[phenoms]

Creators, not Collectors only please.

Ok, so here is the background. Over the years, my files have become quite fractured. I have a system of organization that I sort my files by, but due to hardware failures, or upgrades, or running out of storage, I have my stuff spread out and fractured.

My system is more lax than it used to be, but it has always been structured from the standpoint of me “collecting” even though I have almost from the start also been a creator.

Once upon a time, I was meticulous enough to sort names for example, Last_First_Middle. At some point I decided that placed too high a burden on my ability to recall and switched to “First Middle Last”.

The above applies be it for athletes, artists, characters, or themes. Bear in mind, I also use a hierarchy system including major theme base categories, and subcategories as deep as seem appropriate.

When I would create, if I was creating a manipulation, I would save the file either in the source directory of the founding file (as in most of or all of the image was included), or in the source directory of the central character (if figure competitor Allison Bookless, then it was saved in her directory, even if I frankensteined in the face of some actress). If it was Powergirl, it would likely go in the source directory of Powergirl, but sometimes it goes by artist if they stand out like Adam Hughes.

For original artwork, if all digital, it would either go under Phenoms, or if scanned, might stay within Phenoms/Scanned Originals.

Here is my dilemma. I have been considering trying to reorganize my creations into some kind of stand alone hierarchy.

I will sometimes find my self inspired to make new creations by combining elements of former creations. The trouble can come when I can remember having created something, but can’t find it even by using XnView to search for all file types of PSD (photoshop).

My request.
So I am interested in how other creators in the community organize their stuff. This includes those that share their creations and those that don’t. (I personally fall into both sharing and non-sharing as I’m sure many do.)

While I am inclined to favor a logical, hierarchical approach, I don’t want to discourage input from those with a more subjective approach.

Thanks.

Phenoms

My Deviant Art Page (old stuff):
phenoms.deviantart.com

My Booru Gallery (new stuff):
phenoms.booru.org

Also
www.thevalkyrie.com/picthumb/p/phenoms/index00.htm
www.thevalkyrie.com/picthumb/p/phenom_fett/index00.htm

[TC2]

You know this would technically exclude me, despite the fact that my line of work requires meticulous organization.

The problem you’re having is OVER organizing, you make it so detailed that it becomes very difficult to keep track of where each project is only because your mind forgets why you labelled a folder a certain way.

When working with video or graphics, this is what I tend to do.

1.) Master Directory/Videos

2.) Sub categories / Edited Videos / After Effects Projects / PSD Files

3.) Under videos they are separated by content (hypothetical)

Amaz0ns Commercial / Muscle Growth Movie / FBB posing

4.) Under After Effects

Textures / Sound Effects / Backgrounds / Project Files

5.) Under PSD files

Morphs / B&W Drawings / Colored Drawings / Photo Manipulations

You would NOT create a sub category under each of these folders UNLESS there are more pieces to the puzzle.

For instance, for my Alexis FMG Comic, if I had each PSD sitting around in my colored drawings folder. The entire folder would be full of comic book pages. In this case, I would create the Alexis FMG comic folder as a sub folder and store all of that content in there.

If you end up making sub categories for everything, it will just start doing the opposite of your intention and start getting completely lost. Anything that has MORE CONTENT than the others I.E. Comic Books, those do get their own folders only because there are so many files.

If not it is better to keep everything generalized so that you immediately know where to look.

Also, naming your projects appropriately would be a huge boost. Don’t go creating folders labelled Adam Hughes Power Girl and then put all Adam Hughes stuff. Have a POWER GIRL folder with all Powergirl pictures and “label” the picture credited to Adam Hughes. Otherwise it’s just too, too many folders.

If your going to label projects that require pages such as comic books it would go like this.

00 Alexis Comicbook Page 1
01 Alexis Comicbook Page 2
02 Alexis Comicbook Page 3

(the numbers in front are to organize them numerical in Windows format. Should work with Mac too but be aware.)

If you’re doing a morph, be specific with what you’re working on. Pamela Anderson muscle morph, or Pamela Anderson breasts morph.

It’s not going to be possible to keep track of each piece you were using with a morph or things like that, you’re just going to have to open up the files. But at least by having them in a general folder, it will be much easier to find the files than to go digging through multiple sub folders that needn’t exist.

WHEW!

Okay, that’s all I got.

[phenoms]

TC2, its a relevant answer, so no exclusion. Thanks for the thoughtful response.

I will consider your argument that I am over organizing quite seriously. It is very counter to what my approach has been and may just be the trick to help. I must admit it makes me uncomfortable, but I just need to let the idea settle.

Anyone else have any suggestions?

My Deviant Art Page (old stuff):
phenoms.deviantart.com

My Booru Gallery (new stuff):
phenoms.booru.org

Also
www.thevalkyrie.com/picthumb/p/phenoms/index00.htm
www.thevalkyrie.com/picthumb/p/phenom_fett/index00.htm

[TC2]

Ah, ruined my own joke.

Because the line said:

“Creators not Collector’s”

Since I’m The Collector, well you know what they say about having to explain a joke.

Anyway give it some consideration. The only reason I separate my art assets with After Effects projects is in case one project has assets that another project shared.

So say I made an FMG movie composition and stored all my textures, backgrounds, and arts assets in that folder.

Then I had a fight scene movie that shared the same textures, bg’s, and art assets as the FMG compostion.

If I delete the FMG comp I lose all of my assets. Photoshop doesn’t really have this problem, so it would be much better to put them altogether in one folder. That way it’s much easier to search.

[Lingster]

I sometimes use meta keywords stored in the file metadata. This is easy on a Mac, when you can insert them in the file properties and then find them with Spotlight.

I also increasingly use Evernote, which allows notebooks and also keywords. The bandwidth restrictions would make it unsuitable for video, though.

[Author]

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