Incremental file versioning#

In many stages of the content creation process, files are stored on a shared drive, such as a NAS, Dropbox or Google Drive. Workflows such as motion graphics, product visualization and asset creation often do not require a version control system such as Git. However, Anchorpoint allows us to have a Git-like workflow with commits on a shared drive.

Incremental versioning on a shared drive vs version control with Git#

A versioning workflow is based on incremental file versions (v001, v002) and metadata, which are both managed by Anchorpoint. The benefit is that you get a structured workflow, including a publishing process similar to those used in animation or VFX pipelines. However, this workflow is not compatible with a game engine, as it does not understand incremental file versioning.

Git’s version control system tracks all file changes and pushes them to a central repository. A server is required as a source of truth. This type of system is required by game engines.

How it works#

To enable this workflow, you need to enable the “DCC Pipeline Tools” Action under Workspace Settings / Actions. When enabling this Action it will:

  • Add a new project type to the list

  • Add the DCC integrations, so that users can install the Anchorpoint plugin to their DCC (e.g. Cinema 4D)

When creating a new project, the new project type has to be chosen. It can only be used if files are on a shared drive and is not compatible with Git. The project type, has also an option to use a folder template. The template has to be configured in the Action Settings.

Templates#

Folder structures from Templates can be created when the Anchorpoint project is created. Templates have to be placed on a folder, that is accessible for all team members. The file path to macOS and Windows have to be set in the Action Settings. Furthermore, tokens can be also specified. A token is a placeholder, that can replace a name on a file or folder.

For example, a file that is stored as [customer]_model_v001.psd can be automatically renamed to ACME_model_v001.psd if a token customer has been set in the Action Settings. Then, the user will get an input field where the actual name of the customer has to be entered.

The publish process#

Publishing means to mark a file as “ready” for the next step. In most cases publishes follow a review process by another team member. Publishing can be either done from a context menu entry, that will show a popup where the user can enter a message or via DCC plugins. Currently, publishing allows also to create a “master” file, which is basically a copy of the working file version without the increment appendix (v_001).

You can also trigger a webhook at the end of the publish process to e.g. connect to web based project management applications.

Customize the workflow#

You can also customize the whole workflow from templates, plugins and post publish actions by accessing the code on GitHub.