A faster content browser

[Anonymous]

Hi, 

We would like to incorporate our entire Survival Shader Pack, Studio Pack, and Asset Pack to the content browser, but we are afraid the users won't like it due to the fact that the content browser is too slow and basic.

When opening the content browser for the first time, depending on the file size that exist in each folder,(i.e. texture sizes 512px up to 8k) it is very slow to show the .ma files. After that though, the browser is super fast and no lagging can be seen (seems like a cached version), which expected to be like that from the beginning for every session that the content browser or Maya is started. 

I have captured a real-time video to show the issue. I will be opening the folders one by one, starting with the ones that have no texture and is small in size and will continue opening the ones that have 512px and up to 2k textures.

I have a couple of ideas for the content browser that I would like to share with you if you guys are interested.

Thanks

Yasush

[max_schoenherr]

a) the content browser has been sleeping for so many years – and has become so useful these days, especially for bipeds with snd without HIK (renderpeople) and mocap.

b) when i look at substance designer, i get jealous. so, pls do go ahead feeding the content browser with textures, shaders etc.

c) some folders look ancient. the one for paintFX for example.

d) the thumbnails look like from the DOS days.

[g2m.agent]

Maya need a brand new and seriously asset manager, 

see these:

https://blendermarket.com/products/asset-management

https://www.blendernation.com/2018/11/19/add-on-simple-asset-manager/

[Kranos_Orphydian]

I concure to that

[Anonymous]

I liked it very much

[phibonacciSequence]

I don't understand why has to load so slow.  Shouldn't it just display compressed thumbnails?

[mike.jagodzinski]

What other options do we have currently since this setup is quite slow?

[seandunderdaleBAKA7]

Turning the file dialog settings from Maya to OS native does speed up the content browser ALOT. (Maya 2024)

[dyderski]

The earlier suggestion about stored thumbnails is a useful distinction here: browsing a library should let you identify an asset before loading its full Maya scene. When comparing workflows, I’d test the first browse after restarting Maya as well as revisiting a cached folder.

Disclosure: I work on AO Studio Tools. For anyone still looking for an alternative for model/scene libraries, our AO Asset Browser uses saved previews inside MBX asset containers (no, not mudbox - maya bundle exchange) . Existing MA/MB/FBX files can be migrated into these containers with their materials and collected dependencies, then browsed and imported or referenced in Maya. MBX thumbnails can also be displayed in Windows Explorer.

I haven’t benchmarked it against the example in this thread, so I can’t give a speed comparison, but it’s another option for the library workflow discussed here.