add planning doc

docs/source/design/planning.rst

@@ -0,0 +1,182 @@
+
+###########
+  Pipeline
+###########
+
+**The Story Tool**
+
+*This is the over arching goal of the project.*
+
+- Asset Management
+- Project Management
+- Automated Tasks
+
+Asset Managment
+===============
+
+- Assets <-> Users
+  - Revisions
+  - Variations
+
+
+Architecture Overview
+---------------------
+
+Server
+^^^^^^
+
+- File asset
+- Tools (blend file packer, evaluate sequencer, visualize deps, automated tasks ...)
+- Public API (web service), *communicates with client.*
+
+Client
+^^^^^^
+
+- Interface GUI/CLI (Blender/Web-UI also)
+- Tools (manage files on the client, cache.)
+- Local files (models, images)
+
+
+
+User Stories
+============
+
+
+Layout Artist
+-------------
+
+Mathieu has to update the camera motion in an existing shot in layout stage.
+
+Since he's in the middle of the project, he loads Blender and accesses the 'Recent Projects Menu'
+Which shows an interface to open the file he's looking for.
+In this case someone modified a prop, giving the message "Shader changed, by Pablo".
+Which he updates because it only takes a few seconds.
+
+Now he's able to edit the camera and save his work (exit Blender, reopen...etc)
+When he's happy with the changes he opens the file menu **File -> BAM -> Commit Changes**
+
+This prompts him with a dialog showing a list of the changed files.
+He enters a commit message explaining the change and presses **Commit**.
+
+a progress bar appears while the data is being uploaded.
+
+He finally receives confirmation that the commit uploaded correctly.
+
+
+Animator
+--------
+
+Hjalti opens the project management web site and finds he's been assigned a new shot to animate.
+
+He opens Blender and selects **File -> BAM -> Load**,
+this prompts him with a browser which he uses to locate the shot,
+which he can easily identify by the name: ``shot_012_anim.blend``
+
+He confirms the action, which shows a download progress bar which immediately loads the file in Blender.
+
+He is presented with a low poly scene containing rigs with the characters in the shot and the props they interact with.
+as well as a low resolution version of the environment.
+
+He can work on the animation, and modify the file, and commit... *as Mathieu did*
+
+
+Editor
+------
+
+Mathieu is going through his daily review of the edit in Blender,
+
+He opens the edit blend **File -> BAM -> Recent Files -> Edit**,
+
+This shows the sequencer view with each shot as a strip,
+
+He can add a new shot into the edit **Sequencer Header -> Add -> BAM Shot**
+
+.. note::
+
+   exactly how this is done is yet to be decieded,
+
+   however the shots will be created and managed on the server (likely via a web-ui)
+
+A popup will appear with a list of shots which can be selected to add.
+
+At this point the sequencer can be used as usual,
+
+**However** the clip in the sequencer is now **the** reference for length/timing of the shot,
+its values are propagated to the server (*once committed*).
+
+
+Implementation Details
+======================
+
+This document describes the layout for Blender pipeline.
+
+
+Overview
+--------
+
+- Use SVN for internal storage.
+- SVN repository is for internal storage (but keep usable as *last resort*)
+- Support extracting single ``.blend`` file, and committing it back (without a full checkout),
+  useful for remote artists.
+
+
+SVN Commit Abstraction
+----------------------
+
+Motivation:
+
+Artists need to be able to work on jobs without downloading entire repository.
+
+----
+
+Workflow:
+
+- Select an asset to *checkout* (Likely via a web-ui/blender-ui).
+- Download the asset and its dependencies (web/cli/blender-ui).
+- Modify data locally (images, 3d... text... etc).
+- Submit task back with commit log (blender-ui/cli/web?).
+  (Server handles commit).
+
+----
+
+Technical details:
+
+- Server handles SVN integration which is hidden from the client.
+- The job submission and editing workflow is handled by client/server,
+  Server creates binary blobs for the bundles,
+  client handles download and create a usable directory for editing.
+- Path remapping of ``.blend`` files must be handled
+  (in both directions, likely using ``blendfile.py``).
+- Use cache on client to avoid re-downloading the same resources.
+
+
+Components
+==========
+
+Client
+------
+
+- UI (list + checkout (remote assets), edit + commit (local assets))
+  - CLI (command line tool for low level access, scripts TD can use... etc)
+  - Blender/Integrated UI
+  - Web-UI (browse assets, limited access).
+
+- Tools
+  - browse remote repo
+  - downloader (simple zip)
+  - checkout/commit workflow (check what to download, commit whats changed, manage cache internally avoid re-download)
+
+- Data
+  - Files/Assets (blend files, textures)
+  - Cache (physics assets which can be regenerated on the server)
+
+
+Server
+------
+
+
+-----
+
+- Write blend file extractor / packager.
+- Write online SVN browser.
+- ... TODO

docs/source/index.rst

@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ Contents:
    :maxdepth: 2
 
    install/index.rst
+   design/planning.rst