I wanted to clean up my Content Browser so I tried to move a few folders into one big folder, but I clicked copy instead. Now I have two sets of folders with the same assets and the editor does not know what to do with them since the copied folders/assets were not renamed.
I tried to delete the copied folders, but the editor already deleted my original assets, so if I try to delete the copied ones I lose everything. While the editor did delete the assets from the original folders, it did not delete the folders themselves and when I try to remove these folders it deletes all of the things that used to be referenced in the folders from my world even though they are not in the original folders anymore.
I checked the original folders in the Windows Viewer and the assets that were deleted by the editor are still there even though they don’t appear in the folders in the Content Browser. I could try to move everything back, but I had some sub-folders in the main folders that were copied and not all of them copied over, so I am missing things in the copied folders and the original folders no longer have them in the Content Browser which means copying/moving the folders won’t work.
I see there is a backup folder with all of my deleted assets, but they are .uassets and won’t import into the game.
I tried copying and moving a folder into itself and into its parent folder and was unable to reproduce your issue. Could you please give me more detailed instructions on how I could reproduce your issue please? I’m in version 4.2, what version are you in?
When you delete an asset, it leaves a reference to that asset in the windows explorer folder structure. They are always 1 kb in size. This is to prevent redirecting errors.
.uassets don’t need to be “imported” into the editor. Try to drag them from their backup folder and into the content folder and reopen the project.
I took the “old” colored folders (including sounds) and copied them to “custom folders,” but it did not keep everything in the original folders and it did not copy everything to the new:
So what I was going to do was delete the old folders and re-reference everything to the new folders, but I am missing assets in both the new AND old, I also cannot re-import them or drag them back into the content browser as I mentioned above.
Looks like there is something wrong with those first two images there, i’m not able to see them. But the only way i get the Fail to import .uasset message is in the editor. Try this, close the editor down. In windows explorer, get all your folders straight and then rearrange your files. Then reopen the editor. When I do this the folder/file structure in the editor is automatically updated to reflect what I did in windows explorer.
Ok, I re-imported the pictures, in case you needed to look at them (I hope they work this time), and I don’t quite get what you’re saying here:
But the only way i get the Fail to import .uasset message is in the editor
And I re-arranged the files in the explorer, while the folders are now in the correct places the assets inside the CustomBluprints folder are missing (exept for some meshes and materials I imported. Some stuff is in the explorer just not the editor, but not all of my original assets).
Also, I would not call your reply an ‘Answer’ for you have still failed to help me with my problem, I will also say that before posting your comment as an ‘Answer’ you should wait and see if it actually helps, then convert it into an answer.
Sorry about the lack of a follow up response to your question. I have been looking into the issue that is occurring for you and a had a couple more questions.
Since the 4.2.1 update, has this issue still been occurring?
If so, Could you provide a step by step repro of this issue? (I know that you have a lot of steps scattered over a couple responses but it would be greatly appreciated)
For the time being, I am going to further investigate this issue. Again, sorry for the delay and your patience is greatly appreciated.
This issue has been half resolved; I still cannot import the backup files into Unreal with the 4.2.1 update and I am still missing assets from my folders, however Sam did get the folders rearranged into the correct order.
Here is a reproduction of my error:
I wanted to move 7 folders into 1 folder, however, instead of moving them, I copied them into the folder, now instead of making these copied folders and the assets having a number 2 after the name IE. Asset2.assets or something of that manner it keeps the original name (I don't know if it's supposed to do this or not? If so, I think you should change that because that is what lead to my problem) which would have been fine if I had been able to delete the folders, but when I tried to delete it would remove the assets from my world since they had the same name. (I probably could have avoided this by using the Windows Explorer to move the folders, but at the time I had the notion that the Content Browser should be able to handle things like this)
So I went ahead and deleted the original folder thinking I could just take the time to fix my mistake by putting every asset that was deleted back into the game with my copied folder, however when I did this a lot of assets were now missing from every copied folder. (If you want a full report of what exactly was missing just tell me and i’ll write one up!) I then opened an earlier version of my game without saving, hoping to just start over with the original files, but that only made it worse for now the assets were missing from the original folders! To top it all of whenever I try to drag the backup 1kb files of my assets into the editor it comes up with an error, and any other way I try to import the backup files. (I could re-import some of the assets, like the textures, back into the game without the back files, but for most of the assets I either edited them inside of Unreal or I no longer have them.)
By chance were you seeing any crashes when moving those folders into one? What I am doing is making 3-5 new folders in the content browser and then creating one to place those 3-5 into. I am selecting them all and then trying to copy them into the one to hold them all. It would then ask me if i wished to compile the 256+ assets into the folder. Whether you press yes or no, the editor will crash. By chance is this what you are seeing?
If not, a step by step from beginning to end, would be the best route, if possible, because I am still just a bit lost as to whether most of this is done with windows explorer or in the editor’s content browser.
The editor does not crash for me when I copy the folders to one folder, however, I only coped 7 folders with 82 assets, for that is how many I had when I copied the original folders the first time, I have not tried copying more than that.
Everything that I have done has been in the Content Browser, the only time I have ever used the Explorer is when Sam suggested I use it to move my folders around.
To make things easier, let me sum up my problem:
I am having problems importing/restoring 1kb backup files in the Content Browser.
What do you mean by a step by step from beginning to end? Do you want me to try and replicate it? Let me do say that my folders that are missing the assets only have imported assets or ones that I have made in the editor, don't know if that helps but you never know.
Here is what happens when I replicate it:
I am able to copy the folders into 1 folder, however; when I then try to delete these folders instead of saying that the assets are being used in the world like it did when I did this the very first time, it lets me delete them.
I think I may have found what you have been seeing. Here is what i have done (please let me know if this is correct or not):
I have gone into the editor and created 4 new folders. I selected a couple of assets from other folders and moved them into the 4 folders, not copied. So I then have 4 folders with blueprints, animations, etc. I then proceed to make one a new folder to place those folders into. I drag those four folders into and copy them into the new folder.
So I have one folder with 4 sub folders, but those 4 sub folders are still folders in the content browser. I then proceed to delete the 4 folders, not the sub folders, but the normal folders from the content browser.
I then close the editor and re-open the editor to the save level. I am then unable to see the assets anywhere in the content browser. The folders I have created are gone as well.
Let me know if this is close to what you are seeing. Thanks!
That is almost exactly what I see, except the copied folders are still there just with nothing in them, it will also not let me delete the folders, it comes up with an error saying the assets in the folders are being used in the world (but the content browser shows no assets).
I noticed that when I move folders, the folders themselves remain behind and the assets move into new folders (I colored my folders beforehand and when they move or are copied they return to default color), but when I move them back both the assets and the folders move.
I am also using a cloned version of my project to test things out, but the clone button won’t work, it comes up with an error saying it “failedd” and that is not a typo, failed is misspelled in the error message, but it does copy everything and all I have to do is edit the DefaultEngine GameName to the correct name.
What you do to recreate the problem is exactly what I did, so then we must be on the right track! ~GMC
PS. I have made a video of some things I did to recreate a few of the problems, if you want to see it, tell me and I will post it on YouTube!
I just noticed something that may help (Let me know if you have tried this previously). I believe that you have been trying to re-import the assets using the content browser in the editor, correct? Have you tried to highlight the asset in the saved>backup section of your project file and drag and drop them into the content folder you wish for them to be placed into via another open windows explorer? (ex. say you have a floor asset in your saved>backup folder in Windows Explorer. You want to place it into your custom mesh folder. Click and drag the asset from one open Windows explorer and drop it into the custom mesh folder that is open in another Windows explorer.)
If you have already done this, please feel free to let me know. Thanks!
So I have asked another dev and was told that the Pending deleting assets referencing window is designed to actually protect that asset from being deleted, until you force delete. Then , after the force delete, you will have to delete it again for the folder to be gone from the content browser.
The folder will still be showing in windows explorer, you can delete them from there and that should delete the folder for good. You can quickly find where the location of the folder is by right clicking it in the content browser and then selecting show in explorer.
That also worked perfectly! I just have to make sure I drag the files that are bigger than 1kb into the folders! At first I was only dragging the 1kbs thinking that since they were back-up files the editor would reload them to their original form, now that I am looking again, I see that there are bigger files and when I did what you said with those it worked and they showed up in the content browser and there are not more referencing errors when I put them into the correct folders!
