How to Download and Convert an Asset

This guide explains how to download assets from your Library, and how to download them in a different format or size. In Data Dwell, all files (images, photos, documents, videos and other media) are referred to as assets. Downloading allows you to save these files to your computer for offline use, sharing, or editing.

Quick Summary

To download a file: Use the three-dot menu (⋯) next to any asset and select Download, or open the asset and click the Download button. In the download options, you can choose the original file or select a conversion to receive the asset in a different format or size. For multiple files, select them using checkboxes and use the bulk download option in the batch action menu at the bottom of the screen. You can download them as one ZIP file or as separate files.

Before You Start

• You must have permission to download assets in the platform.
• The available formats and sizes depend on your platform's configuration and the asset's file type.
• If the download option isn't visible, it may be restricted by your permissions or disabled for the specific asset.

Ways to Download an Asset

• From Asset Actions (⋯): In folders, metadata views, and search results, use the three-dot menu next to an asset to access the download option.
• Bulk Download: Use the checkboxes to select multiple assets. The batch action menu appears at the bottom with available actions, including bulk download.
• From Asset Preview: When previewing an asset, use the "Download" button to save the file.
• From Asset Details: Within the asset detail view, you can download the original or available versions of the asset.
• External Downloads: If you're an external user accessing assets through a Portal, download options will be available based on the portal configuration.

Downloading in a Different Format or Size

Converting is part of the download flow. When you download an asset, you can take the original file or select a conversion instead, which delivers the asset in a different format, size, or resolution. This is useful when you need a web-sized image, a lower-resolution proof, or a format that another application can open.

1. Start a download using any of the methods above.
2. In the download options, review the available conversions alongside the original file.
3. Select the conversion you want.
4. The converted file is generated and downloaded to your device.

Converting never changes the original file. It produces a new file for you to download, and the original stays exactly as it was uploaded.

When Conversions Are Not Available

Conversions are available for images, videos, audio files, and documents. If you do not see any conversion options, the usual reasons are:

• No conversions have been configured for that file type. The options you see come from Conversion Profiles set up by an administrator. If an administrator has hidden all of them, the option appears greyed out.
• You do not have conversion permissions. Conversion options are only shown to users whose permissions allow them.
• The download is limited to certain user groups. Admins can offer a conversion, or the original file, only to specific user groups. If you need it, ask your administrator.

PDFs with crop marks: when you download a PDF that has crop marks, the download dialog offers Remove crop marks. Tick it to get the file without them. The option is unticked by default and only appears for PDFs that have crop marks.

Downloading Several Assets

When you download several assets at once, you choose how to receive them after picking the original or a conversion. The Download Assets dialog shows the format you chose and two options:

• ZIP archive: all the files bundled into a single ZIP file. Tick Email me a link when it's ready (don't wait) to get an email with a download link instead of waiting for the ZIP to be ready.
• Individual files: each file downloaded separately.

For more than a few assets, the ZIP archive is the easier option.

Downloading an Asset with Its Subassets

If an asset has subassets, you can download them together with it or on their own:

• With the asset: start a download as usual and choose the original or a conversion. The Download Asset dialog lists the subassets under Include Subassets, all ticked. Untick any you don't need, then click Download with Subassets.
• Only the subassets: open the asset's Subassets tab and click Download all.

Assets with an Alert Note

Some assets carry an alert note - a message from your organisation about how that asset may be used, such as licensing restrictions or an expiry date. When you download an asset with an alert note, the note is shown first and you must tick a checkbox to confirm you have read it before the download will proceed. This applies whether you are downloading the original file or a conversion.

Alert notes are a system metafield. Like other system metafields, the field must be added to a Metadata Profile before it can be filled in on an asset. If your team cannot add alert notes to assets, check that the field is included in the relevant profile.

About Conversion Profiles

Conversion profiles define what formats, sizes, and file types are available. Each profile includes a name, description, output format, and technical specifications such as dimensions, quality, or resolution.

Administrators and users with conversion profile management permissions can create and configure profiles in App Setup > Asset Settings > Conversion Profiles. To create a new profile, click [+ New] and configure the name, description, visibility, file type, and output format. Built-in system conversions can also be hidden, so users only see the options your organisation wants to offer.

To limit who can use a download, click the three-dot menu (⋯) on the profile, choose Edit and select one or more user groups. Leave the field empty (Everyone has access) to offer it to everyone, then click Update. The Original Download can be limited the same way, for example so that only Marketing can download original files while everyone else gets smaller versions.

If you need a conversion option that isn't currently available, contact your administrator to request a new conversion profile.

Tips

• If you don't see download options, verify your permissions or consult your administrator.
• Multiple file formats may be offered, such as original, resized, or converted. Choose the version that fits your use case.
• Converted files are generated on demand and stored temporarily, remaining accessible for a few days before being removed.
• For large downloads, choose ZIP archive and tick the email option, so you can keep working while the file is prepared.
• Files are saved to your default download location unless otherwise set in your browser preferences.