studioGPU

The need for instant gratification: confessions of a Maya user

I've been a Maya user for a long time, starting back at Pratt Institute in 2001 and then working in various studios for TV pilots and full animation projects (yes, I was one of the Disney minions). But I actually started out in fine art. I loved the ability to have an idea and instantly be able to make it take shape on canvas.

The computer proved to be both an enhancement and an impediment to creativity. Photoshop with it's instant feedback using sliders and adjustment layers lets me dynamically try out ideas. But my bread and butter work in Maya is a different story. I can model and created animated sequences quickly and fluidly. But when it comes to lighting, materials, AO, etc, the instant gratification that every artist thrives on, is just not there. You end up more technician than creative artist.

At least this was how I felt until I started working with (and training other people in) MachStudio Pro. MachStudio Pro isn't just a faster way to render final scenes, it is a change in workflow so that there is a real-time connection between what you are doing creatively and what you are see as the final result. For me as an artist, this was exactly what I was missing.

An artist does not paint several brush strokes of color that he/she can not see,then walk away and return several hours later to view the now brilliant colored strokes that they placed on the canvas!   No, painting and results are one in the same. This is the beauty of being an artist.

So why should the workflow for the 3D digital artist be different when placing light, shadow and material in their scene? This effort should have the same level of instant gratification! I want the equivalent of Photoshop or Final Cut for 3D!

And that is where MachStudio Pro comes in. It gives me, the artist, the opportunity to explore multiple options and to freely express creativity within the production time frame.

So what are the top five things I really like about MachStudio Pro?

1. Being able to scrub the time-line of an animated rendered scene!!
2. Creating an AO system in real-time
3. Adjusting light, shadow and materials in real-time (think of the layer opacity slider in Photoshop for 2D, but extend this to lighting and materials in animated 3D scenes).
4. The 'capture' in MachStudio is as fast if not faster than the 'playback' in Maya. (A playback in Maya is an animated sequence which lacks the lighting, shadow & rendered material. A capture in MachStudio is an animated sequence rendered with full lighting, materials, AO, DOF, etc.)
5. The interface (GUI) is extremely intuitive, simple yet organized. An artist could learn this software in less than a week - a Maya artist even faster.

The more I use MachStudio Pro, the more I realize that I could never go back to the traditional setup and render workflow. I've become an addict. "Hello, my name is Maya Girl and I am a 3D instant gratification-aholic."