How do I keep track of and download assets?

[fugahagen]

Started just downloading assets from this forum and the organization is killing me. Spent hours naming files and putting them in folders after hours of right clicking pictures but now I don't know the origin of all the assets and keeping track of styles is a nightmare. I think now I should have organized them by author or style and not the way the game organizes them. Now I have a mess of folders so I'm gonna just started over. I have very small packs of assets that go together spread out across multiple folders with no way for me to remember how they fit together.
Another thing is why do we have to right click pictures? An I missing something? The files names are just random letters and it takes forrrrever. I saw a few threads with links.

 

[mlogan]

I have two main folders, one for commercially purchased assets and one for free assets downloaded. Inside the free folder, every time I download a file from a new artist, I create folder with that artist’s name. I also name the file well, including the creator’s name and what the image is. For example if I were downloading one of my modern sprites, I would name the file “mlogan_modernsprite” or something like that. That way, when I go to use it, I know who created it. It also makes it easier to know what I have when going through resources or searching for certain things.

 

[Kes]

Everyone has their own system, but for free things I have a lot of folders, possibly with sub folders, each one with a particular type of asset. So, for example, a folder with animal sprites, sub-folders for dragons, dogs, cats etc. Or a folder for house parts, with sub-folders for doors, windows, roofs, etc.

I give each file a name which is Search friendly, so, for example "Ruined well cr Avery" tells me exactly what that is and who to credit. Obviously some things have multiples, so doors by Ayene are in files named "Doors 01 cr Ayene", "Doors 02 cr Ayene" and so on.

I keep resource packs I've bought in their own folders.

The only free things I download are those things which can be used in commercial projects. I simply don't download non-commercial only resources, that way I know that what I've got I can use.

If you have to right click something and the file name is random letters, it is because that is the way the resource provider posted them and with the file names that they have used. It is not the decision of the forum. Personally I find right-clicking and saving directly to the folder I want to put them in is quicker than using a link to go somewhere else and then have to download it. As for the file name, as I will probably have to change it to include who to credit, it doesn't bother me what it's called. And I'm grateful to them for providing something I want for free.

 

[fugahagen]

Thanks for the advice it helps. For now I'm just going to download from this forum or the other big one and book make every thread I download from. Try to keep it simple so I don't end up not crediting someone or worse.
Started doing everything you said to do Kes and yes seems the best way. I was hoping the lazy way would work but not today! Still just glad there are so many assets to download here.