---
title: "The Hunted Layout"
canonical: "https://rmanwiki-27.pixar.com/space/RU/567509019/The%20Hunted%20Layout"
format: markdown
---
![SolarisUSD_Layout.png](media://c8a286b9-8f2f-49e8-86ce-74324b5753db)

Once I had each initial proxy version of the props as USD files, I was able to begin working on the scene's layout.

![HuntedLayout.mov](media://629c859b-e997-4f91-828d-926501890c8b)

Houdini and Solaris are perfect for both single set-dressing assets and scattering large numbers of instances.

I implemented both workflows.  Scattering and instancing techniques for the grass, rocks, general plants, and background trees.

I hand-placed hero objects via the *layout* node, such as the powerbox, railroad sign, and mailbox.  I also hand-placed grass, along with foreground trees and rocks, to ensure the scene's composition was as I wanted it.  Scattering is perfect for instancing objects when you don’t mind too much about the creative composition of that scattering. However, there are many times when you’ll need to rely on hand-placing or moving scattered objects to suit the shot and story.

Using the latest advances in XPU in R27, I was able to run an interactive viewport in Solaris with a simple skydome to allow me to get a fast and interactive layout session.  Add in the power of the interactive denoiser, and you have an interactive toolkit that eats layout for breakfast.

![stagemanager.mov](media://c81f1fa4-d614-431f-9b21-88d70f393de4)

One extra tip is when doing layout, and you already have many textures applied to the assets, use the Occlusion Integrator in RenderMan.  This will give you a very fast occlusion IPR session without having to override all your shaders to a simple grey material.  

Credit to RenderMan’s Dylan Sisson for this tip!

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![RenderManUniversity_logo_Small.png](media://a6220c87-05ec-409e-b90a-90f4e49ebe21)