vfxim-docs Release 0.3.1 May 30, 2021 User Documentation 1 Pipeline 3 1.1 Quick Start Guide............................................3 1.2 Quick Usage Guide............................................6 2 Pipeline 13 2.1 Installation................................................ 13 2.2 Project Setup............................................... 13 3 Maintenance 21 3.1 Curator Information........................................... 21 3.2 Maintenance Process........................................... 22 3.3 Maintenance Guide............................................ 22 3.4 Conventions............................................... 23 4 L2021 25 4.1 Rendering with Arnold in the Shotgun Pipeline............................. 25 4.2 Extra’s.................................................. 29 5 L2022 31 i ii vfxim-docs, Release 0.3.1 Warning: This version of the documentation is not a stable release. Click in the lower left corner to return to the latest version. Welcome to the visual effects & immersive media documentation/wiki. On this wiki you’ll find all information, tutorials and documentation regarding the pipeline, workflows and other class related stuff. Each class has it’s own section meant for information and/or tutorials you’d like to share with the rest of the class. The contents tree on the left shows all sections. Note: This documentation is supported in multiple languages. Click here to switch to the Dutch version. Note: In case you’re here as a curator, head over to the Maintenance page to find out how to add articles and maintain languages. User Documentation 1 vfxim-docs, Release 0.3.1 2 User Documentation CHAPTER 1 Pipeline These pages outline general user guides of usage around the pipeline. 1.1 Quick Start Guide This guide describes how to quickly get started with using the pipeline. 1.1.1 Start Shotgun Desktop Technical Directors or developers in your class should have taken care of the installation of Shotgun Desktop. This program will launch your programs inside a pipeline environment in which you can load your tasks, assets, shots etc. Shotgun Desktop can be launched by typing Shotgun in your Windows search bar: 3 vfxim-docs, Release 0.3.1 When starting Shotgun Desktop for the first time, you’ll be greeted with a login prompt: Important: Fourth and third years should be using https://nfa.shotgunstudio.com as their main task management! https://nfa2.shotgunstudio.com is meant for testing and second years. Fill out the login info provided by your coordinator or supervisor and you’ll be greeted with all projects you are assigned to: Tip: You may need to start up Shotgun Desktop again here as it sometimes bugs out after clicking sign in. 4 Chapter 1. Pipeline vfxim-docs, Release 0.3.1 1.1.2 Launching DCC’s Double click the project you want to work on and the pipeline configuration will automatically be downloaded. Here you should see all the installed software that are configured with the pipeline. Double click any package you would like to use and the pipeline does the rest. Warning: ZBrush is currently not supported in the pipeline due to a lack of a Python API. 1.1. Quick Start Guide 5 vfxim-docs, Release 0.3.1 Section author: Bo Kamphues 1.2 Quick Usage Guide The pipeline uses Shotgun Toolkit as it’s main platform. From within most DCC’s you’ll be able to open your latest workfile or load source files from other work into your program through the Shotgun tab. There are a number of important things you can control using this tab. 1.2.1 File Save One of the most important things in a pipeline is accurate version control of all the workfiles. Through Shotgun -> File Save you can save your current workfile with automatic version increments. When you click File Save in a new untitled save file, you’ll be greeted with a context selection screen. In this screen you’ll see all shots and assets you are assigned tasks to. Select one and click save. Important: As you can see in the lower left corner, there is a name box. This name box is filled with scene by default. You can change this as a way to further refine what you are working on. (If you are working on an asset that 6 Chapter 1. Pipeline vfxim-docs, Release 0.3.1 Fig. 1: The Shotgun tab in Houdini. 1.2. Quick Usage Guide 7 vfxim-docs, Release 0.3.1 has multiple lines of workfiles, you could change this to reflect the part you are working on). Once you have saved your empty file you can use ctrl + s to save your current file like usual. If you’d like to save a new version of the current file you can again hit Shotgun -> File Save to quickly save a new version. After you have saved your file through the pipeline you’ll notice some more options open up, like publishing files, load, scene breakdown etc. 1.2.2 File Open If you are not starting from scratch but continuing from someone else’s work, you’ll want to click Shotgun -> File Open. In this screen you’ll also be greeted with any tasks you are assigned to. When clicking on an entity you’ll see all the workfiles other artists have already made. You can open other work files or create a new file from this context. 1.2.3 Publish An important distinction to be made is the difference between published files and workfiles. Workfiles are files where the work is actively being made while published files are files meant to be loaded by other workfiles. For example, if you have created a rig in Maya you would publish that file so that other people can load & reference that rig. To publish the current workfile and any items that are found inside (for example a file cache node or a set of rendered exr’s) click Shotgun -> Publish. If you have used a file cache node, or have rendered a file you will notice that the publisher automatically picks up those files and creates an item for them. Use the description and thumbnail to provide reference for other people who will load in these published files. 1.2.4 Load The load app is used to load any published files from the project into your current work file. For example renders from CG that need to be loaded by Nuke or a simulation that was file cached by another artist that now needs to be loaded into the layout file. 8 Chapter 1. Pipeline vfxim-docs, Release 0.3.1 Important: Obviously not all software takes in all files. (Like trying to import a .bgeo.sc cache into Nuke) The loader will automatically only show files that the current software can import. 1.2.5 Scene Breakdown If you have loaded any assets or files from other artists there’s a good chance they’ll be updated every once in a while. The scene breakdown app keeps track of all the published files you currently have imported in your workfile and shows a red or green light if it’s out-of-date or up-to-date. You can individually update or update all references. Section author: Bo Kamphues Section author: Bo Kamphues 1.2. Quick Usage Guide 9 vfxim-docs, Release 0.3.1 10 Chapter 1. Pipeline vfxim-docs, Release 0.3.1 1.2. Quick Usage Guide 11 vfxim-docs, Release 0.3.1 Fig. 2: This particular asset has a newer version to be updated. 12 Chapter 1. Pipeline CHAPTER 2 Pipeline Below you’ll find all sections describing the current pipeline for TD’ers or developers. 2.1 Installation Installation of the vfxim Shotgun Toolkit Pipeline is done by installing Shotgun Desktop on all computers that are used by artists. 2.1.1 Deployment Shotgun Desktop installation is generally installed through a silent deployment. Silent deployment should always be done through Matthijs & Marijn. 2.1.2 Manual Installation Should you want to install Shotgun Desktop manually on a computer (for home pipeline usage or if a computer is out of sync with the deployment), just run the .exe from this link. Section author: Bo Kamphues 2.2 Project Setup Section author: Bo Kamphues This page guides you through the process of setting up projects within the current pipeline. 13 vfxim-docs, Release 0.3.1 2.2.1 New Project When a new project is created on Shotgun it is not automatically configured for use within the pipeline. To setup a project to work with the Shotgun Desktop pipeline, first, add the project to Shotgun. You will now see the project in the Shotgun Desktop project manager. Important: You need to be assigned to the project you want to setup, otherwise it will not show up in Shotgun Desktop. Double click the project you’d like to setup and click your profile icon -> Advanced Project Setup. You’ll be taken to a wizard that allows you to setup the project pipeline configuration. The type of configuration needs to be Git. After choosing Git as your configuration type you’ll be greeted with a link box. The link to our current Shotgun Configuration is https://github.com/nfa-vfxim/nfa-shotgun-configuration.git. This is also the repository where most of the pipeline development takes place. Next you’ll need a place to store the project. You can either select an already created storage location or create a new one. Next you’ll need to assign a computer-friendly name for the project. This should always be lowercase and include no spaces or special characters. The last step before the project is correctly setup is to choose between a distributed or centralized setup.