Please share tips on how you organize your inventory

[Yhishara Cerise]

To keep things manageable in between sorting sessions,  I have about 15 folders for different categories of things.  They include: 

- body parts (mesh heads, bodies, ears, hands etc)

- clothing (put into alphabetized folders based on store name)

- make up and accessories (jewelry, tatoos, gloves, hats, hair... all that kind of stuff goes here into separate folders for category)

- demos (as I try them on I put them into folders based on whether I want to give it further thought after trying it on or if I definitely want to purchase it later.)

- hunt / gacha packages

- need to open (for things I cant classify right off by title) 

- projects I am working on

- house and garden items

 

I find it gets rid of the clutter and I can still find things even if I don't get as much time to sort out my inventory as Id like.  

[greek Wingtips]

Am not sure if SmartA paints you as to what you are,??? maybe you can explain?

[MegaRose]

My current motivation to organize is to do so as I fish.  Sitting at a fishing area with a 5min auto return on rezzed objects, I'm unpacking boxes and sorting things as I free cast for an endless pile of fish.  So my inventory is growing while I try to manage it, but it means I'm technically multitasking and that feels good.  I'm not trying things on, which I usually like to do, because I don't want to accidentally remove my fishing rod from my hand.  So unpacked junk is going in my temp folder for later.  But at least it's unpacked!

[chardonay Babii]

What i do is firstly don’t load the SL library in my viewers by disabling it jn settings. That alone gets rid if heaps of useless junk. 

 

Usually I just make a few folders to find in search  HAIR-  with sub categories of creator to put purchases into. 

 

Landscaping- folder has everything I bought  for filling vacant land when renting. 

With all these new mesh body parts I have to constantly find appliers and huds I bought for a great solution is  a folder named two unusual keys together not used by many people.

 

==Mesh head-Catwa (all associated apliers and heads go in here). 

==Mesh bodies 

== Other mesh  parts

 

that way when I want one of those things I type == in the search bar and those are the only results in my inventory. 

As for the rest of the inv I remember what I need to and the rest doesnt matter. 

 

I’m very fussy about the things  I buy so lots of stuff ends up in the trash and I keep the best quality only in a few folders. 

There’s no point organizing junk..

 

 

 

Edited May 10, 2018 by chardonay Babii

[Tirnara]

I have created lots of folders to sort things, but it does not really affect the number of thing in my inventory. So here is what I did.

Clothing: after opening end copying the contents to my inventory I delete everything I don't use, like all the different appliers, landmark etc. I keep the rezbox with the whole content in it. So deleting is no big deal and this way I removed literally hundreds of items.

But the next trick might be more interesting, you keep everything you can’t trow away for  whatever kind of reason, but "compress" them into one item.

You can "unpack/open“, but you can also "pack".
1. Rez a box on there ground
2. Give it a for you sensible name like “BOX skyboxes”
3. “Edit” and open the “contents” tab
4. Drag all you stuff in your inventory into the content of your new box.
5. Delete the items in your inventory
6. Take the new box in you inventory

So instead of for instance 40 items (all the different skyboxes you never use but can’t trow away) you have just one item.

When you need one of these things, rex the box on the floor, “open” like you would do with the packages you’ve bought” and you will see all your items. The beauty is you don’t even have to “copy to inventory” but just drag one item out on the floor and delete the whole box, as long as you have a copy of the box in your inventory. So make sure you do.

This could easily decimate your inventory without trowing things away.
 

 

[Kia Kiyori]

I've pretty much always done the same thing Skell does: folders, folders, folders with sub-folders as needed. Makes it a breeze to find whatever you're looking for.

When I buy something, yes, I rez and open the package, add the contents to the appropriate folder I created, and dump the packaging and junk. Nothing is SL is ever the end of the world, to be honest - because, in the end, they're all just pixel dust collectors.

I also delete all but whatever I'm wearing in the 'Outfits' folder regularly (you'd be surprised how much all those saved outfits add unnecessary 'fat' to your inventory). With categorized folders and keeping junk to a minimum, it's easy to find whatever outfit you want to wear.

If I haven't worn something in a couple of months (or ever, for that matter), it gets trashed, but I'm ruthless like that. I really only ever have 2 dresses, 2 gown, 1 set of jeans (fatpack), 1 jacket (fatpack) and a few shirts, shoes and boots.

Think K.I.S.S. Principle.

The 'objects' folder gets treated much the same way: pruned ruthlessly and regularly. Trash is emptied a few times a day or more as needed.

There's also 'personal storage terminals' on the MP and while they look pretty cool, I'd rather delete the junk I don't use than hold onto it, but they're a great idea for the hoarders who can't stand to throw anything away.

Inventory count: 16,500 and holding.

[Lindal Kidd]

Anya, Outfits does inflate one's inventory total.  I have about 500 of them, and I started getting concerned back when that number was a lot lower.

However, even though the Outfits links do count toward your total, I have not found any evidence that they contribute to the actual downsides of a large inventory...slower TPs, TP failures, or slower logins.

[AdminGirl]

Hi

So I've read from various sources that you should limit the number of elements within a folder (< 1,000) and avoid having too "flat" of an inventory structure. I'm trying to get my inventory right and I guess I've got a few questions =/

(1) Does the "< 1,000 items within one folder" recommendation apply to system folders (system folders like Animations, Objects, Clothing, etc)? Right now I have my total of around 65,000 elements organized in folders that I have created which are all sitting within those system folders and I have nothing sitting outside of them. This means that all of my system folders have more than 1,000 elements in them. Is this a problem?

(2) The folders I have created inside the system folders are then segmented into subfolders. For example, inside the "Clothing" system folder, I have created a folder called "Shoes", which then contains subfolders (Gift, Purchased, Costume). Do I only need to worry about those subfolders being under the 1,000 threshold or do all folders need to be under 1,000 which means my "Shoes" folder is currently a problem?

Sorry if the answer might seem obvious. I already have a feeling I might have to reshuffle a few things. I'm just reluctant 'cause I kind of like the way I have set things up atm!

Here are the links to where I got my < 1,000 elements idea from:

https://community.secondlife.com/forums/topic/416349-crashing-issues/

https://community.secondlife.com/forums/topic/390559-what-is-the-maximum-capacity-of-the-inventory-have-a-infinite-or-limited-capacity/

 

... and sorry if it annoys anyone the fact that I am replying to a 2018 thread. The topic still seems relevant to me that's all. Thank you!!

Addy

 

[suzyst]

I stay nakie and avoid sims that aren't clothing optional, life's too short to waste trying to sort out the mess in my inventory

[Orwar]

2 minutes ago, suzyst said:

I stay nakie and avoid sims that aren't clothing optional, life's too short to waste trying to sort out the mess in my inventory

   That's like, a whole new level of minimalism. lol

[AdminGirl]

12 minutes ago, suzyst said:

I stay nakie and avoid sims that aren't clothing optional, life's too short to waste trying to sort out the mess in my inventory

lol then... who wants my shoes?

[Orwar]

11 minutes ago, AdminGirl said:

lol then... who wants my shoes?

   I have 5 pairs of shoes. More than enough!

[suzyst]

1 hour ago, AdminGirl said:

lol then... who wants my shoes?

shoes don't count as clothes, they are essentials like hair, that's the only part of my inventory that is organised

 

[Raevyn Addams]

I actually took a class at Builder's Brewery on Inventory Sorting last year I think it was. That was actually a very invaluable experience! After many years my inventory had bloated to the point I was experiencing lag so figured it was time to get proactive. Ultimately though your level of organization will depend on your needs and your commitment to maintain it, or it will just end up being a long drawn out and frustrating waste of time.

Others have covered the basic structure of using subfolders, and this is the same method I use. I am perhaps a little too organized in that my subfolders have subfolders or sub-subfolders… But its a system that works for me because I use it often enough to know where things go and where they can be found.

In my Inventory I have created several folders that I access regularly; DAILY, BUILD, STORAGE, TEXTURES TO SORT, OBJECTS TO SORT, DEMOS. 

In each of those I have created subfolders as needed. For example; DEMOS list subfolders with names of the sales events where the objects were found.

In the default BODY PARTS and CLOTHING folders I have created subfolders which in turn have subfolders. For example CLOTHING > SHOES > FLATS, SNEAKERS etc.

Even the naming of my subfolders follows its own system; asterisks is the subfolder, numbers denote sub-subfolders. Confused yet? (see picture).

 

Some advice; 

I Paste As Link where possible instead of having multiple copies of the same thing (for instance if I want to include a copy of my AO in my DAILY folder).

I have a folder called TEXTURES TO SORT where I store all the photos I take and textures I upload until I can store them in a texture organizer program (and then once in the organizer I delete the copies from my inventory).

I have a folder called OBJECTS TO SORT where I store all the objects from my default objects folder so that the default doesn't get cluttered by hundreds of items. 

I have a STORAGE folder that has its own subfolders inside; this is the main folder of all the objects I keep and where the objects from the OBJECTS TO SORT folder are categorized. Some subfolders include OLD OBJECTS, BUILDINGS, GACHA, POSES, VEHICLES, RP STUFF, etc. So once I sort my other folders the majority ends up here.

I have a folder for DEMOS that I regularly clean/empty. Which leads me to... 

 

Clean regularly!

Probably the most important aspect to organizing inventory but people don't know where to start or what to get rid of. These are a few key words that can be typed into the inventory search bar to easier locate and delete. These work for me but of course you need to be careful you don't delete things you need;

DELETE, UNPACK, HOLD (be careful it is not for a purse, pose, or pet!), DEMO, GIVE, HOVER, FLOAT, THANK YOU, REMOVE, READ, IMPORTANT, INFO, INFORMATION, INSTRUCTIONS (be careful you don't need it), HOW TO (again, use discretion), OBJECT, BAG, COPYRIGHT, ABOUT, GROUP, INVITE , POLICY.

Don't forget to check your landmarks folder to remove duplicates too.

 

And once again to reiterate, it doesn't really matter HOW you organize, only that it makes sense to you and that you stick to it. If one way doesn't work, try organizing a different way until you find a system that works. If you do anything long enough it becomes a habit. And if all else fails do what I did and keep an eye out at Builders Brewery (search for it in world under groups) and attend the class when it comes up again. It's free and takes less than an hour from memory or thereabouts. Anyway, good luck!  

[VanillaLovelace]

Regarding clothes I created folders for types of clothes like PANTS, SKIRT, TOPS, HEELS, etc. For each of those folders I have subfolders for main colors (BLACK, RED, BLUE etc.). Now if I want to combine a black skirt with a black top, I only need to browse the folders SKIRTS —> BLACK and TOPS —> BLACK .  

[MoiraKathleen]

3 hours ago, AdminGirl said:

Hi

So I've read from various sources that you should limit the number of elements within a folder (< 1,000) and avoid having too "flat" of an inventory structure. I'm trying to get my inventory right and I guess I've got a few questions =/

(1) Does the "< 1,000 items within one folder" recommendation apply to system folders (system folders like Animations, Objects, Clothing, etc)? Right now I have my total of around 65,000 elements organized in folders that I have created which are all sitting within those system folders and I have nothing sitting outside of them. This means that all of my system folders have more than 1,000 elements in them. Is this a problem?

(2) The folders I have created inside the system folders are then segmented into subfolders. For example, inside the "Clothing" system folder, I have created a folder called "Shoes", which then contains subfolders (Gift, Purchased, Costume). Do I only need to worry about those subfolders being under the 1,000 threshold or do all folders need to be under 1,000 which means my "Shoes" folder is currently a problem?

Sorry if the answer might seem obvious. I already have a feeling I might have to reshuffle a few things. I'm just reluctant 'cause I kind of like the way I have set things up atm!

Here are the links to where I got my < 1,000 elements idea from:

https://community.secondlife.com/forums/topic/416349-crashing-issues/

https://community.secondlife.com/forums/topic/390559-what-is-the-maximum-capacity-of-the-inventory-have-a-infinite-or-limited-capacity/

 

... and sorry if it annoys anyone the fact that I am replying to a 2018 thread. The topic still seems relevant to me that's all. Thank you!!

Addy

 

From what I've gathered, a "flat" inventory that is problematic is one where everything is in just a few top level folders (not in a sub-folder structure).  It sounds like you have set up a structure that involves several layers of sub-folders, so it doesn't sound like you need to worry about having a "flat" inventory that causes problems which could prevent you from logging in. 

When people talk about how many items in a folder, my impression has been that they are referring to objects in the folder which are not in sub-folders.  I took a peek at the links you included, and I saw suggestions of <5000 or less.   In my opinion, the most important things about the inventory structure is having one that makes sense for you and how you find things in your inventory. 

For myself, it would be the inner-most sub-folders where I would worry about the number of items in the folder. So, if I had bottom level sub-folders, though,  with 1000+ items not in sub-folders, I would work on sorting those 1000+ items into another level of sub-folders. If I had 2300+ items split out between 603 separate sub-folders (like your Shoes folder example), personally I would not worry about that exceeding suggested limits or being an issue, as long as the structure makes sense to you for finding things.

I think there is a balance that people need to figure out what works best for them between how many levels of sub-folders to build out the structure, and how many loose items to have in the inner-most level sub-folder.  

[AdminGirl]

28 minutes ago, moirakathleen said:

From what I've gathered, a "flat" inventory that is problematic is one where everything is in just a few top level folders (not in a sub-folder structure).  It sounds like you have set up a structure that involves several layers of sub-folders, so it doesn't sound like you need to worry about having a "flat" inventory that causes problems which could prevent you from logging in. 

When people talk about how many items in a folder, my impression has been that they are referring to objects in the folder which are not in sub-folders.  I took a peek at the links you included, and I saw suggestions of <5000 or less.   In my opinion, the most important things about the inventory structure is having one that makes sense for you and how you find things in your inventory. 

For myself, it would be the inner-most sub-folders where I would worry about the number of items in the folder. So, if I had bottom level sub-folders, though,  with 1000+ items not in sub-folders, I would work on sorting those 1000+ items into another level of sub-folders. If I had 2300+ items split out between 603 separate sub-folders (like your Shoes folder example), personally I would not worry about that exceeding suggested limits or being an issue, as long as the structure makes sense to you for finding things.

I think there is a balance that people need to figure out what works best for them between how many levels of sub-folders to build out the structure, and how many loose items to have in the inner-most level sub-folder.  

Thank you so much, that helps a lot

[Rolig Loon]

Organization?  I have basic folders with obvious subfolders in them, like everyone else, but I don't do anything elaborate.  I've tried over the years, of course, but serious organization takes more time and attention than I care to devote to it.  I ought to do a massive purge of pre-mesh things that I no longer use, but I have long followed a policy of deleting things when I no longer recognize them, so my inventory has hovered around 36K  +/- 2K for years. The purge can wait. I tell myself that I will find a block of quiet time some day and establish a decent filing system, but I really don't expect that day to come soon.  As long as my search function can find things fairly well, I'm happy.

[AdminGirl]

5 hours ago, Rolig Loon said:

Organization?  I have basic folders with obvious subfolders in them, like everyone else, but I don't do anything elaborate.  I've tried over the years, of course, but serious organization takes more time and attention than I care to devote to it.  I ought to do a massive purge of pre-mesh things that I no longer use, but I have long followed a policy of deleting things when I no longer recognize them, so my inventory has hovered around 36K  +/- 2K for years. The purge can wait. I tell myself that I will find a block of quiet time some day and establish a decent filing system, but I really don't expect that day to come soon.  As long as my search function can find things fairly well, I'm happy.

Ah 36k, I think the purge can definitely wait for you lol. I'm over 65k and I haven't even reached a year in sl

[Orwar]

57 minutes ago, AdminGirl said:

Ah 36k, I think the purge can definitely wait for you lol. I'm over 65k and I haven't even reached a year in sl

   Neph is 13 months old - inventory count is currently at ... 8,024 elements.

[LittleMe Jewell]

19 minutes ago, Orwar said:

   Neph is 13 months old - inventory count is currently at ... 8,024 elements.

You obviously need to take her shopping more.

[AdminGirl]

10 hours ago, RaeLeeH said:

I actually took a class at Builder's Brewery on Inventory Sorting last year I think it was. That was actually a very invaluable experience! After many years my inventory had bloated to the point I was experiencing lag so figured it was time to get proactive. Ultimately though your level of organization will depend on your needs and your commitment to maintain it, or it will just end up being a long drawn out and frustrating waste of time.

Others have covered the basic structure of using subfolders, and this is the same method I use. I am perhaps a little too organized in that my subfolders have subfolders or sub-subfolders… But its a system that works for me because I use it often enough to know where things go and where they can be found.

In my Inventory I have created several folders that I access regularly; DAILY, BUILD, STORAGE, TEXTURES TO SORT, OBJECTS TO SORT, DEMOS. 

In each of those I have created subfolders as needed. For example; DEMOS list subfolders with names of the sales events where the objects were found.

In the default BODY PARTS and CLOTHING folders I have created subfolders which in turn have subfolders. For example CLOTHING > SHOES > FLATS, SNEAKERS etc.

Even the naming of my subfolders follows its own system; asterisks is the subfolder, numbers denote sub-subfolders. Confused yet? (see picture).

 

Some advice; 

I Paste As Link where possible instead of having multiple copies of the same thing (for instance if I want to include a copy of my AO in my DAILY folder).

I have a folder called TEXTURES TO SORT where I store all the photos I take and textures I upload until I can store them in a texture organizer program (and then once in the organizer I delete the copies from my inventory).

I have a folder called OBJECTS TO SORT where I store all the objects from my default objects folder so that the default doesn't get cluttered by hundreds of items. 

I have a STORAGE folder that has its own subfolders inside; this is the main folder of all the objects I keep and where the objects from the OBJECTS TO SORT folder are categorized. Some subfolders include OLD OBJECTS, BUILDINGS, GACHA, POSES, VEHICLES, RP STUFF, etc. So once I sort my other folders the majority ends up here.

I have a folder for DEMOS that I regularly clean/empty. Which leads me to... 

 

Clean regularly!

Probably the most important aspect to organizing inventory but people don't know where to start or what to get rid of. These are a few key words that can be typed into the inventory search bar to easier locate and delete. These work for me but of course you need to be careful you don't delete things you need;

DELETE, UNPACK, HOLD (be careful it is not for a purse, pose, or pet!), DEMO, GIVE, HOVER, FLOAT, THANK YOU, REMOVE, READ, IMPORTANT, INFO, INFORMATION, INSTRUCTIONS (be careful you don't need it), HOW TO (again, use discretion), OBJECT, BAG, COPYRIGHT, ABOUT, GROUP, INVITE , POLICY.

Don't forget to check your landmarks folder to remove duplicates too.

 

And once again to reiterate, it doesn't really matter HOW you organize, only that it makes sense to you and that you stick to it. If one way doesn't work, try organizing a different way until you find a system that works. If you do anything long enough it becomes a habit. And if all else fails do what I did and keep an eye out at Builders Brewery (search for it in world under groups) and attend the class when it comes up again. It's free and takes less than an hour from memory or thereabouts. Anyway, good luck!  

wow thanks so much for that RaeLeeH! :D

[Adam Spark]

Mine is a work in progress but here is how I do it:

1) Start with duplication. Sort by name and look for duplicates. These can add up easily, especially in landmarks, notecards, and scripts. Be sure to look everywhere though. You might have duplicate textures and if you are like me, you probably have made duplicate purchases along the way lol. Do this periodically.

2) Decide if you want to keep or trash system clothing. I am trashing much of mine. I'll keep some long enough to try Bakes On Mesh, but from what I have seen, it still looks like system clothing, so it will probably all go before long.

3) Check the validity of any LMs you are unsure of. Are the places even there anymore? This could take a while and should be done periodically. Worth the effort.

4) search for key words to delete things you don't need:

Delete - a word you will find on some scripts that come with purchases, like a bag script will often say delete me in the name

Copyright - We need to follow the terms but we don't need to keep all those NCs!

TOS - see above.

- Unpack - unpacker scripts

- Group - group joiner scripts can sometimes come with purchases

- info - store info notecards that add up and become redundant

You get the idea.

5) Finally, create folders and sub folders. Create a tops folder in Clothing, with various subfolders for different types of tops, for starters.

[Kia Kiyori]

On 10/17/2018 at 1:28 AM, Lindal Kidd said:

Anya, Outfits does inflate one's inventory total.  I have about 500 of them, and I started getting concerned back when that number was a lot lower.

However, even though the Outfits links do count toward your total, I have not found any evidence that they contribute to the actual downsides of a large inventory...slower TPs, TP failures, or slower logins.

Omgosh, Lindal - I'm so sorry! Never saw your reply (late response alert!)

Yes, I found the outfits folder to be a major, major contributor towards an inflated inventory and I tend to flush it out regularly, but like you, I haven't found it to contribute to any problems with tp's or slower logins - perhaps it's because we keep our inventory so well organized and keep the outfits folder on a highly restricted diet?

[Lindal Kidd]

On 7/11/2019 at 7:24 PM, AnyaJurelle said:

Omgosh, Lindal - I'm so sorry! Never saw your reply (late response alert!)

Yes, I found the outfits folder to be a major, major contributor towards an inflated inventory and I tend to flush it out regularly, but like you, I haven't found it to contribute to any problems with tp's or slower logins - perhaps it's because we keep our inventory so well organized and keep the outfits folder on a highly restricted diet?

I think it has more to do with the fact that all the items in your Outfits folder are LINKS, not the items themselves.