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Starting to Dig Adobe Bridge
Hi All…
Really starting to enjoy working with Adobe Bridge…
It has some great uses for us…Here’s the deal….
It will feel slow getting started, but gets progressively better as you use it. Initially with none of your assets cached, indexed, previews pulled by Bridge….you will feel like you are wading thru quicksand.The key for us was starting with simple collections.
Our Assets spread far and wide across multiple volumes on the server that and are organized logically in the file system, but only one static way.
The issue we face, particularly with our work, and with new hires, is the immense amount of time it takes to get used to how we are organized.
Bridge Collections let us organize our assets in an infinite amount of ways, really any way we think of using them. By project, by content, by type….however the artists find it useful…. by And as artists build useful collections, we can share them with each other, with no additional overhead…
now I’m digging into XMP tags….I read a lot about it….but until I started using it…I didn’t get it…
for example….we were constantly struggling with ways to track the shelf life of a particular asset….now I can simply tag them for use in the current year…and artists can search for the asset by keyword with the make and year…and be shown what is current.
and if it’s something they come back to frequently…instantly turn the search result into a collection. no more searching 🙂
So don’t give up too quickly….keep at it….and Bridge can help us video ppl too!
Special shout out to Joseph Bourke, thanks Joseph!!
Alex Udell
Editing, Motion Graphics, and Visual FX -
10 Replies
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Thank you Alex! Bridge really is powerful, but many users spend 10 or 15 minutes playing with it, get frustrated, then write it off. Have you played with Smart Collections yet? That’s one where you create a search (you can use all sorts of search parameters), and as new files match those parameters, the smart collection automatically adds the new files to the collection.
I’ve been using it lately to help sift through the hundreds of audio loops I use in Sony ACID. I have a smart collection which searches filename for various instrument sounds; vocal, flute, string, etc. I also have one which searches filenames for beats per minute, so I can immediately get a collection of everything that’s, for example, 110bpm. But it doesn’t just have to be filename – there are whole ranges of ways to skin the cat. Bridge is indeed a brilliantly conceived tool, but you do have to put in some time before the light goes on…
I just hope Adobe figures out what’s going on with the CC version of Bridge having no capability to playback video in formats other than .flv. That is very frustrating.
Joe Bourke
Owner/Creative Director
Bourke Media
http://www.bourkemedia.com -
Hey Joseph..
Since I’m just getting over the searching cache hurdles (100% Previews enabled) I’ve not made use of smart collections yet. But I am aware of what they are.
Just for the sake of those who may be reading thru this thread….
It’s not that Bridge CC has trouble with video formats. In fact, my experience is that Bridge, installed along side Ppro, AE, and PS on my work machine, reads more video formats than it ever has, including MXF folder sets which makes me very happy.The issue, at least as I see it, is with Bridge installed on its own without a pro video app installed….which is likely the way you’d do it as a trial. In this instance Bridge is pretty crippled in it’s video preview capability and thumbnail generation capabilities. So there must be a tie between the applications that makes this functional in Bridge. That’s fine….but Adobe needs to do a better job of explaining that to ppl…and offer trial bundles for video versus print pros so that ppl can GET IT and SEE IT.
I talked this in regard to your post on the feedback site:
Alex Udell
Editing, Motion Graphics, and Visual FX -
Hi Alex –
You’re absolutely right about video formats on a machine which has a “full” install – I have the CS6 Master Collection on my workstation – and Bridge will play back everything in sight, as far as video codecs go. It will even let me view 3D .obj files. But on my desktop, which has CC, Adobe Edge, and Bridge CC installed, it is a pale comparison. My guess is, as yours seems to be as well, is that without one of the video apps (PPro or AE), there is something missing in the engine which makes these clips playable. I can see a thumbnail frame just fine for .mov, .mp4, .avi, and such files, but nothing plays back until I double-click it to spawn an external viewer. I don’t understand why Adobe would release Bridge as a freestanding entity, only to have it be a crippled version, with far less functionality than the CS6 version (unless of course it has to do with licensing issues – but that should be explained to the user up front).
Joe Bourke
Owner/Creative Director
Bourke Media
http://www.bourkemedia.com -
Let me clarify…
I’m running only Bridge CC…so it’s not CC….it’s Bridge without video apps.
Is your Bridge CC subscribed to the cloud or are you just running the free apps?
Maybe you can try simply installing PPro CC (even if you don’t intend to run it) on that machine and see what changes.
Maybe cloud will prompt you to install some Bridge video modules. I think it did suggest an update to me a few months ago and that’s where MXF support came from.
And this is EXACTLY what I mean….why are we out here just having to figure this out? Adobe….please just make it it clear what needs to be done….and we can do it…
Alex Udell
Editing, Motion Graphics, and Visual FX -
So on this machine I started with Bridge Trial….
then I floated my CC license from work home….and installed video apps…
today Bridge Prompted me to add a bunch of modules: PPro, After Effects among them…
sure enough I can now play videos and get thumbnails….
Alex Udell
Editing, Motion Graphics, and Visual FX -
This morning on my home machine, I logged out of my Work account of CC to free up the license for migrating back to work.
Bridge Still fully functional…
I’ll test again tonite….after a reboot.
Alex Udell
Editing, Motion Graphics, and Visual FX -
Hi Alex –
So it appears that you have to have all of the video-centric software installed to get the full video functionality of Bridge? Unless I misunderstood your statement: “Bridge Prompted me to add a bunch of modules: PPro, After Effects…”. By “add modules” you mean install the software, correct?
So were these the full versions of PPro and AE you installed, and that cured the Bridge problem, or were they trials? I’m asking because I have yet to take the plunge into CC, but own the CS6 Master Collection, but am using Bridge CC on my desktop machine, and need it to review files. Thanks.
Joe Bourke
Owner/Creative Director
Bourke Media
http://www.bourkemedia.com -
Nope….
Here’s what I did when I got to the office.
Logged to our workgroup server (where I had trial of Bridge)
Logged into my CC account
Installed only PPro
Ran PPro and Quit.
Quit and relaunched Bridge.
Bridge Prompted me to add PPro Bridge Module. (i said yes)
now I can play video files.
Now I Log out of CC account.And Bridge is still working. So it appears you just need to install PPro to get the video module enabled for Bridge.
Then you can exit the CC account leaving it free for machines you actually need to do work on and Bridge should continue to work on the “unlogged” CC machine.
make sense?
Alex Udell
Editing, Motion Graphics, and Visual FX -
Come to think of it Joseph….
You may be able to just download the trial of PPro to get it to work…
this I did not do….give it a shot….
let me know…
Alex Udell
Editing, Motion Graphics, and Visual FX -
Hi,
I know this is an old thread, but: How do you share the Bridge Collections?
We are working across a local network at the office, and this would be very useful.
Best regards
Daniel
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