the other plugins will be upgraded to this new format.
For now, we have to endure a time frame where we have a mixed situation: Inspire Render/Studio using the new format, the plugins using the old format.
We can already import materials in the old format, we also support selecting a group of files and import them in one step. To do this create a package under the "User" author (right-click on "User" and select "Create Package"), then right-click on the Package and select "Import materials".
But we cannot use old materials directly (in the Assets folder). As said, this is a temporary situation... Soon every product will use the new materials.
For the Models there is still some WIP, but in general it will be possible to save models in .iStudioMod format AND .mod.thea for the use as proxy models.
This is the current situation, I'm interested in knowing more of your existing organization and see what we can do to ease the conversion.
Thanks,
-Claudio
