Library assets location

[TiagoRocha]

I know this has been discussed in other threads, but I can't seem to find the right answer to what I'm looking for.

I don't use and don't want to use the Creative Cloud syncing feature as I only need to have Photoshop on one computer. So that's not an option for me.

Here's what I'm trying to achieve: let's say I'm working on a few icons that I use all the time. I drag them to the Library window. So far so good. Now, I don't want to rely on a Library system where files are transformed to a certain type of file. I would like to be able to go to a folder and see for example "icon1.psd", "icon2.psd", etc. I'm using .psd as an example, but it could be any other extension that I could easily open with Photoshop or Illustrator without going through the Library. Or if I wanted to send those icons to another person, I need to be able to have a readable file format. Does it make sense?

I know I can always have the original files somewhere else on my computer, but my question is about the Library itself. If it saves separate files in a readable format or if it's all "encoded", if that makes sense...

Thanks!

[Lumigraphics]

This question makes no sense. CC Libraries are stored in Adobe's cloud and its to make files accessible to multiple computers using the Internet. Maybe you should use something like Dropbox instead?

[TiagoRocha]

I guess you misunderstood my questions. I do not want them to be available outside my home environment, so Dropbox is not an option for what I need.

Here's what I mean:

Let's say I'm working on my logo. Something I will be using over and over again. So I save it to my Library. I was expecting Photoshop to save that image as a normal, individual file, maybe with the name of whatever I picked on my library (for example "new logo"). So if I wanted to check what images I have, without opening Photoshop, I would go to a folder on my computer and I would see all my files, individually. If I wanted to send that image to a friend, I would pick that image and email it. 

I work with music, for example, and when I save a preset for a drum kit, it creates an individual file that I can rename, send it to someone else, or even delete it. It doesn't compile all presets into a specific file that I can't edit. You know what I mean?

Again, I know I can have all those images stored on my computer, but I was just wondering if Photoshop created a new individual file when we add it to the Library, or not. CC has a limited amount of storage and I'm not interested in using it and being limited to it, or even pay for extra storage that is not that useful for me. That's why it's not an option.

[Kenneth Kawamoto]

Then why not just use the local file system? You can name a folder "Library" if you like (not on macOS home directory of course 😉

[TiagoRocha]

Kenneth, I still want to use the Libraries options for organization, search engine and not digging into folders and subfolders when I'm working on a project. 🙂 

[Lumigraphics]

Libraries are in the cloud. You have to use something else for local sharing if you don't want that.

[TiagoRocha]

Lumigraphics, the libraries CAN be in the cloud, but they are not exclusively there, otherwise you wouldn't be able to add them when you're offline 😉 So when you add anything to your libraries when you're offline, those files are stored somewhere. That's what I'm trying to figure out.

Can you imagine if one day the Cloud has a glitch and users lose all their libraries? It's not something that impossible to happen. We could have the option to dig into that folder on our computer and see what we have there. It's not a big deal, as I mentioned, because I can always save them on a folder as a backup. I was just wondering if they are stored locally as well.

[Lumigraphics]

I don't think you understand. If you add a file on one computer, other computers access it VIA THE CLOUD. The cloud copy is the canonical version. You can't use Libraries and NOT use Adobe's cloud.

[Kenneth Kawamoto]

I think on macOS library files are stored in ~/Library/Application Support/Adobe/Creative Cloud Libraries

(It's not designed to be used as you are intending, you'll find.)

[TiagoRocha]

Ok, I don't like being "that guy", but I'm gonna be "that guy" haha...

As I mentioned, we don't have to use the Cloud to use the Libraries. At least, not in the sense of saving our assets in the Libraries. It, of course, saves those files somewhere on our computers... funny enough, in their original format. For example, in my case, I noticed that my files are here:

~/Library/Application Support/Adobe/Creative Cloud Libraries/LIBS/03FF1335537D50D70A490D4D_AdobeID/creative_cloud/dcx/1db4f2db-cda4-43ed-9b8a-b3b94622d8b0/components

There are two issues with this:

1 - The files don't have their original name so it would be hard to find them

2 - This is the worst issue: even if you delete files from your library, it doesn't delete them from this folder, meaning you will have files taking up space. Not a big problem with vector, but for images and all that, imagine the amount of space this is taking...

I went to my Cloud and permanently deleted all the deleted files, still no luck.

Any ideas if there's a way to refresh the library on the computer so it syncs properly?