[Bf-funboard] Materials

[Jean-Michel Smith]

Campbell Barton wrote:

> Mabe there could be an option for a material lib in the preferences- 
> Just like there are for default file paths
>
> Then in the materials button panel you could have - Load From Library- 
> The code behind it would be the same as append but start the user in a 
> preset blend file, where all the materials are.
>
> Append->File->Material->Gold<enter>
> Select_object->material->gold
>
>
> Correcting
>
> Append->File->Ferret around the filesystem to find the material blend 
> file->Material->Gold<enter>
> Select_object->material->gold 

Another possibility might be to forgo the traditional directory tree 
structure for organizing textures, and apply instead indexable 
keywords.  This would be analogous to the way google's gmail organizes 
email, as opposed to more traditional imap folders, and has the 
advantage that more than one keyword or tag can be applied to a single 
texture.  An example that might come to mind where this makes sense 
would be any texture that has multiple applications (where one must 
choose a directory more or less arbitrarily out of several valid 
options), such as metallic gold vs. a metallic gold coating on glass 
('glass' and 'metal' might both be valid keywords, the only difference 
being the alpha setting).

Files could all be stored alphabetically in one location, but displayed 
via keyword or all together.  It would of course be important to define 
a sensible set of standard keywords, but this would really be no 
different than coming up with a sensible set of standard directories.

Jean.