Last edited one month ago
by Mark Wootton

Development Google Drive Structure

Files and folders relating to a project are kept in a specific way on our Google Drive. What follows is an outline of how that structure works and how it is used.

Note: Not all of these folders ahyve to be populated by developers, many of them are used by Marketing or other AEG team members. However, from time to time you may be asked to interact with them, so this file structure is included to facilitate that.

Actual Folders in Bold

Info about folders in regular text.

  1. Shared drive
    1. AEG Products (top-most folder, likely not shared with external developers, who will only have access to the specific product folder)
        1. This folder contains the “One game = One folder” concept. It is the place for all of a games files to be worked on and delivered to until final Production Files are put on the Production Drop Box, and Marketing Assets are put on the Marketing/​​[DISTRIBUTOR, RETAIL, and PRESS RESOURCES] dropbox.
        2. [ADMIN]
          1. A folder to keep General Meeting notes, docs, and templates.
        3. 00_Folder_Template
          1. This is the template folder to duplicate when making a NEW game folder. Simply duplicate it and rename the copy to the game name like “IntoTheMachine”
          2. If the game is part of a Product Line, like Let’s Go, then make a top folder named “LetsGo” and then make a duplicate for each game title within that line as its own subfolder like “LetsGoToJapan” and “LetsGoToFrance”
          3. GameName (likely the root folder you will have access to) folder breakdown:
            1. Example game to check out:
              1. https://drive.google.com/drive/u/3/folders/1aw0BCgm1TwQyDVJlbMqf4XENxfsZM0o6
            2. 01_Documents
              1. All documents for the game can be stored here.
              2. There is a 00_Templates folder with a few common document templates you may need for your game. For a more complete collection of Document templates see number 2. here:
                1. NOTE: Only xlsx templates will copy over when you duplicate this folder to make one for your game.
                2. Therefore we've made a folder here: AEG Products/05_TEMPLATE_Documents with all docs that you can "Make a copy" to rename and save in your game's 01_Documents folder.
              3. Shortcuts - Sometimes a document needs to live elsewhere, like the 5 Pillars, you can add a Shortcut to those documents into this folder. (right-click the document or folder and choose “Add shortcut to drive” and then choose the location you want the shortcut to be.)
            3. 02_Prototype_files - Developer’s folder for all Prototype source files.
              1. 01_TTS and 02_Print_and_Play folders can be structured within however the Dev feels.
            4. 03_GraphicDesign_files
              1. When Graphic Design begins, building of Production files starts in this folder. When graphic design is complete, the INDD and AI files should be Packaged and saved to 06 FinalPress_files. Once that is done, delete the indd Files here, so that Dropbox contain the only and final source files.
            5. 04_Marketing_files - All Marketing files for a game should now be kept here. Each folder is broken down:
              1. 01_Marketing_Planning_Documents
                1. Advertisements
                  1. Used by Marketing
                2. Plain Text Descriptions
                  1. Devs should update the Product Description document with the game info for marketing use and BGG entry.
              2. 02_Game_Graphics
                1. Developers should first populate these folders with all game and art assets that marketing will need for creating marketing assets. Most will also be used for any campaign videos created by Oniro, and can be copy/pasted from here to the Oniro folder.
                  1. 00_Working_files - Keep all source files used to make Marketing assets here (for example 3D source files for box renders). This is basically the home for any source files that are NOT Production files (for example, you’ll render card and component PNGs from production files, but you don’t want to keep any duplicate source INDD files here).
                    1. 3D_Working - Just a folder to hold source files for any 3D box renders. Whitney has taken over box renders, and can store her files here.
                    2. Card_Round_corners_templates - This folder has some magenta card shapes that can easily be selected with a wand or alpha selection in Photoshop to chop off round corners for card art you've exported from InDesign. It's a nice touch to the cards, and sets them up to look good when used.
                  2. 01_Renders_Box
                    1. 2D - Devs should place all 2D Renders from the InDesign Packaging files here to be used by Marketing. They can also create the 3D box renders from these.
                      1. A single front facing square of the box top should be here to upload to BGG as the Main Image.
                    2. 3D - Marketing should place all 3D Box renders here to be used on campaigns and advertising.
                  3. 02_Logo
                    1. Marketing & Devs should place all Logo art in here. Both Vector files and Hi-Res PNG or PSD files when possible.
                  4. 03_Layered_Art_and_Characters
                    1. Devs should place all Character, Art, Illustration, and Graphic Design files in their Layered PSD or Vector AI forms here from all art used in the Links folders of INDD files. This gives Marketing all the raw art to use to build ads and marketing materials.
                  5. 04_Component_Images
                    1. The folders in here are just starter folders. Please duplicate them and tag them if your game has multiple cards and boards. For example Cards_items and Cards_actions if you have multiple cards types, or Boards_player and Boards_main. Also, create any additional folders for components your game has.
                    2. 00_Game_setup_renders - If you have any renders of the game setup, place them here. For example, if your Rulebook has a game setup example, that render may work. Or a game setup render used in KS campaign art.
                    3. Boards, Cards, Tokens - Just some pre-made folders for common game compoenents. Please customize and add folders as needed for your game.
                  6. 05_Fonts
                    1. Place all non-Adobe fonts into this folder that were used in your game. They can be found in the "Document fonts" folder when your graphic designer packages a game. NOTE: Only Adobe fonts should be used in a game unless specific checks have been made with the COO Ryan Dancey about their suitability.
                    2. 00_Adobe_Fonts_used.txt - This is plain text file where you can list the Adobe fonts used in your game. This is a little harder to collect, as you will need to open the InDesign, and Illustrator files of your game's source files to find them. you can find them:
                      1. InDesign & Illustrator - Go to menu option: Type/Find/Replace font and it will list all fonts used in the document.
                    3. 06_Listing_Assets -
                      1. Used by Marketing
                    4. 07_Videos
                      1. Any videos you may have made for your game, like tutorials, or videos made by Oniro that can also be used for Marketing.
                2. 03_Photography
                  1. Devs can place any pictures they've taken of their game here in an appropriately named folder like "00_Prototype playtesting".
                  2. Marketing can use for any photography made and used for advertising.
                3. 04_PDF_Rulebook
                  1. Devs should keep the latest rulebook PDFs here. It would be nice in 2 formats:
                    1. Hi-Res for print PDF, without Crop Marks used by Chinese printers. Can just use the "High Quality Print" setting for PDF export instead of the AEG Export setting.
                    2. Smaller res one for Online PDF - Can use the "Smallest File Size" PDF export setting.
                4. 05_Sell_Sheets
                  1. Used by Marketing
                5. 06_External_Partner_Asset_Requests
                  1. Used by Marketing
              3. [AEG Template Folder] - While building the Marketing Assets folder, render all your PNGs and files here. When it’s complete, you can move it over the Marketing Dropbox where Distributors and Influencers will have access. Delete this folder from here when that is done. Only source files will stay in the above folder.
            6. 05_Crowdfunding_files
              1. 00_Documents
                1. You can keep all documents related to the campaign here.
                  1. NOTE: The Google Docs will not Copy/Paste as part of the template, so you'll need to get them from the AEG Products/05_TEMPLATE_Documents folder.
                2. Crowdfunding Plan Template.gsheet
                  1. This is the Planning document for the campaign.
                3. Crowdfunding Page Review Template.gdoc -
                  1. This is the Review doc for team reviews of the page pre-launch.
                4. 01_Kickstarter_files - This the folder for the Campaign Graphics assets.
                  1. KS_Flat - Holds the rendered PNGs, JPGs, and GIFs used on the campaign page.
                  2. KS_Layered - Holds the source files for the above Flat files.
                  3. KS_Video_GIFs - This holds the Video and Source MPGs for GIFs used in the campaign (Usually from George, and the MPGs are turned into GIFs using Photoshop in the KS_Layered folder above)
                5. 02_Backerkit
                  1. Backerkit source and rendered files
                6. 03_Oniro
                  1. This whole folder is shared with George at Oniro. It contains ALL the art, Scripts, Component Info, and other files he needs to make the video with.
                  2. Remove :"00_temp_" from the File name, and replace "GameName" with your game's name.
                  3. 00_Documents - Has the 2 Documents George needs filled out to make the video. The checklist is a good guide.
                    1. NOTE: These google docs won't copy/paste as part of the folder template, so you'll have to go back to the Folder Template document to "Make a copy" from and save in your Game's 00_Document folder here.
                  4. 01_BOX - Can render out the 2D Box top and bottoms from the Print INDD file as PNGs here. No need to break apart, he can place it as a wrap.
                  5. 02_COMPONENTS - Render out PNGs for ALL game components from the INDD production files. Put any art needed for Tokens, etc. in OTHER folder.
                  6. 03_2D_ARTWORK - Put all Source Illustration PSD or other files here. Layered files are best, especially if we want the illustrations animated.
                  7. 04_3D_ASSETS - If we have any 3D models for Minis or components put them here.
                  8. 05_SPECIAL/EXTRA - Anything that doesn’t fit in the other folders.
                  9. 06_REF_PHOTO_TTS - If George needs any Reference photos for how the game is setup, or reference for how to play shots, add them here. They can be from a Printed Prototype on the table, or from TTS.
                  10. 07_LOGOS - Add the Game Logos to this folder.
                  11. 08_FONTS - Add any non-Adobe Fonts used in the game here. Any Adobe Fonts, please add them to the document so he can find them quickly. (This can be grabbed from the Marketing Folder.)
                7. BGG - Any BGG ad files, Source and final renders.
                8. BGR - Any BGR ad files, Source and final renders.
                9. SocialMedia_Banners - Any source files and renders for Social Media
            7. 06 FinalPress_files
              1. PressFiles_Approved
                1. This folder contains the pdfs of all files needed to produce a game that are ready for print file handoff to production.
              2. PressFiles_Pending
                1. This contains the pdfs of all files needed to produce a game during the approval process.
              3. Source Files
                1. This is the packaged indd files from the graphic design folder that are generated after they have passed all approvals.
            8. 07 Production_files
              1. This folder contains all digital proofs, approval forms, testing reports, and other documents used in the production of a product.
            9. 08_ArtReview
              1. Devs can use this folder to place any art from Illustrators and Graphic designers for review, before being approved and used for Graphic Design.
              2. Save them in Dated folders.
            10. 09_FileReview
              1. Devs and file reviewers can use this folder for Files given to us by Dave for any file reviews.
              2. Save them in Dated folders.
Retrieved from "https://development.alderac.com/w/index.php?title=Development_Google_Drive_Structure&oldid=178"