TA: Keeper of the Pipe v1.7
Ross Patel (rpatel@crystald.com)

This doc will explore art pipeline development, and the role of a Technical Artist (TA).  There are 3 major variables that need to be addressed when creating an art pipe:

¨ The artists in the pipeline

¨ The existing tool chain and its engineers

¨ The project timeline and the managers/producers who schedule it

Due to the advent of per-pixel lighting, game development has seen a huge bloat in asset production, both in the complexity and the sheer number of new assets. Most of the pipelines require a change, but legacy systems prevail and developer tools and procedures have not kept up.  The future of game development rests in solid tools, and the success or failure of a game idea stems from the responsible planning of those tools and the training behind it. 

In the past an art director or discipline lead (characters/environments) could interface with the coders and flesh out the tools that they needed.  Now that same lead / art director (AD) has four times the assets to direct and a team of many more artists to manage.  Splitting his time between managing his team and prototyping tools means that the artists have less creative direction.  A TA can have 2 of these tasks delegated to him: to monitor building conventions and to prototype the appropriate tools.

Understanding the sudden bloat in development helps us understand how critical it is to develop an efficient system to identify, ratify, nurture, promote, facilitate, and channel creativity.  All these essentials will be explored in this document in respect to game art pipelines. 

Every department in the development of a game needs to figure out what the developers need to do their job better and help propagate creative products.  The best way to do that is to facilitate communication between the people that need it (content creators) and those that build the tools(engineers), all the while making sure the direction you are heading is in-synch with grand scheme of the project, the studio, and perhaps even the corporation as a whole.  Prototyping the systems with that information is the next step.  It is important to start small and plan big with these prototypes. Make sure each prototype covers all your foreseeable bases with each test.

 So how does a TA help make this happen?  Let’s explore where he fits:

Establish communication between depts

A TA is a game developer that links the tools department with the art department.  The needs of the artists’ and programmers must be equally represented (via the TA) to one another.  This way all the artists have a contact to explore ideas concerning their art production. They need to know they will be heard by those creating their tools. In addition to the representation; the TA should be a master of these tools and help guide the process.  He is the man who understands the needs of everyone concerned with the pipe.  He is the pipe expert.

Now that we see where he fits, what does he produce?

TA produces a pipeline

He doesn’t produce art that necessarily makes it into the game.  He produces an art pipeline used to make the game.  An art pipeline describes the tools and systems (procedures associated with those tools) used to bring said art from the concept phase all the way to post-production. Pipeline tools shouldn’t be confused with art tools like painting and modeling applications. Pipeline tools transport content from one phase of the development process to the next.  The more time an artists spends using pipeline tools the less he spends making content.  Having a TA ensuring the increased productivity of an entire art team is invaluable.  The TA’s goal is to create tools and systems that are lean and efficient.  He is trying to tap the creativity and exploit it at its purest and most efficient rate, while still keeping the process exciting for the content creators.  This won’t happen if he doesn’t have their priorities in mind.

Balance the pipe between efficiency and creativity

The TA has to assess the type of artists in the pipe and accommodate them.  Too many efficiency procedures for non-technical / individualistic developers stifle creativity.  The strive towards efficiency on the TA’s part can go too far.  Game artists often choose the job they do because it affords them a certain level of creativity.  Real-time constricts us as it is; turning your art staff into button pushing, procedure-driven drones will sap your game of creativity.  The tools have to be transparent to the user, but you need to be aware that transparent means different things to each group.  If you take the same tools and try and make the same game with two equally talented art teams with completely different cultures . . . you will need different systems.  It’s the TA’s job to find the balance between ultra-streamlined efficiencies and disorganized free-for-all art production as it applies to each art team.

Collecting user feedback

Achieving this balance comes from user feedback.  Tools are designed for the users, in this case, artists. They have to trust, respect, and feel comfortable sharing their findings/concerns with their TA.  It is essential that the TA forms a solid relationship with them. The quality of the tools and ultimately, the pipeline, depend on this.  The best way to familiarize the TA with the art staff is to stick him in the trenches with them for a period of time.  Not just in the same vicinity, but using the tools to create the art.  If he can identify who has clout, where the leverage is and form a good relationship with the key players (hopefully the senior artists on the project) he can pool suggestions and concerns efficiently.

Identifying the artists’ needs from their ideas

If an artist has an idea to improve the pipe it’s the TA’s job to identify the need that spawned the artists’ idea and address his issue.  Stuck in the trenches it’s hard for content creators to see the big picture.  The TA can help the artists’ understand that their ideas establish the needs which spawn the tools/systems that make the pipe work. The TA is the consolidator, prototype artist, and the systems designer for each task in the pipe.  He is there so that the artists keep their head in production while he can keep his head in prototyping.  A good TA knows this and it’s reflected in his attitude.

Building rapport with the tools engineers

In addition to surveying the systems as a user and developing a close relationship with the artists, it is important for the TA to develop a solid working relationship with the technology/tools department. He must build the same level of trust and respect from these engineers as he does with the artists.

The tools dept will trust the TA if they feel he can distinguish between what the artists ask for and what they actually need.  The tools engineers are the authority in understanding how their tool works and how it was built, and can therefore best determine how to implement any functional improvements. A nice exchange occurs between art and code through the TA.  He makes sure the best ideas are thoroughly explored, documented, and facilitated.  He produces a pipeline from the perspective of both the artists and the technology developers.

Harmonizing Art with Code

Harmonizing code and art is difficult.  The art staff isn’t always aware of how a small change in the tools, like an undo feature can mean countless hours for an engineer.  If they develop a relationship with the TA he can help them empathize.  Similarly, coders might not appreciate how a mathematically perfect UV map isn’t our highest priority.

Refining the tools and systems

Jumping ahead to an existing tool; the TA should be the one who unlocks the power of the tool and exposes it to the art staff.  The art staff should run with the tools and the ideas and share their concerns / wants / suggestions to the TA to refine/push the tools even further.  This includes both the features of the tools and the processes associated with them.  If the communication line between the artists and the TA is smooth then the tools/methods will reflect the needs of the artists.  This really is the key to refining robust and efficient tools and systems.

When to introduce tools / Avoiding feature creep proactively

Once the tools have been prototyped they need to be brought to a beta phase (planned feature lock). I believe this is a great way to avoid a particular nasty strain of feature creep.  It is a mistake to release untested tools to art team because they tend to suggest ideas to circumvent broken systems / features.  If enough of this goes on people lose faith in the tools department and nasty repercussions lay ahead. Learning new tools is sometimes frustrating. Learning new bug-ridden systems is even worse. Bring the tools to beta, and then release them. The art team will be more receptive to the pipeline this way. Especially if said pipe is radically different than how they are used to working.

Building Rapport with Management

The most important relationship the TA will have is with his producer and his art director.  They are his guides.  The TA should be well plugged into the senior staff and management of each department that uses the tech.  The producers and managers see the studio and projects from a wider scope, and can direct him appropriately.  In turn the TA can help gather data that can help schedule the art tasks.  Simple applications that measure the amount of time spent in any given app (active of course) can help chart the bottlenecks.  In pre-production these tests and evaluations can set the bar for asset production time.  The TA can be the point man for this and other technical tasks that stop the AD and producers from their primary task.  Once he has been given these tasks the TA becomes a good barometer for anyone concerned with the health of a pipeline.  Being the pipe expert; the managers could use him to quickly gauge the present situation of the pipe and responsibly project the future of content creation.  Once in production the TA could be the go-to guy for building conventions issues, monitor the art asset creation in this technical respect.  If he does his job right; he can help the leads focus on tasks only they can perform.

This was a brief snap-shot explaining some of the key functions a TA plays in designing and maintaining an art pipeline.  The key things a TA can do for the pipe are:

• bridge the communication gap between the art and tools depts

point-man for the art pipeline (or a portion of it)

• find a balance in the pipeline between efficiency and creativity

• collecting user feedback

• harmonizing art with code

• build rapport w/ artist's / develop empathy with the artists / learn their existing tools and systems

• identifying the artists needs vs. desires

• after establishing the needs, refining the tools and systems

• building rapport with the tools dept

• stress testing tools and systems in pre-production / Avoiding feature creep proactively

• build rapport with Management / collecting data to set art milestones / keep management tapped into the status of the pipe

• maintaining building conventions, trouble-shooting and maintaining the health of the pipe during full blown production