Feedback needed on new UI - Light Linking with Collections in the Attribute Editor

[scottrenaud]

Hey folks,

We’d like your feedback on designs to support USD Collections in the Attribute Editor, which will enable workflows such as Light Linking (which has been requested for a while now).

Today

Today if you create a USD Light and look at the Attribute Editor you'll notice sections "Light Link Collection" and "Shadow Link Collection", but as you try to work with it you'll quickly notice it's not very usable:

It's also worth mentioning that Light Linking is done today in Maya's Relationship Editor, however it's not yet USD aware, so artists can't currently light link with USD there either.

Phase 1 - Collection widget in the Attribute Editor

Our proposal for the first phase is to make a user-friendly Collection widget that we can reuse for any properties of type USDCollectionAPI. Here are some ideas we're thinking of which you'll see in the design prototype below:

• Mode 1: Includes/Excludes
• Ability to add, edit, and delete prims
• Object picker
• Middle mouse button drag an drop from outliner
• Drag and drop between include/exclude
• Search/Filter
• Select highlighted items in the scene
• Mode 2: Expression-based
• Expression input field
• Validation messages

Watch below!

light_linking_with_collections_in_AE.mp4

Note: some features shown may be beyond phase 1

Beyond

Phase 2 - Creating Collections with prims
Phase 3 - Auto-select prims via proxy prim relationships
Phase 4 - Adding support for USD lights in the Relationship Editor
Phase 5+ - Exporting Maya light/shadow links to USD

Let us know

• Is a mixed-data workflow a requirement?
  • Will you be blocked if you cannot link a Maya light to USD prim or USD light to Maya object?
• Is light linking currently being done by your artists and will this workflow suit their needs?
• Would you change anything you saw in the collection widget designs?
• Do you have any concerns regarding the phases?

Thanks!

Scott
Renaud
scott.renaud@autodesk.com