Asset Reference Browser
The Problem
Our VFX products were growing in scope, and we were consistently going over memory budget. Our existing tools lacked 3D mesh viewers, dependency reporting, and asset usage data, making it difficult to identify optimization opportunities. Artists faced several daily challenges:
- Finding assets was slow: No way to search or filter across asset types
- No visibility into dependencies: No way to see which particle systems used which textures
- Optimization was guesswork: No data on which assets were over/under-used or contributing to memory issues
- Manual tracking: Artists spent time manually tracing references
My Role and Approach
I designed and rapidly prototyped this tool from concept to working application using AI-assisted development. My goal was to create a functional proof-of-concept that demonstrated the solution's value, with the intention of handing it off to our tools engineering team for proper pipeline integration. That handoff is currently in progress.
A key requirement was portability: I needed a tool that artists could easily launch without an install process, that could access our asset files directly, and work seamlessly alongside our existing toolset. I chose Electron to create a standalone desktop application that requires no installation.
My approach was artist-first: I focused on the UX that would make sense to VFX artists working in production, not just technically correct solutions. By leveraging AI to accelerate development, I could quickly iterate on ideas and validate the design with real users before committing engineering resources.
Problem Discovery
Identified pain points through team feedback and my own daily production experience
Full Design Ownership
Designed the complete UX/UI with VS Code-inspired professional aesthetics
AI-Assisted Prototyping
Built a portable, standalone Electron app using JavaScript, Three.js, and AI coding tools
Engineering Handoff
Delivered working prototype + documentation to tools engineering for pipeline integration
Key Features
Asset Library with Smart Filtering
Browse thousands of textures, meshes, and animations with visual previews. Filter by asset type, extension, or text search. Sort by name, size, reference count, or mesh complexity.
- Visual thumbnails for all texture formats (PNG, DDS, TGA, JPG)
- Instant search across thousands of assets
- Reference count shows how many particle systems use each asset
Interactive 3D Mesh Viewer
Click any mesh to open it in a fully interactive 3D viewer. Rotate, zoom, and inspect geometry without opening external tools.
- Real-time rendering powered by Three.js
- Wireframe mode for technical inspection
- Vertex and triangle counts displayed
- Export to OBJ format
Particle System Dependency Tracking
Navigate particle system hierarchies and see exactly which assets they reference. Essential for optimization and asset management.
- Hierarchical folder navigation
- Shows emitter count, materials, and texture dependencies
- Click any asset to jump to it in the library
Project Usage Reports
Generate comprehensive reports showing asset usage across the entire project. Identify unused assets, find optimization opportunities, and track dependencies for migrations.
- Find unused assets for cleanup
- Identify heavily-used assets (optimization targets)
- Export reports for documentation
Impact and Results
Faster Asset Discovery
Reduced time spent searching for assets from minutes to seconds
Dependency Visibility
First-ever visibility into which systems use which assets
Data-Driven Optimization
Enabled targeted optimization of high-impact assets to reduce memory usage
Complete Documentation
Shipped with comprehensive user guide and feature documentation