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Workflow - 2015 Flame / Flame Assist Ext 1

4 REPLIES 4
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Message 1 of 5
simonscott
1155 Views, 4 Replies

Workflow - 2015 Flame / Flame Assist Ext 1

 

Having spent just a few days on Flame Assist Ext 1 experimenting and on the phone to Autodesk, I still cannot for the life of me figure out a workflow in the media hub that I am comfortable with,  It appears to be overly complex and very easy to loose work, even after watching the 'save the desktop' video.  Autodesk have politely informed me that 'they are not users' and that I should ask my questions on the Area, so here I am.

 

Can someone please share on a bullet proof way to organize a job in the media hub and how you save, create versions and basically organize yourself so that you can work fast and efficiently, oh and safely.

 

Thank you,

 

Simon.

4 REPLIES 4
Message 2 of 5
Grant.Kay
in reply to: simonscott

Hi Simon,

 

Funnily enough, I am working on projections but my next project is going through the Flare/Flame Assist and Flame Workflow.

 

The main point is that since Flame Assist now has a desktop like Flare and Flame, you should be able to work and manage the products for a better workflow between them.

 

In terms of the types of workflows you have, there are in fact two workflows.

 

1) Working off the same project on one storage

2) Working in different projects with different storage.

 

NUMBER ONE:

 

The main idea behind this workflow is that everyone logs into the same project on "main" workstation, typically a flame. Every system will have its own workspace within the project that consists of a Desktop and Library.    This means everyone can work in the same project but not disturb or accidentally change someone else's work.

 

The key to the interopability is the SHARED LIBRARIES.   This is another set of libraries in the project which is always visible to everyone.    So in order for the main system to distribute the shots to Flares and Flame Assists, a copy of shots will be saved into the shared libraries.   Each system will than take these shots and copy them into their own workspaces.   So everyone can work on their part of the project.   When the shot is complete and ready to go back to Flame, the final shots should be saved into the shared libraries again and this will become visible to the main flame system.   These shots can than be picked up, copied to the Flame workspace libraries and ultimately combined with the rest of the shots in the sequence.

 

So the shared libraries is the connection between the systems with this workflow.   As a means of managing the shared libraries, the system that is saving into the shared libraires must aquire write access to do so.  This is done through the right-click menu.

 

Very important to remember that the Shared Libraries are EXACTLY the same as the regular library in each workspace.   So you can save everything in it.  This includes Desktops, setups, versions, media etc....  So you should be able to keep the setups completely editable with no commiting required.

 

 

NUMBER 2:

 

The idea in this workflow is that every system has their own project and their own storage.   

 

So when it comes to shot distribution, each shot needs to be copied (wired) to the various workstations for the artist to work with.

 

This is a big difference between workflow 1 and workflow 2.     In Workflow ONE, there is no actual media being copied because everyone logs into the main system and shares its media.  Whereas in workflow 2, you are making media duplicates as you copy between workstations.

 

Everything can be copied as well between workstations - Desktops, media, setups, etc.

 

With this method, you can simply wire between libraries and you dont need to use the shared libraries.    The shared Libraries are visible and you can use them but its not compulsory.

 

 

 

 

Both systems have their pros and cons... 

 

Workflow ONE - Project interopability and no media duplication however the performance is network dependant and the Flame system could be a single point of failure.  But I guess the same could be said with a SAN 🙂

 

Workflow TWO - Each system has their storage which increases performance but you need to manage the project carefully because you have no visibility what others are doing etc.     Copying does take time but with duplicates on different systems, there is no true single point of failure.

 

 

I dont know how much more information you are after but what I have given is the general gist.

 

In terms of managing the project in Workflow 1, do not work solely out of shared libraries.  Make sure you have copies of what you need in your own workspaces and use the Shared Library as means of moving metadata between workspaces (and systems.)

 

Workflow 2 is just copying data between systems and you need to keep some form of record to take everything and where it is.

 

Hope this helps.

 

Regards

Grant 

 

 


Grant Kay
Principal Learning Content Developer

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Official Autodesk Flame Learning Channel
http://www.youtube.com/flamehowtos

The Official Autodesk Smoke Learning Channel
http://www.youtube.com/smokehowtos

Also available as podcasts on iTunes

Follow me on twitter @discreetuk for the latest training updates.
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Message 3 of 5
simonscott
in reply to: Grant.Kay

 

Hi Grant,

 

That's a really well thought out answer to the issue of organizing a project between artists in a facility and I appeciate you taking the time to write it.

 

My original question, perhaps was not clear enough and fundimentally is about the next step.  Once an artist sits down to work on his local Flame Assist or Flame, what is the correct workflow for managing a job of multiple shots/elements in the media hub.

 

In the past, if a shot was complex and had many elements I usually saved a desktop of reels (each reel pertaining to sources, wip, comp, elements etc..) and then versioned up the comp each render and placed it at the end of the reel.  If a shot was less complex, elements were just saved in a reel.  Many artists still work this way, even though it is becoming a legacy.

 

I am currently uncomfortable with the media panel and don't see an obvious method to manage my media, versions, etc.. perhaps I am blind due to having worked for so many years in 'another way'.  Any tips or tricks you can offer would be most helpful, I need an 'a ha moment'.

 

Thanks

 

 

Message 4 of 5
Grant.Kay
in reply to: simonscott

Hi Scott,

 

The reels still exist in Flare and Flame Assist but you do not see them as "reels".

 

The media panel allows you to see them as well as work in them.

 

For any composite, complex or simple, you can make as many reels as you like in the desktop, label them accordingly and arrange your media there.

 

When it comes to saving your work, you can save the desktop which implies the whole structure you created in the desktop area of the media panel.  Or you could save individual reels, batch and snapshots to a folder structure in the library.

 

The point is that its is completely open to adapting to a working style that you feel most comfortable with.

 

I know that some people avoid the desktop area all together and just try work out of the library.  Although it is possible, its not the original intended design.    The desktop in Flame applications should be the working area and the library is where you save all the work you have done in the desktop.

 

Apologies for being so vague but there are so many ways you could organise the desktop and libraries.

 

Regards

Grant


Grant Kay
Principal Learning Content Developer

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Official Autodesk Flame Learning Channel
http://www.youtube.com/flamehowtos

The Official Autodesk Smoke Learning Channel
http://www.youtube.com/smokehowtos

Also available as podcasts on iTunes

Follow me on twitter @discreetuk for the latest training updates.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Message 5 of 5
simonscott
in reply to: Grant.Kay

 

Hi Grant,

 

I watched your workflow videos yesterday and followed them on my system, things got alot clearer for me and I'm feeling better about the new workflow.

 

Thank you for taking the time to support us, much appreciated,

 

Simon

 

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