SIMPLE "local" Asset Management

[bjoern]

I'm looking for a tool, literally for decades. From when I started 20 years ago with Screendesign to motiongraphcs and now VFX supervision. The most basic tool
to collaborate is still missing. 

Disclaimer: The number one requirement for this tool and absolute NO-GO if not present is" a custom folder structure and naming convention". 

A functionality that allows you to track versions of local files (no physical upload required) and enforces naming conventions. I would want to use it like this
-I would transfer files via Dropbox or sync.( Manual user setup)
-To make sure everybody has the same entry point in to the project hierarchy . We would use drive-mapping. (Manual user setup)
-If I then from for example within Maya Publish, Maya will just save the file and copy it to a publishing folder and tell Ftrack the version.
-On Safe ftrack-Connect (or similar) would tell you if your scene name is correct or not. thats it.

Anything else is for me simply luxury. 

If I could program I would have build the tool my self, be by now a millionaire and have bought ftrack to give this tracking tool a nicer UI. If you think I'm kidding you are underestimating the large markets that are in need for such a tool.  Freelancers or small studios in Graphic design, motion graphics to 3D, they are all in need.

Enforcing your own naming convention and folder structure and having simple file tracking are the basics. Everything else comes second and is not important before this is not there, Out of the Box, without coding!

 

[bjoern]

To clarify, with "local" I mean that that there is no file handling on the ftrack side.  Files are transfered via dropbox and so on. Yes this would leave room for errors. But that is okay, cause having this tool is more important!

I know that ftrack connect can do some of these things. But it has its own folder and naming convention. There for it is irrelevant. And customization is to complicated and requires coding knowledge which is flat out ridicules since we are talking about such a basic feature. Maybe not basic from a coding point but basic in the sense that is always the first and most important matter in a production when it comes to data handling. There for it should come out of the box. 
I know ftrack was not intended as such a tool in the first place... But hey, here you have it. Go get it, make some money with it  
 

[lorenzo.angeli]

Hi Bjoern.

We (Efesto Lab) have been working on ftrack tools, integrations and customizations for sometimes now and I think we might have something close enough to what you are after.
Please have a look at : http://docs.efestolab.uk/tools/structure/index.html for the documentation.

There's more if you are interested, under www.vimeo.com/efestolab
Please feel free to get in touch with us at info@efestolab.uk if you require more information !

Cheers.

L.

 

 

[bjoern]

thx lorenzo for the response! I looked some time ago at efesto. This looks like some great progress.
But I wish this would be tackled internally by ftrack.  by the way, the competition is starting with it too:

http://nim-labs.com/features/
scroll down to: PROJECT STRUCTURES

[Peter Hartwig]

We were looking for the same thing, and have ended up starting to develop our own. Basically it borrows a lot from shotguns workfiles. I have only spent a few days on it, but it is already taking shape, in Nuke at least, maya is next. The concept is that it will set up directories that are concurrent with the given shot and put everything in work and render directories under the shot. Oh, and it names the files correctly, and the rendered frames are named according to the script name etc. Very simple, but very helpful stuff.