Hi Creators,
We have several new improvements to the Asset Manager, ranging from UI improvements to new features improving usability. Let’s dive into it.
New Features
A Streamlined Vertical View
When in a vertical view next to the viewport, the Asset Manager now includes cleaner hierarchy navigation, search, and options to apply filters, refresh, or import.
In this view, you can navigate across different inventories by clicking on the header to expand the navigation menu. All the top-right tools are also collapsed into a single menu. We’ve also improved the search UI for the vertical layout. Asset type options are now available at the top, instead of inside a separate sidebar.
To move items into different folders across your inventory, use the Move option in the context menu.
Custom Row Sizing
You can now customize the height of rows in the list view to set up a more comfortable or compact browsing experience. Click on the View Mode icon in the top right corner, and use the slider to change the row height to your preference. This works similarly to custom grid tile sizing; they’re independent of each other, but both are saved across Studio sessions.
Drag-and-Drop Insert
You can now use the mouse to drag and drop assets into the workspace. This is an extension of the behavior available in Toolbox and the legacy Asset Manager; for example, you can now select multiple items at once and drag them in. A placeholder indicator will show while the asset loads for jobs that take longer to load, but you can still continue to use Studio and the Asset Manager while that happens.
…and many more!
- Assets and folder names are now sorted alpha-numerically, meaning “11” comes after “2”.
- Applied filters are retained and reapplied across search sessions.
- Fixed a bug where some folder names were incorrectly showing errors.
Example Legacy Asset Manager Workflow
We understand that many of you have workflows built around the legacy Asset Manager. Here’s how you can customize the new Asset Manager to behave similarly to the legacy tool, with a few quick actions.
By default, the window is wide to show both the sidebar and asset list.
From here, you can:
- Click the “View Type” button on the top right, and turn the slider down to make the rows more compact.
- Click the “Filter” button and only show one or two asset types at a time.
- Right-click the column headers and hide any extra information.
- Navigate to the Recent → Uploads directory to show only assets I imported in the current session.
- Resize the window to be skinnier to utilize the vertical view mode.
After taking these steps, you can make Asset Manager look and behave similarly to the old one while still accessing powerful new features like enhanced filtering and search, folders, and richer metadata.
Next Phases for Revamped Asset Manager
In the next couple of weeks, we’ll make the revamped Asset Manager beta default with the option to opt-out. You can turn off the beta at any time to revert to older workflows.
Later this month, we’ll fully release the revamped Asset Manager to replace the legacy Asset Manager. After it fully launches, you will no longer be able to create new aliases. However you can continue to use existing aliases.
What’s Next
- Improving versioning for assets and removing bloat from import flows
- Better preview tools, allowing you to inspect models, play audio/video, and more without having to insert the content
- Improved search capabilities, such as organizing assets into folders from search results
We’ll also listen for feature requests, so please comment on what you’d like to see (compact list rows was a requested feature from our last post).
If you run into issues or have suggestions, please reach out to let us know and/or file a bug report through the DevForum. This is the foundation for deeper organization features, and your feedback will shape how this evolves. Thank you!
