How do you manage your ideas and resources

Hi guys,
how do you goys manage your ideas and resources in general?
I got a small notebook when I’m at work and use a program called CueCard when I’m at home. It’s basicly a notepad with folder management.
Do you use similar tools or massive word/excel files?

I’ve got an oldschool-folder ( hardware folder ;D ) for ressources and ideas.
I like paperwork, it’s easier for me to use a pencil for creating the basic documentation.
That’s quite usefull because most of the time I have a paper and a pencil with me :slight_smile:
When I finish a project (finish = stop working on it ::)) I copy the files on a disc and put it to the documentation (folder).
In addition I like Todo-list, they are just placed in the workingdirectory of eclipse.
Furthermore we started using media-wiki for public documentation/whatever.

I saw somewhere that Github Gists are a good for TODO-lists and other stuff.

Create a markdown file, and you can make checklists with


- [ ] Incomplete Task
- [x] Complete Task

And then when you view the file, you can tick/untick the boxes and it updates the file for you.

I… don’t…
Hey, I just figured out why I’m a failure! :smiley:

I fill up notebooks with all my ideas and my problem solving. I’ve filled up a couple of them by now, which is awesome to me because I usually am very bad at coming up with new ideas.

In my head :smiley: It is a lot faster and more efficient to store stuff into RAM than into hard drive lol.

But then you start forgetting stuff!

In my tutorial series on YouTube I work out my code for the next episode, and then delete it and re-write it when I’m actually recording. But because I forget the changes so often my code is usually littered with comments about what I changed. I think trying to keep everything in your head definetly has its limits!

Ye it does :frowning: Too bad…

What you need is an SSD! :point:

I would HIGHLY recommend a program called XMind.

XMind has helped me a flipping ton when it came to brainstorming and ‘idea management’.

Download Link.

  • Jev

In my game development team we use Google Drive and Trello.

Google Drive for collaborating on documents and Trello for tracking how much work is done, what needs to be done next, etc.

Drive: http://drive.google.com

Trello: https://trello.com

ARGH!

I can’t work with big diagrams like that. It’s too distracting!
I like things to be in simple trees. That way I only remember what I need to.

Things like:

etc. are much easier to create, organise, and view. Plus you don’t have to replan everything in order to use the information it contains.

But then again, that’s just my $0.02

Yes, XMind is great. It’s written in Java, too!

Trello is pretty good, but I still prefer something as simple as pen and paper!

I use the most basic tools - Windows notepad and iOS 7 reminders app.

I have all my ideas and “to dos” in a text file, and add to the reminders app when I think of something away from the computer. Quick, easy and effective.

I use Org mode. It is built into Emacs, and it is easy to use. It can hide and show your items, which I doubt Markdown can do. This helps with only wanting to look at one current project that plans have been written for. Currently I have a file called ProgrammingIdeas.org in which I have a big list of projects to do. I used to use text files, but once I started using Org mode I realized that it is so much easier to be organized with its features. I greatly recommend it.

When I don’t have my computer in front of me, I just write a bunch of stuff on paper, then leave it next to my computer. Then I look at it when I get to it.

It depends, sometimes when i am thinking something out i may use notepad or ms word. When i struggle to think clearly about some concept i usually grab a pen and notepad and leave the room either go outside the back or to the frontroom and plot out my ideas.

when i was working on a java game for my final project in college i used something called unfuddle and svn as a code repository and also as a backup.

I always write down my ideas on paper. I have notebooks upon notebooks of ideas, and I only do it to take burden off my brain. Lately I’ve been writing my game development problems directly on my tablet either by writing it on a notepad program, or directly to Github.

Using my brain’s RAM never works because it is hard to think of other things when you have a good idea in your head. I usually like to stick with that good idea in mind until I can get it written down somewhere.

For ideas I use paper, small sheets usually which use to pile up on my desk. At times they get sorted and some thrown away.

If an idea grows into a design it goes to a folder (a real one, still working with paper).

If it seems to have potential and I continue to work on it it will grow as an electronic document from that time. Usually plain text files, though, in the past this was the only format which I could use everywhere.

Resources as in graphics, sound files, sheets and statistics are all electronic in a more or less ordered, well, file dump or so. Sometimes I find stuff in there, if I remember it :smiley:

I’ve lost surprisingly little in the past 20 years, but I lost some things that I really miss. The really hard task is to find something in all the backup media that I have … and at times the problem was to actually have a device to read the old media - and if that works, a program that can read the old file formats.

It got better though since file formats became less architecture dependent and have become longer lasting.

tl;dr

Paper and pencil. Works always and everywhere.