Difference between revisions of "Inventory links"

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== About ==
 
'''Viewer 2.0 introduces the first implementation of ''inventory links''''', which have been requested for a long time in various forms by Residents, but serve the same basic purpose.
 
'''An inventory link simply points to an original inventory item.''' If you're familiar with [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alias_%28Mac_OS%29 aliases] on Mac OS X and [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Symbolic_link symbolic links] on Windows and Linux, inventory links behave somewhat similarly.
 
A link itself is ''meta'', meaning it's entirely referential, dependent on the original, and carries no unique properties that can be modified independently of the original. A link is shown in ''italics'' with the word ''(link)'' beside it:
 
: [[File:Inventory_item_link-1.png]]
 
== What's the point? ==
 
Links were introduced to accompany the new outfit system in Viewer 2, which makes it easier to switch between sets of clothes or entire avatar looks.
 
Previously in Viewer 1.23 and earlier, making a new outfit would copy all copyable items and move all no-copy items into a single folder.
 
But what if you want to include a no-copy item in multiple avatar outfit folders? You couldn't.
 
Now, '''making a new outfit creates links to each item instead'''. Multiple links to a single item can be created, which simplifies keeping track of what went wear, um, where.
 
== How do I find the links in my inventory? ==
 
* Search your inventory for "<code>(link)</code>" to see all links.
* To find the original item that a specific link is connected to, right-click the link and choose '''Find Original'''.
* Inversely, if you click an original item in inventory, you can find all links pointing to it by clicking {{Icon_Gear}} at the bottom and choosing '''Find All Links'''.
 
== How do I create new links? ==
 
You can't arbitrarily create a link via the usual right-click context menus. To create links, items must be worn on your avatar, and you must create a new outfit by clicking the '''Make Outfit''' button in the {{winlink|Appearance_Editor_-_Shape|Appearance Editor}}.
 
Links, however, ''can'' be deleted from your inventory just like any original item:
 
# Click the '''My Inventory''' sidebar tab.
# Find the link you want to delete. It may be in the '''My Outfits''' system folder.
# Click the link.
# Press the {{k|Delete}} key or right-click the link and choose '''Delete'''.
 
{{KBnote|Links are ''always'' dependent on original items, never the other way around. Deleting a link doesn't affect the original in any way, so it doesn't detach or unwear the item. The reverse isn't true: deleting an item breaks all links to it.}}
 
== Is a link the same as a copy? ==
 
'''Absolutely not!''' While links may be convenient when you want to refer to the same item in several outfit folders, remember that each link is ''entirely'' dependent on an original item. Copying an item creates a unique instance that can be copied further, and, dependent on permissions, can be modified or transferred. Links are references without unique properties. For example, you can rename a copied item, but you can't rename a link.
 
== Does wearing a link also wear the original item? ==
 
This is a misconception. Remember, the link merely ''points'' to the original item. You aren't actually wearing the link per se, the link tells you (1) the name of the original item and that (2) ''the original is worn''.
 
Therefore, if you "wear" a link, ''all'' instances of the link become '''bold''' in your inventory, as does the original item. This ''doesn't'' mean you're wearing multiple copies of the same thing, because, for emphasis: '''links aren't copies'''.
 
== Can an outfit contain a mix of original items and links? ==
 
Yes. This only happens if you manually drag original items into an outfit folder. It doesn't happen if you use '''Make Outfit''' as described above, because that ''always'' creates links to original items.
 
Similarly, an outfit can contain entirely original items with no links, which may be the case if you dragged a pre-Viewer 2.0 "outfit folder" into the current '''My Outfits''' system folder.
 
We know being able to make an outfit that has copies of the original items is desirable in some cases, like if you're a content creator making color variations of a suit, so we're investigating future possibilities.
 
== If I copy an original item and modify it, will links created to each copy be independent? ==
 
Yes. Here's why: copying an original item then modifying it results in the the copy being its own ''unique instance''. (You can verify this by right-clicking an item in inventory, choosing '''Copy Asset UUID''', then pasting that. For example, copy a shirt, change the shirt color, then compare UUIDs.)
 
Therefore, links to a copy of an item treat this copy as its own "original item". If you copy "item A" so that the copy is "item B" and link to "item B", deleting "item A" ''doesn't'' break the links.
 
'''''Don't'' confuse links with copies of original items, they're different.'''
 
== Limitations ==
 
Some of these limitations may be changed in the future. They're common confusions Linden Lab has been asked about frequently. As of Viewer 2.0.1, it's important to know:
 
* '''Any changes to an original item will affect all links.''' In other words, no matter how many links point to an original item, there's only ''one'' original item. For example, say you have a no-copy pink hat that you've linked to from two outfit folders. You want the hat to remain pink in one outfit folder, but be green in the other outfit folder because that suits the rest of your outfit better. This ''doesn't'' work, since the link merely points to the original, and doesn't circumvent the permissions system by creating new copies.
* '''Rezzing a no-copy object that a link points to breaks the link.''' This is because a link depends on an object's unique key, its {{xref|UUID}}, to refer to. By removing a no-copy item from your inventory, the link has ''nothing'' to point to. Taking the item back into your inventory doesn't restore the link. If you want to edit no-copy attachments, the workaround is to edit it while attached, rather than dropping it on the ground. You ''will'' get a warning before dropping an attachment, but it won't tell you that doing so breaks the link.
*: [[File:Inventory_item_-_broken_link-1.png]]
* '''Finding originals that are linked to only works in the My Inventory tab, ''not'' the My Outfits tab.''' '''My Outfits''' is a subset view of '''My Inventory''' that only shows original items and links that are within the '''My Outfits''' system folder, with each outfit in its own folder with this icon: {{InvIcon_LookFolderClosed}}
 
== See also ==

Latest revision as of 14:04, 27 March 2012

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