AYON monthly beginner’s topic - December‘23

[mustafa_jafar]

Welcome to our Monthly beginner’s thread. This forum topic is used to capture all beginner questions (and answers) in one place. We start a new one every month on 1st of the month and lock the previous one.

We if you feel your question deserves it’s own topic in one of the existing categories, then by all means go for it and create on. We’ll also try our best to split out any interesting questions to their own topics when they warrant a bigger conversations.

So go ahead and ask to your heart’s content.

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Questions Summary:

I’m new to Ayon, where to start ?

Here it’s I’m new to Ayon, where to start?

How to keep up with Ayon updates ?

Here it’s How to keep up with Ayon updates

How to use Ayon in Dev mode ?

Here’s a guide about it Ayon Developer Mode – Guide

When should I update dependency packages ?

As mentioned in How to keep up with Ayon updates? guide…
you may need to use a particular dependency package when using some addons.
It’s considered to make a table to track specify which dependency package is compatible with which version of addons.
Personally, I set everything to the latest.

How to use different bundles with different projects?

I made a separate post for it , check it How to use different bundles with different projects?

How to add new task types in Ayon ?

you can add as many task types as you want in settings and then you’ll be able to find it when creating new task.

For existed projects: you can update your project settings

For future projects: you can update your project presets.

Back up Ayon DB

This is some how not related to ayon itself but to postgres container that runs in Ayon stack.

• run docker compose exec postgres pg_dump -U ayon > backup.sql to create database dump
• copy storage/ , addons/ , docker-compose.yml and backup.sql to the new machine (and other supporting files)
• run docker compose up postgres on the new machine to start only the database (if you run the entire stack, it will be populated with defaults, we want to keep it empty for now)
• run docker compose exec -T postgres psql -U ayon ayon < backup.sql to restore the backup
• start everything using docker compose up

Can I use Environment Variables in reference and file paths in Maya addon ?

yes, you can. but you need to have it enabled in the settings ayon+settings://maya/maya_dirmap

Questions related to unimplemented features:

Ayon is evolving and due to our Agile methodology, some features may not be there yet.
I’m move these questions here in this section for reference.

• [In Ayon Launcher] Show allowed DCCs for the selected task in Launcher. e.g. someone might allow only Maya, Max and Blender when selecting a modeling task.
• [In Ayon Server/ project editor] Show task types that fit the parent folder when adding new tasks. e.g. someone might allow creating tasks of types Modeling and rigging beneath folders of type assets.

[robert]

I’m trying to update ayon though ssh on the linux server it’s running and the “docker pull ynput/ayon:latest” is working fine but i cant get it to build.
When i try to build it says “no configuration file provided: not found”

Any idea what this noob is doing wrong

[mustafa_jafar]

you should be running docker compose commands where docker-compose.yml is located.

[robert]

Is there a way to only have specific programs you can use on a task in the launcher.
For excample.
I only want to use unreal on the “unreal” task. Not on a modeling or shading task.
But also don’t want substance on a modeling task.

This keeps it cleaner and limits the user error of clicking the wrong button and useless folders/ structures are being created on disk

[mustafa_jafar]

It’s not possible yet… but it is in our backlog

[Yul]

Agreed, allowing Photoshop launch for a Modeling task can lead to unwanted disk folders
I have seen several examples of this (when an artist is allowed to click somewhere, he will try it, just to see what it does ).

[Yul]

Similar subject :

We add tasks here : Web App–>Projects–>[select a project]–>Editor–>Add tasks
On the popup that appears, I don’t find a way to only display the task types that fit the parent folder, depending on whether it’s an asset or a shot.

For example, for assets we need Modeling, Rigging, etc… And for shots it’s Anim, Layout, etc…
The goal is to avoid users creating stupid combinations

[mustafa_jafar]

Thanks a lot for your feedback… I’ve added your suggestions in the main post for future reference.

[robert]

So i’m getting more into Ayon/Ynput a etc.
I’m updateing ayon (0.7.0+202312081711)now, and that worked and updated the plugins (Pipe 3.17.7-nightly.6) but now i don’t see any programs after updating the launcher.

I suspect a bit that i also need to update the dependecy package, but can’t find anywhere how and what.

Sorry for these noob questions.

Robert

[mustafa_jafar]

@robert

i don’t see any programs after updating the launcher.

Could you check your application settings ?
As far as I know addons don’t inherit settings.

@robert

I suspect a bit that i also need to update the dependecy package, but can’t find anywhere how and what.

That’s a good question… I’ll find its answer and add it to the main post.
I’m not sure yet when should we update dependency packages but you get them when running bootstrap… it brings new launchers and their dependency packages.

you need to make a bundle first in order to find dependency packages settings.

[robert]

The application switches are on.

Ok neglect my reply.
I’ve no idea but it’s working now.

[robert]

After my updates, i do notice that some custom preferences have been removed.
Some i came across are the “extra work folders” in the “core” for exhample.
I’ve made custom setups for photogrammetry etc and for houdini, and they are all gone.
Also any “Additional Applications” have been removed.

Is this something to be expected if we do an update on Ayon???
And/or there any ways we can save the prefs to a local file and upload them again?

[BigRoy]

This sounds very similar to what’s mentioned on Discord here

One additional note for new users is that the updated bootstrap bundle is fresh and to preserve any project overrides you may have had configured (applications paths, presets, etc…) I had to go into the Studio Settings tab, use the Copy Settings From button action to transfer from the previous bundle to the new bootstrap updated bundle.

I wonder if this is similar to your case @robert ?

Basically, if you now have a new bundle - that new bundle has the ‘default settings’ and you currently need to copy over settings. (There’s a copy settings UI I believe).

Likely this is a UX workflow that’s still to be much improved - @milan can likely best specify what the goals are there.

It definitely sounds like more than just an annoyance if you’d need to do this every time.

[robert]

Yeah sounds almost exactly like that.
For me it’s not only in the projects settings but also in the studio settings.

-update-
So checked and the settings are in the old “bundle”

So i can copy and past from there, but would love that it would take in all the settings of the latest production bundle.
When i select the bundle that was working and “Duplicate and edit” the “core” i will lose my presets.

[robert]

Is there a way to add the type instead of name in the Anatmoy >Templates > Work.
I don’t want my unreal projects to be on the server as we’re using perforce etc etc.
So i thought i had it working, but now running a project i come across that the specific template only works as a name.
This would be better to do by type as unreal. Or am i missing something.

For now i can add the specific name to the asset and the template like Unreal_previz, but not ideal

And i was thinking should i use the workfile template profile in the “core” and create a task type with unreal and as a workfile template choose “ue” but couldnd get it to work.

What is the right direction