Answers.Body: <p>This isn't the right answer, but it's what I do:</p>
  <p>Keep everything for your project in a single folder.  Everthing.  Even if it means duplicating things from other projects or from templates that you use all the time.</p>
  <p>Regularly back up the folder to another drive.  Use <a href="https://www.econtechnologies.com/chronosync/overview.html" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Chronosync</a> to do this.  It works very reliably, and can do incremental backups intelligently.</p>
  <p>When you're done, keep your backups somewhere sensible and delete from your working drives.</p>
  <p>This isn't the most space-efficient way to work, but it means you reliably never lose anything.</p>
  <p>Collect files takes forever and is complicated.  Chronosync means pressing a single button then forgetting about it.</p>
  
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2023-03-23T16:25:04.307Z
Answers.LastActivityDate: 2023-03-23T16:25:04.307Z
Answers.UserDisplayName: tomh
Body: <p>I have a question about optimizing my workflow in regards to archiving. I feel like there must be a better way method to what I’m doing at the moment. What I currently do, after I’m done working in a .aep file, is clean up my project, organize my Project panel, get rid of any unused or redundant compositions/files etc., and finally use <em>File &gt; Dependencies &gt; Collect Files…</em>, to put everything in one place, and have everything linked up in a concise, local location.</p>
  <p>This works great imo. I was wondering however whether it was possible to, say, when working from this new .aep file – adding new files/directories to it, maybe removing some – ‘update’ it in such a way that the directory setup doesn’t change, but all the additional files get added to this directory.</p>
  <p>Am I using the <em>Collect Files…</em> function wrong? Is it something only used for preparing files for passing them on? Is there a way of working that comes close to what I’m describing? Very curious to hear your guys input or workflow advice. I feel like there’s a better way of working that I’m not utilizing.</p>
  <p>Thanks in advance, and kind regards,</p>
  <p>Armand</p>
  
Tags: <after-effects><workflow>
Title: After Effects: Workflow advice, working from/updating archived projects
UserDisplayName: Namrad
ThreadText: # After Effects: Workflow advice, working from/updating archived projects
  
  (Asked by: username_0 on 2023-03-23)
  
  I have a question about optimizing my workflow in regards to archiving. I feel like there must be a better way method to what I’m doing at the moment. What I currently do, after I’m done working in a .aep file, is clean up my project, organize my Project panel, get rid of any unused or redundant compositions/files etc., and finally use *File > Dependencies > Collect Files…*, to put everything in one place, and have everything linked up in a concise, local location.
  
  This works great imo. I was wondering however whether it was possible to, say, when working from this new .aep file – adding new files/directories to it, maybe removing some – ‘update’ it in such a way that the directory setup doesn’t change, but all the additional files get added to this directory.
  
  Am I using the *Collect Files…* function wrong? Is it something only used for preparing files for passing them on? Is there a way of working that comes close to what I’m describing? Very curious to hear your guys input or workflow advice. I feel like there’s a better way of working that I’m not utilizing.
  
  Thanks in advance, and kind regards,
  
  Armand
  
  **Tags:** after-effects, workflow
  
  
  ---
  
  ## 1 answers
  
  ### Answer by username_1 on 2023-03-23. Score: 0
  
  This isn't the right answer, but it's what I do:
  
  Keep everything for your project in a single folder. Everthing. Even if it means duplicating things from other projects or from templates that you use all the time.
  
  Regularly back up the folder to another drive. Use [Chronosync](https://www.econtechnologies.com/chronosync/overview.html) to do this. It works very reliably, and can do incremental backups intelligently.
  
  When you're done, keep your backups somewhere sensible and delete from your working drives.
  
  This isn't the most space-efficient way to work, but it means you reliably never lose anything.
  
  Collect files takes forever and is complicated. Chronosync means pressing a single button then forgetting about it.
  
  
  ---
  
  