This article provides an overview of the tools (highlighted in bold) available in ftrack Studio and when they are useful in a project's lifecycle from planning to final delivery in ftrack.
They will be introduced over the course of the Getting Started series (unless otherwise noted).
Configuring the Workspace
Any global changes made across your ftrack Studio Workspace will be made in System Settings. This is where you configure your workspace, plan workflows, add users and permission roles, and manage your account.
Create and Structure your Project
Creating a project is simple using the Overview within ftrack Studio and Workflow Schemas. The Schema can be customized to best suit your company's needs and will be one of the first things we address in our Getting Started series. It determines what types of things you will be tracking and how your Tasks and approval process will be structured.
| Tip: ftrack comes with a pre-configured set of schemas out of the box. Before you build your own, you can review what's offered, as they may help get your project up and running quicker. |
Plan your Project and Resources
If you want to block out your initial Project schedule before creating and scheduling individual Tasks, you can do so using the Project Planner.
The Forecast Report allows you to see the capacity of any department and make sure there is enough staff available to tackle upcoming Projects.
Your team can be organized and planned in the project Team view.
| Please note: Project Planner and Forecast Report are covered in intermediate topics in the Help Center and will not be included in Getting Started. |
Task and Schedule your Project
After the project plan is in place, Tasks and Milestones are created and scheduled in the Tasks Spreadsheet, including the Gantt and Import/Export tool, to guide your team to success.
Assigning Tasks
Once the project has been tasked and the schedule created, it’s time to assign Tasks to your team, so they know their work assignments and priorities. Depending on your working style, you may do assignments before you schedule, but the tools will be the same regardless of the order you take.
You can use the Tasks Spreadsheet (including Import/Export Tool) and Team Planner (including Team Board and Team Calendar) to assist with assignments.
Start the Creative Process
Tasks are assigned, and everyone knows what they need to do - now, the creative process can begin!
Team members can find their assigned Tasks using the My Tasks page.
They can log time against those Tasks using the Time Logger tool, which is important if you want to track actual time against bids.
The Inbox can be used to stay informed on any updates to their Tasks.
Creatives can launch integrated applications from the My Tasks page via ftrack’s built-in Integrations and those customized by your company using API).
If you do not want to use a built-in ftrack integration, or if you can’t find an integration for an application that you would like to use, you can use the Connect publisher.
An alternative method is to upload assets for review directly within the ftrack Studio workspace.
The below Tools are not included in the Getting Started Series as they are covered in more intermediate and advanced categories of the Help Center:
- Connect
- Integrations
- API
Review the Work
Asset Versions managed in the Versions Page are available to your collaborators and team members who may wish to pick up the published assets for another Task or review the Version if it needs assessment.
Client Review is an external player that allows you to host review sessions within your remote team and external client review sessions. Notes within a Review can be exported as a PDF or transferred back to your ftrack workspace.
The Web Player is an internal player. It can be used within your workspace for internal team members to review Versions and add feedback. The notes are automatically attached to the versions within your workspace.
The Inbox can be used to keep track of any status approval updates or new Notes.
Check on Progress and Statuses
Once your project is running smoothly, you can use the Tasks Spreadsheet, Dashboards, and Reports to keep it on track and understand how your project is coming along.
Time logs can be referenced to check the actual time worked against the time bid.
With an understanding of where ftrack Studio's tools are used, we begin the planning stage of your workspace. A good plan will help you make the most of the available tools.
What's next?
We guide your through the planning phase of your workspace, creating a solid foundation to build your projects upon.