Asset Processing: All Asset files getting copied into imported_assets

[worn geode]

I'm trying out the AssetMode::Processed with the asset_processor cargo feature flag for the first time.
I have my own asset processor for a specific type. this works fine and as expected.

however, i noticed that all other assets, where i do not have one configured myself (.png, .gltf) just get copied into the imported_assets folder. so they then exist both in the assets folder and in the imported_assets folder.
seems a bit wasteful.
i wanted to know if this is expected behaviour, if i have missed something, and if that can be configured to not happen.

thanks!

[light dirge]

can you check if it is a proper copy or if it is a link?

[worn geode]

its a full copy, its not a link or anything like that.

thats the imported_assets folder

thats the normal assets folder

[jade bronze]

Yes this is expected, if unfortunate. Asset sources don't have a concept of symlinks right now, so the asset processor can't really say to create a link here.

[worn geode]

got it.
and there's nothing i can really do rn?

[jade bronze]

Correct. It's a bit wasteful, but hopefully not that big a deal? It also makes it easier to ship your assets, since you can copy-paste the imported_assets folder and ship that

Though maybe that's true with symlinks too? idk it might try and copy the link itself which would be bad

[worn geode]

hm, i mean for now i guess its not that big of a deal, simply because i have little assets.

is the idea with the processed assets that i would release the game only with the imported_assets and without the normal assets folder?
in that case its less wasteful

but my idea would have been to have processing enabled on the released game as well, as i want players to be able to create their own maps, and i have a whole processing pipeline with hot reloading on that, and thus they kind of need the nromal assets folder for that to work 😅

[jade bronze]

Yup that's the idea! your regular assets folder should be your raw assets that are processed/imported into valid assets.

[jade bronze]

I mean I guess you can do this? But I would suggest using a separate asset source for this e.g., "user_levels://"

Hmmm actually I guess asset sources can't have no reader...

I don't think the asset processor really intends for you to do this. I would suggest providing a separate tool for users to do the asset processing "offline", and then load the assets already processed for user levels

[worn geode]

hm, problem is i use trenchbroom (quake 3d level editor)
and i basically have a normal .map file produced by trenchbroom, and the processing pipeline then reads the .map file (from whatever source, normal assets source or steam workshop folder for user submitted maps), and the game loads this, processes it into a glTF with the new glTF extension handler, and this is the processed file.
users can change the .map file, and the processing automatically hot reloads the full glTF file and thus the scene in the app. pretty cool.

but the sideeffect is that all other assets also get processed and thus get copied in there 😅

[jade bronze]

But I do understand this requires extra steps for users

[worn geode]

but the whole processing pipeline is so convenient for this