Maya: Bifrost Extension
1h 45mIntermediate2020-03-10
Authors
Aaron F. Ross
3D Expert, Video Producer, and Teacher
Course details
Explore the Bifrost graph, a powerful new procedural content creation framework from Autodesk. Instructor Aaron Ross covers the Bifrost Extension, a free Maya plugin for creating tools to accelerate almost every aspect of 3D production. Using the Bifrost visual programming environment, artists and technical directors in all 3D disciplines can automate complex processes and generate assets without writing a single line of code.
Topics include:
- Core concepts of proceduralism
- How Bifrost integrates with Maya
- Navigating the Bifrost Graph
- Loading example graphs from the Bifrost Browser
- Simulating atmospheres and combustion with the Aero solver
- Building a graph from scratch
- Deforming polygon geometry
- Using Bifrost in production
- Assigning materials
- Converting a Bifrost shape to a Maya shape
- Caching a simulation to disk
- Rendering an atmosphere in Arnold
Topics include:
- Core concepts of proceduralism
- How Bifrost integrates with Maya
- Navigating the Bifrost Graph
- Loading example graphs from the Bifrost Browser
- Simulating atmospheres and combustion with the Aero solver
- Building a graph from scratch
- Deforming polygon geometry
- Using Bifrost in production
- Assigning materials
- Converting a Bifrost shape to a Maya shape
- Caching a simulation to disk
- Rendering an atmosphere in Arnold
Skills covered
Maya3D AnimationRenderingMotion Graphics and VFXAutodesk3D ModelingVisualization and Real-TimeAECProduct and ManufacturingAnimation and IllustrationDeep Dive (X:Y)
Concepts
0. Introduction
- 01 - Introducing the Bifrost Extension for Maya
- 02 - Prerequisites
- 03 - Using the exercise files
1. Bifrost Basics
- 04 - Understanding visual programming
- 05 - Appreciating proceduralism
- 06 - Conceptualizing the Bifrost framework
- 07 - Enabling Bifrost in the Plug-in Manager
- 08 - Loading a graph from the Bifrost Browser
- 09 - Analyzing a graph in the Graph Editor
- 10 - Navigating nested compounds
2. Building in the Graph Editor
- 11 - Creating a basic graph
- 12 - Installing a new compound in the user home directory
- 13 - Constructing a graph from compounds and other nodes
- 14 - Moving points in normal space
- 15 - Exposing Bifrost parameters in Maya
- 16 - Working with scene transforms
- 17 - Creating and publishing a compound
3. Production with Bifrost
- 18 - Converting Bifrost geometry to a Maya mesh
- 19 - Assigning a material reference from Maya
- 20 - Defining a material in the Bifrost Graph
- 21 - Preparing a simulation disk cache
- 22 - Writing a disk cache
- 23 - Rendering a Bifrost volume in Arnold
Conclusion
- 24 - Next steps