Is there a way to have multiple CH Project files reference the same Original Artwork file?

[Emily_Watts]

I'm having some version control problems with my original artwork files, and would like to know if anyone has found an elegant way to keep one master .PSD or .AI file with your original artwork, but have multiple .CHPROJ projects reference the same file? The key here being that I don't want to re-rig my puppet every time; I want to import it as a .puppet file, not directly from the original .PSD file.

Here's the scenario I'm encountering in more detail:

(1) Create new puppet artwork in Photoshop or Illustrator. Bring it into CH. Rig it up all fancy!  🙂

(2) Now, let's say you want to have separate CH Project files for each episode of your show, since the files get really large once you've got a lot of characters, recordings, etc. in one episode.

(3) Export your .PUPPET file so you can import it as needed into a new CH Project file every time you make a new episode.

(4) BUT, now each new project makes a complete copy of your .PSD artwork, rather than referencing your original .PSD file. Is there a way to point all new projects toward your true original artwork instead of the copy that was bundled into your exported .puppet file?

My current workaround:

I avoid using the "Edit > Edit Original..." menu item within CH to edit my artwork. That will only edit the copy of the original that's specific to this Project -- and that's where the version control problems arise! Instead, I go to my true original .PSD file saved on my computer. Make the changes. Then copy that .PSD and paste it myself into the Gathered Media folders within all the different CH Project files I have saved for each episode.

The workaround does work. But what I'd like to do is make a one-time change to do something like putting a shortcut/alias to my master .PSD file in the Gathered Media folder instead. That way, I can always have all my episodes that feature this puppet refer to a single .PSD file that I maintain and update.

Thoughts? Or has anyone thought of a different way to manage the version control on your puppet artwork? Thanks!

[alank99101739 · Accepted solution]

I don’t have an answer how to share rigging. I also worry that would you mess up all the recorded tracks if you reimport the puppet again? But that does not seem to be your question.

If you export a puppet file, you are correct that when you import it into the other project it will put it in the gathered media directory. However, you can change the artwork file location after you import it. If you look over in the puppet properties tab at the top (see in blue below) it has the path name of the media file. Click on it to browse to the shared file (and perhaps delete the file from the gathered directory to not get confused). Then at least you can share the artwork file. Does that help?

[Emily_Watts]

alank99101739​  - BINGO. Yep. That'll do it. Thank you!

[SharonfromMD]

Emily,

If I'm reading your post correctly, I have the same issue, but I have done it differently. I'm a song writer, and I animate my children's songs. So there are choruses that need to have the same characters or same animation. I have ended up "splitting" the characters. That way I can erase the behaviors I don't need whenever they come in. And I simply pull the file over. In this screen shot, you can see a series of puppets that are named the same (unfortunately) but look at the colored bars. If I didn't do that, I have to use opacity multiple times to remove them, and keep all the behaviors throughout the song. Look at Sarah1 and see that she comes in 4 times. I generally line them up starting from the bottom.

[Emily_Watts]

@SharonfromMD Thanks for sharing your set-up! Always helpful to see how people are organizing their projects in different ways. Really appreciate it.