3D Asset Workflow: Naming the Asset

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⬑ 3D Asset Workflow
Next step: 3D Asset Workflow: LODs →
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Summary

  • From this page, you can find instructions of:
  1. How to name your asset so it's naming stays consistent with the rest of the Trine 3D assets
  2. Where in the binary to put your asset and its' texture maps, so they're easily found

Naming Instructions

  1. The asset's name is determined by it's intended location in the SVN folder hierarchy
    • As a general rule, start from the root of the hierarchy, and build your way towards top
      • Look at the folder names from the path the asset will be added to, and use those when naming the asset
        • As an exception to the rule, note that the blockset type (building/natural) should be left out, to reduce bloating
    • The SVN folder hierarchy is created to support easier locating for all related 3D assets
  2. Every 3D asset should have at least a general name and a more clarifying name, in this order
    • In other words: "gameplay_barrel" or "prop_market_barrel", not just "barrel"
  3. No capital letters
  4. No spaces, use "_" instead
  5. Double check your spelling!
  6. All texture maps should be named with the same name than the 3D asset, plus a "_mat" suffix

Building the hierarchical name

  • There can be more clarifying names that listed here, as long as they go from more generic to more specified ones
  • Note that the blockset type (building/natural) should be left out, to reduce bloating


  1. [Category]
    • What is the category of the asset:
    1. blockset (building / natural / general - note that these subcategories are left out of the final naming!)
    2. prop
    3. gameplay asset
    4. vegetation
    5. atmosphere
  2. [General]
    • Intended general use within the category:
      • What kind of a blockset - library, castle, observatory, mountain, a type of terrain (like field, soil, snow etc)?
      • What kind of a general blockset - beam, platform etc?
      • What kind of a prop - furniture, textile, light etc?
        • Or where the prop is supposed to be used - library, observatory, farm etc?
      • What kind of vegetation - plant, flower, tree, mushroom etc?
      • What kind of a gameplay asset - ball, pressureplate, chest etc?
  3. [Clarify]
    • Clarify the use withing the general use:
      • What kind of a manmade blockset part - house, tower, wall, pillar, roof etc?
      • What kind of a mountain - snowy, jagged, smooth?
      • What kind of a specific e.g. tree - maple, spruce etc?
      • If this is a background/billboard version of an asset, add the "bg"/"billboard" clarification here
  4. [Clarify more]
    • Clarify even more by e.g. size or shape - s/m/l (small/medium/large), 10m/5m/2m, straight/crooked etc
    • There can be additional clarifications, as long as they go from more generic to more specified ones
    • Add first letters only for sizes small/medium/large = s/m/l
  5. [Number]
    • If there are multiple versions of the same asset, use numbers at the end of the name to separate them from each other
    • Usually here shouldn't be need for more than three versions of the same asset
    • The number isn't necessary and can be left out if there's only one version
  6. [Angle]
    • If your asset has set angles, they should be added as a last suffix
    • Use number+d, e.g. 45d, 90d
  • Final name examples:
    • blockset_observatory_pillar_10m_1
    • blockset_mountain_bg_flattop
    • blockset_beam_wooden_2m_2_45d
    • vegetation_tree_maple_s_3
    • gameplay_ball_cabbage

Can't find a folder for your asset?

  • If there isn't an existing folder in the project's SVN that fits your 3D asset, you can make one yourself
  • Make sure that:
  1. The folder is created to the correct place and depth in the hierarchy
    • If your asset is e.g. ballridable cabbage, it should go under ".../gameplay/ball/cabbage", because it's A) a gameplay asset, B) ball-shaped and acts like a ball in all manners that matter, and C) a cabbage
    • This is to ensure that no root folders will get bloated unnecessarily
  2. The naming of the folder matches the existing names
  • Note that it's not advised to move and/or rename assets once they're in the game!
    • Moving and/or renaming assets that are already in use will break them, because in the Editor, moving/renaming an asset means first deleting it, and then re-adding it
      • In practice, this means that the Editor views it as a new asset entirely, and won't know how to relink the existing, delete asset to the new one

Naming Conventions for Textures

Map type Suffix Example Notes
Albedo sample_asset_mat.tga Basic color map
_at_ sample_asset_mat_at.tga Alpha test- Binary black&white transparency map in alpha channel. Suffix goes after filename and before other suffixes. Needs to be a 32bit Targa
_ab_ sample_asset_mat _ab.tga Alpha blend. Grayscale transparency map in alpha channel. Suffix goes after filename and before other suffixes. Needs to be a 32bit Targa
Normal _n sample_asset_mat_n.tga RGB vector map describing surface orientation per pixel
Metallic/Roughness _mr sample_asset_mat_mr.tga Channel packed map containing metallic in the red channel and roughness in the green channel
Illumination/emissive _e sample_asset_mat_e.tga Self illumination map
Wrap _w sample_asset_mat_w.tga Thickness map to determine how much light passes through e.g. a leaf
Tint mask _tintmask sample_asset_mat_tintmask.tga RGB mask for color tinting. More info on usage in 3D Asset Workflow: Tintmask
Flowmap _fm sample_asset_mat_fm.tga
Detail Albedo _da [material]_[clarifying adjective]_da.tga
Detail Normal _dn [material]_[clarifying adjective]_dn.tga
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