Looking for modular pipeline environment

[raumkapsel]

Hi everyone,
I was wondering which software you use for your pipeline / project management?

I am part of a small independent animation studio without permanent pipeline TDs. We lack the expertise and money to create and maintain our own python pipeline managing software. That is why we have been using prism pipeline. It is robust and open source, but has a very specific folder structure and naming convention that can be confusing at times. Also, it uses a shot based folder structure and I’d like to use a steps based folder structure.

Is there a opensource pipeline tool out there with a similar modular approach as mGear? mGear has the guide components as building blocks that make up the rig templates. Maybe such a pipeline tool would also have building blocks to create different pipeline folder structures and logic for VFX, animated shorts, features, games.

Or do you work with your own scripted pipeline or commercial solutions such as shotgun or ftrack? Just found a workflow video of ftrack, which seems to do what I tried to describe above. But it would be great to read what people here are using.

Hope my question is not too much off topic :).

[Jerome]

Hello @raumkapsel

When it comes to pipeline there are a lot of options but they all come with commitment into their vision/structure. It doesn’t mean they can’t be edited, but like I said they demand commitment.

If you are looking for exclusive open source options that are free here are some options for you.

• Piper https://gitlab.com/piper-pipeline-toolkit

  • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NfXrZa5t5rY
  • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XeEY6rb5BT0

• Mangrove https://gitlab.com/TheYardVFX/mangrove

  • https://opensource.theyard-vfx.com/mangrove/

• Kabaret https://gitlab.com/kabaretstudio

  • https://www.kabaretstudio.com/

• Plex https://github.com/alexanderrichtertd/plex

  • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gqRailvSmtw&list=PL-w9PpezTv9vmLkfhASmPBF6BdeiETxPr

• Damas https://github.com/remyla/damas-core

  • http://damas-software.com/

• Avalon https://github.com/getavalon/core

  • https://getavalon.github.io/2.0/

Okay now for the non free but still worth using I will only recommend two.

• Kurtis from https://texels.com/
• Shotgun (what is nice about shotgun is that their toolkit tools are totally open source which allows lots of customization and it is the one who has the most integrations to other apps out there, the list is pretty impressive)

In any case all of this will require somebody digging into it and committing some time to it to set it up in your studio and be able to keep it updated.

I won’t go into details of any of those tools in here because it would require lot of time. I would recommend taking a look at the links I’ve send you and just pick the one looks more interesting to you and go for it because they all have strengths and inconveniences but they are all still alive and maintained. Some of those are done by people that are willing to set things up for your over payment which I don’t know anything of

Hope this helps

[raumkapsel]

Wow, thanks so much @Jerome!!! I will have a look at all of them. What a great starting point!