Prop Asset Files

mirjagirl

I am trying to save my product files but have a questions about WHERE.

3 Sets of Posable Wings
Is this a Prop?
Figure?
Clothing?

Do I have to create the Gen 8 folder or will it create the folders for me? (Same with Gen 3)

Right now, I'm saving as a figure/prop asset, but it's not creating the G3 or G8 folders.  

Not sure I'm saving this in the proper file heirarchy.

Any thoughts.....?

Thanks, again.

PerttiA

Wings I would place in either ...\People\[Generation+Gender]\Anatomy or ...\People\{Generation+Gender]\Props

mirjagirl

So when I create the files, I also have to create the folders for [People], [Generation+Gender], [Anatomy] or [Props]?

Just need to clarify that these folders are not auto-generated for me.

Richard Haseltine

mirjagirl said:

So when I create the files, I also have to create the folders for [People], [Generation+Gender], [Anatomy] or [Props]?

Just need to clarify that these folders are not auto-generated for me.

Right.

NorthOf45

The term "Prop" is usually reserved for unrigged, monolithic (one-piece) items, although they could have morphs. A broader definition for Prop is anything that can be used by a character, so it could itself be articulated and rigged. Most wing products are placed in Anatomy under the appropriate People\Generation\Gender folder if they were made for specific figures. If the wings are more generic and can be applied to any figure (i.e., parent to the chest), a higher level folder might get better visibility, like, yes, something under Props. Sometimes there is a conforming or geografting part that attaches to the base figure, then the wings are attached to that. The wings might be generic, but the conforming or geografted parts are specific to a figure, but all usually end up in the same folder. Scattering them to various People\Generation\Gender\Anatomy folders, or duplicating all the scripts, makes for awkward logistics.

When saving the Prop/Figure Asset, you get to decide where some of it is saved. The geometry data is saved under the "data" folder in your asset directory (from the Save Options dialog) which must be a mapped library folder. The Vendor and Product name are sub-folders added under data (to identify and isolate your data from everything else).

The preload scripts can go in any folder of your choosing, but you must create them yourself where you want them to go. Best to prepare all that ahead of time so that you know where to go when navigating the folder selection dialogs.(i.e., Props\MyWings, or People\Genesis 8 Female\Anatomy\MyWings, etc.)

I suggest keeping your development in a separate library (you can have more than one) to isolate it from the rest of your products, then package it for distribution and installation, if that is your intent. Even if that isn't what you want to do, you can at least save it in a self-contained package and back up your hard work.

It's complicated...

mirjagirl

Richard Haseltine said:

mirjagirl said:

So when I create the files, I also have to create the folders for [People], [Generation+Gender], [Anatomy] or [Props]?

Just need to clarify that these folders are not auto-generated for me.

Right.

That explains a lot! 
Pilot error.

Thank you so much.

 

mirjagirl

NorthOf45 said:

The term "Prop" is usually reserved for unrigged, monolithic (one-piece) items, although they could have morphs. A broader definition for Prop is anything that can be used by a character, so it could itself be articulated and rigged. Most wing products are placed in Anatomy under the appropriate People\Generation\Gender folder if they were made for specific figures. If the wings are more generic and can be applied to any figure (i.e., parent to the chest), a higher level folder might get better visibility, like, yes, something under Props. Sometimes there is a conforming or geografting part that attaches to the base figure, then the wings are attached to that. The wings might be generic, but the conforming or geografted parts are specific to a figure, but all usually end up in the same folder. Scattering them to various People\Generation\Gender\Anatomy folders, or duplicating all the scripts, makes for awkward logistics.

When saving the Prop/Figure Asset, you get to decide where some of it is saved. The geometry data is saved under the "data" folder in your asset directory (from the Save Options dialog) which must be a mapped library folder. The Vendor and Product name are sub-folders added under data (to identify and isolate your data from everything else).

The preload scripts can go in any folder of your choosing, but you must create them yourself where you want them to go. Best to prepare all that ahead of time so that you know where to go when navigating the folder selection dialogs.(i.e., Props\MyWings, or People\Genesis 8 Female\Anatomy\MyWings, etc.)

I suggest keeping your development in a separate library (you can have more than one) to isolate it from the rest of your products, then package it for distribution and installation, if that is your intent. Even if that isn't what you want to do, you can at least save it in a self-contained package and back up your hard work.

It's complicated...

Thank you for the rundown.  Yes, alot more complicated than I expected.  This will help a great deal.
It appears that I have a bit more pre-planning to do.

Thank you, again.

mirjagirl

So, I have a follow-up question:

I have my folders set up:
People
Gen(whatever)
Anatomy
Author
Product
(all the files)

No issues with that......

But when creating the Wearables under Presets, am I creating, in my case, 4 wearable files for each Gen? 16 files total?

Or do I have my files system and thinking wrong (wouldn't be the first time)?

Since the position of the wings sits in the same position for both Gen 3/8 irregardless of M/F..........
Why am I saving 16 wearable presets instead of simply 4 (FULL, TOP, MID, BOTTOM)?

If I should be saving 4 wearable presets, then what should my files structure be for the figure/prop assets?

mirjagirl

NorthOf45 said:

 If the wings are more generic and can be applied to any figure (i.e., parent to the chest), a higher level folder might get better visibility, like, yes, something under Props. Sometimes there is a conforming or geografting part that attaches to the base figure, then the wings are attached to that. The wings might be generic, but the conforming or geografted parts are specific to a figure, but all usually end up in the same folder. Scattering them to various People\Generation\Gender\Anatomy folders, or duplicating all the scripts, makes for awkward logistics.

 

 

NorthOf45 said:

The preload scripts can go in any folder of your choosing, but you must create them yourself where you want them to go. Best to prepare all that ahead of time so that you know where to go when navigating the folder selection dialogs.(i.e., Props\MyWings, or People\Genesis 8 Female\Anatomy\MyWings, etc.)

I think I need to get some sleep.  You answered this question for me already.  I went down route M and forgot all about it.

Thank you again.

Next route: N.