Catalogs

So, what’s a catalog?

The Content Browser lets you create catalogs that contain links to scenes, images and other files.

Catalogs can contain any number of files that can be displayed by the Content Browser, i.e., known file types as well as file types unknown to Cinema 4D. Whereby the latter would not make much sense …

Such a catalog will be saved to your user library / browser directory. Don’t forget that, except for the presets, the catalog consists only of links to files. If you relocate or delete files to which these links are directed, the links will not work. How you can work around this dilemma is described below. Items that cannot be located by the catalog will be displayed in gray.

Something else to keep in mind: Presets in catalogs are only links that are directed to presets saved to the Presets folder. If you delete the original preset in the Presets folder, the catalog will not be able to find it anymore.

How do I create a catalog?

1. Select New Catalog from the Content Browser’s File menu.
   
   
2. Enter an appropriate name. Ignore Base Folder for now (this function is described in detail below). Click on OK.
   
3. A new, empty catalog, with the name you gave it, will appear in the Content Browser. Now it just has to be filled.

How do I fill a catalog?

There are different ways to fill a catalog with files or presets:

• Drag & drop files or presets from any directory on your hard drive (even from another Content Browser) onto the respective catalog.
• Right-click on selected objects in the Content Browser. A menu will open, at the bottom of which you will find the Add To option. Select one of these menu points and all selected items will be placed into this catalog.

Will the catalog work on a different hard drive?

Let’s say you want to pass a catalog full of interior scenes to your colleague. The problem: The scenes themselves are not contained in the catalog, so you have to pass the folder in which the scenes are located along as well (in addition to the *.cat4d catalog file). This is what the Base Folder function is for. The Base Folder should point to the scene folder’s top-most hierarchy, where all catalog items are physically located. This folder can then be easily copied to a data storage device and it will still function with the catalog. In the content window, right-click on the catalog folder, select Change Base Folder and enter the DVD as the new Base Folder.

The catalog should carry the same name and be located at the exact location, as defined in the Home Directory setting. This will avoid confusion on the part of the Content Browser.

Catalogs (files with the .cat4d extension) are usually located in your user library/browser directory. Catalogs can also be temporarily opened from any other location by simply double clicking on the file in the Content Browser.