GDC 2005

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(No Transcript)
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Internal Outsourcer Managementof Tools
Pipelines

• Brendan Hanna Holloway
• Technical Artist
• Adam Pletcher
• Technical Art Director

www.volition-inc.com
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Volition Snapshot

• Saints Row
• 100 internal developers
• 20 outsourcers (buildings only)
• Saints Row 2
• 101 internal developers
• 44 outsourcers (environment art)
• Red Faction Guerrilla
• 80 internal developers
• 52 outsourcers (many types of art)

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Volition Snapshot

• Studio Tools Goals
• More cross-project sharing of tools tech
• Lower costs, headcount
• Faster, easier content iteration
• More seamless outsourcing

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Part 1. Internal Tools Management

• The Users
• WHO will be using the tool/pipeline?
• What are their current and desired workflows?
• Who will be managing/updating the tool? (Tech
  Artists, Programmers, etc.)

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Part 1. Internal Tools Management

• Deployment Updating
• Does it integrate with other software? (3ds Max,
  Photoshop, etc.)
• How often will the tool need updating?
• Can the tool be automatically installed/configured
  ?
• Who does NOT need the tool installed?
• How will it be uninstalled?
• How are errors reported?

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Part 1. Internal Tools Management

• Additional resources?
• Intranet site
• Login scripts

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Part 2. Case Study vInstaller

• Why was it needed?
• Tools were not portable, esp. offsite
• No standard for deployment or updating
• Uninstall debris

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Part 2. Case Study vInstaller

• vInstaller Overview
• Written in C
• Based on MSBuild
• Tools -gt Projects -gt Archives
• Maintains three discrete environments
• Development (local)
• Published (network)
• Installed (local)
• Handles dependencies with other software
• Installing/uninstalling is atomic

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(No Transcript)
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Part 2. Case Study vInstaller

• The Good
• Very portable tools/pipelines
• Standardized deployment, updating
• Easy outsourcer delivery updating(in theory,
  at least)

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Part 2. Case Study vInstaller

• The Not So Good
• Learning curve (MSBuild, XML complexity)
• Operations are static, no runtime changes
• Troubleshooting sometimes difficult
• Vista hilarity! User Account Control
• No project version check during updates
• Wide-open to viruses

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Part 3. Outsourcing Tools Management

• Overview
• Over 300 assets created
• Assets modeled, textured, exported to game
• More than 30 outsourcing artists
• More than a year of work and support

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Part 3. Outsourcing Tools Management

• Learn Their Studio
• Things can be very different than in-house
  conditions...
• What do they have?
• What do they need?
• What do you want to give them?

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Part 3. Outsourcing Tools Management

• What do they have?
• Do they have all necessary software installed?
• Are they willing to buy what they dont have?
• Do you need to create workaround applications?
• Where are their tools and applications installed?
• What permissions do their users have?

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Part 3. Outsourcing Tools Management

• Saints Row 2 What was installed...
• No Perforce
• Mixture of Chinese and English versions of 3ds
  Max 7
• No instant messenger programs

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Part 3. Outsourcing Tools Management

• Saints Row 2 Where the files went...
• Software installed in various locationsNeed to
  handle all possible paths!
• Tools on a servervInstaller allowed us to
  control where the tools were relative to the
  programs
• Data files in seemingly random locationsTools
  had to use relative paths. Use Windows Registry
  to store actual locations

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Part 3. Outsourcing Tools Management

• Saints Row 2 What artists could do...
• Not allowed to install new programsMake sure
  their IT department understands where you want
  everything
• No write access to any of the server drivesNeed
  IT help to update tools packages
• No write access to the system foldersEnsure
  tools use writable folders only

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Part 3. Outsourcing Tools Management

• Learn Their Studio
• Things can be very different than in-house
  conditions...
• What do they have?
• What do they need?
• What do you want to give them?

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Part 3. Outsourcing Tools Management

• Saints Row 2 What was purchased
• All artists upgraded to English version of 3ds
  Max 9
• Lead artists were given IM and permission to use
  it
• NOT Perforce Stuck with AlienBrain

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Part 3. Outsourcing Tools Management

• Saints Row 2 What was created
• Needed a workaround for PerforceWe created a
  stub C app that pretended to check-out files and
  return file information. Far easier than
  modifying all tools with Perforce integration.
• Using an old version of 3ds Max would have been a
  deal-breakerWould mean maintaining two entirely
  separatetoolsets.

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Part 3. Outsourcing Tools Management

• Learn Their Studio
• Things can be very different than in-house
  conditions...
• What do they have?
• What do they need?
• What do you want to give them?

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Part 3. Outsourcing Tools Management

• Saints Row 2 What we gave them...
• Full game buildEasier than maintaining two
  codebases
• Only enough data to load test levelsAvoided
  potential of game being leaked
• Updated their build every couple monthsCoincided
  with our milestone schedule so we had semi-stable
  builds

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Part 3. Outsourcing Tools Management

• Saints Row 2 What we gave them...
• Same tools package as internal artistsAvoided
  maintaining studio-specific packages
• Tools were aware of studio locationCould provide
  different options/behavior for outsourcers
• Tools package uploaded with the game
  buildsEnsured the art played nice with the build

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Part 3. Outsourcing Tools Management

• Saints Row 2 What we gave them...
• Communication
• Drupal site with instructions and forumsCentral
  location for requirements, submissions and
  feedback
• Periodic visits to the outsourcing studioHelp
  with initial setup and solving major workflow
  issues
• Email, IM, Remote DesktopClear, real-time
  communication and ability to see problems
  first-hand

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Questions?

• Brendan Hanna Holloway
• brendan.holloway_at_volition-inc.com
• Adam Pletcher
• adam_at_volition-inc.com