Create Asset Tool (CAT) - Work In Progress

CAT is an asset creation and management tool that uses perforce as its back-end versioning system. The main design philosophy behind the system is that there is a separate element for each pipeline step: mesh, maps, rig, etc. Each of these elements is stored in its own location within the perforce server and can be synced, modified, or checked in/out via CAT. CAT can also show the user the version history with the changelist description to return to a previous version. The status system will also notify the user if an asset is out of date or missing. Included in CAT are a couple of utility features: opening the selected element in a DCC application, for example, opening a mesh project in Maya or Blender, and a texture project in Substance Painter. Users can easily browse the directories of the asset/element locations (though I advise against modifying these files outside of CAT/Perforce)

There's still a lot to do before the app is functional for a pipeline setting, my main goal was to create a hub for my own assets in my personal game and VFX projects. Naming conventions and organization are difficult to manage manually, so let's let the machines do it for us.

Once it's finished (sometime this year...) I'll post the source code and final app for download. It's 100% Python 3 so it'll take a little bit of tech know-how to get it set up, but I'll post a guide for those interested.

cat

©2021 Bruce Evans