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Each project in Developing Tank is an isolated workspace for a single show or production. Files, workflows, and team access are scoped to the project.

Setup checklist

1. Enter the project name using your show's working title.
2. Set the frame rate. This affects retime calculations and sequence processing.
3. Configure naming conventions if your show uses custom formats.
4. Set up marker rules.
5. Invite core team members with appropriate roles.

Naming convention notes

• The delimiter can be any character, but it must be consistent between scene, take, and camera values.
• Use the same delimiter for VFX shot names.

Marker rule notes

• Marker rules can auto-detect VFX shots, ADR notes, and online/optical notes.

Roles are project-scoped. A user can have different roles across projects. Roles control what a user can do.

Role definitions

Grant Admin only when the responsibility requires it. Admins can change other members' roles.

Project access is managed at the project level. Each person you invite receives an email link to join. You can invite existing users and users who do not yet have accounts.

How to invite someone

1. Open Project Settings.
2. Enter the collaborator's email address.
3. Assign a role (Viewer, Editor, or Admin).
4. Send the invitation.

The recipient must accept the invitation before they appear as an active project member.

Troubleshooting access issues

User received the invite but cannot access the project

• Confirm they opened the link while signed in to the correct account.
• Confirm the invitation was accepted, not only viewed.

Invitation is not showing up

• On next sign-in, the user should be prompted to accept or reject pending invitations.
• Ask the invitee to check spam/junk folders.

Error when sending invites

• Confirm you have the Admin role on that project.

This page covers the operational checklist for running dailies prep on a real project.

For background on automation behavior, see: How Dailies Automation Works.

Before you start

• Confirm project frame rate in Project Settings.
• Have your ALE, AVB, or AAF file ready from the day's transfer.
• Confirm naming conventions if your show uses custom formats.

Common issues

Clips are not grouping correctly

• Scene and take columns are prioritized before clip names.
• Verify scene/take values exist and are correct.
• Then verify clip naming format uses a consistent delimiter: scene<delimiter>take<delimiter>camera

Offspeed clips are not flagged

• Confirm project frame rate is set.
• Offspeed detection uses both cfps and trailing clip-name numbers.

Examples:

• 2C_04_A_120 — 120 fps
• 3A_1_D_48 — 48 fps
• 3A_1_D_47.97 — 47.976 fps

Sequence processing reads your cut and updates VFX tracking, scene tracking, and downstream reporting.

Accepted formats

• AAF (up to 100 MB)
• AVB (up to 50 MB)
• EDL (up to 5 MB)

EDL and AAF files must be uploaded one at a time and cannot be included in multi-file batch uploads.

Step-by-step

1. Ensure the sequence has no groups.
2. Open the Sequences page in your project.
3. Click Upload Sequence.
4. Select your AAF, AVB, or EDL file.
5. Click Process Sequence.
6. Review shot count, scene detections, marker detections, and duration.
7. Confirm downstream pages (VFX, Scenes) reflect expected updates.

Common issues

Sequence processed but VFX shots are empty

• Confirm your VFX naming convention is in use.
• If using markers, confirm marker rules are configured and used consistently.

Detected scenes are incorrect

• This can happen with intercutting, unusual scene length changes, or takes crossing scenes.
• Correct scenes manually. Subsequent uploads should reflect those corrections.

Upload rejected

• Confirm file type and size are within limits.
• If limits are valid, the sequence may be too complex and need simplification.
• See Upload Limits.

• All uploads in a batch must be of the same file type.

File size limits by type

Batch upload limits

• AAF: 50 files per batch
• Avid Bin (AVB): 5 files per batch
• CSV / ALE: 50 files per batch
• Maximum 145 MB total across all files in a single batch
• EDL files and AAF sequences must be uploaded one at a time — they cannot be included in a multi-file batch

When a file exceeds its limit, the upload is rejected with an error message showing the file size and the limit for that type.

If you hit a limit

• Reduce batch size — split a large batch into smaller runs
• For large AAF or AVB files, confirm the export settings are not including embedded media unnecessarily
• EDLs rarely exceed 5 MB unless something is wrong with the export; re-export from your NLE with a standard profile

Marker rules enable automatic shot categorization based on marker color, name, or username. Once configured, any markers matching your rules are instantly categorized and tracked across your project.

How marker rules work

You define rules in Project Settings. When a sequence is uploaded:

1. The system scans all markers in the sequence.
2. Each marker is compared against your rules.
3. Matching markers are auto-categorized into: VFX, ADR, Online, or Stock Footage.
4. The relevant tracker is updated automatically.

Rule types

• Color-based: Red markers → VFX, Blue → ADR, etc.
• Name-based: Markers with specific text in the name.
• Username-based: Markers created by a specific user.

Setting up marker rules

1. Go to Project Settings.
2. Select Marker Rules.
3. Define one rule per category (VFX, ADR, Online, Stock).
4. For each rule, choose: Color, Name pattern, or Username.
5. Save.

Best practices

• Use consistent marker colors across your editorial team.
• Document your marker scheme in a shared note for the team.
• Test on one sequence before full deployment.

Media kind is a classification applied to every clip. It determines which reports include each clip — for example, Music cue sheets pull all clips marked as "Music", and Graphics rundowns pull "Stock Footage" and "Graphics".

Available media kinds

• Dailies: Default media kind for editorial footage.
• Visual Effects: VFX shots and compositing work.
• Stock Footage: Licensed or library material.
• Music: Musical compositions, score, tracks.
• Sound Effects: SFX, foley, ambience.

How to assign media kind

Option 1: At Upload Time

1. Go to Dailies → Upload.
2. Select your files.
3. Before processing, choose a media kind from the dropdown (applies to entire batch).
4. Click Upload.

Option 2: In the Codebook

1. Go to Codebook → All Clips.
2. Click a clip to edit it.
3. Change Media Kind.
4. Save.

Option 3: Bulk Update

1. Go to Codebook → All Clips.
2. Search or select clips (e.g., all clips on picture track 5).
3. Click Bulk Edit.
4. Change Media Kind for entire selection.
5. Save.

Impact on reports

• Music Cue Sheets pull all clips marked "Music".
• Graphics Rundowns pull "Stock" + "Graphics".
• VFX Rundowns pull "Visual Effects".

The Editor's Binder is a digital replacement for the physical 3-ring binder editors keep in the edit bay. Store scripts, lined scripts, camera reports, sound reports, and production notes — all organized and searchable.

What you can store

• Scripts and lined scripts (PDFs)
• Camera reports (PDFs or CSV/text files)
• Sound reports (PDFs or CSV/text files)
• Editor's notes and continuity logs (PDFs)
• Crew lists, call sheets, day-of-days (PDFs)
• Script supervisor reports (text files)

Uploading documents

1. Go to Binder → Upload.
2. Select document type (Script, Lined Script, Camera Report, etc.).
3. Upload your PDF or text file.
4. If uploading a script or lined script, set the page offset to keep story pages aligned across documents.
5. Save.

Page offsets

If your binder spans multiple PDFs with different page counts, page offsets keep the story page counter accurate:

• Script (pages 1-50): Offset = 0
• Camera Report (pages 51-100): Offset = -50 (so page 51 displays as story page 1)

Book View (2-up)

1. Go to Binder → Book View.
2. Left pane: Lined script (or facing pages).
3. Right pane: Facing pages (or other document).
4. Use the story page counter to navigate both panes simultaneously.
5. Switch documents without leaving the binder.

Check Views (QA)

Manual Check View: Verify all clips have supporting documentation.

1. Go to Binder → Check View.
2. Sort by shoot day or upload file.
3. For each clip, mark: ✓ Present, ⚠ Investigate, ✗ Missing.

Automatic Check View: Upload a reference camera/sound report and system auto-compares.

1. Go to Binder → Automatic Check.
2. Upload reference camera report or sound report (text/CSV).
3. System flags mismatches automatically.

VFX tracking spans from initial shot detection through final vendor delivery. This guide covers the complete workflow.

Step 1: Auto-Detect VFX Shots

1. Upload a sequence (AVB, AAF, or EDL).
2. System scans for VFX shots based on:
   • Naming conventions (clips starting with "VFX_", for example).
   • Marker colors and marker rules.
   • Manual VFX markers in the sequence.

Step 2: Create VFX Slugs (Placeholder Clips)

1. Go to VFX → Create Slugs.
2. System generates an Avid bin with dummy clips at VFX shot positions.
3. Download the bin.
4. In Avid: Right-click → Import → Batch Import to add to your project.
5. Each slug is timed to the sequence position with handles.

Step 3: Generate VFX Pulls

1. Go to VFX → Create Pull.
2. Configure:
   • Handle frames (8-frame default).
   • Filler between clips (1-second default).
   • Include heads/tails.
3. System generates a ZIP containing:
   • Avid Bin: All clips + per-clip sequences + string-out.
   • EDL: Per-clip EDLs + string-out EDL.
   • Pull CSV: Shot name, clip name, source timecode, tape name.
   • Reference CSV: Detailed shot info with effects, retime counts, handles.
   • Vendor CSV: CDL/SAT/SOP values, retime frame counts per frame, source timecodes.
   • Lineup: Each shot in sequence context (2 clips on either side, 3 clips, etc.).

Step 4: Send to Vendor

Deliver the pull contents to your vendor:

• Avid Bin — for editorial conforming.
• Vendor CSV — technical specifications.
• Reference EDL — for conforming checks.
• Lineup — visual reference context.

Step 5: Track Versions

1. Vendor returns first pass.
2. Go to VFX → [Shot] → Versions → New Version.
3. Upload new version files.
4. Add notes and change status: Pending → In Progress → Review → Approval → Final.

Step 6: Detect Changes

1. Upload revised sequence with vendor versions cut in.
2. Go to Sequences → [New Seq] → Compare to Previous.
3. System flags: new shots, shots changed beyond handles, deleted shots.

Step 7: Create New Pulls for Revisions

If changes detected, repeat Step 3 with revised timing and new vendor data.

Speed Ramp Data

For offspeed clips with retimes, the vendor CSV includes frame-by-frame retime breakdown:

• Frame number
• Source timecode
• Retime percentage (100% = normal, 200% = 2x slow-mo)
• Keyframe slope (for ramps)