VFX work notes on QC / pipeline / trace objects / HDRI

Upstream needs to make QC daily for downstream, FX needs to make FX QC daily for lighting

• for naming transfer purpose
• for version check purpose
• for animation check purpose
• for split up to small group check purpose

Pipeline Design

• need tool to check all the versions of upstream asset packages
• need tool to duplicate shot modules for mass production
• render jobs need placeholders, so production can know how much farm share is needed every night
• render comments are for production to assign different priority every night

Overall 

• when in doubt, always consult 
• check self first, then notify upstream
• after update, always restart
• any problem, report back
• man power problem, report back
• schedule problem, report back
• pipeline problem, report back
• research and development is key to moving forward

Supervisor

• check shots zoomed in
• check shots slowed down
• check shots with brightness up
• check shots with surrounding shots
• supervisor job is to understand upstream director
• supervisor job is to find solution for downstream lead, and make the plan clear for everyone
• if something doesn't work by the book, go around it

Optimize trace objects

• texture
• displacement
• subdiv
• fur
• groom
• polymesh
• LOD
• micro polygon length

When a shot is received

• look at surrounding shots
• look if others have done it before
• check linux job category
• check if all the assets are latest

Lighting

• the distance and size of the light in the Katana scene, needs to reflect the real world
• dark side needs to have detail
• don't adjust spec, it will effect lookdev
• render everything together first to know the correct look, then split into render layers 
• always do three frame first to check long FFR render
• group shots according to camera angle, not characters
• lighting problem, use lighting to solve, don't use comp tricks
• always confirm key shots first, then mass produce with juniors
• assign repetitive shots to junior, key shots to senior

Comp

• smoke is comped in the end of the tree, on top of the character
• flare and gloom, need to be added on top of CG character
• check AOV, which layer the noise is coming from
• render pixel aspect ratio match nuke pixel aspect ratio

HDRI

Grey balance

1. raw converter node (neutralize)
2. ACES grey balance (neutralize)
3. grade (match HDRI Macbeth to IREF/plate macbeth
4. macbeth - match most black, most white, match middle grey (use multiply) and CC match color (use saturation)

Extract HDRI lights texture for Katana

1. spherical transform node
2. input : latlong
3. output : cube
4. super white roll off 20

HDRI cleaning 

1. no people
2. no lights
3. desaturate blue screen