01 Quick start
This document will guide you through the base steps of animation feature film production using Animation DNA system. We will create an example shot from the beginning (storyboard) till the end (edited movie ready for grading). To learn more about any pipeline details read Codex DNA
A) Preproduction
B) Production:
Asset creation | Look development | Animation | Rendering | Compositing
C) Advanced techniques
Assume we need to deliver an animated shot with a character holding an apple in a street. Like in DNA banner at home page, considering it as a storyboard of our shot.
First we need to understand which objects in terms of asset classification we need to create for the project and what will happen with them according to a script and storyboard. Than we create necessary assets(objects) and shots(actions) in database, link assets to shots, setup length of the shots. Finally we can start production — animate assets, render and compose shots.
According to asset classification we need to create such assets with a proper type:
- character asset — Bender
- dynamic prop asset — apple
- environment asset — New-York city street
- environment dynamic asset (EDA) — traffic light
Also we need to create one shot and link animated assets to this shot. Note, that EDA are linked to the environments, not to a shots. This allow to create shot links faster: you link environment to a shot, and all EDA links automatically. According to film structure it will be:
REEL_01 > 010 > SHOT_010
Setup system if you work with Ftrack version of Animation DNA
Extract Animation DNA archive to your projects folder, rename root folder to a project name.
<rootProject> – is a full path to the renamed folder (P:/DNA/ in this case)
In FTrack database create DNA project. Project name in FTrack should match project root folder name.
Create in FTrack root:
-
ASSETS
folder. -
REEL_01
episode.
In ASSETS folder create a structure the same as in <rootProject>/PROD/3D/scenes/ASSETS/
In CHARACTERS folder create Asset Build with type characters and name BENDER.
Use BENDER_TMB_01.jpg as thumbnail image from: <rootProject>/PREP/ART/ASSETS/CHARACTERS/BENDER
In ENVIRONMENTS folder create NYC folder and inside create Asset Build with type environment and name NYC.
In EDA folder create Asset Build with type eda and name nycLitght.
In PROPS folder create Asset Build with type props and name fooApple.
In REEL_01 create sequence 010 and inside it create shot SHOT_010
Now link BENDER, fooApple and NYC assets to a shot.
If DNA project already exists in FTrack, just learn assets properties and structure.
For JSON version use template in <rootProject>/PREP/PIPELINE/DNA/DIC
Edit file in online JSON editor to setup database as it was described for Ftrack above.
For correct workflow you need to have SHOT with linked assets in the database.
Each asset, linked to a shot, should be published in database with particular data for each asset type:
- RIG, GEO, MAT, FUR ( if used in project ) – for the character type;
- GEO and MAT — for the environments (with published EDA list);
- RIG and GEO for the props and EDA.
Now we can start production procedures which generally would go through such stages:
asset creation > animation > render > compose
Asset creation | Look development | Animation | Rendering | Compositing
Static assets
Environment assets
Dynamic assets
Environment dynamic assets
Character assets
Go to <rootProject>/PREP/PIPELINE and run Maya through wrapper
Open static asset: <rootScenes>/ASSETS/STATIC/FLORA/TREES/trsMelony_001.mb
This is finished GEOMETRY form of a tree asset. Objects are combined by the materials, have proper names (<assetName>_<letterNumber>_<partName>) with assigned preview materials using JPG textures. Proxy object modeled also. It is ready to be converted to STANDIN form according to pipeline requirements.
Save file as new version (SNV). Run Asset Manger, select asset parts, select proxy and press SETUP STATIC. Deselect all, press PROXY button and see how asset switches between proxy and rendering mode. Notice asset structure in outliner with “show shapes” enabled.
Select asset parts, press ADD ATTR and notice custom attributes mColor, mDisp, mMat in extra attributes section of object shapes. Press GET COLOR to write texture path to mColor attribute. Enter material names to mMat attribute: GEN_PLANT_A for trsMelony_D_leaves and GEN_BARK_A for trsMelony_D_trunk.
Select asset parts and set Arnold rendering subdivision with 2 button. Delete all shading nodes. Try to select asset parts and press SHOW TX — preview shader with proper textures would be created and assigned to corresponding objects. Press CLEAN TX to delete all preview shading nodes. Save scene.
Prepare asset for Arnold rendering.
Run ASM. See important note about re-running scripts in codex DNA.
Select asset root node ( trsMelony_D_001 ) and press CONVERT TO STAND IN.
Do not save scene!.
Open: <rootScenes>/ASSETS/STATIC/FLORA/TREES/SI/trsMelony_D_SI_001.mb
This is finalized asset which should be added to an asset library. Fill environments with such assets from different libraries according to you project tasks.
Press PROXY button to switch between preview and rendering modes, press STANDIN to switch between wireframe and bounding box mode of Arnold standin (turn OFF viewport 2.0).
Switch to rendering mode, run Render Manager and press REFLOOKDEV DATA, ASIGN MATERIALS. Render asset to check everything is working properly. Check if you have TX textures for asset (they are not included in AnimationDNA archive), if not — convert JPG textures to TX format
To create database of static assets images save render to:
<rootProject>/PROD/RENDER_3D/LOOKDEV/ASSETS/STATIC/TREES/trsMelony_D_01.tif
Use this image in FTrack as asset thumbnail.
Under the hood of CONVERT TO STAND IN button: see Asset structure section in codex DNA.
See how to convert to standin complex assets. The technique when you replace heavy polygonal geometry with Arnold standin and proxy object can be used for complex objects in environment assets scenes.
Open environment asset: <rootScenes>/ASSETS/ENVIRONMENTS/NYC/ENV_NYC_001.mb
Note that several instances of static asset rsMelony was used to fill environment. We need to register particular information about environment asset in project database, in other words, we need to publish an asset in database.
Run Data Publisher, press ANALYSE CURRENT ASSET. Field under analyze button should fill with asset name (NYC). Field in front of GEO button should fill with asset filename (ENV_NYC_001.mb). If its not happening either Maya file name is wrong or there is no such asset in database.
Press GEO button to write information about file in project database (publish asset). Script editor should print massage:
<< PUBLISHED ASSET [ NYC ]: GEO = ENV_NYC_001.mb >>
This mean that publishing was successful.
With FTrack version of database each publishing operation written into asset or shot note in FTrack with the following information: publishing value, user, time.
Open dynamic asset: <rootScenes>/ASSETS/PROPS/FOOD/GEO/GEO_fooApple_001.mb
This is finalized geometry with necessary custom Arnold attributes and proper names.
Save file as new version (SNV). Run Asset Manger, select asset parts, select proxy and press SETUP DYNAMIC. Save scene.
Run Data Publisher and press ANALYSE CURRENT ASSET. Field in front of GEO button should fill with FOOD/GEO/GEO_fooApple_002.mb. Press GEO button.
Re save Maya scene as <rootScenes>/ASSETS/PROPS/FOOD/RIG/RIG_fooApple_001.mb
Rig asset and place all controls and rig nodes into fooApple_RIG group. Run Data Publisher and publish rigged asset with RIG button.
Open and publish environment dynamic asset:
<rootScenes>/ASSETS/ENVIRONMENTS/NYC/EDA/GEO/GEO_nycLight_001.mb<rootScenes>/ASSETS/ENVIRONMENTS/NYC/EDA/RIG/RIG_nycLight_001.mb
Now link nycLight asset to NYC environment
Open environment scene: <rootScenes>/ASSETS/ENVIRONMENTS/NYC/ENV_NYC_001.mb run Data Publisher, press ANALYSE CURRENT ASSET, enter nycLight in text field in front of EDA button and press EDA.
Message in script editor (<< PUBLISHED ASSET [ NYC ]: EDA = nycLight >>) means successful data publishing. Check if EDA key of NYC environment in database now filled with nycLight value.
If you will need more environment dynamic assets later, you need to publish full list each time, because this list replace old one, but not append.
The procedure for character assets similar to dynamic assets. Open and publish RIG and GEO forms of BENDER asset:
<rootScenes>/ASSETS/CHARACTERS/BENDER
Rigging notes.
Process of characters or props setup specific for each project so there is no detailed explanation of this topic.
Base statement of Animation DNA pipeline in setup procedure is that animation transfers to rendering through alembic caches, so whatever rigging system is used it should works with ABC caches correctly. For example better avoid parenting with constrains and use skinning to one joint instead.
Long time opening scene with reference and ABC cashes issue can be solved with importing reference to a scene. See ASSET CREATION — SETUP in codex DNA for more details.
Open <rootScenes>/LOOKDEV/LIBRARY/MATERIALS/SETS/SET_GENERAL_001.mb
Check GEN_BARK_A shading network. Shader has name GEN_BARK_A, shading group has name GEN_BARK_ASG. Scripts refer to a shading group name, so it should be correct.
There is a function (RENAME MATERIAL) in Render Manager which allows to give a proper name to all shading nodes of particular material.
Resave scene as:
<rootScenes>/LOOKDEV/LIBRARY/MATERIALS/ASSETS/ENVIRONMENTS/NYC/MAT_NYC_001.mb
Publish scene with MAT button of Data Publisher (press ANALYZE CURRENT ASSET first).
Open and publish BENDER material library:
<rootScenes>/LOOKDEV/LIBRARY/MATERIALS/ASSETS/CHARACTERS/BENDER/MAT_BENDER_001.mb
See Look development and rendering for more details.
With an empty scene run Shot Assembler (SHA button on DNA shelf).
Enter REEL_01, 010 and 010 in PART, SEQ and SHOT fields.
Press CREATE ANIMATION SCENE button.
Shot Assembler:
- creates Maya scene located in:
<rootScenes>/ANIMATION/REEL_01/010/SHOT_010/ANM_E010_S010_001.mb - reference RIG forms of all assets , linked to a shot in project database
- create camera with the name of sequence and shot
- setup scene playback range
If everything went successful script editor should print massage ASSEMBLING DONE!
Make a draft animation, expand camera window, run Animation Manager and press PLAYBLAST button. Movie file:
ANM/ANM_E010_S010_001_001.mov
saved in:
<rootProject>/PROD/RENDER_3D/BLAST/REEL_01/010/SHOT_010/
After finishing animation you have to export animation data, so you can import animation in render scene later.
Run Animation Exporter and press EXPORT ALL ANIMATION. For each animated asset and camera generated alembic cache file in:
<rootProject>/PROD/3D/cache/alembic/REEL_01/010/SHOT_010/
Try to create and publish next version of BENDER RIG asset. Open animation scene, remove fooApple asset in reference editor. Press CHECK SCENE. Read report in script editor.
- WRONG VERSIONS: BENDER — mean that version of asset in scene mismatched to a version of asset in database.
- MISSING ASSETS: fooApple — mean that animation scene lack a fooApple asset.
Press FIX ALL and check scene again. New version of BENDER loaded to a scene and fooApple also added.
Do not save this scene.
With an empty scene run Shot Assembler. Press CREATE RENDER SCENE button.
Run Animation Importer and press IMPORT ALL ANIMATION.
Create lighting or import outdoor light template from: <rootScenes>/LOOKDEV/LIBRARY/LIGHTS/OUTDOOR/LIT_OUTDOOR_001.mb
With nothing selected run Asset Manger and press PROXY. Notice how trsMelony_D switched from proxy to render mode.
Run Render Manager and press ASSIGN MATERIALS. This procedure assign materials to all objects in scene according to mMat attribute.
Press RENDER SETTINGS and HIGH. This will setup name, extension and path to output image, frame format, frame range and Arnold sampling in render settings window. Render camera.
Notice that the apple is green. This is because there is a green texture in image file node of apple material.
Open Attribute editor for IFL_GEN_PLANT_A_CLR, change ImageName value from:
sourceimages/TILES/TIL_PLANT_A_CLR_01.jpg to:
<rootProject>/PROD/3D/sourceimages/<attr:mColor>
You need to enter absolute full path before <attr:mColor> token which is correct for you project location. Now Arnold refer to texture noticed in mColor attribute and apple become red.
With nothing selected press ADD SHADER ID button in Render Manager and answer YES. Check AOVs tab in render settings, there are IDs for all shaders in the scene with IDS_ perfix.
Press ADD ASSET ID and check AOVs, for each asset there are ID wit IDA_ prefix.
Press ADD PASSES. This adds list of pre-defined and custom AOVs (ambient occlusion, UVs etc).
Press PUB button to publish render in database (EXR = v001/E010_S010_001.%04d.exr) and RENDER SHOT to generate ASS sequence to a folder:
<rootProject>/PROD/3D/data/REEL_01/010/SHOT_010/001
Render ass sequence with Deadline or other manager or you can just batch render scene.
Run Nuke through wrapper.
Run DNA > Shot Assembler and create nuke script by entering shot number (REEL_01, 010, 010) and pressing ASSEMBLE.
Current version of Shot assembler builds simple NK script with published 3D render and 2 write nodes with correct output formats and paths.
Compose sequence and render MOV and DPX files. Render from compositing department for this shot located in:
<rootProject>/PROD/RENDER_2D/DPX/REEL_01/010/SHOT_010/v001/
<rootProject>/PROD/RENDER_2D/MOV/REEL_01/010/SHOT_010/
Publish 2D render with DNA > PUBLISH
Open <rootScenes>/ASSETS/STATIC/FLORA/TREES/brnOak_001.mb
This is model of the oak branch which has three variations (A, B, C) with common for static assets structure, when all objects with the same material combined to one peace, so each asset consist from the proxy, branch and leaves objects with a proper Arnold custom attributes (to setup texture paths, material names, render subdivision etc). Each variation converted to standin version of asset (in SI folder).
Open <rootScenes>/ASSETS/STATIC/FLORA/TREES/trsBroak_001.mb
and switch to the rendering mode (ASM > PROXY)
This is model of a tree which consist from a proxy object, a polygonal trunk and a crown group. Crown was built from the number of instanced standin versions of oak branch asset. Now we need to convert this asset with a group of nested assets to final standin version.
The procedure remains the same: we need to combine all leaves to one object and all branches to another. In case of instanced assets we actually does not combine objects as we do it with polygonal objects. The way we combine a number of standins assets: export list of objects you need to join to a new standin and import it back as a new combined object.
trsBroak_A_crown group contains leafs:
- ASS_brnOak_A_leaves
- ASS_brnOak_B_leaves
- ASS_brnOak_C_leaves
and branches: - ASS_brnOak_A_body
- ASS_brnOak_C_body
- ASS_brnOak_C_body
Select three leave standin objects (e.g. select by name *_leaves in input box of status line), press SI button of Asset Manger to select all leaves in a crown, press SHIFT + P to bring all leaves to the scene root. Go to Arnold > Standin > Export and export leaves to:
<rootScenes>/ASSETS/STATIC/FLORA/TREES/ASS/trsBroak_A_leaves_001N.ass
Undo un-parent action to leave crown group unbroken.
Do the same actions with branches (*_body):
<rootScenes>/ASSETS/STATIC/FLORA/TREES/ASS/trsBroak_A_branches_001N.ass
Also, export tree trunk as:
<rootScenes>/ASSETS/STATIC/FLORA/TREES/ASS/trsBroak_A_trunk_001N.ass
Now go to Arnold > Standin > Create and select trsBroak_A_leaves_001N.ass to create crown leaves combined object, trsBroak_A_branches_001N.ass to create crown branches and trsBroak_A_trunk_001N.ass to create standin of a trunk.
Save Maya scene as <rootScenes>/ASSETS/STATIC/FLORA/TREES/SI/trsBroak_A_SI_001.mb
Rename ArnoldStandIn to ASS_trsBroak_A_leaves, ArnoldStandIn1 to ASS_trsBroak_A_branches, ArnoldStandIn2 to ASS_trsBroak_A_trunk
Now we need to copy custom Arnold attributes from source objects to a new standin objects.
Select ASS_trsBroak_A_leaves, SHIFT select ASS_brnOak_C_leaves and press COPY ATTR button of Asset Manager. Notice, now ASS_trsBroak_A_leaves has mColor, mDisp, mMat attributes with the same values as in ASS_brnOak_C_leaves. Copy attributes for ASS_trsBroak_A_branches and ASS_trsBroak_A_trunk from corresponding source parts.
Keep in mind, while model asset parts which would be combined later (like oak branches), that all asset variation (for each part) has to share same texture (all asset variations unwrapped in one UV space) to allow textures on combined objects works properly!
Rename trsBroak_A_Geo group to trsBroak_A_Ass, delete all parts inside (trsBroak_A_crown group and trsBroak_A_trunk geo) and place ASS_trsBroak_A_leaves, ASS_trsBroak_A_branches and ASS_trsBroak_A_trunk in trsBroak_A_Ass. Save scene.
Switch to the rendering mode (PROXY button of ASM), run Render Manager, press REF LOOKDEV DATA, ASIGN MATERIALS and render asset to check if everything is working fine.
