Collections & Assets

Collections and assets are how everything in Clustta is organized. They map onto your filesystem one-to-one - collections are folders, assets are files - but with metadata, types, tags and dependencies layered on top.

Assets

An asset is any file under Clustta's version control. It could be:

• A .blend, .ma, .psd, .ai, .kra, .sbsar, .zpr...
• A render, an image, a PDF, a video
• A web link to an external tool (Figma, Pinterest, Canva)

Each asset has:

• Name - what it's called
• Type - either Task (assignable, has a status) or Resource (passive, no assignment)
• Asset Type - a custom classifier like Animation, Concept Art, Texture, Storyboard (each with its own icon)
• Tags - free-form labels
• Status (Tasks only) - Todo / WIP / WFA / Retake / Done
• Assignee (Tasks only) - the person responsible
• Dependencies - other assets or collections it relies on
• Checkpoints - full version history

Tasks vs Resources

• Resource is the default. Other people can see and download it, but it's not "owned" by anyone - anyone with permission can update it.
• Task has a single assignee. Only the assignee can create checkpoints (the soft lock). Tasks have a status and show up on the Kanban board.

You can convert between the two: right-click → Convert to Task / Convert to Resource.

Creating assets

Two methods, covered fully in Your First Project:

1. Drop files into the working folder - Clustta detects them as Untracked and lets you start tracking with one click.
2. Use Asset Templates - Create a fresh asset from a registered starting file. See Asset Templates.

Collections

Collections are containers - like folders, but smarter.

Each collection has:

• Name
• Collection Type - custom classifier with an icon (e.g. Characters, Shots, Sequences, Designs)
• Shared flag - when toggled, every project collaborator can see the collection without explicit assignment
• Description and preview image (optional)

Collections can be nested as deeply as you need. A typical animation project might look like:

Assets/
├── Characters/
│   ├── Jako/
│   ├── Obinna/
│   └── Samson/
├── Environments/
│   ├── Carpenter Shop/
│   └── Storage Room/
└── Props/
    ├── Hammer/
    └── Plank/

Sequences/
├── Sequence 01/
│   ├── Shot 010/
│   ├── Shot 020/
│   └── Shot 030/
└── Sequence 02/
    └── ...

Shared collections

Mark a collection as a Shared if everyone on the project should see it regardless of assignment. Common uses:

• Shared character/asset libraries (rigs, base models)
• Reference images and style guides
• Production templates and checklists
• Common materials, textures or sound packs

Without the Shared flag, collections are only visible to users assigned to assets inside them.

Creating collections

1. Click New Collection on the action bar (or Ctrl+K).
2. Enter a name and optionally pick a type.
3. Toggle Shared if appropriate.
4. Click Create.

Types

Both asset types and collection types are fully customizable per project. Open Project Settings → Asset Types / Collection Types to manage them. Each type can have:

• A name
• An icon (chosen from a built-in set)
• A description

Types make filtering and visual scanning trivial - you can immediately see which assets are characters, which are shots, which are textures.

Tags

Tags are free-form labels you can apply to any asset. Use them for cross-cutting concerns that don't fit a type - needs-review, external-asset, placeholder, deliverable-001. Filter by tag from the toolbar.

The browser views

The browser has multiple ways to see the same data:

• List view - Compact strips, ideal for scanning lots of assets
• Grid view - Thumbnails, ideal for visual asset libraries
• Kanban view - Columns by status, ideal for production tracking
• Workflow view - Visual graph of asset dependencies (see Workflows)

Switch views from the icons in the top-right of the browser.

Navigation

Clustta uses an expand-in-place navigation model: click the chevron on a collection to reveal its contents in the same view, no folder dive. Double-click a collection to "enter" it (isolating its contents and updating the breadcrumb).

This means you can scan deep project hierarchies without navigating folder-to-folder.

Drag, drop, multi-select

Standard Shift+click and Ctrl+click for multi-select. Drag items onto each other to move them between collections, or to create dependencies (drop on a Task asset to add a dependency).

Quick actions

Shortcut	Action
Ctrl+K	New Collection
Ctrl+T	New Task (asset)
F2	Rename
Ctrl+F2	Edit metadata
Delete	Free up space (clear local file, keep history)
Shift+Delete	Permanently delete (to trash)
↵ Return	Open / enter
F5	Reload view