For Logan I created a new structure for files and folders, adapted to heavy visual effects projects.
The idea was to give everyone a very simple workspace with close links to the assets needed for each specific tasks and softwares. The project structure is also made in a way that makes archiving very simple by separating all the different data types (this part is invisible to the artists, producers, etc...).
Also the structure itself gives the ability for every assets created for projects to be re-used very easily for further projects.
This VFX Project Structure has been used at Logan since 2009. It has been updated and is still easily updated now, without any need to update the tools built around it along the years.
Artists from different platforms, Producers, Projects Managers all have a different usage of project folders and files, so I created with them different simplified access to the complex structure, using links and clear naming (projects are naturally complex due to the type of assets we are dealing with, image sequences, different sorts of software files and proprietary folder structures, cache files, dependencies between these files, etc..).
Also it needed to be easily adaptable to any new workflow and software additions, keeping the same overall logic, so anyone could always find the assets he needs.
After a lot of talk about the specific needs and considering the different types of projects we had to achieve, including also my past experience with complex projects, I programmed a set tools to create and maintain projects :
- Project Creation Scripts.
- Scripts for adding Users, Assets, Shots to existing projects.
- Scripts writing in a SQL Database for projects informations, users, shots, assets or any projects characteristics (delivery formats, frame rate, etc...).