We’ll be discussing some scripting in Maya with a few basic, hands-on examples.

• Simple Procedural City Builder
• Quick Camera Shake

One of the nicer ways to get started in coding with Maya is to use Python, particularly with the assistance of PyMel. Jump to the documentation here.

• Models organized, cleaned, scaled, and layered in one Maya project folder (Model supervisors, model leads, and others enlisted to help).
• Any additional set pieces added (such as ground, clumps of grass, floor, etcetera). (Model supervisors complete or enlist help).
• Characters cleaned, organized, scaled, and checked — ready to animate. Short guide text file for each. (Individuals, character TDs)
• All sets, models, props, etcetera in one scene file and project folder with organization and layers. (Layout artists and model supervisors as well as others)
• Set file is “pre-lit” by lighting artists and those enlisted to help with assistance as needed from model and layout sups to coordinate.
• Shot files with animated, locked shot cameras and roughly blocked characters for each shot on the shot list to coordinate to animatic. (Layout artists, storyboard artists, directors, editors, and others).
• Editors and assistants begin edit with animatic to blocked layout playblast transition, starting sound as well.

The overall goal for the week is to have a clean, organized, named project folder for each production with shot files for each shot. Playblasts should be made for each shot layout completed to give to the editor to work with the edit and begin working with sound, music, etcetera as well as check timing and cuts before final animations are begun.

Assets should be named ABC_shot#_whatever where ABC is the three-letter production code, # the number of the corresponding shot, and whatever corresponding to layout, animation, etc.

Either Dropbox or some other centralized server should be setup to coordinate production asset transition. A filespace in the DA lab can be created if needed to mount from all of the Macs in the lab.