Asset Pipeline

Overview

This document is a work in progress. The goal is to define an asset pipeline and definitions that will streamline scene creation for VR training.

These are the distinct steps in the pipeline:

  • Asset Creation: 3D models, materials, textures, etc. Produced outside of Unity.

  • Reference Scene: A scene using the 3D models with lighting, etc. Used as a reference for the Configured Scene.

  • Configured Scene: A scene that uses the Reference Scene as a starting point with additional configuration to make assets interactable as required for the training.

    • Asset Bundles: A sub-step in this pipeline is to produce Asset Bundles that can be used by the Author to create the training.

These are the roles:

  • Artist: Produces 3D models and Reference Scene

  • Assembly: Produces Configured Scene and asset bundles

  • Dev Support: Additional programming and bug fixing on SDK

  • Author: Produces StoryFlow Scripts that meet training objectives

Unity Project Structure

A Motive Unity project should have the following structure:

Workflow

The goal of this workflow is to identify an optimal process that produces the fewest stalls in the pipeline. For example, an Author should not experience a setback because a configured Prop that had previously worked is no longer working.

Art

  • Asset Imports - Assets are imported into the Art folder. Optionally updates can be made to the reference scene.

  • Configure Reference Scene - Set up lighting, configuration, etc.

  • Create Prefabs - All elements in the Scene should be made into Prefabs so that changes can be propagated to the Configured Scene and Props where feasible.

Assembly

  • Configured Scene - at first, use a copy of the Reference Scene. For any Art Prefabs that require changes, make sure to create a Prop first so that incoming Art updates do not overwrite changes.

  • Add Motive Prefabs to connect the app to StoryFlow and Launch Server.

  • Configure Props to be interactable as required by training.

  • Determine which elements represent the base environment and which can be deployed via Asset Bundle. For bundled assets, deploy to StoryFlow.

Authoring

  • At first can be done in Unity. Author is free to make changes as required to Props and Configured Scene, but make sure to communicate with Assembly team. Changes are managed in Git.