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Migrating Asset Browser Category to New Version
Posted: 21 September 2021 09:07 PM   [ Ignore ]  
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Hello,

Using S24, I created a database with different categories for my current project. When I open a scene that uses those assets, the assets link correctly. When I open those project files in R25, the asset links are all broken (screenshot, attached). I don’t see how to link my R25 Asset Browser to the database I created in S24. Can someone please help?

Thank you.

P.S. I have already gone to Edit > Preferences > Asset Browser and added the databases, but the assets did not automatically relink.

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Posted: 21 September 2021 09:25 PM   [ Ignore ]   [ # 1 ]  
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Hi Blasframe,

Please have a look here:

https://help.maxon.net/c4d/r25/en-us/Default.htm#html/PREFSBROWSER-PREF_BROWSER_MAIN_GROUP.html?TocPath=Configuration|Preferences|_____12
Database
When you are in R25 and open the Preferences:

If you have had these files already in an Asset Browser (S24) and used a specific folder, please check
Preferences> Asset Browser> Database

Alternative, if nothing works, but to get you going:
Go to Files> File Assets> Path. Here add the folder(s) that contains your assets. Eventually, a restart might help.
Path
https://help.maxon.net/c4d/r25/en-us/Default.htm#html/PREFSFILES-PREF_FILE_MAIN_GROUP.html#PREF_FILE_TEXPATHS

I hope that helps.
All the best

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Posted: 21 September 2021 09:48 PM   [ Ignore ]   [ # 2 ]  
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Dr. Sassi - 21 September 2021 09:25 PM

Hi Blasframe,

Please have a look here:

https://help.maxon.net/c4d/r25/en-us/Default.htm#html/PREFSBROWSER-PREF_BROWSER_MAIN_GROUP.html?TocPath=Configuration|Preferences|_____12
Database
When you are in R25 and open the Preferences:

If you have had these files already in an Asset Browser (S24) and used a specific folder, please check
Preferences> Asset Browser> Database

Alternative, if nothing works, but to get you going:
Go to Files> File Assets> Path. Here add the folder(s) that contains your assets. Eventually, a restart might help.
Path
https://help.maxon.net/c4d/r25/en-us/Default.htm#html/PREFSFILES-PREF_FILE_MAIN_GROUP.html#PREF_FILE_TEXPATHS

I hope that helps.
All the best

Thank you so much, Dr. Sassi! I did the step you suggested with the Preferences> Asset Browser> Database. Your alternative was on the right path (no pun intended): I realized that the missing files weren’t in the Asset Browser database, but rather in a ‘tex’ folder so the paths were relative. I was able to relink them by going to Asset > Globalize Filenames. Thank you so much for your help, as always!

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Posted: 21 September 2021 10:09 PM   [ Ignore ]   [ # 3 ]  
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You’re very welcome, blastframe!

I’m happy that your project can move on as it should.

Cheers

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Posted: 27 December 2021 09:30 PM   [ Ignore ]   [ # 4 ]  
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Hello Sassi and Happiest of holidays to you.

I have, what I imagine is a simple Q, but given how far down the rabbit hole I’ve traveled, I’m now not so sure. If you think this Q is better directed elsewhere, please feel free to point away.

Put simply, I’d like for my material collection, in the S24 Asset Browser, to be exactly the same in the R25 Asset browser. I cannot figure out how to get them there. I have tried. I mean 20+ hours worth of repeated failures…so I’m stuck. Further, it took, a really long time to, by hand, rebuild my material library from the legacy ‘Content Browser’ into the new-ish ‘Asset Browser’ within S24 - I have hit roadblock after speed-bump after brick-wall - and have finally prevailed. The S24 Asset Browser now has the materials I require for daily use - only to see NONE of these assets when I try to use R25. In R25 the Asset Browser is a mess.

I’ve read the threads here and was encouraged by this particular thread where the person had success. So, to recap, I’d like to use my hand-built and purchased material libraries in R25 - because having an asset/content browser is supposed to save time, make work easier and - if we’re lucky even enjoyable. We are current hovering around the 178-179 degrees in the opposite direction of that right now.

Any nuggets of wisdom?

Danke, in advance for your time and consideration.

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Posted: 27 December 2021 10:52 PM   [ Ignore ]   [ # 5 ]  
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Hi Drake,

Happy Holidays to you as well. Thank you.

Sorry to hear about your trouble.

Here is a clip that I have recorded for you. As usual, I do not answer from memory here. I test this carefully, anything else is not my idea of helping.
https://www.amazon.com/clouddrive/share/VaLwj7WYFuCZD8l5Rwuj95T9S70S36aLmuY8fac1EEV

I assume you have read this part already, but since I don’t know what your situation is, what you have done, etc., I might double things here.
https://help.maxon.net/c4d/r25/en-us/Default.htm#html/79840.html?TocPath=Asset Browser|_____1

When you start an Asset group, you ideally have a folder specifically for that, which is then just connected to the next version of the application.

In R24, perhaps select all your materials and use the edit> Copy to… (which should be a new folder if you haven’t done so far.
Then connect that new folder in R25.

I have tested the copy and moved back and fore between R24 and R25 in the past hour, I couldn’t find any problem.

Perhaps create an entry in the “Request Tutorial” forum.

I’m not sure what the support could do for you, but just in case: we all have this week off; thanks for your patience with this.

My best wishes.

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Posted: 29 January 2022 09:50 PM   [ Ignore ]   [ # 6 ]  
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Hi Sassi, I trust your new year is off to a great start. I’ve hesitated to reply to your post as I wished to report better news. My S24, partially build Asset Browser, built after painstakingly converting all of my hand-built materials residing in the legacy Content Browser, seem fine (except I can no longer access an albedo file, for example, and edit it as I no longer have access to any particular file - THIS IS TOTAL PROBLEM in my opinion - one used to be able to simple click ‘Edit’ and launch PS or whatever and edit the file) but let’s put that aside for the moment, I am trying to consolidate all of my hand-built assets into 25 so I can finally migrate to R25 - unfortunately, I cannot figure out how to merge/integrate my S24 Asset Browser Categories into my R25 Asset Browser. The video you made for me, again thank you, seemed to address adding one single material at a time, which at over 600, hand-built, shaders, ones that I’ve already invested considerable time converting/migrating within S24 from legacy Content Browser into the Asset Browser - so you see, I won’t do this again. I’ve searched Cineversity, I written in to tech support and I’ve read through C4DCafe forums, no luck. Is there anywhere that describes a clear migration path for 24 users to 25? Thanks in advance for your continued attention and consideration. I look forward to a day where our conversation can be creation/build-oriented smile

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Posted: 29 January 2022 10:44 PM   [ Ignore ]   [ # 7 ]  
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Hi Drake,

I hope you have had a great first month so far in 2022!

The image you like to have edited needs to be defined by your OS system. On a Mac, that can be done with the Information and there with the open as while defining an application for this image or all with the same suffix.

Asset Browser> Category. Please explore the following, create an object and a material. Drag that object or material to the Asset Browser. It will ask about the name, database, and Category. If you don’t know yet, leave the Category to “unknown”. You will find them there, in the left-sided list of folders. When you have created a Category (Asset browser Menu> Create> Create Category), you will find that folder in that left panel. Please select all your objects that should go into that new Category and drag them to that folder. Done.

Have a nice weekend

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Posted: 29 January 2022 11:22 PM   [ Ignore ]   [ # 8 ]  
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Wow, prompt reply - danke!

Two clarifications: PC not mac and I’m trying to figure out how to move an entire library from the 24 Asset browser to the 25 Asset Browser, not one single material within 24 or one single material within 25. I hope this better articulates the goal and clarifies my previous post/s.

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Posted: 30 January 2022 12:03 AM   [ Ignore ]   [ # 9 ]  
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Thanks, Drake.

I do not run any Windows machines here, which will not change here. A quick Google search delivered this: Control Panel and Default Programs > Set Default Programs.
Cinema 4D takes this information for a while as direction.

Yes, I know - you wrote 600 materials. That is why I wrote, “Please select all your objects that should go into that new Category and drag them to that folder. Done.”

The post above was about exploring, taking the pressure out, and just getting comfortable with it. When it feels familiar, move serious stuff around.

Cheers

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Dr. Sassi V. Sassmannshausen Ph.D.
Cinema 4D Mentor since 2004
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Posted: 30 January 2022 10:44 PM   [ Ignore ]   [ # 10 ]  
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That was a prize winner for late night replies, danke Sassi.

Regrettably, I do not speak German and clearly I’m not doing too well in English either. I’m afraid my questions are eliciting answers to different questions than the ones I am trying to answer. I know how to populate a new category in the new asset browser - In fact I have FULLY populated several according to several criteria, RS, Octane, MoGraph-User_data, 8k+, etc. What I DO NOT know how to do is bring these categories into 25? Further, my question about editing individual material files with the shader graph (the legacy approach was to select the texture node, then select ‘edit’ - since this functionality is broken in 25—the button is there, but does not work, I do not know how to get access to the underlying file, since the path is now obscured to satisfy the file character length criteria set by the architecture of the DB. I’m seeing several general comments/concerns/complaints of a similar nature, so I know I’m not the only one. I’m making this last reply to this thread to let you know I’m sincerely grateful for your efforts thus far, but please, no need to drop further down this rabbit hole with me. My list of 24-to-25 migration concerns is rather lengthy and these are just two on the list. Have a terrific week ahead. Perhaps I’ll see you on one of the live sessions this week. Grüße

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Posted: 30 January 2022 11:46 PM   [ Ignore ]   [ # 11 ]  
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Hi Drake,

Sorry that your experience is not fun going from S24 to R25. Nothing that I like to have you to experience.

You posted this question in the thread: “Migrating Asset Browser Category to New Version”. No node theme here*. I’m happy to look into that in a new thread, or do I miss something?

I have answered this. You select all belonging to a specific category and drag them into that folder if they did not arrive in such.
Yes, language is sometimes in the way, so I ask for scene files and answer with those. Sometimes that is not possible, then I do screen captures, as we are all visual artists:
https://www.amazon.com/clouddrive/share/180lpFb6AdxszjZNeIRg166X5KQ29bSRZr7K1m7v9nE
I had to try hard to get a recording with this problem, it works normally here flawlessly. I have to check why it doesn’t work always.

Edit: So, after a total of two hours testing, I was only able to get it one time to fail. Which was when the drive went to sleep, after a break. Restart made it working after that. /edit

If there is anything else, I suggest to check with the support. This might be also true for the Node question.


*You know that I like to help, so the following is meant most positively:
Any other question does not belong in this thread, like texture and nodes. You need to open a new thread, and follow-up questions need to be a fit to the initial them, otherwise why to threads at all, and have not a single long thread that will be not readable at all. Thanks for understanding.

Thanks for the weekend wishes, very much appreciated. I hope I get some. time during the week to catch up with “charging the batteries. So far, I have just worked here to answer questions. So, I look forward to some hours off grin

Enjoy your Sunday.

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Posted: 31 January 2022 03:35 AM   [ Ignore ]   [ # 12 ]  
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Nice, I see we share a sense of die Beharrlichkeit,

Regarding your advice about correctly placing different topics in their respective correct threads: acknowledged and understood.

On this topic, of migrating the Asset Browser db from 24 to 25: thanks for hanging in there. I will try one more time here: please see screen shots attached. My question is: HOW DO I MIGRATE FROM 24 to 25? What steps must I take so that my Categories, that are present in 24, are available within the Asset Browser in 25?

Post scriptum: the Asset Browser screenshot is is sideways due to the orientation constraints of this chat app.

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Posted: 31 January 2022 05:11 AM   [ Ignore ]   [ # 13 ]  
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Thanks, Drake,

Have you tried to just link to the folder that holds all the S24 assets?
The main idea (AFAIK) is to have a central location for assets or several. Easy to link and done. 

Please scroll down to the Edit entry:
https://help.maxon.net/c4d/r25/en-us/Default.htm#html/79840.html?TocPath=Asset Browser|_____1

Sorry, images do not tell me anything about the problem, please check with the support! Cineversity is about how to do it, but if there is an underlaying problem of technical nature, I have to direct everyone to tech support!
https://www.maxon.net/en/support-center

I will research a little bit to see if there are some ideas or reports, and if so, explore the given answers.

My philosophy is that a problem comes back until it is solved.

(Let me go off-topic here for a moment)

With the four-digit amount of options, functions, and tools alone in Cinema 4D, while having now roughly four+ times the application under the umbrella of Maxon than a few years ago, I can’t say that I use all of these things daily. However, the real magic starts when we combine these, which results in millions of combinations, No-One (!) has explored all of these. No-One knows all of these. Which means there is a lot of things to explore.

When I hear the sentence, “I use that a lot”, then I think always how lucky are these artists to stay in a familiar space so very often. No complaints here; I have used a computer since the early ‘80s, and beginning in 1993, I have worked professionally in 2D and 3D apps (1993 marking my first paid exhibition in Berlin based purely on Photoshop, while the print was 6x6feet).

I learn monthly a new app or significant update, summarizing over 200 apps since 1993. This has kept me aware of how it feels to enter a new app, and what is clear to “use that often artists” feels to others like a big wall. This wall I keep alive as experience, and it keeps me humble and patient. Given the questions that I get year in-year out, they cover all apps, tools, functions, and methods. So: I’m glad to experience your patience with this theme, especially since we have more updates than ever to digest. I love how it develops these days, but with more and more functionality than ever, we might have one or the other temporary problem added to it. I’m certainly actively part of reducing the stress of these.

Enjoy your start to your week.

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