File Management¶
Knowing where a file is, is 80% of the battle — every file named, versioned, synced.
This is the spec sheet for the file layer. It is the cheapest system on the whole list — the address system is discipline, not servers — and it is the one that buys the 80%. Everything else in the pipeline assumes the address system exists; nothing can pull, publish, sync, or derive what it can't find.
Folder management¶
Strict folder structure — the address system for everything. Every artifact has exactly one home, derivable from what it is (project, asset, task, version), never from who made it or when.
Implementation: see PathObject — Addressing, which resolves tokens to concrete paths.
Examples needed
Token walkthrough: the route from {project}/{asset}/{task}/{version} to a real path,
plus two or three route variants (asset route, shot route, editorial route).
File name management¶
Strict naming conventions — every file self-describing. A name carries its own address: read the filename, know the project, asset, task, and version without opening anything.
Examples needed
Naming grammar with worked examples, including the failure cases the convention prevents (duplicate ambiguity, version guessing, "final_final_v3").
Version control — three routes¶
Version history for every type of file and asset. One size does not fit all; the contract routes each file type to the right system, and artists never choose — the routing is invisible.
| Route | For | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Traditional (numbered) | Artist working files & publishes | Numbers are necessary to quickly revert and to see it on disk. Numbered systems are much easier for artists. |
| Code (git, etc.) | Pipeline code, recipes, configs | Branch/merge semantics where they actually help. |
| Engine (Perforce, etc.) | Large-scale in-engine assets (Unreal) | The engine ecosystems assume it; fighting that costs more than joining it. |
Sync¶
File syncing to the studio cloud — every site, every seat sees the same truth. (Deployment of sync to a new machine is Remote IT's job; the file contract is defined here.)
Proof¶
- Four people, three weeks of file checking — became one person, one hour.
- A new version control system was integrated into the pipeline in an afternoon.