Working with Version Cue

Once Version Cue is set up, you're ready to create a project and organize related files. You can add files to the Version Cue project various ways, create file versions, review versions of files, and locate files by searching embedded metadata.

Version Cue CS2 makes it easy to create workspaces and projects. Passwords are not required, and user accounts don't have to be created manually to share Version Cue workspaces and projects. After a user accesses the Version Cue workspace without an assigned user name, the user name for the user's own computer is automatically added to the list of users in the workspace and the password is left blank. (Information about user names and passwords for a workspace or a project is visible in the Version Cue CS2 Administration utility. See "Administering Version Cue" later in the chapter.)

Here we describe techniques for creating projects, opening and saving files, placing files, working with versions and alternates, and so on. Most of the time, you'll be working in Adobe Bridge or the Adobe dialog box. We suggest that you familiarize yourself with the techniques in "Browsing Through Your CS2 Files" and "Making Bridge Your File Manager" in Chapter 3, "View from the Bridge," because they'll help you work with Version Cue projects.

Working with Projects

A project is a top-level folder in a Version Cue workspace that contains related files, grouped as you wish. You can create any kind of file hierarchy within a project. (Projects and workspaces can be backed up and restored. We explain how in the "Backing Up and Restoring Projects and Workspaces" section later in the chapter.)

To create projects, you use either Adobe Bridge or the Adobe dialog box. To get an overview of the files in your project, or to move or copy files between folders within a project, use Adobe Bridge. To open, save, or place files within InDesign, Illustrator, and Photoshop, use the Adobe dialog box. You can also do some file-management operations in the Adobe Version Cue CS2 Administration utility (which we'll cover in the section "Administering Version Cue").

As you work with projects in Adobe Bridge, icons indicate whether or not a project is shared, and whether or not it's available (see Table 13-2).

Table 13-2. Version Cue Project Icons and Their Meanings
Project	Icon	Meaning
Available and Not Shared		The project is available and is not shared with other users.
Available and Shared		The project is available and is shared with other users.

Creating a New Project

Choose one of these methods to create a new project:

In Adobe Bridge, choose Tools > Version Cue > New Project, or in the Adobe dialog box, choose Project Tools > New Project. In the New Project dialog box, select the workspace, name the project, add a description, select the shared status, and save the new project to your workspace.
In the Adobe Version Cue CS2 Administration utility, click Create A Project, and then click Blank Project.
In the Version Cue Administration utility, click Import From Folder to import an existing project on your hard drive.

Adding Files and Folders to a Project

There are two preferred methods to add existing files and folders to a project. Both begin by navigating to the project in Bridge.

Choose File > New Window; in the new window, navigate to the files you want to add to the project. Drag the files into the project window.
Drag files and folders from the Macintosh Finder or Windows Explorer into the Bridge window.

Tip: Dragging to the Working Copy Folder

You can drag new files and folders into a project in the Working Copy folder. Just be sure to synchronize the project to update the copies in the Version Cue workspace; see "Synchronizing Files, Folders, or Projects" for more information. However, you cannot create a new project using this method.

You can change the sort order when viewing a project by choosing View > Sort In Adobe Bridge. (See "Collaborating on a Project" later in this chapter for a discussion of how you might structure your projects.)

Opening and Saving Files

Opening a file in a Version Cue project is the same as opening any other file. However, if you open a file that's in use by another user or that has previously been edited and saved as a new version, you'll be prompted to edit the most recent version if you have worked with the file previously. Also, you'll be asked whether you want to risk edit conflicts if the file is in use by another user.

To save a file that hasn't been part of a project into a Version Cue workspace, use the Adobe dialog box; navigate to the project and save the file. It's also good idea to save a version comment.

To include non-Adobe files (for example, a Microsoft Word document) in a project, you must manually move these files into a Version Cue project in Adobe Bridge (see the sidebar "Creating Versions of Non-Adobe Files," later in this chapter).

Copying and Moving Files and Folders

To copy files and folders between projects, just drag the files between Bridge windows. To move files and folders, copy and then delete them (see the upcoming section "Deleting Files, Folders, and Projects"). Only the most recent version of the file will be copied.

To move files and folders from a Version Cue project to a Desktop folder, drag from the project folder to the folder. As when you copy between projects, only the most recent version of the file will be copied.

Placing Files from a Project

You can use the File > Place command in InDesign and Illustrator with project files as you normally would. (We describe working with linked graphics in "Linking Files in InDesign and Illustrator" in Chapter 9, "Smart Objects and Intelligent Layouts.") The Links palettes in InDesign and Illustrator display additional information about linked graphics when they are part of a Version Cue project. Figure 13-13 shows icons indicating when a linked file is being edited, by whom, when a file is a member of a group of alternates, and when it's the primary alternate.

Figure 13-13. Links palette with file-status icons.

Tip: Linking Adds a Working Copy

Placing a file from a Version Cue project also makes a copy in your working copy folder. That copy is available to you even when the Version Cue workspace is unavailable.

Searching for Files in a Project

Working on files in a Version Cue project automatically appends metadata (for example, comments and versions) to the files. You can search for files based on these and other kinds of metadata. You cannot search across multiple projects.

In Adobe Bridge, choose Edit > Find. For more information on how to search the metadata, see "Searching for Files and Metadata" in Chapter 3, "View from the Bridge."
In the Adobe dialog box, open the folder you want to search. (You cannot search across projects, and must therefore select which project you want to search in first.) Click Project Search in the Show Places pane on the left. Use the Search Criteria pop-up menu to choose All, File Name, File Info, Keywords, or Comments. Type in the Search field, and click Search. (Note that you can search for some metadata in Bridge that you can't search for here.)

Tip: When You Find Old Versions

Searching a project will also locate past versions. To use an old version, use Bridge to view the older version, which opens it in its native application. Then choose File > Save As to make it a new file.

Synchronizing Files, Folders, or Projects

As you work in Version Cue, sometimes a Version Cue workspace isn't available (for example, when the network isn't available, or you're using a laptop when flying), and you need to edit the copy of a file that is in your working copy folder. When the workspace becomes available again, you need to synchronize a file, folder, or an entire project. Synchronizing updates the file, folder, or project in both your working copy folder and the Version Cue workspace with the most recent versions. You might also synchronize a project to add copies of its files to your working copy folder. Use either Adobe Bridge or the Adobe dialog box to synchronize a project, or individual files or folders:

In Adobe Bridge, select a project's icon or alias, Control/right-click, and choose Synchronize (or choose Tools > Version Cue > Synchronize). To synchronize a file or folder, select its icon and use the same command.
In the Adobe dialog box, select a project's icon or alias, Control/right-click, and choose Synchronize (or choose Project Tools > Synchronize). To synchronize a file or folder, select its icon and use the same command.

Deleting Files, Folders, or Projects

To prevent accidental deletions, deleting a file or folder in a Version Cue workspace is a two-step process. The first step is to select the file or folder and delete it in one of two ways:

In Adobe Bridge, select the file or folder and click the Delete Item button in the toolbar, or Control/right-click and select Delete from the context menu.
In the Adobe dialog box, select the file or folder and click the Delete icon, or Control/right-click and select Delete.

This deletion hides the file or folder from normal view but does not erase it. To see it in Adobe Bridge, you must select View > Show Hidden And Deleted Files.

The second step is to delete the file or folder permanently. Choose one of these options:

Control/right-click the file or folder and select Delete Permanent (Figure 13-14).

Figure 13-14. When a file has been deleted but not erased, you must first make it visible, and then choose the Delete Permanent command.
In the Adobe dialog box, choose Project Tools > Show Deleted Items; then select the file or folder you want to permanently delete, and choose Project Tools > Delete Permanent.

To delete an entire project, select its icon or alias in Adobe Bridge or the Adobe dialog box. In Bridge, Control/right-click and choose Delete Project. In the Adobe dialog box, choose Project Tools > Delete; then confirm the deletion. Deleting a project permanently erases its files and folder from the Version Cue workspace and from your working copy folder.

Tip: Disconnect to Delete Extra Copies

Deleting a project does not automatically erase copies on other workstations on your network. To delete these copies from another workstation, use the Disconnect command from that workstation.

Disconnecting from a Project

You may want to disconnect from a project, for example, to free up file space on your hard drive. Disconnecting removes the project files from your working copy folder, and removes the alias to the project from Adobe Bridge and the Adobe dialog box. However, the files in the Version Cue workspace are not changed.

You can disconnect from a project in two ways:

In Adobe Bridge, select the project icon or its alias, Control/right-click, and choose Disconnect from the context menu.
In the Adobe dialog box, choose Project Tools > Disconnect.

Viewing Project Status

As you work in Bridge and the Adobe dialog box, Version Cue displays icons that indicate the status of files in a Version Cue project. In Thumbnails view in Bridge, only the icon appears. Switching to Details view displays a description of the status. Table 13-3 lists the file-status icons and their meanings.

Table 13-3. Version Cue File-status Icons and Their Meanings
Status	Icon	Meaning
Never Saved		The file is open on your computer and has not been saved.
Open		The file is open on your computer and has been saved.
Synchronized		The versions match between the copy of the file in the Version Cue workspace, and your working copy.
In Use By Me		You are editing the file, or you have chosen the Mark in Use command to express your intention of editing it.
In Use By <Other User>		Another user is editing the file and hasn't saved a current version to the Version Cue workspace.
No Working Copy		You don't have a working copy of the file, and it must be retrieved from the Version Cue workspace.
Outdated Copy		Your working copy isn't up-to-date, and the current version must be retrieved from the Version Cue workspace.
Offline Copy		You have a working copy of the file, but the Version Cue workspace isn't available. It's not possible to determine whether the working copy is the latest version.
Only Copy		The only known copy of the file is in your working copies folder. You need to synchronize it with the Version Cue workspace.
Unavailable		The Version Cue workspace is offline or you don't have access privileges. If possible, synchronize it with the Version Cue workspace.
Conflicted Copies		Both you and another user are editing the file, or have conflicting versions.
Deleted		The file or folder has been deleted from the project, but not permanently erased. It could be restored.

Using Working Copies

A working copy of a file is created when you open a file within a Version Cue project, whether the file resides on your computer, on another computer, or on your network server. Version Cue always saves two copies of your file, even when you're working only on a private project on your own computer. By using working copies to edit files, Version Cue protects the master project versions from unintended and unwanted changes.

Working copies also provide performance benefits by allowing you to update your work without having to constantly upload changes to the Version Cue workspace. This helps it perform better for large workgroups.

As you begin work on a file opened within a Version Cue project, the File Status field at the bottom of your window in InDesign, Illustrator, or Photoshop states In Use By Me (Figure 13-15, left). After you change the file, choose File > Save to save the file to your hard drive and save any changes in the file's working copy. When you achieve a milestone that you'd like to save as an official version, choose File > Save A Version in your application to save the updated version both to the working copy of the file and to the Version Cue workspace; the File Status field changes to Synchronized, meaning that the working copy and the project version are now the same (Figure 13-15, right). The same file-status information appears in Adobe Bridge and in the Adobe dialog box so that other users of a shared project can see when you're working on a file.

Figure 13-15. When you begin to make changes in a file in a Version Cue project, the status reads In Use By Me (left); when you save a new version, the status reads Synchronized (right).

Working copies are located by default in your Documents folder (Mac) or My Documents folder (Windows) in the Version Cue folder.

Working with Versions and Alternates

Version Cue introduces two new concepts: Versions and Alternates. As you work on a file, it may go through many version changes. In Version Cue, versions are historical iterations of a file that are saved with the file in a Version Cue workspace. The versions are not stored as separate files as they are in a traditional workflow.

Then again, sometimes you may need to keep active more than one variation of a particular file based on editorial decisions. In Version Cue, you can make these variants alternates. An alternate could be used, for example, when you need different images for different editions of a publication, or when a client is deciding between graphics at particular locations in a project. Files can be designated as alternates of each other even if they don't reside in the same physical location. The Alternates feature provides special tracking of the "primary" alternate that's especially useful for layout work when there is a decision-making process that's part of the workflow.

Viewing and Comparing Versions

You can view the versions of a file in Adobe Bridge or in the Versions dialog box, using one of several methods:

In Adobe Bridge, open the project and click the Versions And Alternates View icon. Then click the Versions View button in the upper right corner of the window. Each file in a project has thumbnails of each version, with a version number and modification date (Figure 13-16). Control/right-click a thumbnail and choose View, Promote To Current Version, or Delete from the context menu.

Figure 13-16. Versions View with an overview of versions for all project files.

Tip: View Comments Without Opening Files

When in Bridge Versions View, you can pause over each version thumbnail and view in a tool tip the comments saved with that version.
In the Adobe dialog box, select a file icon and choose Project Tools > Versions to display the Versions dialog box, where you can view versions of the file (see Figure 13-6 please note 6, not 16). From this dialog box, select a version and choose commands to View Version, Promote To Current Version, or Delete Version.
See the following two sections for information on promoting and deleting versions.
In InDesign, Illustrator, or Photoshop, click the File Status field pop-up menu at the bottom of the window and select Versions to display the Versions dialog box (Figure 13-6).
In the InDesign or Illustrator Links palette, select a linked file that has versions. Choose Versions from the Links palette menu to display the Versions dialog box.

Working with Previous Versions

Choosing to view a previous version of a file opens the previous version in a separate window. The version number appears in the title bar to remind you that this is not the current version. The File Status field at the bottom of the document window reads Never Saved.

Tip: Saving as a New File or an Alternate

You can edit and save a previous version as a new file, or as an alternate to the original file. To save a previous version as an alternate, choose File > Save As. In the Save As dialog box, check Save As Alternate of [Filename].

Choosing to promote a previous version to the current version (as described in the previous section) prompts you to save the file as a new version, incrementing the version number. It's helpful to add a version comment to any document that you chose to roll back to a previous version. The previously displayed version will close and the newly promoted version will display as the current version.

Deleting Versions

You can use the Versions dialog box or Versions And Alternates view to delete versions of a file, as described in the earlier section "Viewing and Comparing Versions." To select multiple versions to delete, Shift-click or Command/Ctrl-click, and then click Delete.

However, a more efficient way to delete old versions is with the Version Cue CS2 Administration utility. On the Administration Home page, click Remove Old Versions. On the Remove Old Versions page, choose to delete all versions older than a specified date and to specify the number of most recent versions to keep (Figure 13-17).

Figure 13-17. Version Cue CS2 Administration utility with options to remove old versions of a file or keep a specified number of versions.

Creating Versions of Non-Adobe Files

Version Cue CS2 allows you to create versions of non-Adobe files (for example, Microsoft Word files), but only if you follow a strict procedure. Applications like Microsoft Word don't understand Version Cue versions (even if they have versioning schemes of their own), so you must use Adobe Bridge to do the versioning.

To save versions of non-Adobe files, they must be stored in a Version Cue project and must be opened in Bridge. In Bridge, select a file and double-click or choose File > Open. Edit the non-Adobe file in its native application as needed, and save and close the file. In Bridge, choose Tools > Version Cue > Save A Version. In the Save A Version dialog box, add any comments you'd like, and click Save.

Creating an Alternates Group

Alternates are variations of a file. Version Cue maintains the relationship among alternates by creating an alternates group, which you can view in the Alternates dialog box or in Adobe Bridge. The alternates may be in different folders, but all must be in the same project. The preferred alternate is designated the primary alternate and is given a special icon (Table 13-4).

Table 13-4. Alternate Icons and Their Meanings
Alternate Icons	Icon	Meaning
Alternate		The file is a member of an alternates group.
Primary Alternate		The file is the preferred member of an alternates group.

To select multiple files for alternates, either Shift-click for a contiguous selection or Command/Ctrl-click for a noncontiguous selection. To create alternates, choose one of these options:

In Bridge, navigate to the project that contains files you want to make alternates. Select the files to be included in the alternates group, and choose Tools > Version Cue > Make Alternates (or Control/right-click to use the context menu).
In Bridge, to make alternates from files in multiple folders, click the Versions And Alternates View icon at the lower right corner of the window, and then click the Alternates View button at the upper right corner of the window. In your Version Cue project, select the file for which you want to create alternates. Choose File > New Window and navigate to a different folder in the same project. Select the files to be made alternates and drag them to the right of the larger thumbnail in the first Bridge window (Figure 13-18).

Figure 13-18. In Alternates view, two graphics were dragged from Folder 1 to Folder 2 and dropped to the right of the thumbnail of Southwest.psd. This made the three graphics into an alternates group, even though the files are in different folders of the same project.
In the Adobe dialog box, navigate to the project where you want to make alternates. Select the files you want to make alternates. Control/right-click one of the files, and choose Make Alternates from the context menu.

Viewing and Removing Alternates

Choose from these options to get to places where you can view and remove alternates:

In Bridge, click the Versions And Alternates View icon at the lower right corner of the window, and then click the Alternates View button at the upper right corner of the window.
In the Adobe dialog box, select a file in a project, and choose Project Tools > Alternates (Figure 13-19).

Figure 13-19. Alternates dialog box with options to open an alternate, make it the primary alternate, or remove an alternate.
In InDesign, Illustrator, and Photoshop, click the File Status field pop-up menu and choose Alternates.
In the Links palette in InDesign or Illustrator, select the linked graphic for which you want to view the alternates, and choose Alternates from the palette menu.

To remove an alternate from an alternates group, in Bridge, select the alternate in Alternates view, Control/right-click, and choose Remove From Alternate Group; in the Alternates dialog box, select the alternate and choose Remove, and then click Done. When there are no longer two members of an alternates group, the group automatically ceases to exist.

Changing Primary Alternates and Relinking Alternates

To make a different alternate the primary, or preferred, alternate, use Adobe Bridge or the Adobe dialog box. In Bridge Alternates view, Control/right-click an alternate, and choose Make Primary Alternate from the context menu. In the Alternates dialog box, select an alternate, click Make Primary Alternate, and then click Done.

To relink to a different alternate, use the Links palette in InDesign or Illustrator. Choose Alternates from the palette menu. In the Alternates dialog box, select an alternate. Choose Relink, and then click Done. (The Relink command is added to the Alternates dialog box in the Links palette.)

Tip: Moving an Alternate to Another Group

A file cannot be in more than one alternates group. To move it to a different group, first remove the file from its original group (see the preceding section, "Viewing and Removing Alternates"). Then add the file to the new alternates group.