File Dependency Path Management Checklist

Project root contract

Start by setting the Project File root before opening scenes for delivery. Maya workspace, Blender relative path mode, USD asset resolver roots, and engine import folders must agree on where “project” begins. Absolute desktop paths are not allowed in a shared package because they prove only the artist machine worked.

Write the root path, expected folder names, and case sensitivity rule. Mac and Windows may forgive different mistakes than Linux build agents.

Relative dependency scan

Run a dependency scan that lists meshes, caches, textures, references, audio, Alembic, USD layers, and scripts. Convert each File Path to a Relative Path where the pipeline supports it. If a path must stay absolute, document why and who owns the mount.

Symptoms of a bad scan: files open with pink materials, missing reference warnings, empty proxy geometry, or caches that appear only on the source workstation.

Source and proxy pairing

A Proxy should never be delivered without its high-resolution Source File or an explicit replacement rule. Record proxy purpose: viewport speed, render stand-in, engine LOD, collision, or review placeholder. Include the switch setting that tells the scene when to load source versus proxy.

If source and proxy disagree on origin, scale, material slots, or animation range, treat it as a failed dependency, not an optimization.

Texture format checks

TGA and TIFF need specific checks because they are common in DCC interchange. For TGA, verify alpha presence, bit depth, origin orientation, and padding. For TIFF, verify compression, layers, color profile, and whether the target tool reads the same channels. Rename extensions consistently; mixed .tif and .tiff references can break automated packaging.

Open a copied project on a clean machine and reload textures from the package, not from cache. That is the only reliable proof.

Case and separator hygiene

Normalize slash direction, filename case, spaces, and non-ASCII folder names according to the build target. A scene can pass locally and fail in CI because Texture/Wood.TGA is not texture/wood.tga. Record whether the resolver is case-sensitive and whether paths are URI, OS path, or DCC token syntax.

Package manifest

The Checklist should produce a manifest with each Dependency, resolved path, file size, checksum or timestamp, owner, inclusion status, and reload result. Put Project File and Source File rows near the top so reviewers can see whether the package is complete before inspecting art quality.

For USD or referenced scenes, list nested dependencies too. A top-level scene that opens is not enough if a sublayer points outside the package.

Vehicle package decision

Example: a vehicle scene references body_high.ma, wheel_proxy.abc, paint.TIFF, decals.TGA, and a USD lookdev layer. Convert texture paths to project-relative, include the source Maya file and proxy Alembic, document the proxy switch, flatten or include the USD sublayer, and verify TGA alpha plus TIFF color profile in the target renderer.

Dependency failures and repairs

Missing textures, black renders, stale proxies, reload warnings, and “file not found” logs are path failures even if viewport screenshots look correct. Fix the resolver root first, then remap dependencies, then rebuild the package manifest. Avoid opening files from recent-file lists during validation because they can hide broken relative paths.

Validation should run with caches cleared and network mounts disabled unless the mount is part of the approved delivery contract.

Clean-machine package evidence

Attach dependency report, manifest, clean-machine open log, texture reload screenshot, proxy/source comparison, and any intentional exclusions. The reviewer should be able to delete local caches, open the Project File, and reproduce the same result.