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Interesting topic. I keep all of my libraries on a dual-HDD NAS. Two 6GB Drives are in a RAID so they mirror each other for data protection. I have dozens of CG Axis libraries, plus dozens of Evermotion. CG Axis is the best all-round, IMO, especially because they give you C4D + VRay along with MAX + VRay. Anyway, I really only wanted to post about HOW I interact with these libraries. I recommend that you DO NOT UNZIP the whole model archive. It takes too much space to extract AND maintain all of the files. I do extract all of the textures to a folder in the same dir as the archive. This is for easy re-linking. So, I keep the collection archives organized into appropriate named folders for clarity. I also put all of the PDF preview files into a separate directory, which is where I go to first look for a model visually. When I pick a model from the PDF, I open the archive and extract only the file I need. Open it and re-link textures, then save it (outside of the archive) for future use. This method allows to keep the bulk of the collection in an archive, only grabbing then saving what I need after setting it up for my pipeline. Ultimately, this saves space on the NAS, and has the added benefit of keeping the original in pure original form, while having an updated version for my needs. While this helps me conserve space in the present, it doesn't really address keeping backups of such huge amount of data. My only hope is that both drives don't die at the same time!

That is the least impressive video with the most overly dramatic music ive ever heard,

It doesn't always work as intended ... Probably easier to construct in RedShift.... Blending Materials.c4d

Very nice @Stefano Strika! I will give it a try. Thank you!

Just wanted to draw your attention to Matthew Winchell. So here is what impressed me: He loves the old practical way of doing visual effects. That is why I referred to him as an up and coming "VFX" supervisor and not a VFX or CGI artist. He does know both, but I feel he is better suited to be a successful VFX supervisor because he has a much broader base of knowledge to draw from as he knows both the practical and CG way to solve problems. He is only 20 years old. I always thought you needed to be an old fart to appreciate the non-CGI ways of doing things...so his willingness to think beyond a CGI solution is a breath of fresh air. He is a "maker" of the highest order and has been that way for most of his life. Pretty fearless in the projects he takes on as they would be daunting to most other people. Just check out the link above to understand what I am talking about. He saw the ILM presentation on the motion control camera system designed and built by John Knoll for the Mandalorian and decided to build his own. He did such a good job that it captured the attention of the people at ILM. So, he is what I would call a "full stack maker" as he can both design and build the mechanical and electronic components of whatever he sets his mind to. I see many parallels between him and John Knoll in how they started their career path. John Knoll got noticed at ILM for designing and building his own slit-scan system (think of the stargate scene in 2001) while in college. I identify with him because I had that same level of interest in VFX at his age and therefore went to mechanical engineering school at Worcester Polytechnical Institute (WPI) simply because at that time, VFX was all about motion control camera systems and optical printing. So that led me to mechanical engineering. Well....he is ALSO a sophomore now at WPI. If only I was 40 years younger. So, keep an eye out for his name in the VFX trades in the coming years. Hopefully, he will be the SECOND VFX professional to graduate from WPI. The first was Pete Travers (VFX Supervisor at Sony Pictures Imageworks) who graduated back in 1993. For an engineering school (and NOT a film school in any way) there must be something about WPI which attracts people interested in visual effects. You can find an interview with Matthew Winchell here at InCamera about his early start with that motion control camera system. Dave