The project must be saved first
Collecting starts from your saved project file. If the project has unsaved changes, or has never been saved, Collect Files Pro asks you to save it before continuing (a never-saved project opens the Save As dialog).Choosing what to collect
The Collect dropdown at the top sets the scope. See Choosing what to collect for what each option does.Options
The middle of the dialog is a stack of options controlling fonts, proxies, folder names, render output, and the report. Each is covered in Collect options.The summary
Above the buttons, the dialog shows a live summary of what the current scope and options will collect:- how many comps will be collected
- how many files and proxy files, and their total size
- how many fonts will be collected
- how many effects are used
- how many single-machine and multiple-machine render items are queued
Comments
Click Comments… to attach a note to the collection. It’s included in the report, which is handy for handoff instructions to another artist or a render farm.Save as defaults
Save as defaults stores the current options so future sessions start from them. Cancel closes the dialog without collecting.Collect
Click Collect and choose a destination:- With Collect to folder on, you pick a new folder, and the project file keeps its original name inside it.
- With it off, you pick a name and location for the collected project file, and the footage/fonts/render folders are created alongside it.
Your original project is never modified. Collect Files Pro saves a copy to the destination, works on that, and reopens your original when done (unless you’ve ticked Open collected project when finished).