> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://umber.gitbook.io/umber/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://umber.gitbook.io/umber/concepts/virtual-assets.md). # Virtual Assets A **Virtual Asset** manages a digital asset — an image, video, audio file, document, and more. See the full list in [Asset Types](/umber/concepts/asset-types.md). ## The problem it solves Say you're building a website with a logo, a hero image, banners, and videos. The typical approach is to store these files in your project folder or a cloud bucket and reference them directly in code. That creates two recurring problems: * **Duplication** — every new environment needs its own copy of every asset. * **Reference churn** — a new version of an asset either needs a new filename (so your code has to change to pick it up) or overwrites the old file (so there's no history or safe rollback). ## How Umber structures it A Virtual Asset has two parts: * **Definition** (also called the container in the API reference) — the asset's identity and metadata (its Asset ID, type, and other attributes). * **Versions** — the actual uploaded files, each tied back to that one definition. Because the definition is created once, you never re-enter basic asset info when uploading a new version — you just add a version to the existing asset. Umber also supports **empty virtual assets** — you can create the definition before the actual file exists, which is useful early in a project when you know what an asset will be but the final file isn't ready yet. ## Examples * A website/app/game logo * A hero image * A video * An FAQ section stored as JSON * A 3D model * A game asset Umber places no restriction on file format at the platform level — in principle, any file type can be stored as a virtual asset. In practice, each version you upload is checked against the parent asset's [Asset Type](/umber/concepts/asset-types.md), which constrains the accepted file types for that specific asset. --- # Agent Instructions This documentation is published with GitBook. GitBook is the documentation platform designed so that both humans and AI agents can read, navigate, and reason over technical content effectively. Learn more at gitbook.com. ## Querying This Documentation If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question. Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter, and the optional `goal` query parameter: ``` GET https://umber.gitbook.io/umber/concepts/virtual-assets.md?ask=&goal= ``` `ask` is the immediate question: it should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language. `goal` is optional and describes the broader end goal you are ultimately trying to accomplish on behalf of the user. GitBook uses it to tailor the answer towards what is most useful for that goal. The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation. Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.