Project directory

A Rumba project references external files, like rigs, textures or medias.

In order for a project to be movable to another file system location or shared with other people, file paths of those referenced files must be relative to a project directory.

Warning

Missing files in referenced files must be fixed in the reference file itself. Rumba is not able to fix paths which are inside a referenced node.

Starting a new project

When you start a new animation, make sure to choose the root directory of your project with Menu -> File -> Set Project. Once this is done, all the new incoming file paths will be stored in the document relative to this project directory.

This project directory is stored in your personal settings, and is now set for all the next Rumba sessions.

Opening a project for the first time

In the same way, before you open for the first time a project with a different root directory, set the project directory with Menu -> File -> Set Project.

Maya Rigs

Maya Rigs exported with MTORBA use the Maya’s project directory to export relative paths for the asset’s texture paths.

Warning

This may not work when you export the asset using mayapy.

File Path Manager

Rumba includes a File Path Manager to manage the file paths of a project.

Open the File Path Manager

You can open the File Path Manager anytime using File -> File Path Manager, check for missing or absolute paths, and correct them.

Rumba also proposes to open the File Path Manager after opening a project if files are missing.

Using the File Path Manager

Paths may have three states. Valid (green), Simplifiable (orange) and Missing (red).

First, the display paths can be manually edited.

The fpm_browse_button Browse button open a file dialog to choose a new file.

The fpm_resolve_button Resolve button simplifies the file path.

The fpm_revert_button Revert button undo the path modification done since the File Paths Manager has been opened.

Check the Show valid path button to see the valid paths.

Press the Resolve All button to resolve all the simplifiable paths.

Press the Revert All button to undo all the modifications.

The path modifications are done once the OK button is pressed.

Note

Once you have fixed a missing path, the File Path Manager may propose to fix other missing files using the same correction.