"One major way in which alienbrain differs from other asset management products is that we focus on the total production cycle of each asset, rather than just on the archival storage of an asset after it's been used," says Eric Schumacher of NXN's office in Venice, California. "We help install alienbrain at the beginning of the production process, so every asset is tracked from day one." The customer list of alienbrain reads like a Who's Who of the entertainment world (including Pixar, Atari, EA, LucasArts, Universal, DreamWorks and Sony Online Entertainment), but also includes manufacturers such as Siemens, who use it for managing CAD-level resources.

An advantage of alienbrain is that files can be re-used if a sequel to a game is mounted.

alienbrain works in a server-client mode; its control over assets such as CAD or other graphics files, digital models, motion capture files and code segments includes version, approval and permissions control throughout the project. For a gaming project, for instance, alienbrain would provide a centralized repository for all models and sets. Without such a centralized repository, two team members might copy a file and work on it independently for a week, then copy it back into the repository, resulting in a week of lost work. Easy location is a major feature of alienbrain, with descriptors including time, project name, and type -- a game file might be named, "12/5/03, 3:05 am, The Magician, magician's robe, black," for instance. "Game companies tend to have their own naming conventions," notes Schumacher. "Labeling files can be done either manually or semi-automatically."

After a gaming company has equipped its server with alienbrain, it then sets up its permissions structure -- who has authority to read, approve, annotate and edit/change files. The company's marketing department personnel, for instance, might have permission to browse a file, but not to access or copy it, to make sure they do not inadvertently release graphic IP (intellectual property) without the licensor's permission. Review and approval cycles for games tend to be frequent, and are systematically and clearly documented, avoiding the so-called "whirlpools" that occur when files are sent around without their creators knowing who-did-what-to-which. Version control includes not only time-based tracking of what version is the current one, but identifies different versions that may be used simultaneously -- a car might be available in resolutions including CAD (extremely high) and then different levels of decimation, ranging from high-res for filmic use to medium-res for a PC-based online game to low-res for a small wireless platform such as a cell phone.

John Blackie, production designer, is well-versed in all the different digital programs used by set builders, animators, props, set dressing, set design, wardrobe and prosthetics.

Backup is performed periodically, on both the graphics and software assets in the system. Finally, after the completion of the game, all the assets are stored in "buckets," which can be tape, DVDs or similar media. Some companies store files in DVD "jukeboxes" that can be quickly brought online if the game goes into a sequel.

The ability to re-purpose a digital asset with a system such as alienbrain can be a godsend. "Atari recently wanted to create a game with a very detailed soccer stadium. Rather than build a new set, the team was able to quickly review assets from all the previous games, and found a stadium that was perfect for the new application," notes Schumacher. Besides 3D models and backgrounds, a gaming company can also find and re-use motion files such as sword fights or dance sequences, rather than having to build them from scratch. "A valuable feature of our labeling is the ability to view thumbnails of the motion files, rather than having to rely purely on text labels," Schumacher notes. Cross-referencing is another useful feature. If a director decides he doesn't like the color of a lampshade in a digital set, for instance, the animator can pull up and identify all the scenes that the lampshade occurs in, so that the director can calculate the cost of making a change.

The alienbrain toolset also interfaces with management tools such as Microsoft Project, which is especially important for very distributed projects that may take place in several countries. Although the program could apply labels in multiple languages, the trend seems to be that companies from different countries that are working on one project choose one common language, often English, according to Schumacher.