Maya™ Assets: A Shot Content Management System

Abstract

Systems for effective management of shot content data are critical to the support of any large-scale digital production. In regards to the data's structure, there are a variety of advantages in maintaining and managing data in a granular form, as a collection of separable data assets. Two key abilities afforded through data management in a granular form are 1) an ability to selectively load a subset of shot assets for improved performance with a reduced memory footprint, and 2) an ability to selectively lock a subset of shot assets enabling parallel shot work by multiple artists. Both translate directly into improved artist and production pipeline efficiencies. Maya's built-in file-referencing mechanism provides a small step towards enabling finer grain data management, but falls short in enabling either of the potential key advantages outlined above. The Maya Assets system was developed at DreamWorks Animation, Inc. in support of these capabilities and other such efficiency improvements. The system was initially developed and deployed as the foundation of the Maya-based pipeline for the feature film Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas.