missing file warning

[andy.engelkemier]

isn't it about time we get a missing file warning?

Someone gives you a file just before they leave the country, you think, Great, now I have the materials I need, everything I need.
Of course, they didn't package the file, and they didn't give you the environment or any necessary textures they linked to.
So you're doing the whole project assuming everything is grand.
Really, you didn't notice the person wasn't smart enough to use an environment that isn't much better than using standard IBL with nothing but a gradient? Of course, even if you Get the right environment, all those settings are gone. You'll have to open the original, write those settings down, then copy them back to your new file only to find nothing seems to look right.
its really not a good situation. all because there was nothing warning you that you were missing files.

i had to open the file up in notepad to find which environment was used, and that was a mess  eventually found it by searchung "hdz"
startup was listed about a hundred times though.

[guest84672]

Under Help > Log you can check to receive a warning on critical errors. Then, when you open a scene, the log will pop up and show you all the missing files if there are any.

[andy.engelkemier]

That's pretty helpful to Me, so I appreciate the feedback.

However, it really would be nice to have something that alerted you, upon opening a file, of which files are missing, and where it is looking to find them. If you can avoid the user making a mistake, without sacrificing anything for the user experience, then I believe you should do it (well, at least have it on the list).
Someone will inevitably open up a file from a coworker that forgot they used a file from their own "C:" Drive or something and you'd never know if it were something like a label especially.

I suppose this maybe belongs in wishlist instead of issues.

[guest84672]

I'm not sure I understand. That's exactly what the log file does.

[andy.engelkemier]

edit:
It's not a problem. It should just be on by default because having it off is causing too much user error.

[guest84672]

I agree with that! But once it is turned on it stays on.

[andy.engelkemier]

well, we don't have very many licenses (Yet) so I suppose that's no big deal then. I can just go to each machine and check the box.
But if we get floating licenses, which is what I'd like to do, then I don't really have control over it.

[guest84672]

Request is filed already.