wierdness

[Roger]

So...I'm going through my various project files because I'm looking to maybe do some animation with my penguin model as a test of the things I've learned, and I come across something odd.

My most recent file for the penguin, I open up and I've got my "its a pitch" project in there. I was a bit puzzled at first, and then I remembered I had started "its a pitch" while having the penguin project open, and thought that I had accidentally saved over it. Turns out, the model is still in there, the project file just contains both the penguin model and the choreography for "its a pitch".

 

I did not find that right away, though, and in the interest of not having to redo my work, I'm going back through my files and notice that like my last 4 or 5 versions of the penguin, all have the updated head. So I'm thinking that is pretty odd, because I don't remember exporting the model and importing it into the old project files. I also don't think it is likely that AM would have accidentally updated or saved the new model into the old project files, even if I had opened all of them simultaneously or on the same day.

 

So, I guess what I'm getting at, is this a possible AM goof/bug, user error on my part (I will conceded I goofed up saving the "its a pitch" cho into my penguin project file, I am pretty sure I did that, but the other files I don't see how all 4 or 5 could end up that way) or is this evidence of something else going on? I know the files are different because I compared them to a backup I did to another media, and the old files have the older looking model still.

[NancyGormezano]

I'm going to guess that possibly there was some confusion as to whether the project was saved to have embedded models, or not. It's confusing as to what you are saying about the older versions of your penguins. Sometimes A:M saves files to the last project directory (like in bake surface), regardless of whether you have yet saved the new unnamed project.

 

Be aware when you save your project it will save everything in the project if it has been changed (either embedded or as separate file). So if you made changes to a model, and you save the project, the model file if not embedded will get overwritten, regardless. That is one reason NOT to work with projects.

 

I find it better to work with chors only, and save model files, materials, etc under new version numbers until I'm satisfied with the changes. I will only work with projects when I am forced to - such as for baking hair, baking surface decals - because new files get created that get saved to project directory. I like more control as to what gets saved, when and where.

 

This may or may not have anything to do with what happened to you. I can't tell from your description.

[Roger]

So rather than start a new project, I would be better off using choreographies only, and exporting everything else separately.

Other than the specific instances you mentioned, when else would you want to use project files?

[NancyGormezano]

So rather than start a new project, I would be better off using choreographies only, and exporting everything else separately.

Other than the specific instances you mentioned, when else would you want to use project files?

 

Net rendering needs project files I believe

 

Sometimes there are funnies with chors and rotoscopes and/or fog images, like the fog image doesn't get reloaded with the chor, that gets solved if you use projects. Or you could just reimport the image. There may be other examples.

 

You can always make (save under a name) a project at the last minute, after you're happy with your chor, models, materials etc for using netrender, or for solving other problems.

 

If you save everything in separate files, you need to be aware of A:M's data hierarchy. For example, if you make changes to a material and save it under a new name, then you would also have to save any models that use that newly changed named material. But you also have the option to not save the models, and they would continue to use the old material.

[robcat2075]

I also prefer saving chors when the various other assets are pretty much in a final state.

 

I save PRJs with everything embedded when I am doing experimental (to me) stuff. When I'm doing cloth I'm progressively tweaking various parameters in the material and the model and the chor and when it finally works I want to save the whole environment so if the next version doesn't work i can go back and compare what it is that I changed that made the difference.

 

(tip: always force a save before you run a cloth sim to make sure the last parameters you set are really being used)

 

I want to be able to get the exact version of the material that was on the exact version of the model that was in the exact version of the chor and not have to wonder if one of them got saved over by a later version that's different than what i wanted.