---
tags: Assets, Asset Browser
---

# Asset Types & Operations

This document lists the asset types that could be supported at some point. The intention of this document is to categorise the different views on *create*, *edit*, and *use* for the various asset types.

Status: **DRAFT**

## Reference

Some references that may come in handy:
- [T55239: Built-In Assets](https://developer.blender.org/T55239)
- [blender.org Asset Bundle: Design Notes](https://hackmd.io/@JulianEisel/BylPQHux_)

## Asset Use Cases
- **Add: Link**: Same as *File → Link* the datablock.
- **Add: Append**: Same as *File → Append* the datablock, except that Asset metadata is not appended (i.e. an appended asset does not become a new asset in the current file).
- **Add & Assign**: Assign to an already-existing datablock; assign Mesh to Object, assign material to active material slot. Requires linking/appending.
- **Apply**: For preset-like data. Temporarily load from asset library, copy onto other data. Does not require linking/appending.

**NOTE**: "Add" is not required when working with the *Current File* library.

> [color=#6b23ef]
> [name=Sybren A. Stüvel]
> Nice for future: panel for brushes, or presets (like FFmpeg prefs), which get auto-populated with assets from the library.
> - question: which library is used? which filter options?
> - could also be used for materials.

> [color=#6b23ef]
> [name=Sybren A. Stüvel]
> TODO Sybren: add two uses:
> - Browser-based
> - Tool-contextual (like in 3D Viewport)

## Choice of Link or Append:
- Could be stored in multiple places:
- Option per library (f.e. project libs that link vs. personal libs that append).
- Property of individual Assets (unspecified, always link, always append). This could be extended to include external files as well (e.f. texture files of a Material).
- Option in the Asset Browser, with pinning for the option in the browser so that it doesn't follow the selected asset.
- Default implementations: link-all or append-all, just like the operators in the File menu.
- Allow Python callback to influence this, for example to append the Asset datablock itself, but to keep the rest linked.
- Add-ons can define their own panels & callbacks, and register their own bundled asset library. They can indicate whether this should replace the default "link/apply" / "Add Asset" panel or extend them.

> [color=#6b23ef]
> [name=Sybren A. Stüvel]
> TODO: define how these callbacks & panels are registered/discovered.

## Finding and Editing
How do I find and edit an asset? How much will the Asset Browser help?
**Conclusion: just have a "Set As Active" button.** No smartness for editing.
- Works nice for Object, Scene
- For Object Data, Materials: changing data pointer would be an "Assign" operation and not an "edit" operation. In other words: using and editing are the same thing, when working with "Current File" assets.
- For Action: choice between "Assign" and "Apply" (as pose).

### Abbreviations

- **MAA** Mark As Asset
- **SAA** Set As Active

| Type | Can Link | Can App | Can Temp | Use | Create | "Find My Asset" (in *Current File* lib) |
|-----------------------------------------|----------|---------|----------|--------------------------------------------|-------------------|---------------------------------------------------|
| Scene | ✓ | ✓ | | SAA | MAA | SAA scene |
| Collection | ✓ | ✓ | | Add as Scene Collection or Empty | MAA | SAA collection of scene |
| Object | ✓ | ✓ | | Add to Scene at 3D cursor | MAA | if in scene → SAA |
| | | | | | | else → message "not in scene" |
| Object Data (mesh, light, camera, etc.) | ✓ | ✓ | | Assign or Create new Object at 3D cursor | MAA | if used by object in scene → Set Object as Active |
| | | | | | | else → message "not in scene" |
| Action | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | Assign or Set Pose | Copy Partial, MAA | if object suitable → SAA on object |
| | | | | | | else → message "requires object of type X" |
| Material | ✓ | ✓ | | Assign to active mat slot of active object | MAA | same as Use/Apply? |
| Shading node tree | ✓ | ✓ | | - | MAA | |
| Geometry Nodes node tree | ✓ | ✓ | | - | MAA | |
| Image | ✓ | ✓ | | - | MAA | |
| Sound | ✓ | ✓ | | - | MAA | |

> [color=#6b23ef]
> [name=Sybren A. Stüvel]
> Idea: show usage count (in the current blend file) of an asset in the bottom-right corner of the asset.

> [color=#6b23ef]
> [name=Sybren A. Stüvel]
> Future: Property presets (like render settings) would not be linkable/appendable.

## Design consideration: Asset relationships
* Most assets work only in relation with others; Mesh needs Object, Node Group needs Material which needs an Object in order to see & edit it.
* Assets need such a context to be viewed/edited.
* Collections & Objects: can be linked to scene and viewed/edited directly,
* Other datatypes: need some in-between (Mesh/Curve/Light/Camera/etc needs Object, Action/Pose needs object of the correct type)