DFS 8.1.0 - 2 The Asset Browser

his chapter covers a detailed use of DAM for Sitecore and its tools. As an editor, the tool used the most is the Asset Browser.

The Asset Browser is a tool in which all assets can be browsed and selected. Furthermore, it is also a tool used when uploading new assets to the DAM or working with assets.

2.1 Tour of the Asset Browser

On the left-hand side of the Asset Browser, the channels are found and each channel may contain any number of folders. Working with folders in the Asset Browser is very similar to working with folders in Windows Explorer and any other tree-based navigation system.

Above the tree navigation, there is a large, blue upload button.

The primary area on the right-hand side has a toolbar at the top and a list of assets below that.

If an asset is selected, a preview is shown:

The Asset Browser Preview is a detailed view of the Asset, which shows additional information about the asset.

2.1.1 The Asset Browser Toolbar

The toolbar contains some practical tools, both for sorting and filtering. This subsection covers the toolbar from left to right.

By clicking the Filter button, a filter opens between the toolbar and the assets listed. It allows filtering on Asset type, file extension and creation date. The filter makes finding specific assets easier.

The next is a dropdown with sorting options. When selecting one of the options, the list will be sorted accordingly.

The default sorting is Newest first.

On the right side, there is a free text search field. The free text search automatically uses wild card searches. The search covers these fields:

• Title
• Asset number
• Description
• Asset type
• File extension
• Importedby

Is is possible to add other fields to the free text search through configuration.

2.1.2 The Preview of an Asset

In the Tile view, a detailed preview is shown when an asset is selected or the list is navigated using the keyboard.

If the asset has any edited versions, they will also show up. An edited version of an asset is an asset that is created from another asset. In the example above there are two edited versions and each version is a cropped version of the original asset. They exist as separate assets, but the system knows that they are spawned from the original asset.

It is possible to select one of the edited versions and press insert, and that asset that will be inserted into the content item.

Sometimes edited versions are also called Derived assets or Sub-asset because they descent from another asset.

The detailed view also offers a toolbar. The toolbar in the preview provides a fast and easy access to different features.

From left to right the features are:

• Download
• Crop
• Metadata editor
• Delete