# Image Asset Directory Guide

The Image Asset Directories can be used to update the posters and backgrounds of collections, movies, shows, seasons, and episodes.

You can specify your asset folders under the `settings` attribute `asset_directory`:

```yaml
settings:
  asset_directory: config/assets
```

To use multiple Image Asset Directories specify the directories as a YAML list:

```yaml
settings:
  asset_directory:
    - config/assets
    - config/more_assets
    - config/assets_ahoy
```

By default [if no `asset_directory` is specified], the program will look in the same folder as your `config.yml` for a folder called `assets`.

## How assets are run

Assets are searched for only at specific times.

1. Collection assets are searched for whenever that collection is run.
2. Item assets for items in a collection are searched for whenever that collection is run and has `item_assets: true` as a Collection Detail.
3. Item assets and Unmanaged Collections assets are searched for whenever the `assets_for_all` Library Operation is active.
4. Item assets will be searched for any item that has an overlay applied to it.

* If you want to silence the `Asset Warning: No poster or background found in an assets folder for 'TITLE'` you can use the [`show_missing_assets` Setting Attribute](../../config/settings.md#show-missing-assets):
  ```yaml
  settings:
    show_missing_assets: false
  ```


## Asset Naming

The table below shows the asset folder path structures that will be searched for. There are two options for how Plex Meta Manager looks at the files inside your Asset Directories. Choose an option with the [`asset_folders` Setting Attribute](../../config/settings.md#image-asset-folders).

| Image Type                       | Image Path With Folders<br>`asset_folders: true` | Image Path Without Folder<br>`asset_folders: false` |
|:---------------------------------|:-------------------------------------------------|:----------------------------------------------------|
| Collection/Movie/Show poster     | `assets/ASSET_NAME/poster.ext`                   | `assets/ASSET_NAME.ext`                             |
| Collection/Movie/Show background | `assets/ASSET_NAME/background.ext`               | `assets/ASSET_NAME_background.ext`                  |
| Season poster                    | `assets/ASSET_NAME/Season##.ext`                 | `assets/ASSET_NAME_Season##.ext`                    |
| Season background                | `assets/ASSET_NAME/Season##_background.ext`      | `assets/ASSET_NAME_Season##_background.ext`         |
| Episode poster                   | `assets/ASSET_NAME/S##E##.ext`                   | `assets/ASSET_NAME_S##E##.ext`                      |

* For **Collections** replace `ASSET_NAME` with the mapping name used with the collection unless `system_name` is specified, which you would then use what's specified in `system_name`.

* For **Movies** replace `ASSET_NAME` with the exact name of the folder the video file is stored in.
  * i.e. if you have `Movies/Star Wars (1977)/Star Wars (1977) [1080p].mp4` then your asset directory would look at either `assets/Star Wars (1977)/poster.png` or `assets/Star Wars (1977).png` for the poster.
* For **Shows**, **Seasons**, and **Episodes** replace `ASSET_NAME` with the exact name of the folder for the show as a whole.
  * i.e. if you have `Shows/Game of Thrones/Season 1/Game of Thrones - S01E01.mp4` then your asset directory would look at either `assets/Game of Thrones/poster.png` or `assets/Game of Thrones.png` for the poster.
* For **Seasons** replace `##` with the zero padded season number (00 for specials)

* For **Episodes** replacing the first `##` with the zero padded season number (00 for specials), the second `##` with the zero padded episode number

* Replace `.ext` with the image extension

* When `asset_folders` is set to true you can also nest movie/show folders inside other folders, but you must specify how deep you want to search because the more levels to search the longer it takes.

* You can specify how deep you want to scan by using the [`asset_depth` Setting Attribute](../../config/settings.md#asset-depth).

Here's an example config folder structure with an assets directory with `asset_folders` set to true and false.

### `asset_folders: true` without nesting

```
config
├── config.yml
├── Movies.yml
├── TV Shows.yml
├── assets
│   ├── The Lord of the Rings
│       ├── poster.png
│       ├── background.png
│   ├── The Lord of the Rings The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)
│       ├── poster.png
│       ├── background.png
│   ├── The Lord of the Rings The Two Towers (2002)
│       ├── poster.png
│       ├── background.png
│   ├── The Lord of the Rings The Return of the King (2003)
│       ├── poster.png
│       ├── background.png
│   ├── Star Wars (Animated)
│       ├── poster.png
│       ├── background.png
│   ├── Star Wars The Clone Wars
│       ├── poster.png
│       ├── background.png
│       ├── Season00.png
│       ├── Season01.png
│       ├── Season02.png
│       ├── Season03.png
│       ├── Season04.png
│       ├── Season05.png
│       ├── Season06.png
│       ├── Season07.png
│       ├── S07E01.png
│       ├── S07E02.png
│       ├── S07E03.png
│       ├── S07E04.png
│       ├── S07E05.png
│   ├── Star Wars Rebels
│       ├── poster.png
│       ├── background.png
│       ├── Season01.png
│       ├── Season01_background.png
│       ├── Season02.png
│       ├── Season02_background.png
│       ├── Season03.png
│       ├── Season03_background.png
│       ├── Season04.png
│       ├── Season04_background.png
```

### `asset_folders: true` with nesting

```
config
├── config.yml
├── Movies.yml
├── TV Shows.yml
├── assets
│   ├── The Lord of the Rings
│       ├── poster.png
│       ├── background.png
│       ├── The Lord of the Rings The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)
│           ├── poster.png
│           ├── background.png
│       ├── The Lord of the Rings The Two Towers (2002)
│           ├── poster.png
│           ├── background.png
│       ├── The Lord of the Rings The Return of the King (2003)
│           ├── poster.png
│           ├── background.png
│   ├── Star Wars (Animated)
│       ├── poster.png
│       ├── background.png
│       ├── Star Wars The Clone Wars
│           ├── poster.png
│           ├── background.png
│           ├── Season00.png
│           ├── Season01.png
│           ├── Season02.png
│           ├── Season03.png
│           ├── Season04.png
│           ├── Season05.png
│           ├── Season06.png
│           ├── Season07.png
│           ├── S07E01.png
│           ├── S07E02.png
│           ├── S07E03.png
│           ├── S07E04.png
│           ├── S07E05.png
│       ├── Star Wars Rebels
│           ├── poster.png
│           ├── background.png
│           ├── Season01.png
│           ├── Season01_background.png
│           ├── Season02.png
│           ├── Season02_background.png
│           ├── Season03.png
│           ├── Season03_background.png
│           ├── Season04.png
│           ├── Season04_background.png
```

### `asset_folders: false`

```
config
├── config.yml
├── Movies.yml
├── TV Shows.yml
├── assets
│   ├── The Lord of the Rings.png
│   ├── The Lord of the Rings_background.png
│   ├── The Lord of the Rings The Fellowship of the Ring (2001).png
│   ├── The Lord of the Rings The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)_background.png
│   ├── The Lord of the Rings The Two Towers (2002).png
│   ├── The Lord of the Rings The Two Towers (2002)_background.png
│   ├── The Lord of the Rings The Return of the King (2003).png
│   ├── The Lord of the Rings The Return of the King (2003)_background.png
│   ├── Star Wars (Animated).png
│   ├── Star Wars (Animated)_background.png
│   ├── Star Wars The Clone Wars.png
│   ├── Star Wars The Clone Wars_background.png
│   ├── Star Wars The Clone Wars_Season00.png
│   ├── Star Wars The Clone Wars_Season01.png
│   ├── Star Wars The Clone Wars_Season02.png
│   ├── Star Wars The Clone Wars_Season03.png
│   ├── Star Wars The Clone Wars_Season04.png
│   ├── Star Wars The Clone Wars_Season05.png
│   ├── Star Wars The Clone Wars_Season06.png
│   ├── Star Wars The Clone Wars_Season07.png
│   ├── Star Wars The Clone Wars_S07E01.png
│   ├── Star Wars The Clone Wars_S07E02.png
│   ├── Star Wars The Clone Wars_S07E03.png
│   ├── Star Wars The Clone Wars_S07E04.png
│   ├── Star Wars The Clone Wars_S07E05.png
│   ├── Star Wars Rebels.png
│   ├── Star Wars Rebels_background.png
│   ├── Star Wars Rebels_Season01.png
│   ├── Star Wars Rebels_Season01_background.png
│   ├── Star Wars Rebels_Season02.png
│   ├── Star Wars Rebels_Season02_background.png
│   ├── Star Wars Rebels_Season03.png
│   ├── Star Wars Rebels_Season03_background.png
│   ├── Star Wars Rebels_Season04.png
│   ├── Star Wars Rebels_Season04_background.png
```