#file management

hey yall! i made a lil batch script to make backing up my files easier, and i thought it'd be nice to share it with the world :3

Hoarder Alex Stimboard!

stim set: ƎNA | Hoarder Alex

credits: divider

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(for personal use but suggestions very welcome as I’m looking to expand the list, my only real requirements are that it’s 100% free (OR has a usable 100% free version that’s not just a free trial and doesn’t require credit card info or anything else that would force you to pay under certain circumstances) and that it’s trustworthy/not sketchy)

Sure thing! Before I got into 3D, I didn't pay much mind to my file names or where I saved things. After getting into 3D, where those things have an impact on your ability to work on your projects, I was forced to tighten up! 1. Folders are your friend. However you want to organize things is up to you; depending on what I'm working on, I group things by project or subject first. So, for example, on my computer I might have a folder titled "DND". Inside that folder, I have a sub-folder for each campaign, and inside that folder I have a sub-folder for things like maps & documents, and then another for character art with sub-folders divided by character. 2. Decide a naming convention for your stuff. This could be something like "projectShortName_pg#_MMDDYY", or "characterName_portrait_MMDDYY". Having an identifier that makes it clear it's different from other files with similar names is really helpful, and keeping it in the name itself (instead of relying on "last modified" can be a good move. 3. Keep it short, but keep it useful. This is something you might not want to implement-- I use it all the time because it's part of the 3D pipeline, but shortnames are big for knowing what files are "at a glance". Like instead of something like, "Legend of Zelda Link Fanart 112123", I'd go with something like "TLOZ_LFA_112123". This is most useful when the folder structures are in place; if you have a Legend_of_Zelda folder, TLOZ will likely click as "The Legend of Zelda". 4. Don't be afraid to clear it out. Every few months, I gather everything I'm finished with into a folder titled "DSKT_CLEAR_MMDDYY". All of my folders are moved into the core folder, that folder gets moved to my external(s), and I move on.

Doing this when you've never done it before is a hard habit to establish (again, I was only able to do it because it was required while I was in school and now that I'm teaching the same subject), and going back to organize old stuff can be really intimidating. For that reason, I'd suggest gathering everything you currently have, moving it into a "Folder_Holder" folder, and then trying to implement these tips in future file management.

I was looking for a particular sketch, and ran into the same problem for two different art programs; a bunch of stuff is all nested in one file. It is not all visible at a glance. And I couldn't remember which program I had drawn it in.

This has happened before. It will happen again.

All the stuff from one file in CSP:

That wasn't so bad. But then.

All the stuff from a file in SAI:

But wait! There's more! Because within a folder within a file, there are a few more folders!

And hey!

It's the sketch I was looking for in the first place.

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Anyway.