README.developer

## Getting and building qLib

First of all clone it with git:

    git clone git://github.com/gadfly16/qLib.git

### Building and extracting OTLs

For better version management the assets are distributed in ascii form. This
means that the OTLs must be built before importing into houdini. qLib provides
the `qdo` utility script to aid you in this and other processes.

### Building binary OTLs from the extracted directories

The following command executed in qLib's root directory will build the whole
library:

    ./qdo build -R

The `-R` flags stands for recursive and that make `qdo` to descend into
subdirectories. The following command will build just the 'base' otls:

    ./qdo build -R otls/base/

Of course the exact commands may be different if you are not in the top level
of the qLib distribution.

You can also build just one single asset:

    ./qdo build otls/base/bend_ql_SOP_OTL

### Extracting ascii directory structures from binary OTLs

The logic is the same here, just the subcommand differs:

    ./qdo extract -R ./qdo extract -R otls/base ./qdo extract
otls/base/bend_ql_SOP.otl

### Cleaning up after yourself

Sometimes it's handy to clean up the mess after your work. The logic is the
same here, you can use the `-R` flag to initiate recursive behavior. The next
command will clear all binary OTLs recursively under the current directory:

    ./qdo clean -R

If you want to remove the extracted directories use the `-s` or `--source`
flag. For example:

    ./qdo clean -sR otls/base

### Use the `--help` flag

If you are uncertain you can always use the `-h` or `--help` flag to see all
the available subcommands and flags, or if you put it after a subcommand to get
the help of that particular command.