Opinions sought on where to put a freebie.

richardandtracy

I wonder if I could solicit your opinion on where in the content structure to put a model of a stone bridge, and only the bridge,that was loosely inspired by the Anji Ancient Chinese Arch Bridge and other simpler single arch bridges with low ends.

There are three logical places to put the prop.

1) Environments/Architecture/Bridge

2) Props/Architecture/Bridge or

3) Props/ChestnutP/Architecture.

There are pro's and con's for each as discussed below:

1) Pro: There are some bridges there, including boardwalks (less permanent than my bridge) and complete bridge environments. Con: it's just a bridge, not an environment.

2) Pro: Likely to be a good location. Con: If someone remembers that the bridge is by me, will they look there?

3) Pro: If they remember it's by me, then they may well look there for it. Con: Am I being a bit vain about thinking people may remember it's me who did the bridge?

What do you favour? Or am I over thinking the whole thing and should get over it and plump for one regardless? I'd appreciate your thoughts.

Regards,

Richard

Richard Haseltine

You could always pick one and include .djl files in the other locations pointing to the actual content

richardandtracy

Hmm. That almost opens up a possible accusation of carpet bombing the content directory ;) . I will take a look at the .djl file format to see how I could use it, but it is an interesting option. Thanks, Richard.

AOBB

If it is only a bridge without any surroundings, I would locate it in the Props/Architecture directory. If it has some surroundings, then the Environments/Architecture directory would be better. My two cents. 

barbult

Actually, I'm not fully onboard any of your selections.

• Environments/Architecture/Bridge - A single bridge is not an environment. I'd never look for it there.
• Props/Architecture/Bridge - Bridge as the final folder is awfully generic. Other people might make a bridge and choose that folder name, too. Then folder contents get mixed. Maybe Props/Architecture/Ancient Chinese Arch Bridge would be more specific and less likely to cause collisions with other props. I'd also be more likely to recognize that name as this specific prop.
• Props/ChestnutP/Architecture - I don't naturally associate ChestnutP with richardandtracy; they are just too different. For example, I have your circular Array script, but I can never find it, because it is hidden away under ChestnutP. I know richardandtracy created it and posted about it in the forum, but when I look for it, it is under an entirely different name (ChestnutP). Some users despise "vanity folders". I'm neutral on the subject, as long as the vanity name is something I can easily associate with the vendor. Perhaps since you've already started issuing things with ChestnutP, you need to stick with it and I'd just better get over it!

Thanks for sharing your creations!

K8sGraphics

Honestly, I much prefer when folders are labeled with their creator's names - makes it much easier for me to credit individuals. I have so many items that it's sometimes hard for me to remember who did what. I also am not particularly picky about placement as I re-categorize everything anyway. However, it is a little easier for me to locate new items to add to the custom categorizing when they aren't under unexpected folders. So for a simple bridge without the whole environment, I'd most likely look under the props folder before the environment folders. 

namffuak

I pretty much agree with barbult; I'm very much a fan of Category/Sub-category/Descriptive Name as a structure. TBH, I don't remember creator's names - products filed in that manner usually lead me to fire up DIM and search on the product to see where the <bleep> it ended up.

Pendraia

I set up my own categories so I can find all files Poser and DS in the same folders.

My Categories/Environments/Bridges and Piers is the path I use but most wouldn't set their folders up this way. 

I do have an architecture folder under environments also but that's mainly for buildings and I also have one for gates and walls.

So going back to your original question, I would place it under option one Environments/Architecture/Bridges

In my opinion if it is attached to land and not a character then it's part of the environment.

Catherine3678ab

I like number 3 just fine. Got used to finding things under ChestnutP ;-) Thank you for asking.

3) Props/ChestnutP/Architecture.

richardandtracy

I must admit I am glad I asked, and am surprised at the number of suggestions. I shall think on all of them, thanks. I will just clarify one thing - the reason for using 'ChestnutP': long before returning to DS in 2019 I went to craft fairs and sold 250-300 pens I had made. I applied the brand 'Chestnut Pens' to what I did, and it seemed logical to retain much of that name when I started doing freebies for DS, only dropping the '..ens' at the end. It also keeps 'Chestnut Pens' on life support so that if/when I am able to set up my range of fancy fountain pens, I will have the brand available again. Regards, Richard.

McGyver

I'd go with Props/Architecture/AnjiArchBridge... or Props/ChestnutP/AnjiArchBridge

Back when I first started making my own stuff, content directories were generally a horrible mess... When I decided to offer freebies, I looked through a ton of content I had to see if there was some sort of general way people labeled the folders...  So based on that I concluded Prop/Artist/Item Name seemed to be the most commonly used method for most quality content.

So if it were me it would be Props/VixThingz/AnjiArchBridge or something like that.

I know most people probably hate that... I wasn't aware using your name was referred to as "Vanity Folders"...  but it was simple, everyone did it* and that's what I was doing for a long time... if people want to rearrange it, it's fairly easy.

To me, I generally remember most of my content by who made it, so that's another reason I stuck with the vanity folders.

I personally dislike when people don't stick to a convention... they switch back and forth, Prop/Artist/Item Name, Prop/Item Name, Prop/Vehicles/Item Name, Props (dump the random files in there)... That's more of a thing with old content, but still... it's maddening.

 

 

*Yes, if everyone was jumping off a bridge I'd do it too, because I already have several times and there probably is something scary running along eating people, so why stick around and wait to see.

richardandtracy

Thanks all. I'll probably stick with my option 3, the 'vanity' folder, & go very boring. Won't be able to get it out this evening. And..

I said it was inspired by Anji bridge and similar arch bridges, it's actually more of a simplified and westernised version of this one: https://www.dreamstime.com/royalty-free-stock-photography-chinese-arch-bridge-traditional-longtanhu-park-beijing-china-image30665557 with a smooth road bed and a boring capped stone parapet wall to avoid anyone having fun by jumping off.

The texture mapping on the arch forced me to be quite inventive in the way I got the stones to curve around the arch. 

Catherine3678ab

Actually way back when, using your name was NOT considered vanity. Indeed the program puts our stuff under our names in the data folders. This makes for a convenient way to find them and if it did not every new file bearing the same name as an old file, would overwrite it.

Vanity folders were: !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! name. Because the "!" would file alphabetically first and somebody always wants to be first in line.

In more recent years or months, some have come to regard using their names as being vain and like, doh, I don't think so myself. I mean really. I like to be able to find the installed content. And, being a freebie maker myself, I like having mystuff in its own folders for a couple of reasons. One [and primarily] is to be certain that my junk does not overwrite anybody's valued purchases! The other is, with it more or less in one place, people know where to find it [and yes, some do have a habit of moving it elsewhere and that's fine, as long as it works and everybody's happy] and in the event somebody decides they no longer want my priceless treasures, they don't have to hunt through their entire computer trying to figure out where I put everything ;-)

[email protected]

Doesn't matter to me... as I hand move around all the forward facing files anyway.
 

Environments/Roads + Paths/Bridges/Whatever-Richard-Calls-the-Asset

Websoul

I will probably move it to Props/Architecture/Ancient Chinese Arch Bridge anyhow since I unpack everything in a new folder and reorganize it how I think its logical. I always remove vanity folders, it makes a mess of things since I have no clue who created what and I can't find what I'm looking for.

To remember who made what I usually put a link into the main folder of the item so if I ever need to reference it for a challenge I know where i got it from.

So vanity links or a link to an store have my preference,

maikdecker

richardandtracy said:

Thanks all. I'll probably stick with my option 3, the 'vanity' folder, & go very boring.

The thing is, probably, that asking people here on the forum gives other answers as when asking in the New Users department. I guess (!) most of the people here know how to move assets to the spot most appropriate to them (like, everything building related ends up in my Enviroments/architecture folder). New users often don't now how to manage that and also follow the base folder structures a bit more rigidly.

For a freebie saving it somewhere connected with the maker's name should be the best option. Unless that name isn't the same name under which it's offered from the internet source. Downloading a product made by "richardandtracy" and then not finding it, because it get's saved in the "ChestnutP" folder might be a bit too much for the average new user (from my personal experience with the less computer affine part of the population).