Asset CCK - allow reference to Image module files

Sorry to be a pest, we've already had a discussion about my confusion around Asset import

http://drupal.org/node/316974#comment-1046777

and I'm sure I've echoed some of these ideas elsewhere in my continuing research/campaign for rationalized image-handling in Drupal, but I thought this specific idea deserved its own feature request.

I know Asset isn't image-specific, but surely they are the dominant multi-media filetype for most sites.

When looking for an image to reference in an Asset CCK field, we are currently able to browse via the filesystem, which works well if we've set up a well-organized folder hierarchy (VERY nice feature BTW, Asset's the only module that allows this).

However it only works for files specifically (re-)uploaded as Assets.

I would like to be able to insert an image already uploaded to my filesystem via Image module. Image Assist handles the browsing very nicely (since Image doesn't allow any directory organisation) by taking advantage of image-as-nodes by browsing based on Taxonomy terms.

The files are already there in my filesystem, I'd really rather not upload them again just to be able to use them in a CCK field (as Imagefield requires).

I believe Asset does NOT delete an Asset/file just because a node referencing that file in a CCK field gets deleted. Therefore there doesn't seem to be any danger of messing up any Image-module style image handling.

Only downside I can see is if the site admin allowed Image nodes to get deleted, this would cause Asset's file references to break. Two possible options (thinking while I'm writing here):

• A Make this functionality an option and clear flag a warning in red to the admin "if your Image-module nodes and their files get deleted your Asset CCK fields will break!" and of course updating the docs here http://drupal.org/node/209387
• B IMO a better solution would be to go ahead and copy Image-module files to an (admin specified) Asset folder when the CCK field reference is saved and the Asset table entry created - this then becomes a file fully "owned by" and under the control of Asset as if it were uploaded in the normal Asset UI's workflow.

Downside to B is the file duplication, but we already have that, at least this way we don't have to manually upload the files twice every time! The two choices could of course be admin-selected options when enabling this functionality.

This would IMO be a huge step forward in improving the current fragmentation of Drupal's handling of images.

Thanks for considering Wim - sure wish I was capable of coding it!