Library Browser

Overview

When you create add a new plant to your scene, is neccesary to enter some data. The size of the plant, their geometry, assing a material, etc. To facilitate these steps, Forest includes library files where is stored all the data needed to create a plant. You can use it to create new trees and plants in a easy and fast matter. All these information will be passed to the Forest Plugin in a single click.

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Catalog browser window

The forest Catalog Browser is divided in three parts. At the left is the tree navigator, where you select and open your libraries organized in folders. At the right is the Items grid, where the items for the current library are shown. At top is the toolbar, with several coomand buttons.

Tree navigator

The tree is used to navigate among the available libraries. In the tree can be found two different categories, the system wide folders as blue. Also there are User's libraries, marked as green, here is where you create your own libraries in your "My Documents" folder.

Use the mouse or the keyboard arrows to expand folders and select libraries. There is also the following operations:

• Open a library: left click on it.
• Move libraries: left click and drag to the new location.
• Copy libraries: left click + CTRL key while dragging.

System wide folders are only read-only, to modify them before is neccesary to make a copy in as a User's library. Completed libraries can be copied between computers or shared in a network.

Items grid

To select a item, use the mouse or the arrow keys. The current selected item is shown with a yellow border. To use the selected item in Forest Pack Plugin, press return key or double click on it. To add multiple items at same time, select while pressing SHIFT or CTRL key and press Enter.

Each library item has asociatedmaterial, Width, Height, ZOffset and Center Displacement values. To use these parameters in the Forest object, enable the checkbox "Get Size from Library" in the Geometry panel.

Toolbar

Command buttons in the toolbar :

Icon	Name	Description
	Previous folder	Go to previous folder.
	Next folder	Go to next folder.
	Up one level	Go to parent folder.
	Refresh view	Forces the reload all folders, libraries and items from disk.
	Ordering	Choose to view items ordered in alphabet or inverse order.
	Language	Choose to view the common name or scientific names in the grid.
	Thumbnail Zoom	Changes the size of the thumbnails images, click with right button to set default.
	Save changes	Saves to disk the changes in current library.
	Edit preferences	Open the catalog preferences window.
	Filter	Write text to filter out items.

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Create your own library

See Creating Libraries section, to learn how create and modify your own libraries.