Create a Project

Before You Begin: Understanding the Basics

Within ftrack, a Workflow Schema contains the building blocks for your project; allowing you to determine its structure as well as the objects and tasks it will contain.

The Create Project interface is designed to surface workflow schema information in a visually comprehensive way, as well as allow users to alter existing workflow schemas where needed to fit project requirements.

Step 1: Creating a New Project

From the Projects tab in the top menu, select + Create new project

Step 2: Input Your Project Details

In the new UI, you will be prompted to enter the following information:

Name: Choose a unique and descriptive name for your project

Project Code: Optionally, you can change the unique code that is associated with your project. Note that this code is used by the API and integrations, and therefore must be created with proper syntax.

Color Coding: A color will be automatically applied to your project, but if you would like to change it, you can do so by clicking on the colored circle to the right of the project name input.

Choose Dates: Set the start and end dates for your project. This helps in tracking deadlines.

Private Access: Choose whether your project should be open or private.  A private project cannot be seen by any users who have not been explicitly added to the Project Team.
 

Step 3: Selecting a Workflow

Once the above information has been entered, you will be able to choose a workflow to apply to your project.

Once a workflow has been selected, you will have visibility of all the objects contained within the selected workflow. Clicking on each object, including the mandatory objects of Task, Milestone, and Asset version, will surface information on how each object has been configured on the right side of the window.

The attributes that can be configured are:

Priorities: Used to help organize and track your work in order of importance.  This is a global attribute and cannot be configured per object type.

Statuses: Used to provide information regarding how far an object or task has progressed towards completion.

Types: Used to define stages of work or categorize objects for more granular project-tracking.

If you are happy with how each object in the selected workflow has been configured, click Create Project.



 

Step 4: Customizing Workflows

If our out-of-the-box workflow templates don't meet your project needs, you can opt to customize your own by selecting + New Workflow.

You will then be prompted to give your new workflow a name, as well as select an existing workflow to clone from the drop-down list.

Click Create Workflow to then start editing your new workflow.

Alternatively, there is also the option to create a new workflow after selecting and altering an existing one. If you add or remove any objects or attributes from an existing workflow, you will be prompted to save a copy to apply your changes. You can then continue editing the workflow further.

Cloning an existing workflow, rather than applying the changes to an existing one, aims to ensure that any projects created previously with the existing workflow will not be impacted by the changes that are being made.

Once your cloned workflow is saved, you will be redirected to the UI where you can now continue to configure your new workflow.

Clicking on the x next to an object name will remove it from your schema, and clicking Add Object will surface a drop down list of all objects that exist in your workspace.  Select the ones you wish to add.

If a new object needs to be created for your workflow, this needs to be done from the System settings.  Clicking System settings in this UI will open a new tab where you can create your new object.  

Once your new object has been created, return to the create project UI and it will appear in the drop-down to be added to your workflow.

Click on your object to display the configuration options on the right side of the window.  If Statuses or Types are configured for your object you can click the x to remove ones you don't need, or click the Add Status or Add Type drop-downs to add new statuses and types to your workflow.

To create a new status or a new type to use in your workflow, you will also need to navigate to the System settings to create them by clicking Edit statuses for workflow or Edit types for workflow.

Step 5: Finalizing Your Project

Repeat these steps for all objects that need to be configured, including the mandatory objects of Task, Milestone, and Asset version.  Once you are satisfied with your new workflow, click Create Project at the bottom right of the window.

This will save your new workflow schema, and redirect you to the Task Spreadsheet for your new project, where you can start creating all the configured objects and tasks manually via the UI, or from an import.
 

FAQs

Q: Can all users create a new workflow schema when creating a new project?

A: Users who do not have access to system settings, but have user role permissions to create projects will see all available workflow schemas but will not be able to create, edit, or delete any of the objects or elements that are part of that workflow schema.