Batch Image processing into Library like for Textures?

[cgirerd]

I have a bunch of images I want to add to the library and I just realized there doesn't seem to be a command similar to "Convert Textures to Materials" that will do a whole folder at once. Am I missing something or do I have to add one new image at a time...?

Thanks,
Christina

[Dan Park]

3D>Materials>Convert Textures to Materials

Browse for a folder.

[Pat1217]

Oh my gosh.... and I've been doing this one at a time..... I could kick myself!!

Pat

[cgirerd]

Dan - But I don't want to make Textures, I want to create 2d Images... to go in either the Images folder or Plants folder. I use that command for textures all the time and know how useful it is. That's why I was hoping there was something similar for Images.

I've attached my lovely example of how that command worked for my plant images... (I sprayed it onto a slab. Probably something interesting that could be done with that - anyone need to make a forest?)

Pat - this is a really great command, especially for someone like you who probably is collecting zillions of textures!



Christina

[Pat1217]

Christina,
What my problem has been is that I decide to get organized. First I download my gazzillion textures, then tediously add them to my library...one by one. Then I think, "ok, now I'll just put my saved pics in a "done" folder and this way I'll know which ones I've already placed in the library.......BAD MOVE !!... now my library can't find any of the textures I've loaded because I put them somewhere else.

Now I know I can do them by batch...what a relief. Thanks for asking that question. I know it's not the answer you were looking for but it sure did help me !!

Pat

[cgirerd]

Pat - I'm organizing right now, too, in between other projects. I got all my materials done a couple months ago. Now I'm working on images and symbols.

Here's a few things I do, if it's helpful to you. Took me a while to settle on a system.

I find it helpful to have a folder in my overall Architecture folder, called "Architectural Graphics." This is basically for sources. In that folder, I have folders such as "Images" - with lots of subfolders by topic like people, kitchen items, food, decor, etc. I find it helpful to match the same heirarchy structure as in Chief's library. This is basically a duplicate of the My Images folder in the Chief X1 Data folder, except for another folder in it called "To Be Processed" (and except for the plant folders, which Chief bundles with Images but now has a separate library for...) That's where I put stuff when I see something on the web, but don't have time to deal with it or I don't need it immediately so I just throw it there until I have time to process it.

I also have other main level folders in that Graphics folder for Textures and Symbols. Again with folders to match what's in Chief, and other folders for "To Be Processed."

I've also found it helpful, when I go on a web "collecting binge" to put that nights worth of downloads into a folder with the date on it, within the To Be Processed. So if I had 20 new things and there are already 80 in the folder, it's easier to pick out the new ones since those might be of immediate use.

The "Architectural Graphics" is also where I have folders for images I've copied off my CD image collections I'd bought in the past. I may not use them all now, but I don't want to have to dig around for the CD, so I have them in a folder to browse through if I decide I need a certain plant, etc. I also have a "Real House Photos" folder - just what it says, but I use it for inspiration, or sometimes as source material to copy out trees or bushes or a mailbox or a driveway or some detail to turn into an image or use with photoshop.

Christina

Christina

[shir]

3D>Materials>Convert Textures to Materials

Browse for a folder.

I'm using CA, 2 years now and still didn't knew all the tool !!

Thank you Dan

Shir

[Allen42acj]

Don't bring in to big a folder of materials.
Slow to load and the previews are to small to see.

[dgavin]

Good point Allen!!!

Also, If you have an album folder that is missing images for the material
fix the ones that need fising. I had one and FINALLY deleted things that I had no idea what they were supposed to be. Now the folder opens up quickly! Why the H*** did I wait so long??

[Allen42acj]

Thanks Dennis
Wish I had remembered that before adding that folder to X1.
I had it in 10 and am just to lazy to fix it now..
It should be posted on the portal,lots of great textures..