Has anyone here have a good Rule to follow to keep models/textures and everything else organized?

Where do you keep the stuff?  Especialy inside Bryce how do you organize them so that if you need to move the data to a new machine or if bryce is updated you can simply move the data without much fuss??

I have a bad habit of downloading models/textures into a download folder and only putting them into bryce when I need them, but than sometimes I forget which download folder I put what in, or I even forget what I have.

I have a Poser download folder, a Bryce download folder and a Vue download folder.  Inside of each is a sub for the type of download (model, atmosphere ... you get the idea) and I tend to rename the downloaded files so I know where they came from or who the author is.

Great Idea... I've been also downloading the rendered versions of the models in the big jumble of download folder incase I need to see what the model looks like rendered.

I should go back and rename the pictures to match the zipped downloads.

What about inside Bryce itself? I know there is the "Installed" and "User" Folder.  I have managed to bring a couple of items into the User Folder, but is there a better way to organise this as well? Maybe additional folders??

I have lots of subfolders under my "User" stuff ... it's the only way to keep things organized.

As for the renders ... I do that to and then take them into PS and downsize to 200 x 200 to make a manageable thumbnail.  I usually crop to just include the main object.

I have a database, recently remodeled. I downloaded and renamed files by site_author_description_filename.  Such as planit3d_pakled_synth_moog (ka ching, free advert..;)

I used to also include a thumbnail with each item, until one day Access couldn't handle it, and I went and looked. My original database had grown to 2 gig, and it was hogging memory something awful..;)

But then there are 22,000 items on 160-odd (some very odd) CDs..;)

What I do is have a directory on one of my servers where I keep other downloaded files and software. I just call this "Bryce Stuff" then there's sub-directories like "Models", "Materials and Textures". Then I just break everything down into those. For "Materials and Textures" I organize like "Metals", "Stones", "Glass", etc. Pretty much how Bryce does them. That way if I need to put them into Bryce, I can somewhat follow without too much brain work. Some require additional breakdown, like when there's group of mats from a particular person. "Stones" would have a sub-directory "Stones from Agent Smith", "Granites from Tony Lynch" or  "Woods from Zhann" etc. That way I can credit someone easily.

My objects are kept in the Models directory, and I break them down into how they are used. Such as "Technology" will have "Weapons" then "Ancient", "Modern", "Future", etc. Or big things I'll put in a folder called "Structures" then have "Buildings", "Bridges", "Houses", etc.

@ Pakled, try downloading Microsoft's SQL Server 2005 Express. It's a free version of the more powerful SQL Server. Still limited in database size.. 4 gigs, but it's pretty good. Of course you could always get one of the open source DBMS's, such as PostgreSQL... But I found moving from Access to SQL Server Express to be quick and easy.

Or can make like... one Access database for each thing.. like models in one DB, mats in another DB, etc.

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/thankyou.aspx?familyId=4c6ba9fd-319a-4887-bc75-3b02b5e48a40&displayLang=en

Look into "What Others Are Downloading" for additional fun stuff to get :-)

I have a small directory structure and everything goes into it - directories are sorted by genre more than anything else (like "undead stuff" directory, "bugs and creepy crawlies" directory, ....)

I also download the thumbnail along with the model and store them in the same directory, so I can quickly go through an entire directory with just an image viewer.

I have a shoebox and I give it a good shake every now and again to see what pops to the top.

I never put anything in my user folder. I just copy it and paste it into the same directory and rename it. I don't like to have so many presets that I have to scroll down to see them. For this reason I don't import new wood or stone into the default directories. I try to credit authors, so I have a TonyLinchWoods folder, darlisagems, etc. and I import the downloaded files in the new directories. 

I also burn my download original files onto a CD and keep a little book full. I try to have at least two copies on two different CDs. If one gets scragged, I still have anotther.

nice to see how organised your  all are, what I do is but every thing in a 3d map and if the hd is getting full transfer it too a dvd.

organise? nope thats a new one. You mean people actually put stuff where they can find it? wow!

ysvry - Oh I also have a directory from pre-organisation days which is just a collection of weirdly named zip files I downloaded from who knows where when I was first starting out into 3d that I've never even opened. I've often thought of just deleting that directory... but... I might need one.... later .... one day.... maybe ... and so its still there.

All excellent Ideas, which I will starting implimenting :)

May suggest the following to those who burn  CD/DVD's

I use something called  QuickPar http://www.quickpar.org.uk/

It allows me to generate Parity Files... its kind of like RAID Redundancy but with files. 

So before I burn my Data, I use quickpar to generate these Parity Files very easy to use.  

I burn my Data + Parity Data onto CD/DVD.  Now if you scratch you're CD/DVD you can reconstruct you're files using the Parity FIles... even if some of the parity files are destroyed you can still recover.
 
You can select how much redundancy you want to generate.  I find that my CD's / DVD's are normaly not full.  So you can generate 10% Redundant files.

Also I burn QuickPar  on the CD's as well so that in the future if need be I dont have to go hunting for it.  I think QuickPar is like 500-800K in size very small but powerfull tool.

...organise? NOW ya tell me.......
......I have folders categorized by atmo, texs, etc.......I have them burned to CD for safe keeping, and I have an external storage drive fpr each PC. Then for big projects I create a project folder and add what I want to play with. And then I STILL manage to lose things.
:)