LookdevX Technology Preview

What is LookdevX?

LookdevX for Maya is a new look-development tool that lets you create USD shade graphs and author custom materials in Maya.

But why is this important?

What separates LookdevX from the Hypershade tool is its ability to work across multiple content creation tools. A close integration with USD lets you work directly with USD data to assign, adapt, and create materials within the LookdevX Graph Editor. LookdevX materials are then saved automatically to your USD Layer.

Another key difference is that LookdevX can support multiple formats and creation tools — like Arnold and MaterialX.

USD files are portable, you can use the same USD file throughout the entire pipeline. LookdevX allows you to create consistent look development across products, platforms, and game engines.

Note: To use LookdevX, your objects must be in a USD stage. See working with USD Data and Maya Data interchangeably to learn how to convert Maya data to USD data.

What is USD?

USD (Universal Screen Description) is an open-source file format created by Pixar that is popular in VFX and animation workflows. If you are not yet familiar with USD you can start here:

• A USD primer for artists & why it's important.
• Learn how to create a USD stage in Maya — an essential step to using LookdevX.
• Some commonly used terms in USD (Prim, Stage, Layer, etc.).

Learn more about LookdevX

Want to learn more about LookdevX? Start here:

• Watch first: an introductory video on how to use LookdevX.
• Learn how to work with USD to view materials in the LookdevX Graph Editor. This topic demonstrates how to:
  1. Create a USD stage in the Outliner.
  2. Add a prim/USD object to the stage.
  3. Add a material to the prim/USD object.
  4. View the material in the LookdevX Graph Editor.
• Learn how to create nodes and compounds in LookdevX.