How do you organize your assets for a project?
adacey
Posts: 186
So I'm working on a story right now that I plan to illustrate with artwork from DAZ. Maybe go into a full comic, but more likely illustrated prose for publishing online.
How do others organize their resources when you're preparing something like this? I was thinking probably a parent folder for the project, then a cast folder that would then have folders for each character. Probably do a starting point document of just the character morphed up, default pose, and basic mats applied, but no wardrobe. Then maybe if they have a few standard looks I'd create separate files for each wardrobe selection, again mats applied but probably no posing.
Similarly, for recurring sets, build the set as I like as the default and save each one.
What I'm envisioning is then I'm well set up to just merge in the various characters and the set into one scene, then add lighting and poses. But am I missing a trick here with a better workflow? I suppose the big one I could think of would be if I started looking into presets but I've not yet delved into how much I can get into 1 preset. Looking for some advice here just so that I can manage a reasonable cast of characters and not have to constantly be starting from scratch so that I maintain some consistency.
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I use the same characters over and over for G2F & G3F. Each are a unique mix of morphs with a specific skin and hair.
After I got the look I wanted for each one, I first saved each character as a saved scene. Second, I saved each character out as a Character Preset. This saves the how much of each character you have dialed in. 3rd, I save a Material Presest which saves out all the surface info. And then last but not least, I save a Scene Subset. The scene subset is a lot like a saved scene except it only saves what you tell it too from the scene itself and none of the render settings. So you can set up multiple versions of your characters with different outfits and skin settings, such as LIE scars and dirt, and then load them into the scene as you need to. And a scene subset is always merged into the scene so the excisting scene is not lost but just added to.
All of the file types mentioned above only store info about what is used on your character, so you can set up your own folder for the story with subfolders for every location and character in whatever configureation you need. Then simple merge each as you need to and save out the final as a saved scene.
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Thanks so much, guys, it sounds like I was on the right track, but the extra details about hearing how other people solve this problem have really helped fill in the gaps. The big reason I was staying away from presets was because of things like having a character with hair. I can see it being really useful for keeping track of what items/morphs/mats were used for everything too just in case anything has to come up later like checking licenses or just avoiding the inevitable tearing out of your hair when you're trying to recreate something later.
Thanks for the beta & sale tip!
I create VN's and this works best for me.
I build each character with morphs dialed in, hair and what ever else I need to do to the base character to get the look I want and then save that in a "characters" folder. When I need to have that character dressed the same way across multiple environments I dress the character as needed and save that in a second folder labeled "dressed characters" with each one having the name of the character and then something descriptive of what the file is for. If I have to customize an environment to fit my needs, more than just adding a single prop for a single scene, I build that once and save it in a "MyEnvironments" folder.To build a scene it is pretty simple then to load the environment merge the characters or dressed characters into the scene and then pose as needed. I do also save all my complete and WIP scenes in a folder specific to each chapter of the VN,othersie finding the ones you need quickly becomes difficult.
I save characters, personal props, textures, PS files and modifications as the story progresses in their own files, and then save specific scenes to chapter folders. That way I can find whoever I'm looking for and just merge them in as needed. Organizing so you can find your bits is key!
You're welcome! :)
however you organise ( and yes subsets and that is a huge help, plus the basic scenes which will be recurring) safe everything to a an external harddrive or something like that, safe alternations you take from your scenes there as well every now and then, sorted by date and safe every resulting image there as well. nothing worse than screwing with an original scene to a state of no repair and having no fallback.
If the project has multiple scenes (graphic novel/strip or illustrated story), my project folder will have subfolders like 'Cast', 'Sets', 'Props', 'Scenes', containing scene subsets that will be re-used, or full scenes — possibly in several versions — in the 'Scenes' folder. If, as in a comic strip, several scenes are variations of a single scene, they may get a subfolder of their own. If the project is a single picture, it may have a folder of its own, with some of the subsets there along with the scene (or versions of the scene); or it just may live in a general scenes folder.
I can show you how i organize for creating animation . I would believ it be very simular to your needs