How to Have a Visually Pleasing Digital Library
“Get to Know Connecter” is a series of articles designed to acquaint you with the diverse features and functionalities of Connecter. Whether you’re a freelancer or a member of a large organization, this series will equip you with the knowledge and skills needed to navigate our Digital Asset Management solution confidently and boost your productivity..
We recently discussed the benefits of a good-looking digital asset library for your team and its productivity. While some file formats, like images or Substance materials, come with really good native previews, others, especially 3d models and videos, will not always be so optimal.
So, for those ready to make an effort and begin your library makeover, we’ve prepared some helpful tips and practices within Connecter to make the process quicker and easier. Let’s begin.
Make use of Connecter’s integrations
Connecter’s integrations give you additional options when working with some host software that can be pretty helpful when it comes to beautifying your library.
Furthermore, it also uses dedicated services to some popular creative software like 3ds Max, Cinema 4D, and Revit to run their instances and open assets in native file formats, as well as execute automated tasks like extracting metadata and others.
3ds Max
Connecter’s integration gives you some handy options to use while working in 3ds Max. For example, you can generate previews by grabbing screenshots directly from the Max viewport. Connecter adds capabilities to the “Zoom extents” option, so you can select scene objects and isolate them to generate a preview only of the selection. You may also add custom previews to material assets with the “Editors Thumbnail” option.
The Generate Custom Preview feature, on the other hand, uses a dedicated instance that runs in the background, so it doesn’t interrupt your work. Once the preview is rendered, Connecter automatically assigns the saved image as a custom preview to the asset.
Cinema 4D
The Dedicated Service of Cinema 4D works like the one of 3ds Max and uses the Generate Custom Previews feature. Just like for Max, for Cinema 4D, we offer a carefully chosen selection of studios you can use to visualize objects (3d models, geometries, etc.) and materials.
You can also save assets from Cinema 4D directly to Connecter and generate custom previews for them that will be automatically assigned.
Revit
BIM professionals may need to improve the look of their libraries, too. The Dedicated service for Revit also uses an instance to process Revit family assets and show their generated preview thumbnails.
With the “Update Native Preview” functionality, you can change the default Revit generated native preview (if available) with a more realistic one.
Rhino
Connecter’s integration with Rhino allows you to save previews for the assets directly from the creative software. All you need to do is select the assets and set the viewport in the desired position and rendering settings. The asset will be isolated from the rest and rendered according to your preferences.
However, unlike other assets, a Rhino file can have only one preview that will be saved as a native preview and part of the .3dm file.
Blender
The integration with Blender allows you to create custom previews with the Cycles and EEVEE rendering engines. By default, everything you have currently opened will be saved as a single asset in Connecter, but you can choose to include or disable the camera, lights, or other options.
You can also choose to save only particular objects from the scene. Connecter allows you to save them as a single file or separately and with custom previews.
Unreal Engine
To conclude the useful features Connecter’s integrations have, let’s see what is possible in Unreal Engine.
You can export one or multiple assets to Connecter directly from Unreal’s Content Browser as CUAP files with custom previews assigned. The preview image will be generated based on what you have opened in the Content Browser.
Then, when you want to open a CUAP asset, you can either load it in the UE project you have currently opened, and it’ll go directly into the Content Browser, or choose to load it in another project by selecting a location.
Add and manage Custom Previews manually
You can assign unlimited images as previews to an asset by right-clicking on it and pressing “Add custom previews” from the contextual menu. An even quicker way is by pressing “Ctrl” and “P”. You may also drag and drop the image file you want to use for the asset.
Then, you can review the images you selected in the Previews panel or by opening the asset in the built-in viewer. It’s up to you which to be used as a thumbnail.
However, if, in time, you delete or move some of your preview files or rename the folder that contains them using Windows Explorer, the Manage Custom Previews tool can help you easily relocate them.
Utilize the built-in ОpenGL Viewer
Connecter supports the interactive preview of many file formats, but some of the most popular ones are glTF, USD, FBX, OBJ, 3DS, ABC, STL, C4D, LWO, and DAE.
The built-in ОpenGL viewer allows you not only to play around with the object or preview animations but also to take a snapshot to use as a preview. You can adjust different settings like background and ambient color, shaders, camera, light intensity, etc., until everything is to your liking before you take the snapshot.
Save time and effort with the Auto-assign Preview Tool
This handy tool can automate some of the manual work involved in improving the look of your library. It allows you to define patterns and rules to automatically process and assign custom previews to 3d models, materials, HDRI, and other assets.
In order for it to work, though, you’ll need to have a defined naming convention. The good news is that we have another tool — Batch Rename — that automates and optimizes the process of renaming assets.
Then, all you need to do is select an asset and the file you want to use as its preview, and Connecter will use its naming patterns to automate the process.
Wrap Up
Optimizing your digital library with Connecter’s integrations and features can significantly enhance both aesthetics and productivity.
By incorporating the tips and practices outlined above into your library management workflow, you can create a visually pleasing and efficient digital library that boosts efficiency and creativity within your team.
If you’re looking for a way to take control of your digital assets, our DAM might be a good fit for your needs. Contact our support team to find out more about its organizational and collaboration features.
Disclaimer: Some of the images in the article are generated by DALL-E.
