CG Animation Project Directory Structure and Naming Conventions

CG Directory Structure

Below is a breakdown of the project directory structure. This includes USD files, which we are gradually transitioning to. Currently, USD is used primarily for set building.

• assets/
  • char/
    • mod/
    • rig
    • tex/
  • prop/
    • mod/
    • rig
    • tex/
  • set/
    • SetName/
      • mod/
        • maya/
        • usd/
      • tex/
        • maya/
        • usd/
      • layout/
        • maya/
        • usd/
• shots/
  • anim/
  • fx/
  • light/
• textures/
• farm/
  • renders/
  • comps/

Naming Conventions

assets/

(characters and props)

MODELING

• modeling department: Maya files

  [AssetName] / [AssetName]_mod_[ver]_[artist].ma

  example:

  mod/
    Monkey/
      Monkey_mod_v01_bsmith.ma
  

  RIGGING

• rigging department: Maya files

  [AssetName] / [AssetName]_rig_[ver]_[artist].ma

  example:

  rig/
    Monkey/
      Monkey_rig_v01_jdoe.ma
  

LOOKDEV

• lookdev department: Maya turntable files

  maya / [AssetName] / [AssetName]_tex_TT_[ver]_[artist].ma

  example:

  tex/
    maya/
      Monkey/
        Monkey_tex_TT_v01_kjones.ma
  

• lookdev department: Maya published assets (note that the version of the published file should echo the corresponding turntable file)

  maya / [AssetName] / [AssetName]_tex_[ver]_[artist].ma

  example:

  tex/
    maya/
      Monkey/
        Monkey_tex_v01_kjones.ma
  

• lookdev department: Substance Painter files

  painter / [AssetName] / [AssetName]_[ver]_[artist].spp

  example:

  tex/
    painter/
      Monkey/
        Monkey_v01_kjones.spp
  

set/

MODELING

• modeling department: Maya files

  [setName] / mod / Maya / [SetName]_MODEL_[ver]_[artist].ma

  example:

  shipCabin/
    mod/
      Maya/
        shipCabin_MODEL_v01_bsmith.ma
  

• modeling department: USD set file

  [setName] / mod / USD / [SetName]_MODEL_[ver].usda

  example:

  shipCabin/
    mod/
      USD/
        shipCabin_MODEL_v01.usda
  

• modeling department: USD set element files

  [setName] / mod / USD / elements / [elementName]_mod.usda (main asset file)

Note too that the corresponding payload and geometry files are automatically generated with our USD Geo Export tool. See the example below as well as this video.

example:

  shipCabin/  
    mod/
      USD/
        v01/
           desk_mod.usda
           desk_mod.geom.usd
           desk_mod_payload.usda

Elements do not have a version in the name and instead have a version folder. This makes it easier to replace them in a set hierarchy. The above example only shows one element (consisting of an asset, geom, and payload file), but all of the elements that comprise the set would be under the v01/ folder and so on for each subsequent version of the elements.

LOOKDEV

• lookdev department: Maya files

  [setName] / tex / Maya / [SetName]_LOOK_[ver]_[artist].ma

  example:

  shipCabin/
    tex/
      Maya/
        shipCabin_LOOK_v01_bsmith.ma
  

• lookdev department: Substance Painter set files

  [setName] / tex / painter / [SetName]_[ver]_[artist].spp

  example: ``` shipCabin/ tex/ painter/ shipCabin_v01_kjones.spp

• lookdev department: USD look set file

  [setName] / tex / USD / [SetName]_LOOK_[ver].usda

  example:

  shipCabin/
    tex/
      USD/
        shipCabin_LOOK_v01.usda
  

• lookdev department: USD set element files

  [setName] / tex / USD / elements / [elementName]_tex.usda

  example:

  shipCabin/
    tex/
      USD/
         v01/
             desk_tex.usda
  
  

  Elements do not have a version in the name and instead have a version folder. This makes it easier to replace them in a set hierarchy. The above example only shows one element, but all of the elements that comprise the set would be under the v01/ folder and so on for each subsequent version.

LAYOUT

• layout department: Maya files

  [setName] / layout / Maya / [SetName]_LAYOUT_[ver]_[artist].ma

  example:

  shipCabin/
    layout/
      Maya/
        shipCabin_LAYOUT_v01_bsmith.ma
  

• layout department: USD layout set file

  [setName] / layout / USD / [SetName]_LAYOUT_[ver].usda

  example:

  shipCabin/
    layout/
      USD/
        shipCabin_LAYOUT_v01.usda
  

GLOBAL ASSET: USD set files*

[setName] / SET_[setName]_[ver].usda

example:

  shipCabin/
      SET_shipCabin_v01.usda

shots/

   anim/

• animation department: Maya files

  [ShotName] / [ShotName]_anim_[ver]_[artist].ma

  example:

  anim/
    maya/
      WB010/
        WB010_anim_v01_jdoe.ma
  

• animation department: Alembic caches

  Alembic / [ShotName] / [ShotName]_[AssetName]_[ver]_[artist].abc

  example:

  anim/
    cache/
      WB010/
        WB010_Monkey_v01_bsmith.abc
  

   light/

• lighting department: Maya files

  maya / [ShotName] / [ShotName]_light_[ver]_[artist].ma

  example:

  light/
    maya/
      WB010/
        WB010_light_v01_bsmith.ma
  

textures/

• texture maps (map naming: dif, spc, bmp, nor, dsp, met, msk, lyr)

  [AssetName] / [ShaderName]_[map]_[AssetName}_[ver]_[artist].[ext]

  example:

  textures/
    Monkey/
      teeth_dif_Monkey_v01_kjones.jpg
  

farm/

   renders/

• lighting department: rendered EXR sequence

  [ShotName] / [ShotName]_light_[ver]_[artist].####.exr

  example:

    WB010/
      WB010_light_v01_jdoe.0001.exr
  

   comp/

• lighting department: comp JPG sequence

  [ShotName] / [ShotName]_comp_[ver]_[artist].####.jpg

  example:

    WB010/
      WB010_comp_v01_jdoe.0001.exr
  

Lighting Shot Build Flow Chart

The following flow-chart shows the path that assets take in the construction of a lighting shot build.