Digital asset
Encyclopedia
A digital asset is any item of text or media that has been formatted into a binary source that includes the right to use it. A digital file without the right to use it is not an asset. Digital assets are categorised in three major groups which may be defined as textual content (digital assets), image
s (media assets) and multimedia
(media assets) (van Niekerk, A.J. 2006).
and related fields (particularly video game and visual effects
production), is an individual piece of digital media
used in the creation of a larger production. Art assets include synthetic and photographic bitmap
s (often used for texture mapping
), 3D models consisting of polygon meshes or curved surfaces, shaders, motion capture
d or hand-animated animation
data, video
and audio
samples
.
The term "art
" is used to distinguish the creative (or real-world) elements of a production from the software or hardware
used to create it, but there is no requirement that the data represents anything artistic.
(DLAs) are digital assets focused on "learning". DLAs are any form of content and/or media that have been formatted into a binary source which include the right to use it for the purpose of "facilitating learning". DLAs are most commonly found in online learning (academic course work, corporate training, etc).
, Microsoft
, Getty Images
and others are aggressively expanding their enterprises to provide third-party digital asset management via web-based repositories. This trend will continue as business and consumers evolve from traditional analog materials.
Image
An image is an artifact, for example a two-dimensional picture, that has a similar appearance to some subject—usually a physical object or a person.-Characteristics:...
s (media assets) and multimedia
Multimedia
Multimedia is media and content that uses a combination of different content forms. The term can be used as a noun or as an adjective describing a medium as having multiple content forms. The term is used in contrast to media which use only rudimentary computer display such as text-only, or...
(media assets) (van Niekerk, A.J. 2006).
Definitions
Defining and distinguishing the different types of digital assets can aid in understanding the management of digital assets. There are a number of management systems related to digital asset management (Austerberry, 2004) including:- Digital asset managementDigital asset managementDigital asset management consists of management tasks and decisions surrounding the ingestion, annotation, cataloguing, storage, retrieval and distribution of digital assets...
(DAM) - Digital content management (DCM)
- Enterprise content managementEnterprise content managementEnterprise Content Management is a formalized means of organizing and storing an organization's documents, and other content, that relate to the organization's processes...
(ECM) - Digital media management (DMM)
- Media asset management (MAM)
- Web-content managementWeb content management systemA web content management system is a software system that provides website authoring, collaboration, and administration tools designed to allow users with little knowledge of web programming languages or markup languages to create and manage website content with relative ease...
(WCM)
Art assets
An art asset (media assets ), in computer graphicsComputer graphics
Computer graphics are graphics created using computers and, more generally, the representation and manipulation of image data by a computer with help from specialized software and hardware....
and related fields (particularly video game and visual effects
Visual effects
Visual effects are the various processes by which imagery is created and/or manipulated outside the context of a live action shoot. Visual effects involve the integration of live-action footage and generated imagery to create environments which look realistic, but would be dangerous, costly, or...
production), is an individual piece of digital media
Digital media
Digital media is a form of electronic media where data is stored in digital form. It can refer to the technical aspect of storage and transmission Digital media is a form of electronic media where data is stored in digital (as opposed to analog) form. It can refer to the technical aspect of...
used in the creation of a larger production. Art assets include synthetic and photographic bitmap
Bitmap
In computer graphics, a bitmap or pixmap is a type of memory organization or image file format used to store digital images. The term bitmap comes from the computer programming terminology, meaning just a map of bits, a spatially mapped array of bits. Now, along with pixmap, it commonly refers to...
s (often used for texture mapping
Texture mapping
Texture mapping is a method for adding detail, surface texture , or color to a computer-generated graphic or 3D model. Its application to 3D graphics was pioneered by Dr Edwin Catmull in his Ph.D. thesis of 1974.-Texture mapping:...
), 3D models consisting of polygon meshes or curved surfaces, shaders, motion capture
Motion capture
Motion capture, motion tracking, or mocap are terms used to describe the process of recording movement and translating that movement on to a digital model. It is used in military, entertainment, sports, and medical applications, and for validation of computer vision and robotics...
d or hand-animated animation
Animation
Animation is the rapid display of a sequence of images of 2-D or 3-D artwork or model positions in order to create an illusion of movement. The effect is an optical illusion of motion due to the phenomenon of persistence of vision, and can be created and demonstrated in several ways...
data, video
Video
Video is the technology of electronically capturing, recording, processing, storing, transmitting, and reconstructing a sequence of still images representing scenes in motion.- History :...
and audio
Sound
Sound is a mechanical wave that is an oscillation of pressure transmitted through a solid, liquid, or gas, composed of frequencies within the range of hearing and of a level sufficiently strong to be heard, or the sensation stimulated in organs of hearing by such vibrations.-Propagation of...
samples
Sampling (music)
In music, sampling is the act of taking a portion, or sample, of one sound recording and reusing it as an instrument or a different sound recording of a song or piece. Sampling was originally developed by experimental musicians working with musique concrète and electroacoustic music, who physically...
.
The term "art
Art
Art is the product or process of deliberately arranging items in a way that influences and affects one or more of the senses, emotions, and intellect....
" is used to distinguish the creative (or real-world) elements of a production from the software or hardware
Hardware
Hardware is a general term for equipment such as keys, locks, hinges, latches, handles, wire, chains, plumbing supplies, tools, utensils, cutlery and machine parts. Household hardware is typically sold in hardware stores....
used to create it, but there is no requirement that the data represents anything artistic.
Digital learning assets
Digital learning assetsDigital learning assets
Digital Learning Assets are any form of content and/or media that have been formatted into a binary source which include the right to use it for the purpose of "facilitating learning". DLAs are most commonly found in online learning such as academic coursework and corporate training....
(DLAs) are digital assets focused on "learning". DLAs are any form of content and/or media that have been formatted into a binary source which include the right to use it for the purpose of "facilitating learning". DLAs are most commonly found in online learning (academic course work, corporate training, etc).
The future
Digital asset management is expected to be a multi-billion dollar industry as corporations and individuals migrate traditional graphic, broadcast and print assets to the digital format. Companies including Apple, OracleOracle Corporation
Oracle Corporation is an American multinational computer technology corporation that specializes in developing and marketing hardware systems and enterprise software products – particularly database management systems...
, Microsoft
Microsoft
Microsoft Corporation is an American public multinational corporation headquartered in Redmond, Washington, USA that develops, manufactures, licenses, and supports a wide range of products and services predominantly related to computing through its various product divisions...
, Getty Images
Getty Images
Getty Images, Inc. is a stock photo agency, based in Seattle, Washington, USA. It is a supplier of stock images for business and consumers with an archive of 80 million still images and illustrations and more than 50,000 hours of stock film footage...
and others are aggressively expanding their enterprises to provide third-party digital asset management via web-based repositories. This trend will continue as business and consumers evolve from traditional analog materials.
See also
- digital rights managementDigital rights managementDigital rights management is a class of access control technologies that are used by hardware manufacturers, publishers, copyright holders and individuals with the intent to limit the use of digital content and devices after sale. DRM is any technology that inhibits uses of digital content that...
- digital asset managementDigital asset managementDigital asset management consists of management tasks and decisions surrounding the ingestion, annotation, cataloguing, storage, retrieval and distribution of digital assets...
- digital asset management system
- digital preservationDigital preservationDigital preservation is the set of processes, activities and management of digital information over time to ensure its long term accessibility. The goal of digital preservation is to preserve materials resulting from digital reformatting, and particularly information that is born-digital with no...