Folder/File optimization and organization
 

I think it's time Graal ditches the whole prefix organization thing. It's been proven time and time again that you can't rely on servers to do the right thing on their own. Default files get overwritten constantly, people use whatever prefix they want to, servers use whatever prefix they want to, some don't use any at all. Right now I've got an image folder with like 200 folders with all kinds of silly prefixes, and I hardly play.

Folders should be created for each server.

Graal/Servers/Unholy_Nation/...
Graal/Servers/Unholy_Nation/weblevels/...
Graal/Servers/Unholy_Nation/heads/...
Graal/Servers/Unholy_Nation/images/...

And so on. Yes, Stefan, I know you worry about duplicates, but it still already happens... I'm sure I have like 20 files of the same damn door image. In addition, there should be a default folder that contains all default files. Then there should be a global folder that stores all global uploads, if we ever get them. Servers should have read access to their own server folder, and the default/global folders. That means if I'm on Unholy Nation, door.png will be checked in the server folders of Unholy_Nation, Default, and Global. However, they will only have write access to their own server folder. So they can not overwrite default/global folders, or any folders other than their own. Priority will be default > global > server. That means if I sethead head0.png, if it's not in default, it will check the global folder, if it's not their, finally use the servers rendition.

I think this is greatly needed, as my Graal folder is a complete and utter mess.

I totally agree

You will have 200+ server folders then :D
The server could theoretically not allow overwriting default images, always use the 'global' one, although it should be limited to heads, bodies, shields and swords may be.

I'd rather have a more organized 200 server folders than a folder for a_, and b_, and dus_ and val_ and valk_ and zod_ and zodiac_, and zodic_, and zodiax_, and door_, and bush_... you get the point.

You think so?

http://i35.tinypic.com/2rz9fma.png
And how many countless others for every staff member that uses their own prefix.
Not to mention half of the folders only hold a single image or so. If they were server folders we'd know they'd be put to good use instead of wasted space.

I agree. It's very annoying when default images get overwritten, and it's just a mess anyway. Era also has a lot of this problem, but it's impossible to fix (on the dev server, only files with an era_ prefix are in the folder config, though).

I agree with this also.

Can we go back to a single webgifs folder? :(

Oh god the horrors. :cry:

I would mind this, and I actually think there'd be way less folders. I currently have 23 of them for UN's images alone.

The webgifs days were awesome, you had a central place to go for any graphics. :(

I do think Dusty's idea is good though, each server should have their **** tossed into a folder named after the server.

it would be awesome to have server folders instead, and i don't think there would be 200+ folders if there was, but as it is now, it wouldn't surprise me.

My proposed folder layout:

Graal/*
Graal/Downloads/*

Graal/UserData/*
Graal/UserData/TileDefs/*
Graal/UserData/Webfiles/*
Graal/UserData/Weblevels/*
Graal/UserData/profiles/*
Graal/UserData/AccountName/*
Graal/UserData/AccountName/Screenshots/*
Graal/UserData/AccountName/Videos/*
Graal/UserData/AccountName/pms/*

Graal/Development/*
Graal/Development/LevelGenerator/*
Graal/Development/TerrainGenerator/*
Graal/Development/DungeonGenerator/*
Graal/Development/TileObjects/*

Graal/Default/*
Graal/Default/Bodies/*
Graal/Default/GUIstyles/*
Graal/Default/Emoticons/*
Graal/Default/Heads/*
Graal/Default/Shields/*
Graal/Default/Swords/*
Graal/Default/Smilies/*
Graal/Default/Tiles/*
Graal/Default/Music/*
Graal/Default/images/*
Graal/Default/Ganis/*
Graal/Default/Hats/*
Graal/Default/Fonts/*
Graal/Default/Weapons/*
Graal/Default/Letters/*
Graal/Default/Horses/*
Graal/Default/Languages/*
Graal/Default/GUIs/*

Graal/Downloads/Global/*
Graal/Downloads/Global/Bodies/*
Graal/Downloads/Global/Heads/*
Graal/Downloads/Global/Shields/*
Graal/Downloads/Global/Swords/*
Graal/Downloads/Global/images/*
Graal/Downloads/Global/GUIs/*

Graal/Downloads/ServerName/*
Graal/Downloads/ServerName/Bodies/*
Graal/Downloads/ServerName/Emoticons/*
Graal/Downloads/ServerName/Heads/*
Graal/Downloads/ServerName/Shields/*
Graal/Downloads/ServerName/Swords/*
Graal/Downloads/ServerName/Images/*
Graal/Downloads/ServerName/Sound/*
Graal/Downloads/ServerName/Ganis/*
Graal/Downloads/ServerName/Hats/*
Graal/Downloads/ServerName/Misc/*

Images like horses and tilesets and such can all be in images/* for servers because such categorization isn't really that necessary. Other misc things like translations, guistyles and all can be placed in Misc/*, to keep the folder count low.

This would make a great new addition to v6.

I don't like how the folder names are capitalized for things like heads, shields, etc. Just seems weird for some reason.

Was just my typing :P