Developers should be able to update any asset if it has never been set as "Free to Take"

Feature Requests Website Features
#1

As a developer, it is currently hard to iterate on assets such as decals and sounds, because not only does the updated file need to be re-uploaded as a new asset, but the new asset needs to be linked in the game wherever the old version of the asset was used.

It would be convenient (for images, sounds, etc) if we would be able to update over the asset with the new version. However, there are some issues if this is done without restrictions:

  • Someone could put a decal in the Library, free to take, and then upload it to something entirely different once people are using it in their games. A cute dog picture could suddenly become something horrendous. (Insert similar example for sounds)

Therefore, the feature would need some restrictions. I suggest the following:

  • If an asset has never been marked as “Free to Take”, then other users on the platform have never had explicit permission from me to use that asset (unless I specifically gave them permission), and so I should be able to freely update that asset without disturbing anyone’s (legal) work.

I am assuming that Roblox will also eventually have a feature to hide certain assets from being publicly visible on the website/library. If such a thing happens, this feature would tie into that nicely, because at that point I should be able to have full control over my own assets (no chance of someone accidentally using a private asset in their own games).

While my feature concerns all kinds of images/sounds, my primary use case is sprite sheets. Normally, the sprite sheet doesn’t entirely change when I iterate on it, the positions of items stay the same, I’m just making edits to items or adding more to the sheet. It would be convenient if I could just upload the asset and be done with it, that it would immediately show in-game. Also, if I accidentally forget to update an asset reference somewhere, my players could end up loading 2 or more versions of effectively the same sprite sheet, which would be a waste of memory. Keeping the asset reference the same would simplify iterating on assets so much.

If Roblox were able to implement this request, it would become much more convenient to update assets, because I would not need to update any asset references in-game, and there would be less room for error (in terms of forgetting to update some references and ending up loading old assets / several versions of old assets at once).

TLDR:

Workflow right now:

  1. Upload version of image (results in rbxassetid://12345 being uploaded)
  2. Refer to rbxassetid://12345 everywhere in game
  3. Upload a new version of asset (results in rbxasset://67890 being uploaded)
  4. Update all references to rbxassetid://12345 to rbxassetid://67890
  5. Repeat steps 3 and 4 for any updates to this asset until you slowly go insane

Suggested workflow for non-Free assets:

  1. Upload version of image (results in rbxassetid://12345 being uploaded)
  2. Refer to rbxassetid://12345 everywhere in game
  3. Upload a new version of asset over the rbxassetid://12345 asset
  4. Repeat step 3 whenever you need to update the asset. So easy!
43 Likes
#2

I agree with the overall idea but the restriction of it only being applicable if it has never been set to “free to take” I disagree with.
It is in general your asset.
You should have full control over it regardless if that disrupts a user who is using it.
A better solution imo is letting users take specific versions of a free to take asset. The versioning management system already needs a rework as is.

4 Likes
#3

I’d be fine with not having the restriction, but that is never going to be accepted by Roblox if this goes through review. It would require better management of assets like you say (being able to take a version of an asset, or some kind of indirection layer in between that can generate a proxy to an asset that you can easily change) all of which may be more complex to implement, so I’m suggesting the bare minimum I would be fine with for now. It would be easy to extend this later to not have the restriction.

#4

I support this. Making typos on images, realizing right after uploading and having to reupload another image is a pain and this is a great way to fix this problem.

2 Likes
#5

I heavily support this. This would help especially with retexturing without using a program like blender. If you have hundreds of objects using the same texture and you notice a flaw, it would be much simpler to just update the original asset.

#6

I support this.

I keep many sets as classified, locked models like build kits and terrain kits and I like to update them from time to time.

1 Like
#7

I hate to bump this, but this feature is still really needed.

I’ve been using a lot of voice acted audio in one of my upcoming projects. and that means revisions. not only in the lines themselves, but in stuff like audio effects. I don’t mind paying robux for each upload, if it means not having to wonder if i need Intro_3_final_final_fixed_final or Intro_3_Fixed_Rev3_Final_Final
while that can be fixed with better file naming, the work flow for renaming files is… very slow and out of the way.

same with stuff like decals and textures. being able to update assets would cut down on file clutter and improve workflow.

5 Likes
#8

Heavily support this, I hate clogging my inventory with reuploads of images that need modification