V17 question - File structure change / project structure?

[Simon Edmondson]

I recently updated to V17 and am using it to render while animating in V15 at the same time. I will move over to V17 when I get the current short done.

In the meantime I have a couple of questions on some changes that seem to have happened between the versions on the way the projects are saved.

 

I'm used to the way V15 saves out the projects as separate files and have adapted to that system. In V17 it seems to save it out to separate folders each time with the file structure sequence inside ?

Also, the previous project does not load automatically when the program is opened and needs to be selected under the project heading on the top menu.

 

These are minor changes and just need adjusting to on my part but, in case they are not, have I missed something and need to reset or are these standard changes ?

regards

simon

[markw]

To have the last Project load at startup Simon, you will need to set that in A:M's preferences window.

As to saving Projects, I'm afraid I don't quite follow what you are saying there, sorry?

If I have a new Project and I save it, I get the normal save dialogue window to choose a name & location, and if I want, a new folder for it in my chosen location. A:M will then save just the .prj file as instructed.

Next time I save that same project it will still be just the project file on its own in the same location.

[Simon Edmondson]

To have the last Project load at startup Simon, you will need to set that in A:M's preferences window.

As to saving Projects, I'm afraid I don't quite follow what you are saying there, sorry?

If I have a new Project and I save it, I get the normal save dialogue window to choose a name & location, and if I want, a new folder for it in my chosen location. A:M will then save just the .prj file as instructed.

Next time I save that same project it will still be just the project file on its own in the same location.

 

Mark

Thank you for your help. I will reset the project option as you suggest.

The files structure is shown in the attached screen shot.

 

It seems to have saved the model file ( RB17 into a separate folder which contains other folders, referencing the individual bits, such as the porcelain material.

I'm just not familiar with that way of doing it?

regards

simon

[robcat2075]

I'm not sure what I'm looking at in that screen shot.

 

AFAIK, a PRJ is a PRJ in any version.

 

PRJs can have things embedded in them or they can reference files that are not embedded and saved elsewhere.

[Simon Edmondson]

I'm not sure what I'm looking at in that screen shot.

 

AFAIK, a PRJ is a PRJ in any version.

 

PRJs can have things embedded in them or they can reference files that are not embedded and saved elsewhere.

 

 

Robert

Thank you for your help.

That was my understanding too. I was just puzzled by the way it appeared to be saving them. I will try to clarify what is happening then post later.

regards

simon

[markw]

Strange…

In your screen shot, starting with the folder named 'Macintosh HD' and going on to and including the 'Porcelain.mat', all of that is the kind of folder/file structure I would expect to see automatically created IF and only IF I had chosen in A:M the following; Project > 'Consolidate…' > 'Project as text file (*.PRJ)…' and my chosen destination for this consolidation had been the folder; RB17_1364713501

If its doing this every time you choose; File > 'Save Project' or 'Save Project As…' then something is not right. Maybe try resetting A:M?

[Simon Edmondson]

Strange…

In your screen shot, starting with the folder named 'Macintosh HD' and going on to and including the 'Porcelain.mat', all of that is the kind of folder/file structure I would expect to see automatically created IF and only IF I had chosen in A:M the following; Project > 'Consolidate…' > 'Project as text file (*.PRJ)…' and my chosen destination for this consolidation had been the folder; RB17_1364713501

If its doing this every time you choose; File > 'Save Project' or 'Save Project As…' then something is not right. Maybe try resetting A:M?

 

 

Mark

Thank you for your help. I hadn't tweeked any of the default settings in V17 except for frame rate. I'm about to go do some life drawing ( highlight of the week ) but will follow up your suggestion on return.

regards

simon

[jimd]

Hi on a Mac I put everything into one folder

no sub folders such as pics mdls ect..

I find that am will not find your jpgs or materials ect if they are in separate folders

and will ask you to find everything every time even if you save and re save at least on a MAC

 

if you move or copy a model make sure you put all the assets ( jpg. mat. ect... ) with that mdl. in the same folder

hope that ans. your question

[markw]

Hi on a Mac I put everything into one folder

no sub folders such as pics mdls ect..

I find that am will not find your jpgs or materials ect if they are in separate folders

and will ask you to find everything every time even if you save and re save at least on a MAC

 

if you move or copy a model make sure you put all the assets ( jpg. mat. ect... ) with that mdl. in the same folder

hope that ans. your question

Hi jimd, at the risk of repeating myself, that's strange too!

Like in Simons original post, this is also odd behaviour I'm just not seeing on my Mac. Have you tried a reset of A:M?

All my Saves and Opens behave exactly as expected, no matter how many asset folders things are kept in.

True, if I move/change something when A:M isn't looking it will need to be pointed in the right direction to find it again but if I then Save any time after that A:M always knows where to look the next time.

 

For the record, I only have one issue in A:M at the moment (which I have reported to Steffen), and that is with Materials not displaying quite right in an on screen render with MultiPass = Off.

[robcat2075]

I know when we did TWO we had images in folder all over the place and they seemed to get found successfully when we loaded our chors

[jimd]

Hi on a Mac I put everything into one folder

no sub folders such as pics mdls ect..

I find that am will not find your jpgs or materials ect if they are in separate folders

and will ask you to find everything every time even if you save and re save at least on a MAC

 

if you move or copy a model make sure you put all the assets ( jpg. mat. ect... ) with that mdl. in the same folder

hope that ans. your question

Hi jimd, at the risk of repeating myself, that's strange too!

Like in Simons original post, this is also odd behaviour I'm just not seeing on my Mac. Have you tried a reset of A:M?

All my Saves and Opens behave exactly as expected, no matter how many asset folders things are kept in.

True, if I move/change something when A:M isn't looking it will need to be pointed in the right direction to find it again but if I then Save any time after that A:M always knows where to look the next time.

 

For the record, I only have one issue in A:M at the moment (which I have reported to Steffen), and that is with Materials not displaying quite right in an on screen render with MultiPass = Off.

 

well I stand corrected

I made a test folder with 3 sub folders one mdl, one pic, and and matt.

made a mdl saved the project and reopened just fine

 

bur I swear this was not always the case at least not on my end (:

 

anyway I guess you can do it

you learn something new everyday

thanks

j

[Simon Edmondson]

JimD

Thank you for your reply.

Following earlier advice about file structures, When I start a new project, I setup an overall project folder with the following sub folders in it.

 

Project X

X models

X maps

X Chors

X Actions

X materials

X Frames

scene 001

scene 002

scene 003

...

 

The problem I've been having with V17 is that it has appeared to save projects out as separate folders, independent of the structure above.

 

regards

simon

[robcat2075]

There's just too much stuff on that screen capture for me to know what I'm needing to look at.

[Simon Edmondson]

There's just too much stuff on that screen capture for me to know what I'm needing to look at.

 

 

Robert

I was only trying to explain the file structure I used to JimD, as I hadn't experienced the problems he described.

regards

simon

[robcat2075]

The problem I've been having with V17 is that it has appeared to save projects out as separate folders, independent of the structure above.

 

 

After you save a PRJ from A:M you suddenly have a bunch of new folders that weren't there before?

[Simon Edmondson]

The problem I've been having with V17 is that it has appeared to save projects out as separate folders, independent of the structure above.

 

 

After you save a PRJ from A:M you suddenly have a bunch of new folders that weren't there before?

 

Robert

Yes thats exactly what happened. It appeared to have saved them as iterations. I'm mainly working in V15 so haven't tried to replicate it yet but, if it happens again, I will post a shot and explanation of the procedure.

regards

simon

[NancyGormezano]

Perhaps you have backup projects checked? - new in vers 17 I believe.

 

Go to tools/options/backup - uncheck backup project files, etc

[Simon Edmondson]

Perhaps you have backup projects checked? - new in vers 17 I believe.

 

Go to tools/options/backup - uncheck backup project files, etc

 

 

Nancy

Thank you. I have let everything except frame rate at the default for now. I will check tomorrow.

regards

simon

[markw]

That's an interesting idea of Nancey's.

I've never used the Backup feature before myself, so I've had it running tonight to see what happens on my Mac.

So far everything is still saving as it should.

As I've never used the feature before I took a screen shot of what I must assume to be its default settings. As you see it has its own dedicated Backup folder that it saves to.

Is this how yours looks Simon?

I'll also note that the Backups produced have a similar folder structure to those made when choosing to consolidate a project.

[Simon Edmondson]

Mark and Nancy.

Thank you both for your help. Much appreciated.

I looked this morning, Backup was ticked, so that would be the cause, (?).

This is what it looked like with Finder open under OSX,

 

Interestingly, it didn't back them up to the Backup folder in installed program folder, but that might be because I think I initially saved it the one in the screen shot.

Thank you both for your help.

simon

[markw]

...I looked this morning, Backup was ticked, so that would be the cause, (?)...

Maybe..., possibly if you were saving a backup to the same folder as your normal saves were going to, you opened the "wrong" folder as it were and found the backup instead of what you were expecting.

Here are the settings I was using last night and all worked well. Is the Backup path to the default folder in this screenshot the same path as yours?

[jimd]

This maybe related or maybe not

I have had strange things happen when using both 16 and 17 at the same time

or when using projects saved in 17 and opened in 16 and visa versa

 

the example shows a number attached to the saved project

the project should read (2nd floor elevator) however it gets saved as (2nd floor elevator sc#1E24C.prj)

to complicate things even further the number does not show up in the saved folder it is only visible after opening

in the project window and sometimes it won't open at all because of the number

 

so basically what i'm saying strange stuff happens every now and then

did you try a new project just in 17 as a quick test ? or your other version

and did it do the same thing save multi folders ?

 

bty my version is a new v17 install on a mac 10.6.8

apologies if i pushed this off topic or target

[Simon Edmondson]

...I looked this morning, Backup was ticked, so that would be the cause, (?)...

Maybe..., possibly if you were saving a backup to the same folder as your normal saves were going to, you opened the "wrong" folder as it were and found the backup instead of what you were expecting.

Here are the settings I was using last night and all worked well. Is the Backup path to the default folder in this screenshot the same path as yours?

 

 

Mark

Thank you for your reply.

Yes the pathway in the default was the same as yours but I still got those results. Its a while since it happened ( busy with other things ) but I'll try JimD's suggestion this afternoon and see what happens.

regards

simon

 

 

 

JimD

Thank you for your reply.

I will follow up your suggestion this afternoon and see what happens. Now I'm aware of whats happening ( maybe ! ) I can watch out for it.

regards

simon

[robcat2075]

You should have Backup not checked if you don't want those automatic copies.

[Simon Edmondson]

You should have Backup not checked if you don't want those automatic copies.

 

Robert

Thank you for your reply.

I have unchecked, very likely famous last words !

I will re enable it later I think. I was unaware that it was an option until Nancy mentioned it.

Now I know.

regards

simon