Archive notice: This article was originally published on July 30, 2013. Links and embedded videos are preserved as part of the historical record.
The Pipeline Toolkit currently supports Adobe Photoshop, Audodesk Maya and 3ds Max, Softimage and Motion Builder, The Foundry’s Nuke and Hiero, and Side Effects Houdini. The toolkit is available free of charge to all customers and also supports the development of custom apps. The main emphasis is on improved integration and a more efficient way of working.
The main features are:
File Management: According to the manufacturer, this keeps the file system ideally organised, because the tools have path-naming templates. The folder structure is created automatically, as are the file names.
Launchers, Loaders & Publishers: These preconfigured tools can launch programs such as Maya or Nuke directly from the Shotgun interface. The integrated publishing tool enables data to be exported into the pipeline or automatically notifies colleagues working on the same shot. The loader and breakdown tool can load new content into the scene or determine what needs an update.
Engines & Apps: All Pipeline Toolkit tools were developed as apps that can be connected to one another. Every content-creation application supported by the toolkit has an engine that controls the apps. Users can configure exactly which apps and engines are needed, including through the source code.
Pipeline Management: The toolkit allows differently configured file systems to be modified, as well as apps running simultaneously in different projects. The configuration can be controlled or updates monitored with the sgtk command. Changes to the configuration or code updates can first be tested within a sandbox.
Dev Tools: Programming custom apps. Each engine has a uniform interface based on Python and PySide. This makes it possible to program individual apps that run, for example, in Nuke, Photoshop or 3ds Max. Git and Github support available.
Further information from Shotgun Software.
