Yuqian(Ashley) He

Maya-Houdini USD Rigging Schema for Streamlined Animation Workflow

Summary

The paper describes an innovative method for migrating mesh and skeletal data from Autodesk Maya to SideFX Houdini in the 3D animation domain. It provides an alternative to FBX and Alembic (ABC) data transfer processes by leveraging the robust nature of the Universal Scene Description (USD) format. In the first phase of the project, two bespoke plugins were developed using the C++ Maya API. These plugins were specifically engineered to extract the mesh and skeletal data from Maya. Subsequently, this extracted data was transmuted through the USD API into a compatible USD format. Using the C++ Houdini Development Kit (HDK), two further plugins were crafted to translate USD data into a form that Houdini can interpret and render. In essence, this project reveals a new paradigm for data interchange between Maya and Houdini, thereby enriching the range of data transfer methods available in the animation industry.

Thesis Maya-Houdini USD Rigging Schema for Streamlined Animation Workflow