Kitsu

Kitsu#

2026-10-14

12 min read

The Kitsu plugin connects Prism to Kitsu, a project management tool focused on VFX and animation projects.

The plugin is available on Windows, Linux and MacOS.

Overview#

Using this plugin artists can publish media from Prism to Kitsu, view their assigned tasks and update task statuses in Prism.

The Kitsu plugin comes with the following features:

Entity Management - View assets, shots, sequences, episodes, and tasks created with Kitsu directly in Prism.
Entity Creation - Create assets, shots, sequences, episodes, and tasks in Prism (when enabled in project settings).
Publishing - Publish media versions (renders, playblasts) and product versions to Kitsu.
Status Management - View and set statuses for tasks, product versions, and media versions.
Collaboration - Create and view notes and replies on tasks, product versions, and media versions, including image attachments on replies.
Assigned Tasks - View tasks assigned to the current user in the Project Browser.
Playlists - View and create Kitsu playlists, add published media versions, and display entries even when their media is not available locally.
Connected Entities - View asset-shot connections from Kitsu.
Thumbnails - Display and update thumbnails for Kitsu assets and shots from Prism.
Project Images - Update the connected Kitsu project's image from Prism.
Web Integration - Open the Kitsu page of any entity in a web browser directly from Prism.
Settings Sync - Sync departments, task statuses, fps, and resolution from Kitsu to Prism.
Memory Caching - Cache API requests for improved performance

Setup#

To use this plugin the following prerequisites are required:

an active Kitsu site (either a payed site, a self hosted site or a local instance)
the ProjectManagement Prism plugin needs to be installed and loaded.
the Kitsu Prism plugin needs to be installed and loaded.

1. Activation

To activate the Kitsu plugin for the active Prism project open the settings:

Prism Settings > Project > Project Management > Manager > Kitsu

2. Setup Kitsu

Next press the Setup... button:

3. Kitsu URL

Enter the Kitsu URL:

4. Kitsu Credentials

Sign in with your Kitsu email and password, or use an API token instead. If two-factor authentication is enabled, enter your current one-time code. See Authentication for more details.

5. Project Selection

After a successfull login, all existing Kitsu projects will be shown.

Select a project to connect to Prism and click Next:

6. Setup Completion

The confirmation window shows the setup is complete:

Project Settings#

The "Project Management" tab in the Prism Project Settings contains the following Kitsu-specific settings:

Setup... - Opens a setup window to guide you through the process of connecting your Kitsu project to your Prism project.
Url - The URL of your Kitsu instance.
Projectname - The name of the Kitsu project to connect to.
Status of published versions - The default status for published versions (default: wfa).
Show Task Status - Display the status icon and name for tasks in Prism (default: enabled).
Enable Product Publishes - Allow publishing product versions to Kitsu (default: enabled).
Enable Media Publishes - Allow publishing media versions to Kitsu (default: enabled).
Allow publishes from non-existent tasks - Allow publishing even when no matching Kitsu task is found (default: enabled).
Allow local tasks - Enable creation of local tasks in Prism, which don't exist in Kitsu (default: disabled).
Use short task names - Use shorter task names instead of full names (default: disabled).
Allow asset creation - Enable creation of assets in Prism (default: disabled).
Allow shot creation - Enable creation of shots in Prism (default: disabled).
Allow task creation - Enable creation of tasks in Prism (default: disabled).
Include full filepath in Kitsu comments - Attach the full local filepath when publishing to Kitsu (default: enabled).
Use Kitsu usernames - Use Kitsu usernames instead of local usernames (default: enabled).
Sync playlists - Show Kitsu playlists in Prism and allow creating playlists and adding published media versions (default: disabled). When disabled, Prism playlists are stored locally instead.
Auto Sync Departments - Automatically sync departments from Kitsu to Prism (default: disabled).
Auto Sync Asset-Shot connections - Automatically sync connections between assets and shots (default: disabled).
Sync Kitsu settings - Query existing departments in Kitsu and create matching departments in the Prism project. Also syncs the "Is Feedback Request" status, fps and resolution.
Create Asset-/Shot-Folders - Create folders in your project directory for all Kitsu assets, shots, and tasks.

Assets, Shots and Tasks#

In the "Scenefiles" tab of the Prism Project Browser, all assets, shots, departments, and tasks that exist in Kitsu can be viewed. The thumbnails, descriptions (for assets), and frameranges (for shots) are also synced from Kitsu.

Assets and shots have to be created in Kitsu by default and cannot be created inside Prism if the Kitsu plugin is active.

Departments and tasks have to be created in Kitsu as well by default.

To hide any assets, shots, tasks, product versions or media versions from Kitsu in Prism, create a boolean custom attribute named "noPrism" in Kitsu on any entity and set it to "True".

Right-click any asset, shot or task to open it's page in Kitsu via the web browser.

Tasks have a status icon before the name and a tooltip with the status name. This status can be changed from the right-click menu or in Kitsu.

Access Kitsu task notes from the "Show Notes..." option in the right-click menu of a task. This opens a window where Kitsu notes and replies can be viewed and created.

To view the Kitsu tasks assigned to the current Prism user, open the "Tasks" tab in the Prism Project Browser. This displays a list of all assigned tasks, including their status and start/end dates. The tasks can be filtered by status using the checkboxes at the bottom of the page.

On the right side, notes for the currently selected task can be viewed and created.

Double-click a task to directly jump to the scenefiles of that task.

Thumbnails and Project Images#

Asset and shot thumbnails can be changed from Prism using the thumbnail controls in the Project Browser. The image is saved in your Prism project and uploaded to the matching entity in Kitsu.

The asset or shot must already exist in Kitsu and have an existing task. Your Kitsu account also needs permission to upload previews. Updating a thumbnail does not change the task's status.

To update the project image, change the image in the Prism Project Settings. Prism uploads that image to the connected Kitsu project.

Product versions#

Product versions can be published from the "Products" tab in the Prism Project Browser to Kitsu. The product file itself will not be uploaded. Instead Prism will create a comment on the task entity in Kitsu with the local filepath attached to it. After a product version is published to Kitsu, the status for the product versions can be set and notes can be viewed/created from the right-click menu of the version in Prism.

If a product version is published to Kitsu, it will be created on the task, which matches the product name in Prism. If no matching task is found in Kitsu Prism will ask you to select a Kitsu task from a list, to which one the version will be published. In the Prism Project Settings this option can be disabled ("Allow publishes from non-existent tasks").

Media versions#

Media versions like renders and playblasts can be published from the "Media" tab in the Prism Project Browser to Kitsu using the right-click menu on the media thumbnail or on the version item.
Prism will create a comment entity in Kitsu with the local filepath attached to it. Optionally you can also add a description and let Prism upload a proxy version of your media, which can be reviewed inside of Kitsu.
After a media version is published to Kitsu, the status for the media versions can be set and notes can be viewed/created from the rightclick menu of the version.

If a media version is getting published to Kitsu, it will be created on the task, which matches the identifier name in Prism. If no matching task is found in Kitsu Prism will ask you to select a Kitsu task from a list, to which one the version will be published. In the Prism Project Settings this option can be disabled ("Allow publishes from non-existent tasks").

Version Statuses and Masters#

Right-click a published product or media version to view or change its Kitsu status. The status shown in Prism is refreshed after a successful change.

For a master version, Prism uses the numbered version from which the master was created. Viewing or changing the master's status therefore refers to that published source version; it does not create a separate master version in Kitsu.

If the numbered source has not been published to Kitsu, publish it first. The same source-version handling applies when adding a media master to a Kitsu playlist.

Notes, Replies and Images#

Open Show Notes... from the right-click menu of a task or published version to view its Kitsu discussion. Notes and replies are also available in the "Tasks" tab.

To include images in a reply:

Open the discussion and choose the note you want to reply to.
Open the reply editor, enter your message, and add the images you want to attach.
Submit the reply. Prism uploads the images with the reply and displays them when the discussion is loaded again.

A reply can contain multiple images. Images attached to replies are shown with that reply, not as attachments on the original note.

Playlists and Dailies#

Enable Sync playlists in the Kitsu Project Settings to use Kitsu playlists in the "Review" tab of the Prism Project Browser. With this setting disabled, playlists remain local to Prism and can contain local media without a Kitsu publish.

Add published media

In the "Media" tab, publish the version to Kitsu with an uploaded preview. A publish containing only a comment or filepath is not enough for a Kitsu playlist.
In the "Review" tab, select a playlist and open Add Media.
Select the versions and click Add to keep the picker open, or Accept to add them and close it.

You can also add the current version from the media thumbnail's right-click menu. Choose today's dailies, tomorrow's dailies, or an existing playlist. Prism creates a missing daily playlist when needed; the "Review" tab does not have to be open beforehand.

If you select a playlist while publishing media, Prism can add the version after the publish completes.

Version selection and limits

Prism adds the exact published preview of each selected version, not whichever preview is currently the latest in Kitsu.
Multiple published versions of the same shot or asset can appear in one playlist. Adding the same preview again does not create a duplicate.
Unpublished versions must be published first. Adding to a playlist does not upload media automatically.
If any selected version cannot be added, Prism rejects the whole selection and explains why. The picker stays open so you can correct the selection.
If more than one publish or preview matches a selected version, Prism asks you to resolve the ambiguity rather than choosing one silently.
A selection must match the playlist's entity type and any episode or task-type restrictions. Shot playlists cannot contain assets, and asset playlists cannot contain shots.
Prism supports existing shot and asset playlists. Playlists created from Prism are shot playlists; create an asset playlist in Kitsu before adding assets to it.
Adding media preserves the playlist's existing entries and order, including entries added by other users in Kitsu. Manage removals, reordering, and playlist deletion in Kitsu.

Versions without local media

Prism displays playlist versions even if their media files are not available locally. Versions with no matching local media version have a placeholder preview and a remote only label. These remote-only items are not downloaded automatically and cannot be played or dragged into another application as local files.

Versions published through Prism retain their identifier and version labels. Previews uploaded outside Prism are displayed using their Kitsu task and revision labels when available.

Publish and Note Authors#

When a Kitsu publish is submitted to Deadline from Prism, the submitting artist is passed to the publish job and used as the author of the product or media publish comment, instead of the worker's logged-in user.

The artist must match an existing Kitsu user. The worker still needs valid Kitsu credentials and permission to create comments for that author.

For automated publishing, an administrator can set PRISM_KITSU_USERNAME to an artist's Kitsu full name or email to choose the author of publishes and notes. This does not change the account used to sign in or its permissions.

Without an author override, Kitsu uses the authenticated account. If the requested author cannot be found, Prism cancels comment creation rather than publishing under the wrong account. Replies use the authenticated account and are not affected by this override.

Memory Caching#

Prism queries assets, shots, tasks, and more directly from Kitsu when required.
Sending a lot of requests to Kitsu can become very slow, which is why Prism caches requests in memory to avoid the same requests in the future.
For example: If a shot gets selected in the "Scenefiles" tab of the Project Browser, Prism requests the task list from Kitsu and caches it. If the same shot is selected again later on, Prism will use the cached tasklist instead of sending a new requests to Kitsu.

In some cases it is needed to clear the memory cache, for example if someone is creating a new task in Kitsu, but the list of tasks for that shot is already cached in a memory in Prism. Without clearing the cache, the new task won't be visible inside Prism.

To clear the cache, press the refresh icon in the Project Browser, restart Prism or use the "Clear Cache" option in the "Kitsu" menu in the Prism Project Browser.

Authentication#

In Prism, sign in to Kitsu with your email and account password, or enter a Kitsu API token instead. A token does not require an email or password. If both a token and password are present, Prism uses the token; clear the API token field in Prism User Settings and unset PRISM_KITSU_TOKEN to return to password login. An expired or revoked token must be replaced with a new one.

If your studio uses OpenID Connect for Kitsu login and you do not have a Kitsu password, use a long-lived personal API token issued by your Kitsu administrator or through your Kitsu account. Bot accounts can use their own API tokens. Keep tokens private, and set an appropriate expiration date. Prism uses the token directly; it does not open an OIDC browser login.

For password login with Kitsu two-factor authentication, enter the current TOTP code in the one-time code field. Prism does not store this code. After a successful login, Prism saves the returned login session with your other encrypted credentials and tries it again on the next launch. When that session expires or is revoked, you may need to enter a new code. Logging out clears the saved session. For unattended logins, use an API token instead.

Environment Variables#

The Kitsu plugin can be controlled using the following environment variables:

Name	Description
PRISM_KITSU_URL	Sets the Kitsu URL, which Prism connects to. This overrides the URL in the project settings. (e.g. https://company.cg-wire.com)
PRISM_KITSU_EMAIL	The email to use for the login. (e.g. john@company.com)
PRISM_KITSU_PASSWORD	The Kitsu account password for email/password login; not an API token.
PRISM_KITSU_TOKEN	A Kitsu API token. Takes precedence over saved or environment-provided email and password; no email is required.
PRISM_KITSU_USERNAME	Author override for product publishes, media publishes, and notes. Accepts a Kitsu full name or email; does not change login credentials.
PRISM_KITSU_DISABLE_SESSION_TOKEN_STORAGE	Set to 1 to disable saving and restoring password-login session tokens.

Environment variables override the corresponding saved credentials. Keep token and password variables out of shared logs and scripts.