Non-technical glossary
Administrator
The person or people that have full access to, and control over, the operations of the ftrack instance.
Actual
The actual time cost calculated upon completion of a project. See "Bid".
Asset
A container for asset versions, typically represents the output from an artist.
For example, geometry from a modeling artist, or an animation cycle from an animator. Each has an asset type that categorizes the asset.
Asset build
A container to hold tasks that, together, define the work involved when creating something reusable, such as a 3D model. An asset build is part of the visible project hierarchy and should not be confused with asset.
Asset type
A category for a particular kind of asset. This can be defined in ftrack web interface under Settings Asset types.
Asset version
See "Version".
Attribute
A designation for a role, characteristic, or trait of a process, operation, or activity in ftrack. See "Custom attribute".
Bid
The amount of hours a studio estimates as the time cost of completing work on a project. The bidding process sees studios enter competing bids to win work. See "Actual".
Client
A piece of computer hardware or software that accesses a service made available by a server. The community-supported clients for ftrack's API are currently Python and Javascript.
Also, a project's Client user or reviewer adding "Client Feedback" to a Client Review.
Component
A container to hold any type of data (such as a file or file sequence). An asset version can have any number of components, each with a specific name. For example, a published version of geometry might have two components containing the high and low-resolution files, with the component names as ‘hires’ and ‘lowres’ respectively.
Context menu
A sub-menu that is accessed using right-click or from an arrow icon within the ftrack web interface.
Cospective
The operating name of ftrack's Australian team in Adelaide. Acquired by ftrack in November 2019. Cospective is the developer of the secure synchronized remote review and approval application cineSync. See "cineSync".
Custom attribute
An attribute with a user-defined designation. See "Attribute". Learn more about custom attributes
Dailies
The process of viewing raw, unedited footage shot, captured or created during the production of a project to assess the quality and necessary next steps. Named as such as the process usually occurs at the end of each day. Also known as "rushes".
Dashboard
A customizable canvas on which users can add widgets that visualize production data and help to gain analytical insight into project progress.
DST
Daylight saving time.
Episode
Part of the ftrack project hierarchy, it refers to a large section of a project. It is especially useful in productions whose result is a collection of episodes, for example. Learn more about organizing a project in episodes
An ftrack project can consist of several episodes, which in turn can consist of several sequences, shots, and tasks. ftrack project hierarchies tend to follow this order – you can learn more about each definition in this glossary: Project Episode Sequence Shot Task
Event
Defines a phase of work or notable period of time in Overview Projects and Users (and Project Plan accessible from the Tasks spreadsheet). An event can hold information about who should perform that work and the exact type of work the phase involves. They can be used for broad-scope planning of projects. E.g. The "concept art" phase of the project lasts for 10 days, starting on July 5th, 2023 and ending on July 14th, 2023 and has 2 artists assigned as the resources for that work. (Sometimes referred to as a Calendar Event)
Segments of code generated in ftrack when entities are changed or certain actions are performed. E.g. a task is updated or a new version published. Clients can listen to these events and perform an action as a result.
Export
Users can export ftrack Data to Excel, CSV and PDF files. Learn more about Exporting
ftrack Enterprise
ftrack Enterprise gives users access to everything available in ftrack Studio, plus an additional set of features and services specially tailored to the organization purchasing the platform. It is the most fully-featured and in-depth version of the ftrack product.
ftrack Studio
The project management, production tracking and media review platform that teams in the creative industries use to collaborate, all available in one cloud-based or locally hosted platform.
ftrack Review
ftrack's media review and collaboration tool, without the deeper project management and asset tracking functionality of ftrack Studio.
ftrack Connect
An application that tightly integrates ftrack with third-party production tools out of the box. ftrack Connect also launches any Actions or Python scripts created using the ftrack API. Connect is provided by a core service that runs on each individual's machine and separate integration plugins into a variety of third-party software. Learn more about Connect
Import
ftrack comes with a wizard that can help you import project data from an external source such as Microsoft Excel, Apple Numbers, a Google spreadsheet etc. The wizard consists of a few steps and can either create or update objects. Related: "Export". Learn more about importing.
Integration
Integrations are used to extend the functionality of an application and integrate it with another system. ftrack offers several integrations with third-party software, such as Nuke Studio and Adobe Photoshop. Users can also utilize ftrack's API to create their own integrations.
ftrack's (third-party) integrationsAdobe Creative CloudA set of applications and services from Adobe that gives subscribers access to a collection of software used for graphic design, video editing, web development, and more. ftrack currently integrates with Photoshop and Illustrator.
cineSyncAcademy Award-winning synchronized remote review and approval system owned by ftrack, with which ftrack integrates.
DeadlineA network-based job scheduler and render management software, with which ftrack integrates.
AWS ThinkboxCreator of Deadline, render management software designed for the creative industries.
HieroA shot management, conform and review software, with which ftrack integrates.
Hiero PlayerA playback and review software, updated ftrack integration coming soon.
HoudiniA computer graphics software, with which ftrack integrates.
MayaComputer graphics software, with which ftrack integrates.
NukeA is a node-based digital compositing and visual effects software, with which ftrack integrates.
Nuke StudioA node-based compositing and editing software, with which ftrack integrates.
FoundryCreator of software for creative industries. ftrack currently integrates with Foundry's digital review tools Hiero, and its compositing packages Nuke and Nuke Studio. Updated integration with Hiero Player coming soon.
RVA digital review tool, with which ftrack integrates.
Unreal EngineA real-time 3D creation software, with which ftrack integrates.
3DS MaxA computer graphics software, with which ftrack integrates.
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ISO 8601
An international standard for representation of date and time. For example: 2016-02-25T10:15:02
Jobs
Jobs display feedback to users in the ftrack web interface when performing long-running tasks in the API, such as media encoding and exports. The jobs menu is opened from the top bar in ftrack.
List
As data grows it becomes important to group things together. ftrack uses the concept of lists to group items of the same type. There are currently two types of lists; lists that can contain versions and lists that can contain other objects such as tasks. A list has a type, an owner and can either be open or closed. While list categories are global, a list itself is specific to a project and cannot be shared between projects. Learn more about using lists.
Markdown
A markup language with plain text formatting syntax. Learn more about markdown
Message
ftrack is equipped with an internal messaging system that can be used to instantly send messages to other users. Learn more about messaging.
Milestone
Represents an important date for your project in the Project Plan or Gantt schedule. This could mean final delivery or another landmark, crucial occasion or turning point that people should be aware of.
More menu
The menu at the top of the ftrack sidebar.
Notification bar
A bar at the top of the screen of the ftrack web interface that appears when necessary to display important information.
Object
The main building blocks in a project. Used to build the project hierarchy. Task and Milestone are built-in objects that cannot be changed or removed. All other objects can be modified, or new objects created, to match the projects your company is working on. See also: "Types"
On-Premise
A version of ftrack that is not located on and accessed via the cloud, but is instead installed at the physical location of its use.
Overview
The studio overview page in ftrack Studio presents a bird’s-eye view of progress across different projects and departments. Learn more about ftrack Studio's overview page.
Pipeline
The post-production assembly line. The VFX pipeline refers to the various stages of production required to add visual effects to a film. The pipeline helps to organize each department, so that every artist knows their role, and a production can move along within the allocated timeline.
Project
An entire creative undertaking that ftrack can be used to track, manage, review and deliver.
An ftrack project consists of portions of completable work or deliverables, which in turn can consist of several sequences, shots, and tasks OR concepts, designs, and tasks - the trackable work can be customized to your workflow. An example of an ftrack project hierarchy is: Project Episode Sequence Shot Tasks but is not limited to this workflow.
Project folder
A folder, specific to a project, that will be used when constructing resource paths. This can be set via the web interface.
Project hierarchy/structure
The full structure of a project with all of its tasks and objects, laid out in order of containable hierarchy. E.g. the Episode has 100 shots within and each shot has 8 tasks and each task has its assets or asset versions so it would look like Project Episode Shot Tasks Versions.
Project outliner
The tree navigation to the left in the Projects section.
Publish
The process of uploading an asset version into ftrack so it can be tracked and managed from within it. Versions (also called asset version) are the main UI representation when publishing files to ftrack. See "Version". Learn more about publishing.
Room
Video calls and screen sharing within your browser.
Scheduling
The process of allocating, managing, and leveling staff resources against time using ftrack's project management, calendar, and Gantt chart tools.
Schema
Schemas allow users to define and establish their own structures for managing projects. Learn more about schemas
Scope
Global filters in ftrack. They allow users to quickly switch focus, narrow, or expand their view with a few clicks. For example, Scopes can be used if you have work divided over several teams around the world and want a quick way to view the work performed by a specific team.
Sequence
Part of the ftrack project hierachy. Refers to a series of shots that, placed together, form a flowing section of creative content in a project.
An ftrack project can consist of several episodes, which in turn can consist of several sequences, shots, and tasks. ftrack project hierarchies tend to follow this order – you can learn more about each definition in this glossary: Project Episode Sequence Shot Task
Shot
Part of the ftrack project hierachy. Refers to a single section of creative content without edits.
An ftrack project can consist of several episodes, which in turn can consist of several sequences, shots, and tasks. ftrack project hierarchies tend to follow this order – you can learn more about each definition in this glossary: Project Episode Sequence Shot Task
Sidebar
The panel that slides in from the right side when you click on a blue link in ftrack. It contains more specific information about that object and its related historical activity.
Tasks
Activities that define work required on a specific aspect of a project. Tasks are assigned to creative teams so they know the work that they need to complete.
ftrack project hierarchies tend to follow this order – you can learn more about each definition in this glossary: Project Episode Sequence Shot Task
Task board
A Kanban/scrum board that visualizes current workload and tasks. Tasks are represented in columns and can be drag-and-dropped from one to the next. Traditionally, this approach was created in real-world environments using post-it notes on physical walls. ftrack replicates this approach in a digital environment. Learn more about using task boards.
Tasks spreadsheet
The main project view that displays the full hierarchy of a project with objects and their tasks.
Types
Used to specify the category/classification of object or task it refers to and/or the manner of work that should be completed (e.g. "character" or "prop" for Asset Build object type and "animation" or "lighting" for Task type). See Object for more information on types of Object. Learn more about managing types.
Version
A specific adaptation of data for an asset. An asset version can contain multiple components. Users can update assets with new versions, which is called "versioning".
Versions page
The main Versions view that displays the full overview of all Versions at the current level.
Web interface
The main ftrack interface accessed and utilized by users of ftrack.
Workday length
The amount of hours in a full work day at your studio. This value can be set in System settings > Scheduling > Settings.
Workflows
A method for ftrack users to customize project structures/hierarchies to mirror the terminology of their domain without having to rewrite code. Learn more about Workflows
Workflow
The flow of work through a project pipeline, unique to each studio setup. See: "Pipeline".
Workspace
We use the term 'Workspace' when referring to the entire ftrack Studio UI.
Technical glossary
API - Application Programming Interface
A communication protocol that simplifies the customization of ftrack and the creation of custom tools.
API key
A unique key that is used for authenticating requests made via the ftrack API.
Accessor
An implementation (typically a Python plugin) for accessing a particular type of storage using a specific protocol.
Action
A custom script executed from the ftrack web interface. Actions in ftrack provide a standardized way to integrate other tools, either off-the-shelf or custom-built, directly into your ftrack workflow.
Asset path prefix
A configurable prefix to use when constructing asset paths.
AWS
Amazon Web Services
Boto
A Python interface with Amazon Web Services. Learn more about Boto
Disk prefix
The operating system dependant prefix specified for a disk in the web interface.
Event plugin
Python event plugins are used by the API to extend ftrack with new functionality, e.g. event processing, locations or actions. Learn more about Event plugins.
HTTP
The Hypertext Transfer Protocol is an application protocol that serves as the foundation of data communication for the World Wide Web.
JavaScript
JavaScript is a high-level programming language used to create interactive web pages and web applications.
Job
Jobs display feedback to users in the ftrack web interface when performing long-running tasks in the API, such as media encoding and exports. The jobs menu is opened from the top bar in ftrack. Learn more about jobs
json
JavaScript Object Notation – a lightweight data-interchange format used for ftrack's API.
LDAP
Lightweight Directory Access Protocol. A software protocol for enabling anyone to locate organizations, individuals, and other resources, such as files and devices in a network. It is used in ftrack for managing user access, syncing users, and more.
Locations
A way to easily collaborate, track, and manage data (files, image sequences etc.) across multi-site locations using ftrack. Learn more about Locations.
MariaDB
An enhanced database used in ftrack development. Visit the MariaDB website
POST
One of the request methods supported by the HTTP protocol. Typically used by ftrack to send data to a server.
Python
A programming language employed by ftrack that empowers users to work more quickly and integrate their systems more effectively. Often used in the creative industries. Visit the Python website
Resource identifier
A string stored in ftrack as a reference to a resource (such as a file) in a specific location. Resource identifiers are used by accessors (a method that fetches private data that is stored within an object) to determine how to access data.
Resource path
A folder path that leads to specific folders within a project.
REST
Representational State Transfer. A programming architectural implementation commonly used by APIs on the web and employed by ftrack. Systems which implement REST are called ‘RESTful’ systems.
SAML
Security Assertion Markup Language. An open standard for exchanging authentication and authorization data between parties, in particular, between an identity provider and a service provider. It is used in ftrack's SSO service (see SSO).
Server location
The ftrack server location, ftrack.server, is the location where all files that are Uploaded or Published to the ftrack instance are kept. A Component in this location is not directly accessible with a file system path but can be downloaded from the ftrack Web interface or transferred to other locations.
socket.io
An API / “protocol” for real-time communication over WebSocket.
Storage scenario
Defines where files should be stored when using ftrack integrated applications like ftrack Connect and other integrations. This typically relates to the publishing and importing of a component attached to an asset version.
SSO
Single sign-on (SSO). Enables users to sign in to ftrack by authenticating via one of the many identity providers that support authentication using SAML. With SSO, users don’t need to remember usernames and passwords and can sign in to all supported cloud applications after signing-in one time for all services. SSO is useful for Administrators as all services and accounts can be managed in one central location. Learn more about SSO.
Storage scenario (centralized)
This is the default storage scenario that is available in ftrack. The centralized storage scenario describes how files are stored on your central storage, where it is mounted on different platforms (Linux, Windows or OS X) and how paths are generated.
UUID
Universally Unique Identifier. A unique value (typically in human readable form) that is often used for primary keys in entities. Learn more about working with entities
WebSocket
A protocol for bidirectional communication over a single connection. This is used in ftrack for the event system. See "Event". Learn more about WebSockets