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Frostpunk 2

PROJECT DESCRIPTION
  • Role: Pipeline Support / Lighting and Render Specialist | Ionart Studios
  • Core Stack: Houdini (Early Solaris/USD), Redshift, Maya, Python / USD Custom Node Development
  • Main Focus: Custom Redshift LOP Node Engineering, Early USD Pipeline Adoption, Maya to Houdini Animation Sync, Asset Lookdev, Full Render and AOV Management

This project was a 90-second, story-driven cinematic teaser for a high-profile game client, produced under high-quality standards and reasonable deadlines.
This production marked our studio's transitional "hybrid" step into Houdini’s Solaris and USD-based ecosystem.
Because the official Redshift integration for Solaris was highly experimental and lacked production-ready features at the time, I engineered a custom Redshift render LOP node from scratch using base USD primitives and the Redshift documentation.
This custom node successfully resolved production bottlenecks, enabling full AOV generation, Light ID layers, matte breakdowns, and stable rendering across a large production team.

MY TASKS
  • Custom Redshift Render LOP Development: I designed and implemented a custom rendering node inside Solaris to overcome the limitations of the early Redshift Hydra integration.
    I built a functional setup that managed comprehensive utility AOVs, Light ID grouping for post-lighting control, and custom matte extractions, creating a stable rendering foundation for the entire team.
  • Early USD Pipeline, Lookdev Integration: As this was my first major project utilizing Solaris, I spearheaded the lookdevelopment and USD asset integration pipeline.
    I managed the ingestion of external assets, rebuilt their shading networks within the USD context, and ensured consistent visual fidelity under the new real-time layout workflow.
  • Maya to Houdini Animation Synchronization: I oversaw the massive volume of character animation data moving between Maya and Houdini.
    I ensured that all layout and character cache updates propagated smoothly into the Solaris stages without breaking the existing USD hierarchies.
  • Full Render Layer and AOV Management: I took full ownership of the technical rendering phase.
    I structured the entire scene breakdown, optimized the render settings for Redshift, and delivered clean, highly segmented layers and AOVs to the compositing department.
  • Review Pipeline and Team Collaboration: Working within a large, multi-disciplinary team, I managed the daily playblasts and review cuts, ensuring strict quality control and technical compliance before delivering intermediate versions to supervisors.
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