How StaX Works

StaX graph

Organization Hierarchy

StaX uses a three-level hierarchy to organize assets:

Stacks (Primary Categories)
  └─ Lists (Sub-Categories)
      └─ Sub-Lists (Optional nested categories)
          └─ Elements (Individual Assets)

Example structure:

📦 Plates
  └─ 🗂 Explosions
      └─ 🗂 Aerial Explosions
          └─ 🎬 explosion_aerial_001.mov
          └─ 🎬 explosion_aerial_002.mov
  └─ 🗂 Cityscapes
      └─ 🖼 NYC_skyline_####.exr (frames 1001-1150)

📦 3D Assets
  └─ 🗂 Characters
      └─ 🎨 hero_model.abc
  └─ 🗂 Props
      └─ 🎨 vehicle_rig.fbx

Asset Ingestion

Single File Ingestion: 1. Go to File → Ingest Files (or press Ctrl+I) 2. Select files to ingest 3. Choose target Stack and List 4. Select copy policy (hard copy or soft copy) 5. StaX automatically: - Detects image sequences and frame ranges - Copies files to repository (if hard copy selected) - Generates thumbnail, GIF, and video previews - Extracts metadata (resolution, format, duration, etc.) - Creates database entry

Library Ingestion (Bulk): 1. Go to File → Ingest Library (or press Ctrl+Shift+I) 2. Select a root folder 3. StaX scans the folder structure and maps folders to Stacks/Lists 4. Preview the structure and configure options 5. Ingest entire library in one operation

Copy Policies

Hard Copy: Physical files are copied to the repository directory. Assets remain accessible even if original files move.
Soft Copy: Only file path references are stored. Useful for large assets on network storage.

Searching and Filtering

Live Filter: - Type in the search box to instantly filter elements by name - Use #tagname to search by tags (e.g., #fire or #fire,explosion)

Advanced Search (Ctrl+F): - Search by property: name, format, type, comment, tags - Choose match type: loose (partial match) or strict (exact match) - Results displayed in sortable table

Favorites and Playlists

Favorites: Click the ⭐ button or right-click → "Add to Favorites" for quick access to frequently used assets
Playlists: Create collaborative collections with + Playlist button. Add multiple elements to playlists for organized workflows.