Deleting Materials for Calalogue

[Burgo]

I have begun updating my personal catalogue removing a lot of items, materials and elements I will never use. When deleting some materials a message appears advising that "The selected material is in use and cannot be deleted etc" To be able to delete the material in use the element has to be found and the material changed. This is a mammoth task. Is there an easier way to delete materials in use.

[Doug.S]

Are you deleting from catalog while a .bld file is open with textures in it?

Try opening a new blank empty .bld file (just a terrain should do it); then try your new catalog and delete un-needed items.

(I have not tried this but have never run across the issue you describe)

[Allan Chesney]

Hi Bob.

I would imagine that the material is already assigned to an element in the catalogue whether you have used it in a project or not. For example, if one of the walls already has a certain brick assssigned then I assume it is 'in use' so cannot be deleted, otherwise it would be 'textureless'. I have not tested this assumption however so may be wrong but I can't imagine it would keep a record of every texture you had ever used, just in case you opened that project at a later date.

Allan

[Burgo]

Doug & Allan, thanks for the reply.
Allan, you are correct with your brick wall example, if a material is assigned to a brick wall or any other element in the catalogue it cannot be deleted until the elements material is changed to another material. This being the case, the best attack would be to delete the elements first that are not required and then change the elements materials to one that is to be kept and then delete. If this makes sense.

[Allan Chesney]

Hi Bob,

That should work - just wondering though, why do you want to delete so many things? Has the catalogue got too big with lots of imported objects so that it is all slowing down? If so, deleting standard TFP objects will not make a lot off difference but culling of the imported ones will. Put them in a separate catalogue to use when necessary and keep the standard one in tact.

If just clutter is the problem the just create your own folder (eg My Walls) and drag all the walls you use into it, then drag that folder to the top of the the walls section. You will never have to scroll down or search again. Right click- Elements Manager to do that.

Allan

[Burgo]

Allan, I have a few imported ones but would like to streamline the catalogue, particularly the materials as it takes some time to scroll the material list to select the one you want. The size of the scroll dialogue box is very small and therefor time consuming in finding the material needed.

[Doug.S]

You can move thru dialog materials box by typing the first letter of the subject you wish to find....for both the upper and lower sections.
So click on the top item (first for folder), then hit a keyboard key....then repeat for the lower section of items in the folder.

This method works most anywhere in TFP/Windows.

Another method is to open the TFP materials folder with explorer and show items as pictures to look visually or use a search tool on the folder to search for a specific item....since the files are not grouped you can see/search all at one time.

[Allan Chesney]

Hi Bob,

The size of the scroll dialogue box is very small and therefor time consuming in finding the material needed.

I agree entirely - I have asked previously for this to be dramatically enlarged - there is plenty of room and no realson why the materials themselves could not be in multiple columns too.

You will find too if you import lots of things then the folders of materials prolifferate too, as these objects usually create their own folder of materials. Another reason why I avoid imports if I can - or I change to TFP materials and delete the added folders.

Allan

[Burgo]

Thanks Allan and Doug for your replies, very useful information.