Assets app - 5 UI

This page describes the old Assets app, configurable using the Configuration app (/modules/dam-app). By default, this app is hidden in the UI.

Its 6 UI equivalent is called the Magnolia Assets subapp, is available through the Assets app icon in the Applauncher, and its configuration is stored in a YAML file: /dam-app-jcr/decorations/dam-assets-app/apps/dam.subApps.yaml.

The Assets app - 5 UI allows you to manage media assets in Magnolia’s digital asset management system (DAM). You can upload original assets into the system, organize them, perform basic image manipulation operations such as cropping. The assets can be used on the website.

Assets app

See Digital asset management on how to use the app. The Assets app is installed by the DAM App module.

Configuration

The app is based on the content app framework so its configuration is typical of any content app.

The app is configured in /modules/dam-app/apps/assets.

Node name
modules
dam-app#
apps#
assets#

Node name

modules

dam-app#

apps#

assets#

Turning the image thumbnails off in the Browser subapp

By default image thumbnails are displayed next to the asset names in the workbench of the Browser subapp:

Image thumbnail

This behavior can be changed by setting the thumbnails property to false under the /modules/dam-app/apps/assets/subApps/browser/workbench/contentViews/list/columns/asset node. An icon is then displayed next to the asset name instead of the thumbnail:

Image icon

The default value is set to true in the definition class. This means that if you do not set the value to false in the app configuration, the value is true and the thumbnails are displayed.

Workspace

The Assets app operates on the dam workspace. The dam workspace stores the uploaded original assets and variations created with image operations such as cropping.

Node types

The DAM App module registers a custom mgnl:asset node type. The Assets app operates on nodes of this type and on folders.

Editing and upload configuration

Icons, thumbnail images, preview images and supported media types are configured in /dam-app/config/editAssetAppConfigurations. The configurations define the supported media types and asset preview configurations for each asset category. For images, the edit configuration is also configured.

Based on the SupportedMediaType related to the Asset, the corresponding EditAssetAppConfiguration is retrieved during the rendering of the detail subapp. Only appropriate actions are displayed and can be executed in the detail subapp. For example, users have the option to open the image editor and edit images, but this is not possible for other media types.

Here’s the configuration for images:

Images configuration

Nodes and properties:

imageUploadConfiguration

`imageUploadConfiguration`
`previewConfig`	Defines the action configuration to execute if a preview of the asset is required. Previews are only configured for images.
`iconStyleName`	`icon-search` displays search icon below the preview image on the left. The icon opens the image in the lightbox.
`previewComponentProviderClass`	`ImagePreviewComponentProvider` is the image implementation of the `PreviewComponentProvider` interface. This implementation opens `OverlayCloser` containing an image.
`editConfig`	Defines the action configuration to call the image editor configured in `/modules/ui-mediaeditor/mediaEditors/image`.
`iconStyleName`	`icon-edit` displays edit icon below the preview image on the right. The icon opens the image image editor.
`mediaEditorId`	Media editor ID.
`supportedMediaTypes`	Media types are configured as a list of `String` properties that are a representation of the corresponding `MediaType` (see below).
`image`	By default all image formats are supported.
`thumbnailComponentProviderClass`	`ImageThumbnailComponentProvider` creates a thumbnail image. You can extend this for other media types by installing the Dam Preview module.

previewConfig

Defines the action configuration to execute if a preview of the asset is required. Previews are only configured for images.

iconStyleName

icon-search displays search icon below the preview image on the left. The icon opens the image in the lightbox.

previewComponentProviderClass

ImagePreviewComponentProvider is the image implementation of the PreviewComponentProvider interface. This implementation opens OverlayCloser containing an image.

editConfig

Defines the action configuration to call the image editor configured in /modules/ui-mediaeditor/mediaEditors/image.

iconStyleName

icon-edit displays edit icon below the preview image on the right. The icon opens the image image editor.

mediaEditorId

Media editor ID.

supportedMediaTypes

Media types are configured as a list of String properties that are a representation of the corresponding MediaType (see below).

image

By default all image formats are supported.

thumbnailComponentProviderClass

ImageThumbnailComponentProvider creates a thumbnail image. You can extend this for other media types by installing the Dam Preview module.

Here’s an image in the Asset dialog.

Image in the Asset dialog

For other assets only the supportedMediaTypes and thumbnailComponentProviderClass nodes are configured. With one exception, they all use the same thumbnail provider class that displays an icon, and all media types are supported by default. SVG images use the image thumbnail component provider class. An image thumbnail displays but these images cannot be edited in Magnolia.

Here are the configurations in /modules/dam-app/config/editAssetAppConfigurations.

Configurations

Nodes and properties:

<upload configuration name>

`<upload configuration name>`
`supportedMediaTypes`	Media types are configured as a list of `String` properties that are a representation of the corresponding `MediaType` (see below).
`<media type>`	By default all asset formats are supported.
`thumbnailComponentProviderClass`	`IconThumbnailComponentProvider` creates an icon’s thumbnail related to the file media type.

supportedMediaTypes

Media types are configured as a list of String properties that are a representation of the corresponding MediaType (see below).

<media type>

By default all asset formats are supported.

thumbnailComponentProviderClass

IconThumbnailComponentProvider creates an icon’s thumbnail related to the file media type.

Here’s a video in the Asset dialog.

MediaTypes in the SupportedMediaTypes node are configured as a list of String properties. These String properties are a representation of the corresponding MediaType:

    String incommingMimeType = "image/png";
    // 'image/*' is the string to be put in configuration if the config has to support all images
    MediaType allImage = MediaType.parse("image/*");
    // 'image/Jpeg' is the string to be put in configuration if the config has to support only jpeg
    MediaType onlyJpeg = MediaType.parse("image/jpeg");
    // RETURN TRUE
    boolean isImage = MediaType.parse(incommingMimeType).is(allImage);
    // RETURN FALSE
    boolean isJpeg = MediaType.parse(incommingMimeType).is(onlyJpeg);

Using the app

See Digital asset management for how to use the Assets app to store and use your media files.

How to handle many assets

The DAM can handle a very large number of assets. However, if you have more than 10,000 assets, you should organize them into folders. If the number of assets you have drastically exceeds the 10,000 guideline, we recommend that you use an external storage system with our External DAM integration framework, our DAM API, or one of our Incubator modules extensions.

How many assets should I put in a folder?

As a rule of thumb when using JCR for assets, you should keep it to about 500 assets per folder. This is independent of the asset type. So, whether it’s an image, pdf, or some other type of asset, let’s try to keep it under 500.

Avoid storing too many assets in the same folder. Instead, create subfolders and organize your assets. Storing too many assets within the same folder may lead to performance issues. If you need a large and unstructured flat list of assets, disable the thumbnail and list views.