best/fastest way to move a keyshot file location

[andy.engelkemier]

Bad title, sorry....
I Really wish keyshot let you have an option to save keyshot packages and keep the files IN the package. Everything in keyshot seems to want to be local. The problem with that is, if I need to send a file, I have to package it. But that leaves the other person having to unpackage it. If we both need to edit it, now we have path issues. Because on shared space like OneDrive, CreativeCloud, Google Drive, etc. We all likely have at least 1 or 2 of those, the paths are different for each user. The relative path is the same, but keyshot doesn't use relative paths as far as I know.

Working From the server remotely isn't great because some of these files are big. So it's best to keep them local and keep them in sync. So once I've created an asset for a coworker, they can import the file, and just use it. No pathing, or changing anything.

So the issue is, I don't want to work out of the project in sync until the keyshot file is cleaned up and ready to go. I've got blender files, extra texture files, fbx exports, maybe a rhino file or two. But after the asset is finished, I just want to save it to the project directory.
And I can do that, but keyshot will still be leaving all the assets behind.

So the best I can come up with is to save a keyshot package. Then open the keyshot package and unpack it myself, to the project folder. This Should change all the paths. Of course, I'm not quite sure it will all work out because I'm not sure if keyshot actually changes to relative paths or not.

So on my computer it will be C:\Users\[myUsername]\[my onedrive company name]\[the user that shared the project]\Keyshot\project folder.
But on my coworkers computer it will be C:\Users\[theirUsername\[my onedrive company name]\[more paths leading to the project]\Keyshot\project folder.

So it's the same once you get to the share project folder, but everything before that is unique.

So first, is that going to work? I can't test that at the moment because my coworker isn't working a really odd schedule like I am, so isn't working weekends.
And second, is there a better way than what I described?

[DerekCicero]

If you are using a shared Dropbox and saving as KSP it should work. Saving a package is an export function, so you are basically working locally and pushing to a network drive vs both of you working off the network drive file directly.

[andy.engelkemier]

Yes, but, as I illustrated with showing paths, the paths are different.
So if I open up the file, I have to find all the maps again. And then if I save, and he opens up the latest, he has to remap all the maps again. We have about 24 objects in the scenes right now. each one has a few maps for it. So if we put them all in one direction, assuming that even works, then we'll have a bunch of keysot files mixed with about a hundred images.

If we want to stay syncing then the only solution seems to be, deal with it. At least keyshot automatically finds textures in each folder you tell it. Too bad it doesn't search inside folders of folders. I could just tell it the project directory and be done.

Maybe they'll listen to my request for relative paths. That would be nice.

[DerekCicero]

OK request has been noted and elevated to development (no guarantee it will happen, but we log the requests and will look at it).

[phos4]

@OP, did you find a workaround or a solution that works for you in the meantime?

I was wondering if a setup like this would help the cause, at least for the maps:

[andy.engelkemier]

I'm sure it'll be coming, in the next version of keyshot. That's always their answer.

BUT yeah, there are a couple potential solutions, but you won't really like them.

Solution one, Put ALL your files in one folder. I am pretty sure keyshot finds the files automatically if the source files you use are not in folders, but are in the same folder where you opened the keyshot file. We ended up Almost doing that, and had a keyshot assets folder next to keyshot. It's not smart enough to find it, but at least you only have to find a single folder.

Solution two, you can add locations to say, textures. I changed my default to a location on oneDrive, then shared that with coworkers who had to do the same. Keyshot automatically searches those folders listed and find the files, because they are your default.

And no, none of the solutions are good. It would just be really nice if keyshot allowed us to use relative paths and be done with it. But i'm sure someone thinks it's a bad idea for some reason, so instead, people that work in a team are stuck with a bad experience.

I prefer relative paths to embedding things, since file sizes can get out of control. And it's more difficult to know where something came from in case it needs to be updated. Although, powerpoint handles that nicely as you can embed AND keep the link for updating. Although, keyshot doesn't update things if you're using GPU anyway. You have to close keyshot and open it again if you want to update an image, which is an awesome user experience right? lol