Let me know if the workflows are not clear. I'm planning to create more USD/LookdevX Maya videos soon. So ask away! Join the CG LOUNGE discord.gg/z35NUgV
Awesome, please continue with these. I used to work in Alias Maya a while back... since version 1.0 was back on the old Windows NT 4.0 with Service Pack 2 :) I forgot so much, as I moved to composite. This is now completely different software by comparison.
This looks cool! Would be interested to hear how it works getting this lookdev into Houdini or other software, and also how the final render compares between both software.
I still don't understand really which problems USD and LookdevX are trying to solve. Can you highlight in which cases you should use it and whats so much nicer about it?
As a single user on a single 3D software, it's probably not very useful. As a studio that needs to exchange files between multiple software (and maybe even between different studios on different platforms, maybe with different render engines even) it's a game changer. USD (paired with MaterialX) allows for an asset to be universally compatible with any software without having to rebuild shaders, hierarchies, scale, axis orientation etc. It's way more than a file format and it's super optimized. I was skeptical at first but after trying Solaris on Houdini I must say it's pretty damn exciting. Let's say I'm building a scene on Maya and I want to render it in Unreal Engine. Normally I would have to rebuild the shaders, import instanced geo in a specific way and re-reference it from UAssets, rebuild the lighting and so on. With USD, I can just import a scene and call it a day. Most software don't have a full implementation yet (Unreal doesn't read MaterialX yet, for example, only the Preview Shader), but they're all moving in the same direction, after 20 years of different incompatible standards.
@@sirdiff1 Okay that makes sense, thanks so much for the elaborate reply! So we'll have to wait until all DCCs and render engines fully implement USD and we can rock and roll :o But for example how does it make sure that the rendered image is 1:1 from lets say a USD exported from Maya+Arnold to 3DsMax+VRay? You're never gonna get the same image right? Does it also mean we can basically get rid of OBJ and FBX and just start using USD everywhere?
@@StefWillemse I'm no expert on render engines so I won't give you any answers based on assumptions. From what I understand, it depends on how every DCC and render engine implements it as they follow the guidelines. I'm guessing programs like Unreal Engine will never have a direct 1:1 compatibility because they're not a path tracer engine, so there will always be a conversion. As for other actual path tracers, from what I understand it's all based on Hydra and its render delegates, if you want to really understand it I'd read its official documentation online, as it's all open source (I'm too dumb to actually understand it though). We should technically also be able to replace OBJs and FBX for most of their use cases, even though USD requires a bit more attention when organizing it (because it's more than just a file format, it's made of multiple layers). I recommend you to watch Adrien Lambert's introduction to USD, he's an environment supervisor at DNEG so he knows what he's talking about way more than I do.
Very nice, have you done any videos where you cover how to build this lighting template or how to setup a lighting template in houdini? Would love to see a video on that topic thanks.
@@arvidurs when I type in template I only get like katana template tutorials would be nice to see a video where you have covered this houdini template build step by step its looks very comprehensive and well build thanks.
hello, nice tutorial and it's good to know there will be more about USD later ! I've got one basic question about usd : how do you create variants in the usd stage ?
Maybe a stupid question ...but what would you need USD for, or is it just for big studios with millins of poly's in teh scene ? Did they get rid of teh hypershade, in favor of lookdevX? .. personally I see little use of having your materials in teh outliner
usd let's you collaborate with other people who might be using other software. so essentially i could export a usd from maya and someone else could open it in blender and continue working on it.
Nice overview! Can USD work in a way like references? For example, you added a chappie model in but if there is a modeling change, can i open another instance of Maya, do the model update and then in the scene with USD setup just reload and model change to show up? Also, how do you assign different materials to different parts of the model?
That's exactly what it's designed for. I will show this in a future video. Essentially you create a sub layer per "department". chappie.modelling.usd chappie.shading.usd chappie.anim.usd and they can all work in unisome and at the same time.
Thanks. As a solo user, do you think it is worth to adopt this USD workflow? Old habits die hard, i am still using the legacy render layer system and couldn't move on.
no idea with usd yet for solo users especially if you are only sitting in maya. But you should definitly look at the new render layers.. they are WAY more powerful than the legacy ones:)
@@Sigmo92 thanks. Yeah I only work in Maya, or sometimes do some effects in Houdini then go back to Maya for finishing. The render layer system when was introduced was very convoluted and complicated , and couldn't find any materials to help moving to it, very little talk about it. Maybe I should consider giving it a try in the new release.
@@angosalvo5734 maybe usd csn help with the effects from houdini later :p I work within a small team so we were hopeing it could help to move stuff easier between maya and houdini and hopefully soon with materials as well :) but Yeah the new render layers is a bit to get used to but not as over complicated as they look :) there is plenty of tutorials on them now :)
If you work in several applications it might come on handy. Otherwise probably not sooo much but it’s still worth understanding as it is becoming industry standard. Same as exr aces materialx etc
