What do you do to keep a nice workflow and stay organized and focused?

[genolune]

As the title says, what do you do to keep a nice workflow and stay organized and focused?

 

I say this because the amount of information and tutorials and files we work with when modding is quite a lot.

 

 

a) What tools do you use to do your modding? How do you keep your shortcuts organized and easily accessible (put them in a folder on the desktop, taskbar, etc.)?

b) What tools, documents, notes, etc. do you use to maintain an organized and streamlined concept to finished product?

c) How do you categorize your bookmarks?

d) How do you categorize your files?

 

 

My setup

Desk setup

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v724/genolune/Desktop_1.jpg

 

Desktop Setup

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v724/genolune/Desktop.jpg

 

How to create the gaming folder shortcut

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v724/genolune/Creating%20Gaming%20Shortcut%20Toolbar.jpg

 

Actual Folder

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v724/genolune/Games%20Shortcut%20Folder.jpg

 

I added BodySlide and FO4Edit since I use them so much and rearranged the icons to:
Nexus Mod Manager
DDS Converter
Blender
BodySlide x64
NifSkope
Gimp
Audacity
Creation Kit
FO4Edit

That more accurately describes my workflow and makes it easier than so many things on my toolbar.

C:/Games folder (residing on the faster M2 SSD, just in case it makes a difference for the program)

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v724/genolune/Games%20Folder.jpg

 

On the storage drive

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v724/genolune/Shortcut.jpg

 

Go to Fallout 4 (Mod folders are where I keep everything for the mods I am working on)

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v724/genolune/Fallout%204%20Folder.jpg

 

Meshes & Textures Folder (yes, eventually I want a Dungeons & Dragons Beholder in Fallout/Elder Scrolls games)

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v724/genolune/Meshes%20%20Textures.jpg

 

Female Sub-Folder (I sort by mod and mostly keep the same file structure, trying to delete everything I don't need)

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v724/genolune/Sample%20Texture%20Sub-Folder.jpg

 

DDS Converter View (I use this to quickly view and compare all the textures easily to see what's the same, what isn't and what's on it)

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v724/genolune/DDS%20Converter%20View.jpg

DDS Converter on Nexus

My Creation Kit setup

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v724/genolune/Creation%20Kit%20View.jpg

 

How I organize my bookmarks and I have Chrome set-up to start with the bookmark manager and Google page

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v724/genolune/Chrome%20Setup.jpg

My bookmark structure

Fallout 4
inside of that I have the following:
1 Audio
2 Meshing & Texturing
3 Animation
4 Creation Kit
Mods - 1 Using
Mods - 2 Not Using
Mods - 3 Reference (Textures Mostly)
Reference Miscellaneous
SORT
Random bookmarks I have yet to decide what to do with

Sort is where I throw all the bookmarks of a like type (ie discussions, mod pages, etc.), rename them with "Category - Name of Link" and then move them to where they belong.

 

[chucksteel]

a) BEER! The Ckit, Photoshop, Gimp, 3d Max, nifscope BEER! Mostly Task Bar but, a few desktop shortcuts and Beer is kept in the refrigerator.

 

b) Note pad ++, Adobe Acrobat Pro. I keep detailed notes on every change I make in my mod and then transcribe them into a PDF so it's organized and can be quickly referenced with images and bookmarks.

 

c) not sure what you mean here with bookmarks, I do have the nexus, Beth.net and the ckit wikki bookmarked but that doesn't take much organization.

 

d) if you mean meshes,textures and materials, I use a mod specific folder for each. Within those folders I maintain the same file structure as the vanilla game. So if I forget where a Vanilla object I've edited is located I can simply look up the original vanilla one. Put my mod specific folder in front of the file path and BAM I'm there.

 

If you mean backups, I name a folder with the mod version and every update I back up. I've been doing this all the way back to my first mod and can pull any version from my archives.

[Athanasa]

I work in random patches, frequently getting distracted by something and dropping what I was doing before, eventually flitting back when I need to progress there to progress overall.

 

I am not a very organised person.

[chucksteel]

I do that too but that's why I keep the detailed notes and PDF.

[llamaRCA]

Like Chuck, I drink while I mod, but I drink caffeine. Lots and lots of it.

 

 

a) What tools do you use to do your modding? How do you keep your shortcuts organized and easily accessible (put them in a folder on the desktop, taskbar, etc.)?

Taskbar: Audacity, Nifskope, Gimp, Bodyslide and Outfit Studio, Blender, XXEdit (this changes depending on which game I'm currently working in), Sublime Text

Elsewhere: Excel and Word

 

 

b) What tools, documents, notes, etc. do you use to maintain an organized and streamlined concept to finished product?

Excel, Word, Sticky Notes, Notepad and irl paper (in the form of a notebook) and pencil

-lists in Excel (easily sorted by item I care about at the moment like name, location, NPCs, etc). Some of these I refer back to frequently and some I make and use once.

-write planning docs in Word and keep lists of what I've built (use excel for this too)

-Sticky Notes as necessary to keep little bits of info handy (sticky notes on my PC, don't do irl sticky notes too much)

-paper/pencil (always have a running notebook) to note down what needs to be fixed as I test

-Notepad (PC) for a list of what currently needs testing that I keep open when in game to keep me on track

 

 

c) How do you categorize your bookmarks?

These are kept by game. I have Skyrim, NV, FO3, FO4, etc folders where I put relevant stuff I run across (bugs, clever solutions to problems, etc)

 

 

d) How do you categorize your files?

I keep one master folder for my current project and usually end up with folders for the project littering my desktop while working. Eventually that all goes into the master folder. I back up my work regularly.

[damanding]

I use OneNote for keeping mod ideas organized as well as links to any resources I might need for that particular mod idea. I keep my bookmarks organized by game and then further organized below that. So Fallout bookmark folder has subfolders for broad mod categories and a separate subfolder just for mod tutorials and mod resources I might plan to use. I also bookmark threads from the forum (re-titled usually) that have some tidbit of knowledge that I find particularly useful for anything I'm in progress on or will need for future planned work. I keep all my most commonly used software programs linked in my windows taskbar. You can right click on any application icon (whether in the start menu or on a shortcut icon) and "Pin to taskbar" on pretty much all the versions of Windows from the last 10 years at least, even 8.x.

 

For the group mod that I've been working on we use an online website called Basecamp where we have our conversations, to do lists, forum topics, files that we share with each other, etc. It has a chat feature which is basically just a long never-ending list of chat which is great for when multiple people are on the site at once and want to talk (not often as we live in 4 different countries on wildly different time zones) or for leaving a quick note for folks to catch. But when our discussions need to be more organized and easier to find, we use the forum style threads that each have their own subject. Also there's a handy feature when you upload files, you can add notes to the files so you can explain "hey this file is bugged and I can't figure out why, can someone else test it".

[genolune]

c) not sure what you mean here with bookmarks, I do have the nexus, Beth.net and the ckit wikki bookmarked but that doesn't take much organization.

 

Well for example:

 

My bookmark structure

 

Fallout 4

inside of that I have the following:

1 Audio

2 Meshing & Texturing

3 Animation

4 Creation Kit

Mods - 1 Using

Mods - 2 Not Using

Mods - 3 Reference (Textures Mostly)

Reference Miscellaneous

SORT

Random bookmarks I have yet to decide what to do with

 

Sort is my nice alphabetize folder where I throw all the bookmarks of a like type (ie discussions, mod pages, etc.) and then sort from there after cleaning up.

 

I'll post more on my setup later but I thought it might be interesting to get this going for others to look at. Plus, I've spent the day cleaning and organizing my desk, books, etc. to get more productive and focused so while ideas are fresh I might as well share them.

[damanding]

I'm ADHD enough that all my organization really doesn't help me be more productive as a modder. Pretty much I go with whatever looks shiniest to me at any given moment. Getting organized and cleaning is just my way of procrastinating when modding isn't shiny enough. :D

[speedynl]

i never keep track on anything, i just do wat i wana do, and most of the time it works fine, meaning in the end it works like i want and or intended

 

cleaning your desk ?, i eat smoke drink above my keyboard only thing i don't do is sleeping on it, 1's in a while i turn my keyboard over and give it some slaps, you would be surprise wat come's out :D

[genolune]

I'm ADHD enough that all my organization really doesn't help me be more productive as a modder. Pretty much I go with whatever looks shiniest to me at any given moment. Getting organized and cleaning is just my way of procrastinating when modding isn't shiny enough. :D

 

It's the opposite for me. I'm pretty much not going to get things done unless I get rid of anything except that which I need to focus. Half the time I don't remember my own ideas or stuff, or can't get coordinated enough to get things done. It's been kind of bothering me for awhile. I spend more time loafing around the net than actually learning the tools and getting things done. I'm a hot mess, I know.