Launch 3ds Max

3ds Max must be launched via the Launcher, as it sets the studio environment when starting apps.

Locate AYON Icon in the OS tray (if hidden dive in the tray toolbar).

If you cannot locate the AYON icon ...it is not probably running so check Getting Started with AYON Pipeline first.

By clicking the icon AYON Menu rolls out.

Choose AYON Menu > Launcher to open the Launcher window.

When opened you can choose the project to work in from the list. Then choose the particular asset you want to work on then choose task and finally run 3ds Max by its icon in the tools.

AYON Tools

When launching 3ds Max via AYON Launcher there should be AYON Menu visible in 3ds Max top header after start. This is the core functional area for you as a user. Most of your actions will take place here.

• AYON Global Tools

  • Workfiles

  • Creator / Publisher

  • Loader

  • Scene Inventory

• Workfile Actions

  • Set Resolution: Set the render resolution as defined on the current task in AYON.

  • Set Frame Range: Set the timeline frame range and FPS as defined on the current task in AYON.

  • Set Colorspace: Set the OCIO conifg as defined on the current task in AYON.

• Pipeline Tools

  • Experimental Tools

Working With Scene Files

In AYON menu first go to Workfiles menu item so Work Files Window shows up.

Here you can perform Save / Load actions as you would normally do with File Save and File Open in the standard 3ds Max File Menu and navigate to different project components like assets, tasks, workfiles etc.

You first choose particular asset and assigned task and corresponding workfile you would like to open.
If not any workfile present simply hit Save As and keep Subversion empty and hit Ok.

AYON correctly names it and add version to the workfile. This basically happens whenever user trigger Save As action. Resulting into incremental version numbers like

• workfileName_v001

• workfileName_v002

Basically meaning user is free of guessing what is the correct naming and other necessities to keep everything in order and managed.

Note: user still has also other options for naming like Subversion, Artist's Note but we won't dive into those now.

Here you can see resulting work file after Save As action.

Understanding Context​

As seen on our example AYON created pretty first workfile and named it il_asset_art_v002.max meaning it sits in the Project il being it asset asset and workfile being art task and obviously v002 telling user its first existing version of this workfile.

It is good to be aware that whenever you as a user choose folder and task you happen to be in so called context meaning that all user actions are in relation with particular asset. This could be quickly seen in host application header and AYON Menu and its accompanying tools.

Whenever you choose different folder and its task in Work Files window you are basically changing context to the current asset/task you have chosen.

This concludes the basics of working with workfiles in 3ds Max using AYON and its tools. Following chapters will cover other aspects like creating multiple assets types and their publishing for later usage in the production.

Creating and Publishing Instances

Intro​

Current AYON integration supports many products such as:

• camera product type being 3ds Max Camera object with/without animation outputted as native .max, FBX, Alembic format

• maxScene product type being 3ds Max scene outputted as native .max format

• model product type basically any geometry outputted as abc, obj, fbx, usd and max scene.

• Pointcache product type being basically any geometry outputted as Alembic cache (.abc) format.

• Point Cloud prt and TyCache tyc product types being 3ds Max cache generated from tyFlow plugin and outputted as PRT(Pointcloud)/TYC(TyCache) format.
  As tyFlow is an external plugin from 3ds Max, make sure to get it install before using the product types.

• redshiftproxy product type being 3ds Max objects converted and outputted as RS format. As Redshift is an external plugin from 3ds Max, user require to install redshift before using the product type.

• maxrender product type being 3ds Max scene submitted to AWS Thinkbox Deadline. Currently supports 3ds Max standard renderers, Vray and Redshift for multipass submissions. Only supports Arnold for beauty (RGBA) render submission.

• review product type being 3ds Max scene creating preview animation and outputted as video and image sequences(if users select keep image sequences)

• workfile product type a copy of your workfile at the moment of publishing.

Publishing Point Cache (Alembic)​

Simply select any animated geometry you want to export as alembic format and go AYON -> Create and select Point Cache. Make sure to keep your geometry selected before Publish. The output format of the geometry is Alembic (abc).

Loading Point Cache​

When you load the Point Cache via AYON -> Load, it creates the container which includes the Alembic object parented to the point cache object.

Publishing Camera​

Select the camera you want to export and go AYON -> Create and select Camera. User can go Publish and decide the export options by turning on/off the camera extractors.

Loading Camera​

The Loader provides several options to load camera. You can import camera in either native Max, Fbx and Alembic (abc) format.

Similar to the Point Cache Instance, the Alembic camera loader will creates the container which includes the Alembic object parented to the point cache object.

The Fbx and max scene Loader import the published camera object which is parented to the newly created container.

Publishing MaxScene​

Select any type of objects in the scene you want to export and go AYON -> Create and select Max Scene.

Loading MaxScene​

Similar to other max scene loader, it will create the new containers which includes the published max scene object.

Render​ing

After choosing your render setting, select the target camera for rendering in the scene and go AYON -> Create and select Render. When you go to Publish, you can set up the preferences in either creator or AYON setting before the deadline submission.

The Render Instance supports AOV renders for VRay, Redshift, and 3ds Max default renderers(i.e QuickSliver Hardware Renderer, ART Renderer, Scanline Renderer, VUE File Renderer). Merely supports beauty render for Arnold due to the pymxs API limitation.

Point Cloud/TyCache​

Publishing Point Cloud​

Select the tyFlow object(s) you want to export and go AYON -> Create and select Point Cloud. The exported object(s) would be in PRT format You can add the attributes which needs to be exported in Point Cloud Addon setting before publishing.

Publishing TyCache​

Select the tyFlow object(s) you want to export and go AYON -> Create and select TyCache, you can choose the attribute data of tyCache to be exported in TYC format.

Loading Point Cloud/TyCache​

When you load the point cloud through AYON -> Load, Max will create tycache object in the 3ds Max modifier's list and load the published PRT.

Publishing Redshift Proxy​

Select the object(s) you want to convert as redshift proxy and go AYON -> Create and select RedshiftProxy. The exported objects will be outputted as RS format.

Loading Redshift Proxy​

You can load the redshift proxy through AYON -> Load, it will then load the redshift proxy with the converted object(s).

Review​

Select the target camera you want to create preview animation and go AYON -> Create and select Review. You can set up the preferences(e.g. resolution) before creating the instance.
Admins can define default values in Create Review addon setting.

You can always edit if you want to create preview animation with different settings. You can also choose what to include in the preview animation.

Validators​

Validate Frame Range​

This validator checks if the frame range in the scene aligns with that in the AYON project settings. Admins can set default value and mark it as an option plugin in Validate Frame Range addon setting.

If the validator is marked as optional. You’ll be able switch on/ off in in the Publisher Tab.