The Enscape Custom Asset Library is an additional option for users who want to place their own custom assets into their projects.

The Custom Asset Library is accessible in the same way as the Enscape Asset Library, Alternatively, you can use the keyboard shortcut [L], which will result in the Asset Library panel being opened within the Enscape Viewport. Note that a free seat must be available if you are using an Enscape Floating License.

NOTE: In order to use this feature successfully it is strongly recommended that the user should have a pretty solid understanding and at least some experience of low poly modelling.

To understand how to place and transform your custom assets in the CAD or in the Enscape Viewport UI, please refer to this article.

Only the file formats; *.gltf, *.obj or *.fbx can be imported to the Custom Asset Library. As these constitute the most common cross-platform industry standard formats, a model that can be converted to one of these formats can, in theory, be imported into the Custom Asset Library.

Model files to be imported should be low polygon models that, for performance reasons, should have less than 20,000 triangles (also referred to as 3 sided, or 3-point polygons). A model with more than 20k polys may be successfully imported, but you will be given a warning message that the model may affect performance and that the asset may not be visible in the Asset Editor Preview window. This also means a thumbnail cannot be generated for the custom asset, which is needed to export the asset to the library in the first place. It can also result in the model not being shown in the Enscape viewport, despite a placeholder being shown in the CAD. Lastly, trying to import a model with over 20k may result in Enscape crashing. Therefore, it is advised to check your poly count before importing a model file into the Custom Asset Library.

Support criteria for the different model types differs and the Custom Asset Editor does rely on the paths being set correctly for the model’s textures. This should be done in the software the model was created in, although the materials may still have to be assigned manually in the Custom Asset Material Editor.

​Some .fbx material formats, for instance, are unsupported at the present time.

Clicking on the Custom Assets tab will reveal the following screen, where you can import single or multiple (batch import) models. You can also define the Source Path to the folder where Exported Assets are to be stored on creation. This location could also be a shared network drive, for example, and any valid custom assets found in a designated drive will be displayed in the Custom Asset Library.

This is the initial window you will see upon using the Custom Asset Editor.

When you click to import single or a batch of models for the first time, you will be prompted by a wizard to define some locations.

Enscape will request that you define a location for your Asset Projects (the file you are editing), so we begin a project by defining the location your asset project is to reside.

For Floating License holders, you could define that as a shared drive.

Click on the folder icon to open with the Select Folder dialog and then navigate and select the location you want to have your Asset Projects. Once decided on a location, click the [Next] button.

Step 2 is to define the location to save the Exported Assets (the file that will appear in the Custom Asset Library), which for Floating License holders could also be a shared drive:

As before, click on the folder icon to open the Select Folder dialog, and navigate to the folder you want to use. We recommend setting up new folders for both steps for the purpose of following this tutorial, although you can always reconfigure this later via the [Configure] button in the Custom Asset Editor dialog.

Once you’ve decided on where you want the Asset Projects and Exported Assets to reside, click the [Save and Close] button. This will open the Custom Asset Editor window, which is where we begin the process of importing custom assets.

You will also notice that when the Custom Asset Library dialog is in focus and the Custom Asset Editor is open, a warning dialog is always shown when the Custom Asset Editor dialog is open.

Clicking on the [Switch to the Custom Asset Editor] button will put the Custom Asset Editor dialog into focus which will look like this:

The locations for Asset Projects and Exported Assets can be changed at any point via the [Configure] button or (just for the Exported Assets location) the [Source Path] button found at the bottom right of the Asset Editor. However, if assets that have already been exported are stored in one location, and another location for Exported Assets is set, then this may result in a mismatch between the Custom Asset Library and the Asset Editor.

In such a case, an error information dialog will be shown to the user asking them to replace or keep the current path.

In a scenario where a project that contains previously exported assets is opened but the path has been subsequently changed, these assets may no longer render in Enscape (although their placeholder will appear in the CAD) until that path has been corrected, via either the [Configure] button or the Source Path button. The following type of error message will be shown in such a case, which also allows you to decide which path to use.

Once the path has been set correctly, a restart of the Enscape viewport will be required for the assets to show.

There are two methods to add a new Category. First is from within the Custom Asset Editor Dialog. The second method is to Add Category while creating or editing an Asset project.

To create a new category simply click Add Category. A dialog will appear. You can choose an Icon and a Category Name. Once finalized, you can click the Add button to create the category. It will appear on the left bar of the Asset Editor

To move projects to new categories, simply drag and drop them to the desired category within the category list on the left.

To save changes click Save Changes and Export button. Once saved, you can see the New Category in the Enscape UI as well.

This is the window you will see upon creating a new Asset Project.

Notice that any required fields will be highlighted in red, as shown above where a ‘Title’ is required.

The layout of the Custom Asset Editor consists of the following:

To import a model click on the Import Geometry button.

Again, models with less than 20k polygons should successfully be imported and exported to an asset for use in Enscape.

Generally, where a model has more than 20k polygons in its geometry, a message stating that the model exceeds that 20k triangle limit will be shown, indicating that this may cause performance issues.

Your only option here is to correct the file by reducing its poly count. Once you have managed to successfully import your model, it will appear in the Preview area. The materials may not be assigned correctly at this point.

NOTE: if nothing is shown in the preview window, then it will not be possible to generate a thumbnail, meaning you will not be able to export an asset for the Custom Asset Library.

Click on the Take a Screenshot of the current preview and use it as the asset’s thumbnail button to generate a thumbnail for the asset and to allow the asset to be exported.

You can always generate a new Thumbnail for the asset by clicking this button again.

Notice how we now have a Title automatically applied to the Asset Project, and how the Material Editor now contains some working information, as well as a value being assigned to the Scaling and the Up Axis being indicated as Y. All of these can be adjusted, including replacement of the Placeholder Geometry. The Category and Description are optional fields that can be filled up to better organize your Asset Library.

If the materials are not assigned automatically on import, we now need to match up these materials with the ones shipped with the model.  We can do this directly in the Custom Asset Editor, using the built-in Enscape Material Editor.

It’s worth noting at this point that a project needs to have the surfaces defined in the 3D software the model was made in before importing it, otherwise you cannot choose your surfaces in the Enscape Material Editor even if the paths are incorrect.

You also have the option to Import / Export Material packages for each listed material. Just right click on a material you want import / export a material package to / from, and select from either of the options, after which a dialog will appear to allow you to select the file you want to import, or the location you want to export.

NOTE: only *.matpkg file formats are valid for use here.

Lastly, you can assign materials to be applied to both sides of a surface by checking the Double-sided checkbox.

Once you have set the materials correctly, you can update the Thumbnail. You will need to set up your model in the Preview viewport, which is essentially how your Thumbnail will appear in the Custom Asset Library.

You should position the asset as you want to see it in the Custom Asset Library using the same navigation controls that are available in the Enscape Viewport (ie. W,S;A;D;Q;E to Move, right click to Orbit, mouse wheel to Move in /out and numpad for Standard Views ie. 2,8;6;4;5). You can also Scale or change the Up Axis of the asset.

Once you are happy with the materials, Scaling, Up Axis and Thumbnail of the custom asset, click the Save Changes and Export button. Alternatively, you can click the Export Asset button as well.  If successful, a green confirmation message at the bottom right of the Custom Asset Editor dialog will be shown.

Close the Custom Asset Editor dialog using the X button and your custom asset should now be listed in the Custom Asset Library. Sometimes it may take a few seconds to appear, or you can restart the Custom Asset Library. You will also be able to see any new Categories that you might have created in the Custom Asset Library.

You can always edit the newly created asset further by clicking on the Edit Asset button.

A model will, by default, have a placeholder automatically assigned to it, but you may want to change the placeholder which is achieved via the Placeholder Geometry option.

The placeholder will also act as the collision box for the asset.

NOTE: Any new placeholders must be of the file formats: *.gltf, *.obj or *.fbx only and high polygon placeholders should be avoided, as they will result in bad CAD performance, so try to keep the placeholder as low poly as possible.

This is a custom asset chair example with its default placeholder.

The new placeholder will become visible in the Preview viewport.

The following shows the new placeholder alongside the default placeholder.

These buttons have the following functions:

Take a screenshot of the current preview for use as the asset’s thumbnail.

You can make the Preview window revert to the camera position that was set when the thumbnail was created by using the middle button in the Thumbnail button section.

You can also save the thumbnail out to a temp file which will open in the operating system default image viewer.

Clicking on this button will open the operating systems default image viewer with the thumbnail being displayed in that viewer.

Once you have created Custom Assets in the Enscape Asset Editor, you will find the Export All To option under the Save Changes and Export arrow down button.

Once you click this, you will instantly receive a warning that if you proceed, all assets in the output directory will be removed and all assets in the Custom Assets Library will be exported to the directory. Please make sure to choose a dedicated folder that will only contain these downloaded Custom Assets, otherwise you may lose some files that you may otherwise have wanted to keep. You can change the output path by clicking the folder icon.

Click the Batch Import button, as shown in the animated screenshot earlier, and this will open a dialog to allow you to import several files at once.

Here we will import the files named Armchair Cafe.obj and Armchair Lounge.obj into the Custom Asset Editor.

Once that is complete, the models will show up in the Custom Asset Editor, labelled as ‘New’ with the thumbnail being automatically generated from a front view, which can of course be adjusted later.

We can place these assets directly into our CAD project, but it is advised to review and edit them first. The process is same if you want to import a single model file instead of a Batch Import.

To edit the asset, hover the mouse over it in the Custom Assets Library dialog and click on the Edit Asset button.

While working on a Shared Network location for Custom Assets, there is a possibility that two users might be editing the assets concurrently. In this case, the user who saves the changes first gets to keep the changes in place. The other user will receive a conflict dialog stating that the assets have been moved by another user and the changes they were working on have been overwritten due to Simultaneous Editing.

This is simply achieved by removing them from the folders that the Asset Project and Exported Asset reside in.

It is possible to delete the Asset Project and keep the Exported Asset, but you will no longer be able to edit the asset once the associated Asset Project is deleted.