Kick Maya ASS – tool for rendering with Arnold Kick
Type: python script (py) Name: ark_mtoa Version: 1.01 Released: 2016.07.08 Download
v1.01 - initial release, all functions added, Windows OS only
Tool for exporting .ass out of Maya and rendering it with ‘kick’ (Arnold standalone). Provides additional options to:
- choose custom output dir and/or image name
- increment image version automatically
- add unique suffix (to avoid overwriting)
- render current frame or range from Render Settings
- use custom render region or take it from Maya Render View
- save tool settings with the scene
- running without GUI (shelf button, hotkey, or another script)
- just export .ass with .bat for rendering outside of Maya
Usage:
- define ARNOLD_TEMP environment variable or adjust variable in the beginning of the script (lower priority) – .ass and .bat files will be created in this folder
- put the .py file into Maya scripts folder, and run in Maya as python:
from ark_mtoa import *; ark_mtoa()
To start rendering without GUI, add ‘mode’ keyword:
- ark_mtoa( mode = ‘frame’ ) – starts rendering of the current frame based on previously saved settings or default ones if they don’t exist
- ark_mtoa( mode = ‘anim’ ) – same, but takes frame range from Render Settings (if animation is enabled there)
Options:
- Name – custom output file name. Press ‘edit’ to enable, otherwise Render Settings will be used (if image name is not defined there, scene name will be used… if the scene is not saved – ‘untitled’).
- Path – custom output path. Press ‘edit’ to enable, otherwise Render Settings will be used (‘images’ folder of the current project).
- Progressive – enables progressive rendering mode defined in Render Settings. Gets disabled automatically for animations.
- Auto Version – adds version number _v### to the output file name. Increments with every render or if the version already exists in the output path (continues the last version that exists in the folder).
- Unique Name – adds date and time (up to a second) to the file name to make it unique.
- Export Only – just exports .ass and .bat, doesn’t start rendering.
- Cleanup – deletes .ass and .bat files after rendering.
- Animation – if disabled, current frame will be rendered. If enabled, frame settings from Render Settings (enable animation there to render frame sequence).
- Region – enables render region. Order of values is in Arnold format: left, top, right, bottom with starting point in top left corner. ‘get’ button takes render region from Maya Render View.
- Kick … – kicks ASS… And saves settings.
- Save & Close – closes the tool, but saves settings. Use window controls to close without saving.