DSF asset file not saving as expected
Joe Cotter
Posts: 3,259
HI, I have two objects, one parented to the other and I am having problems saving as a dsf asset. I've tried selecting the parent, both objects... no matter how I try to save it, it only saves one of the two objects. Can someone tell me what I'm doing wrong?
Using DS 4.03.47 Pro 64bit under W7
Post edited by Joe Cotter on
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The version, most likely. The .dsf format was not completely implemented in the 4.0 series and has been more completely implemented in the 4.5 versions. You're most likely running into one of the issues from the partial implementation on 4.0.3.47.
Kendall
Yes. In 4.5Candidate3 you can save as a scene subset.. So you just save the scene with those two objects however parented and load the subset into whatever scene you're in. They will then load exactly how they were saved.
Saving a scene subset, while it may do what Gedd wants, isn't quite what he asked for - which was an asset (in the data folder) holding more than one item, with one parented to the other. I'm not sure if that should work in 4.5 or not - I haven't tried it.
Having tried it, a Scene Asset will save everything, generating separate \data folder entries for any items that don't exist as such - but it won't create a single .dsf asset for file for a pair of parented items. FigureProp assets still save only the primary selection. So you can generate multiple asset files in a single operation, though not selectively, but you can't, as far as I can see, make two distinct items into a single asset.
I don't understand, a lot of items have movable parts, such as doors... how does one accommodate that without parenting? Also, 4.5 isn't an option because of plugins
A scene would save parenting information, or the item could be made into a figure.
I'm not sure this really is unexpected - suppose you loaded two copies of your two part item, saved as a single asset file in the data folder. You unparented both items, and deleted one of the original parent iems. Now, when you save the result as a scene how does the file record the changes to the asset? Or does it embed the whole lot in the scene, as a custom item? Storing each item as a separate asset removes the problem -the sceen records potentially transient stuff, like parenting, while the asset stores the basic item.
Ok, I think I've figured out where my confusion is. When I saved a scene recently, then created a second, I tried to open the first with the second still open by going to the 'File/open' menu, which can't be done. Opening a second scene this way closes the first. Using the 'content library' to open a second 'scene' merges it with the first, the same as 'File/merge.' At least this is what I think is happening. Can anyone verify or clarify this for me?
And ty for all the help btw :)
Yes, DS is a single document application so File>Open replaces the previous scene, while File>Merge adds it to the current scene. If you look at the change log, when opening through the content panes 4.5 will distinguish between a full scene (defaults to open) and a scene subset (defaults to merge).
That sounds like an excellent addition. It should help clarify this issue for many people :)