Helga Maya to Houdini pipeline

Asset pipeline for the animated short Helga.

This video shows the asset pipeline we use to exchange content between our main 3d packages Maya (Modeling, Rigging, Animation) and Houdini (FX, Lighting & Shading, Fur).

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On the Maya side we use a PySide tool called Asset Manager, to export the needed content for a shot.

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Its features include:

- Multithreaded Alembic export

- Interface not just a UI to trigger commands, its always in sync with Maya

- Stable metadata system

- Interface to run custom control scripts in the export process (For example run scripts that enforce a restpose for simulation or re-assign attributes etc.)

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On the Houdini side:

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- Custom Python HDAs for Alembic import

- Build Alembic hierarchies for our specific needs

- Rebuild based on Alembic Attributes

- Automatically netbox geo nodes and assign shaders from shading HDAs based on Alembic metadata

- Bypasses node types like Alembic XForm using entirely standard Houdini node types to be more compatible with standard shading workflows.

Music: Stieber Twins - Malaria (Instrumental)