Asset Manager Module - Simple UI

Its button from the Quick Access Bar can enable the Asset Manager module from simple UI:

The Asset Manager helps to manage items like scenes, environments, and materials beyond a single project. Several global assets stored anywhere in the network can be accessed like from a local folder. That supports standardization throughout several projects or even across multiple departments within the company.

On the other hand, you can have an individual asset locally stored as well. When the module is activated the first time, a path to the user's local folder is already specified. As a result, you can start establishing a library immediately.

Use the Asset Manager section in VRED's preferences dialog box to set up asset paths either for complete assets or for scenes, material, and environments individually.

All items within the Asset Manager module are externally referenced files from preset libraries. These items are called assets. A geometry asset contains geometry; material and environment assets contain their type of content. After import from the asset manager the geometry asset is present within the scenegraph as a node or a sub structure. When an object is referenced to the Asset Manager its icon switches to an inverted green shape icon . The material and environment representation from referenced assets gets an additional green indication in the lower left corner .

Preferences from such indicated assets are locked after its creation. A Modify button that is located below the modules icons bar unlocks the asset and enables you to edit it. Click Save to adopt new settings to the references within the asset manager.

A Material Asset saves the information of its applied environment. If this Material Asset is added to a scene and if the applied environment is available in the scene, the environment will be applied to this material. If not, the Default Environment Switch will be used instead. This also works for old (prior 2015) assets because the information has always been saved, but was not loaded yet.

When a geometry asset is applied to the Scenegraph, the node and all of its children are initially locked. The “Asset Root”, the node that is marked with the green icon, is editable after the geometry asset has been dragged into the scene (for example, renamable, transformable). This root node is a node that has a reference to the Asset manager and draws its children from the Asset Manager. The asset root’s children are locked and it is not possible to add, delete or move them as long as the asset is not unlocked for modifications (icon switches to ). If the user adds an old asset (prior 2015) to the scene which consists only of a single leaf node, an appropriate root node will be added automatically above the loaded node. These “old” geometry asset nodes are marked as modified because versions prior to VRED 2016 did not have locking of nodes in the scenegraph.

If one geometry asset is added multiple times, it will be treated like a clone: The child nodes of the asset root will be shared, and the asset roots will be synchronized with each other. Nevertheless, it can be renamed or transformed individually.

Any external change on a referenced asset will be adapted to the scene after reloading the affected asset. The context menu within the scenegraph provides features to reload such references.

If one geometry asset is added multiple times and one of it is reloaded, only this one will be reloaded. The Asset root node will not be changed; but will remain in position and name. Only its children will be updated / replaced by the ones that are loaded from the Asset Manager.

Tabs

At the top of the Asset Manager Module window, three tabs are located to switch easily between managing assets for scenes, materials, and environments. Every tab has the same structure: Tab with name, file search, library folder tree, list of components and a zoom slider (except the scenes tab).

Search field

The live search considers current tab; it requires selecting a folder within the library folder tree on that the search is executed. An entered search string hides all assets that don't contain the string.

Library directory tree

All in preferences configured asset paths appear here. Select a folder to either to import an asset from there or to store an asset there.

Context menu from library directory tree

Right-click on the folder structure in the upper part of the module opens a context menu that is the same in every tab:

Create Folder

Create Folder builds a new folder or subfolder into the selected library. This is a tab-specific functionality: the new folder is created automatically in the Materials, Scenes, or Environments subfolder of the selected library. If the subfolder does not exist it is created.

Rename

Rename is the command to change the name of the selected subfolder.

Delete

Removes the selected folder and all contained files.

Reload Directory

Reloads the content or structure of the selected subfolder.

Reload all directories

Reloads content from all asset manager paths.

Update Assets in Scene

Updates all assets (geometry, materials, and environments) that are contained within the scene.

Import

This command imports external files into the selected folder. One of the shortcut icons at the bottom of the module makes same feature quick accessible.

Open in Explorer

Opens the selected folder within the Windows Explorer.

Apply Material To Scene by Name (folder context menu)

Materials in the scene are replaced by material assets with the same name from the selected folder in the Asset Manager.

If there are no matching material names nothing happens.

Example: There is a material named Red Plastic in the scene, and a Red Plastic is also inside the selected material assets folder. Then the material Red Plastic in the scene is replaced by the Red Plastic material from the Asset Manager.

List of components

The list of components contains thumbnails and detail information about the modify date, name, tags, and so on.

Click to select an asset; right-click to open the context menu. Drag to get components from the asset manager to the related module from simple UI.

Context menu from library directory tree

Right-clicking on one of the listed items at the lower part of the Asset Manager Module opens a context menu that is slightly different per tab.

Add to Scene

The selected asset is added as a node directly below the current scene root. Drag to add it to a custom location within the scenegraph.

Rename

Enables you to change the name of a subfolder.

Add to Scene and Rename can only be found in the context menu for Scenes or Environments.

Apply to Selected Node

This functionality uses the selected material on the previously marked node in the Scenegraph.

Apply to Scene by Name (item context menu)

If materials in the scene have the same names, they are replaced by the selected material assets.

Only the materials tab provides the features Apply to Selected Node and Apply to Scene by Name.

Delete

Removes the selected item directly from library.

Undo for this action is not available.

Select Directory

The corresponding folder of the asset's location is selected in the upper folder tree.

Open in Explorer

Opens the selected folder within the Windows Explorer.

Icons bar from Asset module

At the bottom of the module window are three buttons: Import, Reload and Check for new versions.

Import

Opens file browse dialogue to import a new asset.

Reload Directory

If there were changes on any external asset library a click adopts them.

Update Assets in Scene

Updates all assets that are contained within the scene.

Slider

Scales thumbnails.