Asset Management Terminology #82015

New Issue

Julian Eisel · 2020-10-23T21:08:10+02:00

Julian Eisel commented

2020-10-23 21:08:10 +02:00

Motivation

Current terminology for the Asset Browser isn't complete and not very well thought out. It's important to clearly define the terminology and apply it consistently. This is needed for a helpful UI language, but also non-ambiguous developer documentation (e.g. API docs for asset manager systems).
It would further be nice to have a language scheme to take names from, rather than a bunch of loose, often rather technical terms (proposal at the end).

Definitions

These are our own definitions for the context of Blender asset management.

Asset Manager	A system responsible for creating, monitoring, organizing and protecting an asset data-base. If no such system exists, the user is the asset manager.
Asset Management System	The combination of an asset/production tracker (e.g. [Kitsu ]], server side software of [[ https:*www.blenderkit.com/
Asset Manager Bridge	A Blender add-on for an asset management system.
Asset Browser	An editor within Blender that provides an (interactive) view into an asset data-base, possibly established through the asset manager bridge add-on.

Category	A defined union of asset types. E.g.: "Objects and Collections", "Media" (images, videos and sound), "Materials".
Repository	A .blend file, a directory with .blend files (possibly in sub-directories) or a "virtual" repository where an asset manager bridge add-on provides an index of asset meta-data which the Asset Browser can display.
Asset Data-base	A data-base of any format (e.g. mySQL based, SVN repository, a .blend, or a directory of .blends), possibly unknown to Blender, managed solely by the Asset Manager.
Smart Filter	A preset of filter settings (asset type, tags, name filter-string, etc).
[...]

Missing Terms

The two asset types have temporary and already used names:
** "Preset" (assets that are applied, like brushes, matcaps or poses)
** "Primitive" (assets that are appended or linked, like objects, images or node groups)
[...]

UI Language Scheme Proposal

A simple metaphor for asset browsing is a library visit. Let's brainstorm how we could use that as a naming scheme:

Current Term	Natural Language
Repository	Asset Library [i]
Category	Category
Smart Filter	Catalog
Tag	Keyword
Meta-data	Back Matter
Generated list of assets with meta-data [ii]	Asset Index
Author	Author

Some items may go too far, this is really just an idea.

i) The term Library is already used in Blender (the source file of linked data-blocks). Could this be confusing? In a sense, asset repositories are also the source "files" of assets, so maybe just Asset Libraryis reasonable. If in doubt we can differentiate between Data-block Library and Asset Library
ii) No existing term. This list is generated by the asset manager system and is what the Asset Browser needs to display a list of items that represent the assets.

### Motivation Current terminology for the Asset Browser isn't complete and not very well thought out. It's important to clearly define the terminology and apply it consistently. This is needed for a helpful UI language, but also non-ambiguous developer documentation (e.g. API docs for asset manager systems). It would further be nice to have a language scheme to take names from, rather than a bunch of loose, often rather technical terms (proposal at the end). ---- ### Definitions These are our own definitions for the context of Blender asset management. | **Asset Manager** | A system responsible for creating, monitoring, organizing and protecting an asset data-base. **If no such system exists, the user is the asset manager.** | | -- | -- | | **Asset Management System** | The combination of an asset/production tracker (e.g. [Kitsu ]], server side software of [[ https:*www.blenderkit.com/ | BlenderKit ](https:*kitsu.cg-wire.com/)) and a Blender add-on that acts as a bridge to it. Note that it's undefined where the asset manager operates here: The asset tracker could also do this part, the bridge add-on, the user or some combination of these. | | **Asset Manager Bridge** | A Blender add-on for an asset management system. | | **Asset Browser** | An editor within Blender that provides an (interactive) **view into an asset data-base**, possibly established through the asset manager bridge add-on. || | **Category** | A defined union of asset types. E.g.: "Objects and Collections", "Media" (images, videos and sound), "Materials". | | **Repository** | A .blend file, a directory with .blend files (possibly in sub-directories) or a "virtual" repository where an asset manager bridge add-on provides an index of asset meta-data which the Asset Browser can display. | | **Asset Data-base** | A data-base of any format (e.g. mySQL based, SVN repository, a .blend, or a directory of .blends), possibly unknown to Blender, managed solely by the Asset Manager. | | **Smart Filter** | A preset of filter settings (asset type, tags, name filter-string, etc). | [...] ### Missing Terms * The two asset types have temporary and already used names: ** "Preset" (assets that are applied, like brushes, matcaps or poses) ** "Primitive" (assets that are appended or linked, like objects, images or node groups) [...] ### UI Language Scheme Proposal A simple metaphor for asset browsing is a library visit. Let's brainstorm how we could use that as a naming scheme: | Current Term | Natural Language | | ----| ---- | | Repository | Asset Library [i] | | Category | Category | | Smart Filter | Catalog | | Tag | Keyword | | Meta-data | Back Matter | | *Generated list of assets with meta-data* [ii] | Asset Index | | Author | Author | Some items may go too far, this is really just an idea. i) The term *Library* is already used in Blender (the source file of linked data-blocks). Could this be confusing? In a sense, asset repositories are also the source "files" of assets, so maybe just *Asset Library*is reasonable. If in doubt we can differentiate between *Data-block Library* and *Asset Library* ii) No existing term. This list is generated by the asset manager system and is what the Asset Browser needs to display a list of items that represent the assets.

Julian Eisel commented

2020-10-23 21:08:10 +02:00

Added subscriber: @JulianEisel

Berk Elyesa Yıldırım commented

2020-10-23 21:32:33 +02:00

Added subscriber: @Beryesa

Philipp Oeser commented

2020-10-25 10:33:32 +01:00

Added subscriber: @lichtwerk

Büke Beyond commented

2021-01-02 17:27:14 +01:00

Added subscriber: @BukeBeyond

Büke Beyond commented

2021-01-02 17:27:14 +01:00

I would suggest "Mark as Asset" and the symmetric "Unmark as Asset". The current term "Mark Asset" sounds like there is already an asset. "Clear Asset" sounds like deleting the contents of an asset, very misleading...

Another suggestion is "Declare Asset" & "Undeclare Asset".

If there was a way to show a checkmark, it would simplify the bipolar phrases to just one.

I would suggest "Mark as Asset" and the symmetric "Unmark as Asset". The current term "Mark Asset" sounds like there is already an asset. "Clear Asset" sounds like deleting the contents of an asset, very misleading... Another suggestion is "Declare Asset" & "Undeclare Asset". If there was a way to show a checkmark, it would simplify the bipolar phrases to just one.

Harley Acheson commented

2021-01-02 18:56:33 +01:00

Added subscriber: @Harley

Harley Acheson commented

2021-01-02 18:56:33 +01:00

The more I think about it “Clear” is problematic. It is not just a confusion with removal and deletion. It is more that “Clear” is generally not a negative state but a positive one, one that does not have restrictions, regulation, or obstacles in the way. A runway is clear for take off. A document might be cleared for publication. So in this case “ Clear Asset” might certainly be that you have approved its availability, not the opposite.

The more I think about it “Clear” is problematic. It is not just a confusion with removal and deletion. It is more that “Clear” is generally not a negative state but a positive one, one that does not have restrictions, regulation, or obstacles in the way. A runway is clear for take off. A document might be cleared for publication. So in this case “ Clear Asset” might certainly be that you have **approved** its availability, not the opposite.

Harley Acheson commented

2021-01-02 20:21:02 +01:00

Rather than struggle with terminology to describe the action of changing the state of the object, it might be more straightforward to simply list the states. For example a submenu called “Asset Status” or “Asset Library” which opens to show you that this one is “Not an Asset”, next to other items like “Shared Asset”, “Public”, “Private”, Reserved, Hidden, Available, Disabled, or whatever.

Rather than struggle with terminology to describe the **action** of changing the state of the object, it might be more straightforward to simply list the states. For example a submenu called “Asset Status” or “Asset Library” which opens to show you that this one is “Not an Asset”, next to other items like “Shared Asset”, “Public”, “Private”, Reserved, Hidden, Available, Disabled, or whatever.

Brecht Van Lommel added the

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Asset Management Terminology #82015

Motivation

Definitions

Missing Terms

UI Language Scheme Proposal