KAsset Manager

Professional asset management software for Windows - Organize, tag, rate, and manage digital assets including images (PNG, JPG, TIF, EXR, IFF, PSD), videos (MOV, MP4, AVI), and audio (MP3) files.

Overview

KAsset Manager is a native Windows desktop application built with Qt 6 that provides a professional-grade solution for managing digital media assets. Whether you're a VFX artist, photographer, video editor, or content creator, KAsset Manager helps you organize, find, and preview your files efficiently.

Key Features

🤖 Intelligent tools

• Everything Search Integration - Ultra-fast disk-wide search with bulk import
• Database Health Agent - Automated health checks and maintenance
• Bulk Rename Intelligence - Pattern-based renaming with preview and rollback
• Sequence Intelligence - Automatic gap detection and version tracking
• Context Preserver - Per-folder UI state persistence

🗂️ Organization

• Virtual Folder System - Organize assets without moving files on disk

• Hierarchical Structure - Create nested folders for complex projects

• Drag-and-Drop Import - Import files and folders with a simple drag

• Batch Operations - Move, tag, and rate multiple assets at once

• Add to Library (Explorer-style) - From File Manager, add files or entire folders; when folders are selected, their subfolder hierarchy is preserved and recreated in the Asset Manager

🏷️ Tagging & Rating

• Multi-Tag Support - Assign multiple tags to each asset
• Tag Management - Create, rename, delete, and merge tags
• 5-Star Rating System - Rate assets for quality or importance
• Smart Filtering - Filter by tags (AND/OR mode), rating, and file type

🔍 Search & Filter

• Real-time Search - Find assets by name instantly

• Advanced Filters - Combine search, tags, rating, and file type

• Sortable Views - Sort by name, type, size, date, or rating

• Grid & List Views - Switch between thumbnail grid and detailed list

• Folders-first Sorting - In File Manager (grid and list), folders are always listed before files regardless of sort column or order

👁️ Preview & Playback

• Full-Screen Preview - View images, videos, and sequences
• Image Zoom & Pan - Inspect images in detail
• Video Playback - Play videos with timeline and volume controls
• Image Sequences - Automatic detection and playback at 24fps
• HDR/EXR Support - Color space selection (Linear, sRGB, Rec.709)
• Hover Scrubbing - Hold Ctrl over grid cards to scrub videos and image sequences
• Synchronized Navigation - Arrow keys navigate between assets in full-screen preview while automatically highlighting the current asset in the background grid/list
• Focus Restoration - When closing full-size preview, selection and keyboard focus return to the last previewed item so you can continue navigating with arrow keys instantly

🖊️ Annotation Tools

• Frame-Accurate Annotations - Annotate any frame of videos or image sequences with pixel-perfect accuracy
• 5 Drawing Tools - Freehand pen, text labels, rectangles, circles/ellipses, and arrows
• Per-Frame Storage - Each frame maintains its own set of annotations
• Color & Width Control - Customize annotation colors and pen widths (1-20px)
• Undo/Redo Support - Full undo/redo stack for annotation edits
• Export Capabilities - Save individual annotated frames or batch export all annotated frames as PNG/JPG
• Timeline Markers - Visual indicators on timeline showing which frames have annotations
• Professional Workflow - Pause playback, annotate, step frame-by-frame with keyboard shortcuts

🚀 Performance

• Live Preview Streaming - tlRender (mrv2) for video/sequences, OpenImageIO for all still images with in-memory caching
• Smart Caching - LRU pixmap cache (~512MB) keeps recent frames warm
• Database Indexes - Optimized queries for large libraries
• Lazy Loading - Decode only when cards enter the viewport

📊 Professional Formats

• Images: PNG, JPG, JPEG, BMP, GIF, TIFF, TIF, EXR, HDR, PFM, PSD, IFF, RAW (all formats handled by OpenImageIO for consistent quality and proper aspect ratio)
• Videos: MOV, MP4, AVI, MP5, MKV, WMV (playback via tlRender/FFmpeg; conversion via FFmpeg)
• Audio: MP3, WAV, OGG, FLAC
• Sequences: Automatic detection of numbered image sequences
• External DnD aware: Explorer/Desktop receives individual frame files; Nuke/After Effects receive folder paths (single sequence import)

Quick Start

Build and Run

# Build and package (creates dist/portable/)
powershell -NoProfile -ExecutionPolicy Bypass -File .\scripts\build-windows.ps1 -Generator Ninja -Package

# Run the application
.\dist\portable\bin\kassetmanagerqt.exe

Using the Application

1. Import Assets - Drag and drop files or folders onto the main window

   • Or select files/folders in File Manager and click "Add to Library" (folders preserve their hierarchy in the Asset Manager)

2. Navigate Folders - Click folders in the left tree to view their contents

3. Select Assets - Click to select, Ctrl+Click to multi-select, Shift+Click for range

4. Tag Assets - Right-click assets and choose "Assign Tag"

5. Rate Assets - Right-click and choose "Set Rating"

6. Filter - Use the filters panel on the right to search and filter assets

7. Preview - Double-click an asset to open preview mode

8. Get Help - Press F1 or select Help → User Guide to view the embedded documentation

Documentation

For Users

• docs/USER_GUIDE.md — Complete user guide with workflows and tips

Installation

• docs/INSTALL.md — Build and installation instructions

For Developers

• docs/DEVELOPER_GUIDE.md — Developer setup, testing, coding standards
• docs/ARCHITECTURE.md — Architecture and threading/I-O model
• docs/DEPENDENCIES.md — Dependencies, versions, and security notes
• CODEBASE_REVIEW_REPORT.md — Comprehensive audit and fixes summary

Project Structure

KAssetManager/
├── native/qt6/          # Qt 6 C++ application
│   ├── src/             # C++ source files
│   │   ├── mainwindow.* # Main application window
│   │   ├── db.*         # SQLite database layer
│   │   ├── assets_model.* # Assets data model
│   │   ├── virtual_folders.* # Folder tree model
│   │   ├── tags_model.* # Tags model
│   │   ├── importer.*   # File import logic
│   │   └── live_preview_manager.* # Live preview streaming
│   ├── CMakeLists.txt   # Build configuration
│   └── build/           # Build output (generated)
├── scripts/             # Build scripts
│   └── build-windows.ps1 # Windows build script
├── dist/                # Distribution output (generated)
│   └── portable/        # Portable application package
└── docs/                # Documentation

Database Schema

SQLite database stored in persistent user data location (see docs/INSTALL.md for exact path):

• virtual_folders - Folder hierarchy
• assets - Asset metadata (file path, size, type, rating, etc.)
• tags - Tag definitions
• asset_tags - Many-to-many relationship between assets and tags
• asset_versions - Version history for assets
• project_folders - Watched project folders

Troubleshooting

Common Issues

Live preview not showing:

• Give the decoder a moment to cache the first frame (large EXR/ProRes files can take a second).
• Check debug.log for [LivePreview] warnings about codecs or permissions.
• Ensure the bundled tlRender runtime DLLs are present in the portable/installer build (tlRender/ftk/FFmpeg DLLs alongside the executable).

Import not working:

• Verify file permissions (files must be readable)
• Ensure files are not locked by another application
• Check available disk space for the database and cached previews

Preview not opening:

• Verify the file format is supported
• Check that the file still exists at the original path
• Try right-click → Preview instead of double-click

Performance issues:

• Reduce thumbnail size using the slider
• Use filters to reduce the number of visible assets
• Close preview when not in use to free memory
• Restart the application if it becomes sluggish

Database errors:

• Export your database as a backup (Settings → Export Database)
• Try importing a backup if corruption occurs
• As a last resort, clear the database and re-import assets

Getting Help

• Press F1 in the application or select Help → User Guide to view the embedded documentation
• Check the docs/USER_GUIDE.md for detailed instructions
• Review TECH.md for technical information
• Report bugs on GitHub Issues (include steps to reproduce)

System Requirements

• OS: Windows 10/11 (64-bit)
• RAM: 4GB minimum, 8GB+ recommended
• Disk: 500MB for application plus space for cached previews
• Display: 1920x1080 or higher recommended

License

Proprietary - All rights reserved.