A Detailed Look at USD Layering Systems in Autodesk Maya for VFX Artists

[@arvidurs]

I have one more video about this to come, let me know if you want me to explain more things. Also join the CG Lounge Server discord.gg/z35NUgV

[@ronydey2696]

great

[@arunsm6030]

Kudos to Arvid!! No other pro video has such a clear breakdown of the USD workflow like the one shown by you. This video and the other videos from you on USD workflow for artist is really useful. This high level overview is what I, and I bet many artists are looking for in using the USD framework. This will help the artist community a lot ... Thank you Arvid for this service that you are doing to your fellow artists!!

[@MarquePierreSondergaard]

Very helpful overview.

[@MANIAKRA]

Excellent walkthrough Arvid, thank you

[@mtlaunder]

Hi Arvid! THis cleared up a lot of confusion for me thank you! i was wondering if you wouldnt mind doing an additional video that includes character animation in this USD layering process?

[@marcobersani3851]

Ho Arvid, great work as usual! I have some questions about it : 1. From maya to houdini do you have some script to manage scale between softwares? 2. What about the camera? I have a problem with cameras from maya to houdini (I suppose it is about scale too) 3. Do you save usd file in local or network path (in windows smb network share doesn't work)?

[@arvidurs]

1) I believe USD handles that in this case. 2) Camera translates with USD also fine 3) Sharing over network will work fine if all the paths are accessible. This video was just local though.

[@Htogrom]

1. No. Scale is x100. 2. Image planes don't work. Which is pretty serious. 3. Animating usd prims (just transform) is nightmare. You have to heavily script it.

[@kahmarwillie3734]

Great Tutorial, always watch your videos but just find out i wasn't subscribe as yet. just did. Keep up the good work

[@crackplatoon1060]

what render engine where you using when you were rendering the scene in houdini? was it arnold still?

[@YuzhuWu-q1i]

Hi Arvid, great video! I have a question about maya usd, I can't add prims of a usd to a render layer(render setup or legacy render layers), I can only add the whole usd stage, is it not surpport yet ?

[@clebercoutinho1996]

Hey Avird! Nice video! Thanks In Maya we still need light link for USD in maya! Was not implemented! Thanksss

[@arvidurs]

hehe I'm not a developer :D but yeah. Don't use light link if I can make a suggestion

[@ryanc_exr]

so when i save animaion usd files, i has file different fps than original files, usd run faster than original files in maya, help me

[@HapZungLam]

USD feels like a livegroup in Katana. A bit confuse with all the new terminologies. The relationship of stage, layer, session? And right click into a layer we can create new primitives. What are def, scope and xform?

[@arvidurs]

There is waaaay to much to cover in 8 minutes video. Have look at pixars docs please openusd.org/release/index.html

[@sdsdsdsds7176]

Were the chappie materials, created in substance painter?

[@Avinoam-kw3cu]

Mari

[@sdsdsdsds7176]

@@Avinoam-kw3cu Is Mari better then Substance Painter?

[@Avinoam-kw3cu]

@@sdsdsdsds7176 Depends what you need, mari is more robust and can handle large data like 100s of UDIMs and heavy models, warping projections and paint strokes and can be used in a node based workflow to create non destructive complex masks and adjustments. Substance is easier to learn and you can create materials pretty fast using procedurals, you can alao mix it seamlessly with substance designer materials. It can handle less UDIMs than mari so depends on the complexity of an asset you'd choose the software to use.

[@jonathanwennstromm1578]

@@sdsdsdsds7176 there is no software that is "better" than another. They have their own usecases and complement each other.