Manage projects, backups, and cloud copies

Create and switch productions

Projects stores each production as a named snapshot of the studio rooms. Choose + New project for a clean production, Save snapshot before switching, and Open on the production you want. Names must be unique. If another tab changes the active production, reload the older tab before editing so two productions do not share one live workspace.

1. Open Projects.
2. Save the current snapshot before changing productions.
3. Choose Open on the destination production.
4. Reload any older CINAMATE tabs that show a project-change notice.

Export a portable backup

Choose Export backup to download one .cinamate archive containing the production record and supported referenced media. The export report identifies media that could not be included. Large cutting-room source files may be omitted, so read the report and keep camera originals and edit media separately. A backup may contain crew, deal, budget, scout, and continuity information; handle it as a sensitive production file.

Restore without losing the current workspace

Import backup replaces the live production data; it is not a merge. CINAMATE stashes the current workspace to its project slot before restoring and reports restored, unreadable, refused, and missing media. Treat anything other than a complete report as a recovery task, then locate the original media or a fuller backup.

1. Export the current production first.
2. Choose Import backup and select a supported archive.
3. Confirm the production named in the restore prompt.
4. Review the media report before resuming work.

Work with the shared studio cloud

Save to cloud uploads the active production to a shared studio catalogue. Other authorized studio users can open, replace, or remove that cloud copy. Open here pulls a cloud production to the current browser; History exposes earlier written versions. Pull before beginning on a second machine and avoid leaving a stale copy open elsewhere, because competing saves can conflict.

Know what cloud history can recover

Cloud transfer is designed for production records, stills, and short media, not source masters. A single media record over about 900 KB, more than 48 MB of media for one production, or an oversized written record is refused rather than partially uploaded. Earlier versions preserve the written record; they do not version the media. Removing a cloud production deletes its cloud media, so export a local backup first.