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title: "The Hunted USD Worfklow"
canonical: "https://rmanwiki-27.pixar.com/space/RU/567279687/The%20Hunted%20USD%20Worfklow"
format: markdown
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*Author: Eugene Riecansky*
### Let’s start with an explanation, just in case you’re not quite sure what USD is …
> *“Universal Scene Description (USD) is Pixar’s open source file format describing CG scenes to facilitate concurrent workflows across multiple applications & artists.”*
One of USD’s main benefits is collaboration through the use of USD Layering, which allows multiple artists from different departments to work on the same asset simultaneously.
The image above demonstrates a scene from the Antiques Mall in TS4. It illustrates how the power of USD layering can allow the animator to work on character animation while the layout artist sets the dressing on the shelves, simultaneously with the modeller finishing the modelling of the chair. The lighter is adding lights to the desk lamp asset.
All this happens at the same time, and one department doesn’t need to rely on or wait for the other to finish before it can finish its task.
With that in mind, you can begin to understand why a USD workflow for either large studios or individual artists empowers creativity and collaboration.
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As I had decided early on that I was going to make this piece in Solaris, I already knew that working in a USD workflow for my assets, camera, set dressing, and lighting was going to reap many benefits that USD offers.
Using the *componentbuilder* node in Solaris, I’m able to create individual USD assets for each of the main props that were in my scene.
Here’s a list of those assets I created
Taking the railroad powerbox as an example,
I began by determining the physical size of such a unit in the real world. Once I had those dimensions, I was able to create a box to match those dimensions and publish a USD asset called *PowerBox.usd*
I could then, using this initial version of the power box, begin layout, safe in the knowledge that I could return to the prop later, finish the modelling and texturing, and then republish the *PowerBox.usd *file and reload it in my main layout USD layer, and it would instantly swap versions.
Having this power when working with assets lets you quickly get into the initial layout stage without worrying about refinements later (unless you do something pretty drastic to the asset itself!!)
Of course, this explanation is a simplistic approach to USD, and adding other USD features, such as modelling and shading variants, provides additional benefits for working in USD.
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