Collect & Save and file handling

In HeavyM 2.8, we've introduced a new saving system. HeavyM files are now managed as projects, in dedicated folders where all external files can be gathered.

This is intended to make file management and project transfer easier (even between Windows and Mac computers or using a cloud solution!)

Saving a project

The project folder

When saving a project, HeavyM creates a folder with the name you've chosen. It has a specific icon and the following structure: it contains the .hm file with the same name, a "MediaFiles" subfolder and a "Backups" subfolder.

Backup projects

As of 2.13.6, a security system to prevent a complete project loss in case of a rare issue during save (mistake or major bug) has been implemented. You can now find a copy of your project in its second to last saved state in the “Backups” folder of your project folder. Another copy is also added in "Documents\HeavyM\Project Backups".

What happens exactly: when a project is saved again, before saving the new modifications, a copy of the current .hm file is created, with the suffix "_previousSave". Then, the new modifications are added to the .hm file. At every subsequent save, the current project is copied and overwrites the "_previousSave" file, etc. That way, if you have saved modifications you don't want anymore, you can always find an exact copy of your project file in the state it was before you last saved it.

Gathering external assets in the MediaFiles folder

If you use external media files in your mapping project, we recommend using the Collect & Save option when saving (File → Collect Media Files & Save...) to make sure that HeavyM always finds them at reload.

What this option does (in addition to a regular save), is that it creates copies of all the external files in your project and gathers them in the MediaFiles folder of your project. The path of the file is then overwritten in the project and at next reload, HeavyM will look for your files in the MediaFiles folder in priority.

The Collect & Save option applies to all types of external files: the ones in Sources (images, GIFs, videos, imported generative shaders), effects (imported postprocessing shaders), background (background image) and audio (audio tracks on the sequencer and sequences).

You only need to use this option if you've added new external media to the project (it will then only copy the ones that don't already exist in MediaFiles), otherwise a regular save is fine.

Note: if you move your project's external files manually in its MediaFiles folder, they will also be found at reload.

Transferring a project

If all your external files have been collected in the project's MediaFiles folder, the only thing you need to do when transferring a project to another location (another folder, drive or even computer) is make sure that you copy or move the full project folder (containing the MediaFiles folder and the .hm file).

Note: this works when switching from Mac to PC or vice versa.

Locating missing files

In the event that a media file goes missing, you'll get this window when loading the project:

This window gives you the possibility to locate the missing files by giving it their new paths (make sure to collect & save the files afterward!) If you skip this window, you also have the possibility to locate each file from its associated module in the software (in the Sources panel for Medias, the Properties panel for player and group shaders, etc).

Even if you don't have the files at hand, you can edit other parts of your project and save safely, missing files information will still be kept in the backup and you can locate them anytime you want in a later session. 

Once a file has been located, it recovers all its saved properties in the project (attached player, parameters, controls assignments, etc).

Note: missing files can be deleted manually from their associated module in the software.