Adobe Version Cue CS2

Adobe Version Cue is in its second version. It is released specificallyand onlyas a part of Adobe Creative Suite (it is not currently available as a standalone product).

Where Version Cue Came From

As designers generated more files, as workflows became more complex, and as design departments collaborated with each other on more projects, Adobe realized that it was increasingly important to not only keep track of files, but also track versions of files. This technology first appeared as the Adobe Workgroup Server that was included free with GoLive 6.0. Adobe Version Cue builds on that by adding integrated support across the Adobe applications and by adding superior functionality.

What Version Cue Does

Basically, Version Cue is an asset-management system. If you're wondering what that means, think about each element in your project as an assetfor example, your Photoshop, Illustrator, and InDesign files. Version Cue helps you manage and keep track of all these files.

How many times has this happened to you? You create a design for a client or a creative director (I'm not sure which one makes you work harder), and he wants a change made. So you make the change and he wants yet another change. This happens several times, and then he says, "You know, I think I liked one of the first ones you showed me better." If you were smart, you saved a separate version of your file each time you made a change (otherwise, good luck). But you are then tasked with trying to figure out where that version is, what you named the file, and so on. Chances are, you spend your lunch break at your desk looking for the right file.

Version Cue is a database that enables you to save versions of files along with descriptive information that you can add to that version of the file (such as a description of what changes were made and why). The difference is that all these versions are saved transparently in the database, so you're always working on the same file. At any time, you can go back to a previous version of your file and make that the current version (see Figure 2.20). Think of it as Undo on steroids, in a way. Because the descriptive information that is saved in each version (called metadata) is accessible within Version Cue, you can easily search for just the right version or file. Version Cue also can display thumbnails of the versions, so you can visually choose the correct one as well.

Figure 2.20. Viewing the version history of a file.

Version Cue can also keep track of who is working on a file. In design departments where several people might be working on the same overall project, it's possible to copy files from a server without knowing that someone else might be updating the file. Version Cue enables you to check in and check out files. This way, if one designer is working on a file, another can't make edits until the first one is done. Users are also able to see who is working on that file (see Figure 2.21).

Figure 2.21. Seeing who is using a file.

What makes Version Cue so different and refreshing is how it's integrated into Adobe Creative Suiteso well, in fact, that you hardly notice it's there. To open a file from a Version Cue project, you choose File, Open from any of the applications in the Creative Suite or from Bridge directly. You don't have to learn anything new at all (see Figure 2.22).

Figure 2.22. Accessing Version Cue from Bridge.

When to Use Version Cue

Version Cue can be installed on a server or on a local machine. In either case, it's specifically geared toward individuals or groups of 10 to 20 people. If you're working on a project that consists of only one or two files, it might not pay to turn it into a Version Cue project. But if you're working on a project that contains several elements and has an assortment of photos, illustrations, logos, or more, it certainly makes sense to take advantage of what Version Cue has to offer.

We discuss how to set up a Version Cue project and how to use it to your advantage in Chapter 11, "Using Adobe Version Cue 2."