Inventory Management Software

[Jennifer Boyle]

For some time, I have had a concept in mind of software that could make it much easier to manage inventory. Many of us have large inventories that are very laborious and inefficient to manage with only the tools we have inworld. I think it would be possible for someone with the right skillset to write a program that could make it much easier. I would pay a significant amount for such software, and I think many others would.

What I have in mind is an app that would run on a computer, and would connect to the SL servers the same way a viewer does, and would look to the server like a viewer. It would download all information about items in inventory that is accessible to viewers, i.e., all data that can be displayed by opening properties for each item. It would have a spreadsheet-like user interface, and would have powerful tools for both accessing information and manipulating it. For example, filters and boolean search using any properties, the ability to find folders based on combinations of contents, such as "Item 1 AND Item 2", etc. It would allow batch operations, such as renaming all folders or items that have names containing specified strings, and conditional operations, such as deleting all links to an item from Outfit folders that contain links to (an)other specified item(s). I'm sure that many more useful functions that would be possible.

After a user had made changes in the inventory data offline, the app would be able to connect to the SL servers and apply the changes to the inventory.

[Rowan Amore]

I'd think that if this were at all possible, someone would already have made millions.

[Coffee Pancake]

We (Catznip) spend a lot of time working on inventory

https://modemworld.me/2018/01/01/catznip-r12-inventory-shopping-and-more/

It's better to sort inventory as you use / acquire it. Batch processing it in the way you describe (work on a snapshot and then resync) would be a high risk operation that may not be reversible or reliable. It would be trivial to think you have it 'just so', press the button and then realize how badly you messed up, or to press the button and SL reject or miss some of the changes leaving you in an uncertain state.

For organizing and accessing clothing in a more visual way, I highly recommend the Wardrobe.

https://www.carlyletheassolutions.com/wardrobe.php

*Just watch all of Buttacwup's tutorials before you start https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NHSQIAJOhsM

 

[Fritigern Gothly]

1 hour ago, Jennifer Boyle said:

For some time, I have had a concept in mind of software that could make it much easier to manage inventory. Many of us have large inventories that are very laborious and inefficient to manage with only the tools we have inworld. I think it would be possible for someone with the right skillset to write a program that could make it much easier. I would pay a significant amount for such software, and I think many others would.

What I have in mind is an app that would run on a computer, and would connect to the SL servers the same way a viewer does, and would look to the server like a viewer. It would download all information about items in inventory that is accessible to viewers, i.e., all data that can be displayed by opening properties for each item. It would have a spreadsheet-like user interface, and would have powerful tools for both accessing information and manipulating it. For example, filters and boolean search using any properties, the ability to find folders based on combinations of contents, such as "Item 1 AND Item 2", etc. It would allow batch operations, such as renaming all folders or items that have names containing specified strings, and conditional operations, such as deleting all links to an item from Outfit folders that contain links to (an)other specified item(s). I'm sure that many more useful functions that would be possible.

After a user had made changes in the inventory data offline, the app would be able to connect to the SL servers and apply the changes to the inventory.

That reminds me of Second Inventory (later Stored Inventory) which at the time allowed you to make a backup of your inventory and re-upload it in case anything went wrong with your inventory.
Of course, people would also use it to take their SL inventory to other grids, so needless to say that many creators were unhappy with the tool. I think that the existence of this tool even contributed to LL taking intellectual property rights more seriously and as a first result prohibited access of Second Inventory/Stored Inventory and other such tools to the SecondLIfe grid.

[LittleMe Jewell]

1 hour ago, Jennifer Boyle said:

For some time, I have had a concept in mind of software that could make it much easier to manage inventory. Many of us have large inventories that are very laborious and inefficient to manage with only the tools we have inworld. I think it would be possible for someone with the right skillset to write a program that could make it much easier. I would pay a significant amount for such software, and I think many others would.

What I have in mind is an app that would run on a computer, and would connect to the SL servers the same way a viewer does, and would look to the server like a viewer. It would download all information about items in inventory that is accessible to viewers, i.e., all data that can be displayed by opening properties for each item. It would have a spreadsheet-like user interface, and would have powerful tools for both accessing information and manipulating it. For example, filters and boolean search using any properties, the ability to find folders based on combinations of contents, such as "Item 1 AND Item 2", etc. It would allow batch operations, such as renaming all folders or items that have names containing specified strings, and conditional operations, such as deleting all links to an item from Outfit folders that contain links to (an)other specified item(s). I'm sure that many more useful functions that would be possible.

After a user had made changes in the inventory data offline, the app would be able to connect to the SL servers and apply the changes to the inventory.

A long, long time ago - circa 2007/2008 - there was an app that did some of that.  It connected to SL and downloaded to an Excel spreadsheet your Inventory contents.  However, it could only download the item names (no properties or pictures) and your inventory structure.  This would allow you to do some inventory sorting/cleaning work outside of SL, but if memory servers, it could not actually make the changes back to your inventory - at least, I'm pretty sure it could not.   Additionally, once your inventory got over some tens of thousands of items, it would lock up and time out trying to download the inventory list.