Frequently asked questions

Creating an account 

Does the Digital Asset Center (DAC) support Single Sign-On (SSO)? 

Yes. Employees and contractors can access the DAC from any ExxonMobil company-issued computer using SSO. You do not need to set up a separate username and password. Read more here. 

Can I (an employee), access DAC from my phone or Mac? 

Yes. Once you have accessed DAC from a company-issued computer, all you need to do is access your settings in DAC and change your password to something you’ll remember. Then, you can access DAC from a Mac, iPhone or Android device through a browser (Chrome is recommended) by logging in with your UserID (your Company email address) and the password you just updated.

Can I use SSO to access DAC from my phone?

No. SSO is only available from a company-issued computer. However, you can access DAC from a phone or tablet with your User ID (your Company email address) and password you created. 

Can we provide access to non-employees?  

Yes. Agencies, vendors and partners who help support our business communications are welcome to use assets from DAC. Those users should register using the “Sign up” link on the log in page. 

I just signed up for a UserID and Password. How long will it take for my registration to be approved? 

An Administrator reviews and activates accounts several times daily. You should receive a welcome email within one business day of registering.  

Searching and sharing assets

What is the best way to find the specific asset I am searching for? 

The DAC is keyword-search based. Begin by searching for one or more words that would describe the asset. (Examples: Baytown, offshore platform, employee at work, male or female, etc.) Then, you can also use various “Filters” to narrow down the search results. 

Can I send a photo to a colleague?

Yes. Just click the three gray dots at the bottom right of the thumbnail and select “Share”. There, you can copy out a download link, a zip file via email or, you can also send to a Collection from this screen.  

How can I gather some assets I need for a project? 

With a Collection. A collection is like a Lightbox or a Board you might’ve used on other stock image sites. Begin by creating a collection by clicking the gray + symbol next to the word Collections in the left column, name it and then you’re ready to begin adding assets. You can add assets by dragging the desired asset into the folder you just created. 

Can I share Collections with others? 

Yes. You can share a Collection with other uses, who can collaborate with you by adding assets to it. To share a Collection, click the three gray dots next to its name, then click Share from the menu. There are two options to share. The “Zip” tab will allow you to send another user a Zip file via a downloadable email link. The “New collection” tab allows you to invite another user(s) via email to join your Collection and collaborate with you. This option allows the other user(s) to add assets as well.  

How do I know if I can use a certain photo or video? 

Assets available in the DAC have been verified that their usage or licensing rights make them available for the company and our partners to use in business communications projects. What you must do is make sure any asset you use goes through the approval process in place in your department.

Downloading assets

How do I download an asset for my project?  

There are two ways to download an asset. First, you can click on the three gray dots at the bottom right of an asset thumbnail and select Download. From the Download menu, you can choose a specific size or type of asset you need. Second, if you select the image, you can click on Download beneath the photo and select the size and type there.

Uploading assets 

Can I upload any photo to the DAC? 

Yes, you can upload any photo to the DAC. However, since the assets in the DAC are available to the entire company, a site Administrator will review each asset and activate it into the system. The Administrator must confirm complete and accurate metadata, that we have the legal right to distribute the asset and that the asset is relevant for business use.   

I just uploaded an asset. How long will it take for the asset to be approved and available for use? 

New assets uploaded to DAC are reviewed and activated daily. If you need something activated immediately, contact DAC.Support@exxonmobil.com.

What file types does DAC support?

DAC can support almost any file format. Some media files include: JPEG, TIF, PNG, PSD, AI, PDF, GIF, EPS, SVG, TTF, MOV, MP4, MP3, WAV and more. Other non-media files also supported include: INDD, DOC, DOCX, XLS, PPT, CSV, and ZIP and more. If you can save it to your hard drive, you can store it in DAC. 

What metadata is required for an asset to be loaded/activated?

There are several metadata fields that are required. These fields are marked with a red asterisk to the right of their title.  

• Title: This is the name of your file and is captured by the system at upload.
• Copyright owner: This is the person or business who created the asset and can provide us the permission needed to use it. This could be a photographer, an employee, Getty Images, etc. If you have questions about the ownership of an asset or its copyright/licensing status, please contact DAC.Support@exxonmobil.com.
• Country: The country in which the asset was created.
• Location: Could be the same as Country, but we prefer the name of the facility or a more common reference to where the asset was created. (Examples: Baytown Refinery, FPSO Liza Destiny, Clinton laboratory, etc.)
• Keywords: These are the words you add to help a user find this asset in a search. 

Why do we need to add Metadata?

Assets in DAC are potentially available to the entire company. If complete and correct metadata is not included, there are risks that the asset could be used illegally, unable to be found through a search, or create additional work for the administrators to track down the information.

Can I upload multiple assets at once? 

Yes. To do this, make sure all files you wish to upload are selected simultaneously and click “Open” to start the upload process. 

Is there a limit to how many assets I can upload at once? 

No, but it is recommended to upload in smaller batches, of similar subjects, in order to keep metadata editing as efficient and specific as possible for each individual asset.

I don’t know some of the information for the required metadata fields. Can I use TBD or N/A and fill those fields in later?

No. It’s critical that information including the origin and ownership of any asset be confirmed before use in any Company communication. If an asset does not have all the required fields properly filled in, the system will not allow the editor or administrator to activate it. Visit Best practices for additional information on how to add Metadata to your assets. 

Can I make assets private or accessible to a limited number of users?

Yes and No. There are some categories of assets that are only available to specific user groups, but this is not something we can do for a specific asset.  If you have an asset(s) that needs to be restricted, please contact DAC.Support@exxonmobil.com.

Can I upload videos?

Yes. Some examples of video formats supported are MP4, MOV, WMV and more.  

Editing assets

Can I crop photos in the DAC? 

Yes. Start by selecting the image you’d like to crop and click the word “Crop” right below the thumbnail. On the Crop screen, you can set a specific pixel dimension, drag and drop the edges or corners, or choose from the selection of preset crops. 

What preset crops are available in the DAC for use? 

There are corporate and standard presets. Corporate presets are intended for our social channels and include Facebook, Energy Factor, Twitter, LinkedIn and Instagram. Standard presets include dimensions for Powerpoint and other common communications uses. 

Can I download just one part of a video?

Yes. Select the video you need to download from, then select “Trim” from the option right below the thumbnail. This selection will give you a slider control (framed in red) below the video and allow you to mark the beginning and end of the clip you need and then download just that part. 

Can I edit the metadata of multiple assets at the same time? 

Yes. Once the upload completes, you may select any number of assets, then choose “Batch Edit” from the menu in the red top bar (by clicking the three gray dots in the white space next to the number of assets you chose) to simultaneously add or edit data in any field(s).