Content Library

alvordr

alvordr

0
Content Library

It would be quite a feature to add the capability for users to list, search, and/or download content from inside Cheetah. We can go searching throughout the entire forum here looking in various places to get things like this, but if I could do it from Cheetah, I could look solely for models, lighting setups, materials, scripts, etc.

This would fall in line with the presets that people have requested. I could also upload content to the library by listing the item, description/tags, and the link to the file(s). This would take the burden of storing the item, etc. off of Martin.

If a file is corrupt, a link is broken, etc. then there could also be a reporting feature for this in the library.
 
Please don't do this. I hate programs which incorporate some kind of online repository into their UI. They basically come across as ad-ware.

We have a great system for doing this kind of thing, it's called the web.
 
Well I respectfully disagree. Why else did you put together a master list of tutorials and scripts?
 
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I put together those things because the website doesn't already have that functionality. There are plenty of tools online for managing content, we don't need to build a half-assed one into C3D. If Martin wanted to provide support for this on the c3d website* it would take him a couple of hours, versus goodness how long to build it out in Obj-C++. And bear in mind, he'd not only need to build out a custom UI for managing all this crap from an end-user perspective, he'd need to build out the admin side.

The way to handle all this stuff elegantly (and correctly from a Mac OS X HIG viewpoint) is to use file name extensions correctly (e.g. C3D scripts should have a unique extension and/or -- better yet -- be proper bundles). Then a user who downloads a C3D script from anywhere can just double-click it, C3D launches (if it's not running) and "opens" the document -- recognizes it as a script and installs it for you. Done. This is how C3D handles materials (more or less) and -- moving forward -- how it should handle everything else too.

* E.g. install wordpress, give people who are clearly responsible members of the community author accounts. Done. This would solve the documentation problem and allow people to build out content management.
 
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The thing is though- a lot of stuff, and C3d in general, lack documentation on how to use things. It's hard to figure out what a script does based on what it's called. And it's not real efficient to have to go trawling all over the web to find answers.
It'd just be nice to have quick answers in a central location. This forum is great in terms of the help from users and having access to Martin's ear. But it works better for big issues rather than quick reference.
 
Lonestar said:
The thing is though- a lot of stuff, and C3d in general, lack documentation on how to use things. It's hard to figure out what a script does based on what it's called. And it's not real efficient to have to go trawling all over the web to find answers.
It'd just be nice to have quick answers in a central location. This forum is great in terms of the help from users and having access to Martin's ear. But it works better for big issues rather than quick reference.
Click to expand...

So are you saying that building an online content repository into C3D would somehow improve this situation?

Here's the thing: Martin tried to improve the docs by providing a wiki which allowed any interested person to contribute to the documentation. It worked for a while, got hacked, then was taken down. Several of us invested quite a few hours of our time in this thing and I don't think our work is even backed up anywhere. Great.

Basically, if we want the documentation situation to be solved we can either wait for Martin to devote bandwidth to it (enough bandwidth to be willing to say pick which community members get write access versus simply sticking an open access wiki up and hoping it doesn't get hacked), wait for C3D to make enough money that Martin can hire a technical writer, or wait for C3D to get popular enough that someone might be able to make money by writing a book on it.

The only decent docs for C3D right now are the online help such as it is and the $29 training videos (which I haven't seen). It's a lot easier to put together some screencasts than it is to write a decent book (not that I'm saying it's easy) and I doubt Andrew is exactly rolling in cash.

Getting Martin to build out useless infrastructure is both unproductive (i.e. it would be a Bad Thing if he did it) and pointless (Martin won't do it anyway because he's not that dumb).

tl;dr: don't do it. –1 from me.
 
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Hey guys,
I'm afraid I'm not getting what's robert's request: do you mean an online content library (like the SU warehouse) or an offline content library feature for Cheetah (like c3d materials with preview, allowing users to browse dedicated folder for objects and scenes too)?
 
I mean a content library, whereby the information is stored in one place, but content is linked to where the user(s) have stored the actual files. Users can maintain the information itself. Having the browsing tool to access this information built into Cheetah seems more intuitive and easier (as it would be accessed in one place), rather than chasing down content individually in the forum or on the web.

As far as documentation, I didn't plan on this taking the place of documentation, as Pod suggests. I've already made the statement that dedicating 5 or 10 min here and there for the topics in the documentation shouldn't put a strain on Martin, especially when new features are added. Documentation on how each feature performs should be part and parcel of coding. It should be fairly cut-and-paste, with exception of making screenshots.
 
I'm afraid I'm with Alessandro on this...a little confused as to what the request actually means.:confused:
Don't we kind of have some of this already? I mean, if you want a material, it's in your material drop down. Once it's there, it's always there. Same for scripts too, isn't it?
Maybe you're talking about actual models?
I guess I don't know Cheetah well enough to quite follow what this would mean and what the benefits would be.
 
What you're saying is true, but not all the scripts or materials people want are included. If you could get to them without having to search around, then it would be much easier. Having watched the forums for quite some time now, I still see a lot of "Oh, I didn't even know that was there!" or "I did a search and didn't find anything."...and yet, the info IS actually on the forums.

Repeatedly pointing people to a multitude of the same links and places, providing lengthy explanations, and tutorials on whats already been covered, doesn't make sense.
 
Oh, ok.
So I did understand what you were after.
I do kind of see your point. As long as it was a clean introduction to the app and didn't cause too much confusion, it might be kind of useful.
It really doesn't bother me too much though, to hunt around for them and load them in myself. Strictly because there are some scripts that I don't know how to use and scripts and materials that I would probably never use, and I would like to keep total control of what Cheetah would link to. One of the things that bugs me so much about PC's is that they autolink and auto correct WAY too much.
Also, there's the fact that, with Martin updating like he does, some scripts become obsolete anyway.
 
Am I in favor of lighting presets? You bet.

Am I in favor of C3D supporting stationery? You bet.

Do I want this:

It would be quite a feature to add the capability for users to list, search, and/or download content from inside Cheetah.

...

This would fall in line with the presets that people have requested.
Click to expand...

No way. No how. And this does not fall in line with presets. The way Martin has implemented materials falls in line with presets.

I also think that Martin should handle scripts better. E.g. scripts should have a bundle or c3d-specific file extension so users can double-click them and they install correctly and immediately run. But none of that involves -- say -- implementing a half-assed web browser inside C3D.
 
I think the general idea of a content library is great.

I don't care if it's from inside Cheetah3D, or just simply an official repository that is linked from the Cheetah3D website.

Either way, I think it would be fantastic to have ONE place where all of us can upload and download materials, models, scripts and whatever other resources might be useful.
Every software uses different tools that only work in its native format (correct me if I am wrong about this), and some people on here have created great assets that they might want to share (I know I'll gladly share the very few things I've created). So I think it makes sense to have a repository specifically for Cheetah3D that is sorted by categories and includes some sort of search functionality.
 
Agreed - but in general this forum software is not the best when one come for searching. I guess we need kind of "tag"-system - otherwise it will be hard to find things you don't know the exact term of.
My 2ct though.

Cheers
Frank
 
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