I. Pipeline & Asset Workflow

In this episodic animation project, we encountered a major challenge with the set dressing process due to the complexity of environments and the high volume of models, including extensive vegetation in each episode. Using Maya for set dressing became increasingly unmanageable under these conditions. 

To resolve this, I redesigned the workflow by shifting the set dressing process into Unreal Engine. Around the same time, I was exploring USD (Universal Scene Description) and realized it could help streamline our pipeline. I utilized Unreal Engine’s early integration with USD to import scene hierarchies and generate absolute actor positions from upstream. This allowed our art director to rough out the layouts and directly finalize the environment setups within Unreal, bypassing the need for set dressing in Maya. 

This adjustment had two main benefits: it moved our workflow one step closer to final render and leveraged Unreal Engine’s ability to efficiently handle massive amounts of models. By enabling layout and set dressing within Unreal, we significantly streamlined our workflow, giving the team more creative flexibility and reducing the time required to complete complex environments.

II. Artists’ Daily Challenge

During this episodic animation project, one of the major challenges was version control, which became a nightmare for the artists, especially with the introduction of new workflows that required a significant portion of the work to be completed inside Unreal Engine. The complexity of managing different versions for animation, camera work, effects, and environment setups led to frequent disagreements among artists on how to handle version control, particularly with check-in/check-out processes. 

To alleviate these concerns and simplify collaboration, I devised an innovative solution using Unreal Engine’s Sequence system—traditionally intended for controlling shots and animations—to create a layered hierarchy for different types of assets. For instance, specific sequences were assigned for environment assets like vegetation, buildings, etc., so each artist had their own dedicated sequence to work in. This approach eliminated the need for artists to worry about the complexities of version control tools like locking, releasing or checking files in and out, allowing them to focus purely on the creative aspects.

Interestingly, this solution anticipated future developments in Unreal Engine 5, which introduced more granular control over in-engine asset management, reducing the burden on artists in much the same way. This approach significantly improved the workflow, minimized conflicts, and allowed the team to collaborate more efficiently.