then in your root `build.gradle` add something lik...

# gradle

[trevjones]

then in your root build.gradle add something like

boolean hasProject(projectName) {
    try {
        project(projectName)
        return true
    } catch (error) {
        return false
    }
}

def projectElseArtifact(projectName, artifactPath) {
    if (hasProject(projectName)) {
        return project(projectName)
    } else {
        return artifactPath
    }
}