Peter Sekula

We've been implementing Neural Texture compression in #Assassinscreedmirage. The overall benefit results in better quality textures for less GPU memory usage (links in the first comment). If you followed the topic since our GDC2024 presentation ,this a very practical application of La Forge's mission to bridge the academic world with Ubisoft. #ubisoft #ubisoftlaforge #innovation 👇 "If you've been thinking, like I have, that we're still some way off seeing AI being used in games for more than just upscaling or frame generation, then it's time to think again" (...) "Enter stage left, neural texture compression to cut down on that memory demand. Given the state of the DRAM and SSD market right now, you can bet your last dollar that a whole heap of game developers will be looking closely at what Ubisoft has done to see if it can help out in their games, too"

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Game art asset factories aren’t enough anymore. Pretty models mean nothing if the shaders won’t compile. True co-development requires technical art literacy. If an external team can’t debug a pipeline, they aren’t helping. They’re generating high-fidelity technical debt. At Artchop!, we build with integration in mind from day one. The real question is whether studios are looking for true integration partners or just capacity. #GDC #CoDev #TechnicalArt

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CDPR plan to release The Witcher 4, 5, and 6 within a six year period using Unreal Engine. Another RPG that did this in the past? Biowares Mass Effect. Those with a birth year that starts with a 19 may recall what BioWare accomplished with the original Mass Effect trilogy. 3 Mass Effect were built and shipped within one console generation, powered by Unreal Engine 3, and supported by a production pipeline that was battle tested. That trilogy became a model for narrative continuity in AAA games because each entry arrived quickly enough for players to stay attached to the characters, the world, and the evolving choices that defined the saga. CD Projekt Red looks to chsae a similar rhythm. By shifting to Unreal Engine 5, the studio is trying to avoid the technical complications that slowed development on Cyberpunk and to create a shared foundation for multiple teams working on overlapping projects. The Witcher 4 has already been in development for four years, and CDPR has said it will not release before 2027. This framing positions the trilogy plan not as a hype statement but as a structured production approach that depends on a common engine, shared assets, and predictable pipelines. If the studio hits its plan, players could receive a new Witcher entry every three years. For Mass Effect, players never drifted away from the experience, and each new game extended the momentum of the last. Systems improved without losing their identity, and the narrative carried emotional weight because it never disappeared from the cultural conversation. CD Projekt Red could be aiming for the same effect. A steady three year cycle would let the next Witcher saga evolve in a connected way while keeping fan investment high. CDPRs ambition places them directly alongside one of the most respected production feats in modern gaming history.

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Top 10 tips ((Cheat Sheet)) for USD Rendering useful for Tech Artists & Pipeline TDs Use it anywhere you need headless, automated, Hydra-based USD rendering without opening Houdini. 1. Basic Render Render a USD file using Karma (default delegate): husk scene.usd 2. Render a Frame Range husk scene.usd -f 1 100 And to point to output path: husk scene.usd -f 1 100 -o /renders/shot1/beauty.$F4.exr 3. Switch Render Delegate Render using Karma XPU: husk -R KarmaXPU scene.usd Render with Storm (fast preview): husk -R HdStorm scene.usd And you can add any Hydra delegate (Arnold, RenderMan, 3Delight if installed). 4. Override Render Settings Change a render var (AOV) directly: husk -set camera /path/to/cameraPrim Override resolution: husk scene.usd -xres 1920 -yres 1080 5. Render Specific Camera husk scene.usd -C /World/camera1 6. Add AOVs Render with ego-defined AOV (example: nrm, depth): husk scene.usd -A nrm -A depth -o /renders/aov.$AOV.$F4.exr 7. Generate a Preview Movie husk scene.usd -f 1 120 -o preview.$F4.jpg Use ffmpeg afterwards: ffmpeg -r 24 -i preview.%04d.jpg preview.mov 8. Progressive Rendering Good for quick review: husk scene.usd -progress 9. Use Husk in PDG Inside a ROP Fetch TOP or USD Render TOP: Set “Command” to: husk @usdfile@ -f @frame@ -o @output@ PDG distributes to farm automatically. 10. Debug Mode husk scene.usd --verbose or husk scene.usd --trace #Houdini3D #USD #Husk #KarmaXPU #PipelineTD #TechArt #Proceduralism #PDG #Hydra #VFXPipeline #RenderFarm #CGWorkflow #OpenToWork

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🚀 Genesis Verse – Major Development Milestone Achieved MVP Delivered • January 16, 2026 Today marks one of the most significant leaps forward for Genesis Verse → Abyssum Gateway VIP. Multiple core systems came online, the gameplay loop is now fully functional, and the project has officially reached production‑ready MVP status. 🏆 What’s Now Fully Operational 🔹 Web3 Wallet Integration A streamlined, stable MetaMask connection flow is now live. Players can authenticate seamlessly and prepare for future on‑chain features. 🔹 Gateway Universe Portal A new hub page brings external content directly into the experience, including embedded gameplay and community‑facing media. This transforms the Gateway into a true cross‑world access point. 🔹 Inventory System Players can now view and manage four core resources through a clean, responsive UI. Each resource features rarity indicators and dynamic quantities. 🔹 Turn‑Based Combat System A complete battle loop is now active: Three enemy types HP and energy systems Critical hits and ability patterns Victory/defeat flows Combat log for clarity This is the first fully playable gameplay module inside Diesel City. 🔹 ABEX Banking System A collectible banker system is now live, featuring: Ward‑based filtering Rarity tiers Ownership indicators Mint pricing and supply tracking This establishes the foundation for the game’s economic layer. 📹 Video Evidence Captured Two major recordings were completed: A full combat demo A walkthrough of the ABEX Banking interface These clips will support upcoming LinkedIn posts, Itch.io updates, and investor materials. 📈 Performance & UX Smooth navigation across all pages Fast load times Responsive design across devices Clean, glassmorphism‑based UI throughout The experience now feels cohesive, polished, and ready for public eyes. 🎯 MVP Success Criteria Achieved Players can now: Explore Diesel City Manage resources Engage in combat Interact with the banking system Connect a Web3 wallet Access external content portals This completes the core loop for the MVP. 🔜 What’s Next Mobile responsiveness audit Additional gameplay polish Full gameplay loop recording for public release Performance tuning and metadata updates 🟢 Final Status Genesis Verse – Abyssum Gateway VIP is now a production‑ready MVP. The foundation is strong, the systems are stable, and the experience is ready for community testing and professional showcase. #Tags #GenesisVerse #AbyssumGateway #GameDev #IndieDev #Web3Gaming #CombatSystem #InventorySystem #NFTGaming #MetaMask #BabylonJS #UIUX #DigitalWorldbuilding #MVP #DevLog #LinkedInDevLog #SciFiGaming #TurnBasedCombat #GamingEcosystem #ItchioDev #ProductionReady

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Once 2d-to-dimensionally-accurate-spatial-design is consistent, we’ll see most creative, architectural, and technical studios migrate to this type of solution. Sketch to model to maquette, to technical drawings will be able to be executed in multiple pipelines simultaneously in minutes versus days. This shift will give birth to large scale development in on-demand micro manufacturing and likely expedite the end of mass manufacturing. “Compared to tools like Tripo, Rodin 3D, or Meshy, SAM 3D is more like an early, demo rather than something for production workflows.” #design #future #Spatialdesign #micromanufacturing #ondemandmanufacturing

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We recently released 3 different Aim based control rigs as part of QOOBIT's Control Rig Utility - Aim plugin targeted at cleaning up animations. These rigs provide different ways to adjust rotations through positional transforms of controls to more easily clean up animation curves rather than directly manipulating the controls. Take a look at how all three work and if you have other ideas on how to do tedious animation cleanups that you would like for us to turn into a tool, please let us know. Aim: https://lnkd.in/gSv9Kqiv Prop Aim: https://lnkd.in/gQYCjxRZ Tri Aim Pin: https://lnkd.in/ghkPZC3C PS: Since the release I've improved the UX even more than what are in these videos, so there should be even better handoffs when using the widget to better update the selection and UI context as you're using the tool, to reflect the live state of the control rigs.

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Soft skills turn solid renders into shippable work... especially in US and Canada studios where teams move fast and expect clarity, reliability, and ownership. - Communication: pitch your lighting intent in 1–2 lines so art/tech/production align before you place a single light. Why? It prevents rework. In Top 1% lighting artist program, we practice concise briefs and feedback loops live. - Collaboration: turn critique into 3 action items, then share annotated before/after frames. Why? Reviews become momentum, not friction. And we run structured peer reviews. - Problem Solving: test, document the fix. Why? You unblock yourself under deadlines. We model this method live. - Adaptability: update references, goals, and tone mapping. Why? Pipelines evolve weekly. - Time management: deliver a “good today” pass before “perfect next week” using checkpoints. Why? Milestones matter. We use weekly deliverables and checklists. Salary snapshot (ranges vary by city/seniority): - Canada: Lighting Artist average around C$64.8k; Vancouver averages near ~US$79k/yr equivalent; UE Artist rates in Ontario/Toronto ~US$59–62/hr. - United States: Game Artist averages ~US$70k nationally, with top states exceeding US$100k+; senior UE developers can reach US$150k. Build these skills alongside real UE5 lighting craft in the live 6‑week program: - Live sessions + full recordings - 1:1 mentorship and feedback - Community, challenges, and job‑focused support - Six projects + graduation piece (AAA‑ready) Physically Based Lighting workflow (EV100, tone mapping, Lumen, intentional fake lights) Leave a comment to get dates, pricing, and how to enroll.

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The metaverse feels like it has stalled. Adoption is slow. The buzz that once surrounded virtual worlds and volumetric capture has dimmed. What used to feel shiny and futuristic now feels clunky, expensive, and—honestly—underutilized. But I don’t think this is the end. Every wave of technology goes through a “trough of disillusionment.” That’s where we are now with the metaverse and vol-cap. The headlines may have moved on, but the core capabilities are still powerful. They just need the right purpose. We’re not going to live our whole lives in headsets. But we will preserve culture, tell immersive stories, and create experiences that 2D video could never deliver. Those use cases—education, cultural preservation, training, performance, even legacy building—are where I believe the real value still lies. Sometimes the future doesn’t arrive all at once. It sneaks in through the side door. The metaverse isn’t dead. It’s just waiting for its purpose.

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Following up on my last post about Unreal’s Modular Rig, I tried a small experiment: using it to animate a simple, one-off environment prop. The goal wasn’t to replace DCC pipelines, but to see whether Modular Rig could help reduce unnecessary round-trips especially for assets that don’t justify a full Maya setup. A few takeaways from building a quick sci-fi door rig and animating it entirely in Unreal: ➤ What worked well ✅ Animating a Control Rig in a level Sequencer felt lighter than expected ✅ Having common controls and animation tools available is handy ✅ Adding skeletons, skin weights, and simple dynamics/controls to simple props feels efficient ➤ Where friction showed up ⚠️ Folders get dirty quickly and need extra care to remain clean ⚠️ Default Rotator based rotation constantly getting into gimble lock issues ➤ The bigger takeaway For me, this reinforced that Modular Rig can make sense for simple, one-off props. Being able to create a skeleton, paint skin weights, rig, and animate entirely inside Unreal makes Modular Rig feel less like a “character tool” and more like a lightweight in-engine animation path. This matters because these props often don’t justify a full DCC round-trip. Even when Maya-based pipelines are fast, they introduce context switching, asset tracking overhead, and friction for designers who are already iterating directly in the level. In that sense, Modular Rig is a meaningful tool about enabling small, contained animation tasks to stay where the work already happens. #UnrealEngine #UE5 #TechnicalAnimation #GameDev #TechnicalArt #LevelDesign #ControlRig #AnimationPipeline

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