Documentation - Creative Structure

🚀 Quick Start Guide

Perfect for photographers and videographers who want to get started quickly

🌐

Web Application (Recommended)

Use Creative Structure directly in your browser - no installation required!

✨ Visual interface 📱 Mobile friendly 💾 Instant downloads

Launch Web App

💻

Command Line Interface

For power users who prefer terminal commands and automation

⚡ Lightning fast 🔧 Scriptable 🎯 Advanced features

Install CLI

📋 How It Works

Choose Your Tool

Use the web app for visual interface or install the CLI for power users

Configure Your Project

Select project type (photo/video), work type (client/personal), and add details

Generate Structure

Get a professional folder structure instantly - download as ZIP or create locally

Start Creating

Focus on your creative work with organized, consistent project structure

📁 Folder Structure Examples

📦 2024-03-15 Wedding Shoot
├── 📁 RAW Images
│   └── 📁 Camera 1
├── 📁 Edited Images
│   ├── 📁 High Res
│   └── 📁 Web Res
├── 📁 Delivered Images
├── 📁 Client Selects
├── 📁 Behind the Scenes
├── 📁 Client Communication
├── 📁 Contracts & Invoices
└── 📄 README.txt

📦 2024-03-15 Commercial Video
├── 📁 RAW Footage
│   ├── 📁 Camera 1
│   └── 📁 Camera 2
├── 📁 Edited Footage
├── 📁 Delivered Videos
├── 📁 Project Files
├── 📁 Audio Files
├── 📁 Graphics & Assets
├── 📁 Behind the Scenes
├── 📁 Client Communication
├── 📁 Contracts & Invoices
└── 📄 README.txt

📦 2024-03-15 Brand Campaign
├── 📁 PHOTO
│   ├── 📁 RAW Images
│   ├── 📁 Edited Images
│   └── 📁 Delivered Images
├── 📁 VIDEO
│   ├── 📁 RAW Footage
│   ├── 📁 Edited Footage
│   └── 📁 Delivered Videos
├── 📁 Client Communication
├── 📁 Contracts & Invoices
└── 📄 README.txt

💻 Technical Documentation

Complete reference for developers and power users

🔧 CLI Commands

Interactive Mode (Recommended)

creative-structure-cli interactive

Launches an interactive wizard that guides you through project creation.

Direct Project Creation

# Photography project
creative-structure-cli create --type photo --work-type client --client "ABC Corp" --project "Product Shoot"

# Video project
creative-structure-cli create --type video --work-type personal --project "Travel Documentary"

# Combined project
creative-structure-cli create --type both --work-type client --client "XYZ Inc" --project "Brand Campaign"

Client Management

# List all clients
creative-structure-cli clients list

# Add new client
creative-structure-cli clients add "New Client Name"

# Remove client
creative-structure-cli clients remove "Client Name"

Advanced Features

# Multi-camera video setup
creative-structure-cli create --type video --cameras "main:camera1,BTS:camera2,drone:camera3"

# Disable smart path detection
creative-structure-cli create --type photo --no-smart-path

# Include optional folders
creative-structure-cli create --type photo --include-capture-one
creative-structure-cli create --type video --include-proxies

⚙️ Configuration

The CLI stores configuration and client data in:

# Configuration directory
~/.config/creative-structure/

# Client database
~/.config/creative-structure/clients.db

# Settings file
~/.config/creative-structure/config.json

🧠 Smart Path Detection

The CLI automatically detects your current location and adapts:

Example 1: Inside Client Folder

# You're in: /Projects/PHOTO/Client Work/ABC Corp/
# CLI detects: Photo project, Client work, ABC Corp
# Creates: 2024-03-15-New Project/ (directly here)

Example 2: Root Directory

# You're in: /Projects/
# CLI detects: Nothing special
# Creates: PHOTO/Client Work/ABC Corp/2024-03-15-New Project/

🎥 Multi-Camera Support

Organize video projects with multiple cameras:

# Camera purposes: main, BTS, secondary, drone, interview, detail, backup
--cameras "main:camera1,BTS:camera2,drone:camera3"

# Results in folders like:
# RAW Footage/main-camera1/
# RAW Footage/BTS-camera2/
# RAW Footage/drone-camera3/

🔗 API Reference

For developers who want to integrate Creative Structure:

📋

Python Module Import

The CLI can be imported as a Python module for custom integrations. Check the GitHub repository for detailed API documentation.

❓ FAQ & Common Issues

Answers to frequently asked questions and troubleshooting

🚀 Getting Started

Should I use the web app or CLI? +

Web App is perfect if you:

Prefer visual interfaces
Want to try it without installation
Need it to work on any device
Create projects occasionally

CLI is better if you:

Create many projects regularly
Want to automate with scripts
Need the fastest possible workflow
Are comfortable with terminal commands

Do I need to install anything for the web app? +

No! The web app runs entirely in your browser. Just visit the web app and start creating project structures immediately.

Will this work with my existing folder structure? +

Yes! The CLI has smart path detection that recognizes your existing folders and won't create duplicates. It will also discover existing clients from your folder structure.

💻 Installation Issues

"Command not found" error +

This usually means the CLI wasn't installed properly or isn't in your PATH. Try:

# Reinstall in development mode
pip install -e .

# Or check if it's installed
pip list | grep creative-structure

Permission denied errors +

The CLI needs permission to create folders. Make sure you have write access to your target directory, or run with appropriate permissions.

Python/pip not found +

You need Python 3.7+ installed. Visit python.org to download Python, or use the web app instead which requires no installation.

🎯 Usage Questions

Can I customize the folder structure? +

Currently, the folder structures follow industry best practices and aren't customizable. This ensures consistency and compatibility. If you need specific customizations, please open an issue on GitHub.

How does client discovery work? +

The CLI scans your existing "Client Work" folders to find client names automatically. It combines these with clients you've saved to the database, so you never have to retype client names.

What's the difference between RAW and Edited folders? +

RAW is for your original, unprocessed files straight from camera. Edited is for processed files you're working on. This separation protects your originals and keeps your workflow organized.

Can I use this for other types of creative work? +

While designed for photography and videography, the folder structures work well for any project-based creative work. The principles of RAW/source files, edited versions, and deliverables apply broadly.

🔧 Troubleshooting

Web app download not working +

Make sure your browser allows downloads and isn't blocking pop-ups. Some browsers may ask for permission to download ZIP files. Try refreshing the page and creating the project again.

Smart detection not working properly +

Smart detection looks for specific folder patterns like "PHOTO", "VIDEO", "Client Work", etc. Make sure your folders follow the standard structure, or use --no-smart-path to disable it.

Need help with something else? +

Open an issue on GitHub with details about your problem. Include your operating system, Python version (for CLI), and what you were trying to do.

⬇️ Installation Guide

Get Creative Structure CLI up and running on your system

🌐 Web Application (No Installation)

Recommended

Start using Creative Structure immediately without any installation:

1 Visit the web application

2 Create your project structure

3 Download as ZIP file

Launch Web App

💻 CLI Installation

Install the command-line interface for power users and automation:

📦 From GitHub (Current Method)

Clone and install from the source repository:

# Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/PraiseXI/media-foldergen-cli.git

# Navigate to the directory
cd media-foldergen-cli

# Install in development mode
pip install -e .

⚡ Quick Install Script

One-line installation (requires git and Python):

curl -sSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/PraiseXI/media-foldergen-cli/main/install.sh | bash

🚧 Install script coming soon - use GitHub method for now

🐍 Via pip (Coming Soon)

Direct installation from PyPI:

pip install creative-structure-cli

🚧 PyPI package coming soon - use GitHub method for now

⭐ View on GitHub

📋 System Requirements

🌐 Web App

Modern web browser
JavaScript enabled
Internet connection

💻 CLI

Python 3.7 or higher
pip (Python package manager)
git (for GitHub installation)

✅ Verify Installation

After installing the CLI, verify it works:

# Check if CLI is installed
creative-structure-cli --version

# Run interactive mode
creative-structure-cli interactive

# Get help
creative-structure-cli --help

💡 Platform-Specific Notes

🍎 macOS

Install Python via Homebrew for best results:

brew install python git

🐧 Linux

Use your distribution's package manager:

# Ubuntu/Debian
sudo apt install python3 python3-pip git

# CentOS/RHEL
sudo yum install python3 python3-pip git

🪟 Windows

Install Python from python.org and enable "Add to PATH"

Use Git Bash or PowerShell for commands