version cue - does anyone use it?

[phuong]

im just curious how many of you are using it (effectively)?
i know that it is supposed to track changes and stuffs, in order to reduce confusion. however, i find it even more confused than ever. so i just stopped using it at all.

 

[eyeon]

Never. I always wondered if it would benefit me to actually sit down and figure it out, it seems like it could be a very useful tool -- I I myself have never used it, and have been running CS2 since it came out. I'd also be interested to hear from someone who actually effectively uses it...

 

[zero2dash]

I have it turned off/non-loading at startup. 😱
I don't have a use for it, so...off with it's head! Another unnecessary memory-stealing resource for me at least. 🙂

 

[barrysfarm]

I turned it on when I first installed CS 2. The idea behind seems like a good idea, having a firms files in once place, checking out new files so you can see which is the most recent ones.

Then I tried to use it and it took a minute to start a new project and i lost interest. For it to work, it has to be as seemless a saving a file, and take the same amount of time.

 

[dogbone]

Same here, it looked great when I first saw it a few of years ago but I couldn't be bothered figuring it out but I always wonder if it's worth it when I find a whole bunch of differenct versions of stuff on my hd.

 

[brad.c]

Then I tried to use it and it took a minute to start a new project and i lost interest. For it to work, it has to be as seemless a saving a file, and take the same amount of time.

It seems geared towards managing the workflow of a larger studio, or multi-artist projects--not much use for the average designer. But I know what you mean about slowing down the process. A company I worked for tried to implement a job-tracking system ten years back that tied in with opening Quark files via a personal "To-do" list. It took so long to use, people bypassed it completely, until the project was scrapped.

At least Version Cue is free!

 

[iMeowbot]

It works pretty well if you have a need for it. I can't see it being of much use for solo work, or if you don't buy into the whole Bridge thing. It really doesn't get in the way much if you are saving to a shared server anyway.

 

[RojoLeo]

Like everyone here, I tried using it when I first got Creative Suite but didn't have much use for it. As our office expanded I saw the need pretty quickly.

Now, Version Cue is installed on our server and everyone runs Bridge connecting to Version Cue on the server. It works pretty well. Everyone's My Documents is also redirected to the same server (yeah, we're a PC office) so the indexing and transfer is really fast.

Unfortunately, we grew too fast and everyone began to run projects outside of the Version Cue administration, so now we have to retroactively sort everything again and make sure everyone is synced up. It'll probably take a full day, but it will pay off in no time. I enjoy not being tied to the office, so if another designer or developer needs to access a .psd I created they always have access to it.

 

[Blue Velvet]

We don't use it. Everyone works locally on their machines in their own 'work in progress' folders as we tend to work solely on a project.

The server is used for shared resources like the image and logo libraries and for running networked backups at night. Besides, don't think it works really well with Quark files. 😉

Might revisit the situation with CS3, but deadlines have to be met and there are some old dogs at our studio who are resistant to change.

 

[RojoLeo]

We don't use it. Everyone works locally on their machines in their own 'work in progress' folders as we tend to work solely on a project.

The server is used for shared resources like the image and logo libraries and for running networked backups at night. Besides, don't think it works really well with Quark files. 😉

Might revisit the situation with CS3, but deadlines have to be met and there are some old dogs at our studio who are resistant to change.

Off-topic: you're not from Austin are you?

 

[Blue Velvet]

Off-topic: you're not from Austin are you?

Nope. London, UK. 🙂

Where it's 5:30am right now, and I'm nursing coffee and wondering what time I should go into the office since it opens at 7am... and the first thing I will be opening when I get there will not be Version Cue.

 

[RojoLeo]

Nope. London, UK. 🙂

Where it's 5:30am right now, and I'm nursing coffee and wondering what time I should go into the office since it opens at 7am... and the first thing I will be opening when I get there will not be Version Cue.

Lucky you. It'd be nice if we were as segmented as you've described, but our workflow is so collaborative there's no way we can survive without synchronizing.

Is your work graphic or web design, or neither? Do you tend to have an one person handle a client's entire project?

 

[Blue Velvet]

Is your work graphic or web design, or neither? Do you tend to have an one person handle a client's entire project?

Inhouse team producing 95% print design: publications, magazine, flyers, display and promo material etc. serving about a dozen or so semi-autonomous, independently-funded teams... some with their own branding over and above the corporate work.

Each designer is responsible for their own project management unless it's a complex and large publication that needs co-ordination between proofers and editors. We see work through from brief to print order, artwork is only centrally archived after job has been back from print for 1 month.

There is some collaboration but not much that needs tight synchronisation. I might end up doing a jacket for a publication that someone is working on, for example.