Scaffold User Guide
Covers Scaffold v1.0
What Scaffold Does
Scaffold sets up every project before you start.
Every time you begin a new job — a video shoot, a recording session, a commission, a design project — you need the same thing: a folder structure that matches the way you work. The right folders in the right places, named the way you name them, with the files you always start from already inside.
Most people do this by hand, every time, from memory. Scaffold does it for you, perfectly, in seconds.
Getting Started
- Launch Scaffold
- Create your first template — or use My First Template to see how it works
- Click Use Template on any template card to start a project
- Fill in the project details and click Create Project
- Choose where the project should live
- Done — your folders are ready
That's the whole flow. Everything else — clients, starter files, folder colors, Sync Folders — builds on top of this.
The Template Chooser
When Scaffold opens, you see the Template Chooser — a grid of all your templates.
Click Use Template on any template card to start a new project from it.
Click the ⓘ button on a card to preview the folder structure inside without opening it.
Right-click any card for options: Edit Template, Duplicate Template, Delete Template.
The Recent Projects section below the grid shows your five most recent projects. Click any of them to view the project, or click Use Again to start a new project pre-filled with the same client and template.
The + button in the top-right toolbar opens New Project directly.
Templates
Templates are the heart of Scaffold. A template defines the folder structure that gets created every time you start a new project from it — folders, subfolders, naming conventions, colors, and starter files.
Scaffold ships with one default template — My First Template — to show you what a template looks like. Replace or delete it once you've built your own.
Template Cards
Each card in the Template Chooser shows:
- The template name
- How many folders it contains
- A ⓘ button to preview the structure
Templates List
Click Templates in the sidebar to manage all your templates as a list or grid. From here you can edit, reorder, duplicate, or delete any template.
Building a Template
Click + New Template from the Template Chooser or the Templates list to open Template Builder.
Template Name
Give your template a clear name — this is what appears on the card and in the dropdown when creating a project. "Video Production", "Commission", "Podcast Episode" — whatever fits your workflow.
Root Folder Name
The Root Folder Name is what the project's top-level folder will be called on disk. Use the Insert chips to add tokens — placeholders that get replaced with real values when you create a project.
Available tokens:
| Token | What it inserts |
|---|---|
| Date: MMDD | The project's event date as month and day, e.g. 0701 |
| Date Full | The event date as full YYYYMMDD, e.g. 20260701 |
| Project Full Name | The full project name |
| Project Short Name | The short name for folders (falls back to full name if blank) |
| Client Short Name | The client's short name, e.g. Ragazzi |
| Client Full Name | The client's full name, e.g. Ragazzi Boys Chorus |
Example: {DATE:MMDD}-{CLIENT}-{PROJECT_SHORT} becomes 0701-Ragazzi-SpringConcert when you create a project.
Click the × button to clear the Root Folder Name field and start fresh.
Numbered Folders
Turn on Numbered Folders to prefix every folder in the structure with a number: 01-, 02-, 03-. The number is based on the order folders appear in the editor — drag to reorder, numbers update automatically.
Folder Structure
Build the folder structure your project needs.
Add Folder — creates a new folder at the root level. The name field is immediately selected so you can type the name right away.
Tab after typing a folder name — commits the name and creates another folder below it. Build a whole list without touching the mouse.
Subfolders — click the + button that appears on any folder row to add a subfolder inside it. Or right-click a folder for the option. Subfolders can have their own subfolders — unlimited depth.
Reorder — drag the three-line handle on the left of any folder row to move it up or down. If Numbered Folders is on, the numbers update immediately.
Move Up One Level — click the ← chevron on a nested folder to promote it one level. Or right-click for the same option.
Folder Colors — click the color circle on any folder row to assign a Finder tag color. The folder will have that color in Finder the moment the project is created — no manual tagging needed. Works on all folders at any depth.
Collapse/Expand — click the disclosure triangle on any folder that has subfolders to collapse it. The collapsed state is saved — the next time you open this template, it's exactly as you left it.
Preview — click Preview to switch from the editor to a read-only view showing exactly what the folder structure will look like on disk, with real token values substituted.
Clear Structure — removes all folders from the current template and starts fresh. Does not affect the template name or root folder name.
Scan Existing Folder — point Scaffold at a folder on your Mac and it reads the structure, detects your naming conventions, and imports it as a template. The fastest way to turn a project you already did by hand into a reusable template.
Starter Files
Attach real files to any folder in your template. When a project is created, those files are automatically copied in — named correctly and ready to open.
Click the + Add File button on any folder row. A file picker opens — choose any file. Scaffold copies it into your library.
A naming sheet appears where you can set the filename pattern for this project type. Use the same token chips as the Root Folder Name to include the project name, date, or client in the filename. The file extension is locked — it always stays the same as the original.
Single file per folder — copied automatically, no prompt. Multiple files per folder — a picker appears at project creation time asking which one to use for this project.
To edit a starter file's name pattern, click the pencil icon on the file row. To remove it, click the trash icon.
You can drag a starter file from one folder to another to reorganize.
Saving
Click Save when you're done. Click Back to Templates to discard changes.
Clients
Keep a database of everyone you work with. Scaffold remembers which template you use most for each client and can suggest it automatically.
Click Clients in the sidebar to see your client list. Click any client to view their profile.
Client Profile
- Full Name — the complete name shown in Scaffold, e.g. "Ragazzi Boys Chorus"
- Short Name — what appears in folder names via
{CLIENT}and{CLIENT_SHORT}tokens, e.g. "Ragazzi" - Default Template — the template Scaffold pre-selects when you start a project for this client
- Contact, Phone, Email — click the phone or email icon to call or email directly
- Address — the client's location, shown on a live map
- Projects — all projects you've created for this client, most recent first. Click any project to view its detail, or click + New Project to start a new one for this client.
Adding a Client
Click + at the top of the Clients list to add a new client. After entering the name, you go directly to the client's full profile to fill in the rest of the details.
Card and List View
Toggle between card view and list view using the icons at the top of the Clients list. The view you choose is remembered.
Creating a Project
Click Use Template on any template card on the home screen — or click + New Project in the toolbar or sidebar — to open the New Project canvas.
Source
Client — choose who this project is for. Select "None" if there's no client. When you pick a client with a default template set, the template updates automatically.
Template — required. Choose the template that defines the folder structure for this project. If the list shows "Choose a Template", you must select one before creating.
Project Name — the full name of the project, e.g. "Spring Concert 2026". This is what appears in Scaffold's project history.
Short Name for Folders — optional. A condensed version used in folder names via {PROJECT_SHORT}, e.g. "SpringConcert". Leave blank to use the full project name everywhere.
Schedule
If your template's root folder name uses a date token, an Event Date field appears. Set it to the date of the shoot, performance, session, or event — it feeds the date token in the folder name.
Venue Address — optional. Store where the project takes place. Shown on a map and saved with the project for reference.
Preview
The Preview section shows a live rendering of the folder structure that will be created. It updates as you type — the root folder name resolves in real time so you can see exactly what will be created on disk before you commit.
Folder Checklist
Every folder from the template appears as a checked checkbox. Uncheck any folder you don't need for this particular project. Unchecked folders won't be created — the template itself is unchanged.
Add a folder that isn't in the template by clicking + Add Folder at the bottom of the checklist. This folder is for this project only.
Creating
Click Create Project when everything looks right. A folder picker opens — navigate to where this project should live and confirm.
If a folder with the same name already exists at that location, Scaffold asks how to proceed: cancel, choose a different location, or merge (add missing folders only, never delete or overwrite anything already there).
After creation, the project folder opens in Finder automatically.
Project Detail
Click any project in Recent Projects to open its detail view.
Project Detail is read-only by default. Click Edit to make changes.
From Project Detail you can:
- Edit the project name, short name, client, template, event date, and venue address
- Click Show in Finder to open the project folder in Finder
- Click Duplicate Project to start a new project pre-filled with this one's details (name gets " COPY" appended — edit it to match the new project)
- Click Sync Folders to update the project's folder structure on disk (see below)
- Delete the project from Scaffold's history (the folder on disk is never affected)
Sync Folders
When you update a template — add a new folder, assign a color, attach a starter file — existing projects don't automatically change. Sync Folders lets you apply those changes to a project that's already been created.
Click Sync Folders on any Project Detail screen to see a preview of what will be added.
Sync Folders only adds — it never removes or overwrites anything. If a folder already exists on disk, it's left exactly as it is. Only missing folders and files are created. Finder tag colors are updated on existing folders if they've changed in the template.
After confirming, Scaffold opens the project folder in Finder so you can see the result.
If the project folder has been moved or renamed since the project was created, Scaffold shows an error with a Re-link button. Re-link the folder to its new location, then sync.
Your Scaffold Library
All your templates, clients, and project history are stored in a single file called ScaffoldLibrary.scaffoldlib on your Mac. Scaffold owns this file — you never need to edit it directly.
Moving Your Library
By default, your library lives in your Mac's Application Support folder. You can move it anywhere — your Desktop, a Dropbox folder, an external drive.
Go to Preferences → Storage and click Move Library... to relocate it. The entire library — templates, clients, history, and all attached starter files — moves together as one file.
To find your library in Finder at any time, click Reveal in Finder on the Storage tab.
Syncing Across Macs
Move your library to a folder inside iCloud Drive, Dropbox, or Box and it syncs automatically. Scaffold doesn't need to know your sync service — just put the file in a synced folder and let it work.
Backup and Restore
Go to File → Export Library... to save a backup copy of your library anywhere you choose. The exported file has today's date in the name so backups stay organized.
To restore from a backup: File → Import Library..., or double-click any .scaffoldlib file in Finder. Scaffold asks before replacing your current library.
Preferences
Open Preferences with ⌘, or from the Scaffold menu.
General
- Appearance — System, Light, or Dark mode
Storage
- Current location — where your ScaffoldLibrary.scaffoldlib lives
- Reveal in Finder — opens the folder containing your library
- Move Library... — relocate your library to a new folder
Advanced
- Reset Scaffold — clears all templates, clients, and project history. Returns Scaffold to its original state. Project folders on disk are never affected.
Keyboard Shortcuts
| Shortcut | Action |
|---|---|
| ⌘N | New Project |
| ⌘T | New Template |
| ⌘⇧N | New Client |
| ⌘, | Open Preferences |
| ⌘F | Focus search (on list screens) |
| ⌘⇧L | Export diagnostic log |
| Esc | Cancel / close |
In Template Builder:
| Shortcut | Action |
|---|---|
| ⌘⌥N | Add Folder |
| Tab | Commit folder name and add another |
| Enter | Commit folder name |
| Esc | Cancel rename |
Getting Help
Something not working as expected? We're here.
- Support: getochre.app/support.php
- Diagnostic log: Press ⌘⇧L to export a diagnostic report and attach it to your support request
The diagnostic log contains no file names, folder names, client names, or personal information — just app version, template and client counts, and preference settings.