GDC 2025 Session Viewer
Technical Artist Summit: Practical Applications of Object Oriented Programming in Technical Art
Muhammad Bin Tahir Mir (Animation Technical Director, Naughty Dog)
Pass Type: All Access Pass, Summits Pass - Get your pass now!
Track: Visual Arts
Format: Lecture
Vault Recording: TBD
Audience Level: All
This lecture will demystify principles of Object Oriented Programming (OOP) by highlighting the practical applications of these principles within the realm of Technical Art. OOP isn't just theory, it's a set of principles that can enable a Technical Artist to write robust, extensible code.
The lecture will start with a brief introduction to OOP, then dive deeper into the concepts of Inheritance and Abstraction as they pertain to a Maya Python setting. I will first walk through the process of writing a simple UI for a Maya tool using the PyQt API, without incorporating principles of OOP. I will follow this with writing the same tool but with the principles of OOP applied.
Through these examples, we will understand how crucial it is for a Technical Artist to have a solid grasp of OOP principles and how incorporating them into their coding habits can elevate their work.
Takeaway
Attendees will see a real life production scenario for a Technical Artist where they write a tool in a Maya Python setting using PyQt. Through this example, attendees will learn about the importance of writing structurally sound and extensible code using principles of Object Oriented Programming.
Moreover, they will walk away with a starting point for learning more about Object Oriented Programming, setting them up for success in the industry as professionals.
Intended Audience
This lecture is primarily geared towards technical art students and young professionals wishing to incorporate principles of object oriented programming (OOP) to write better, more robust, extensible code.
An elementary familiarity with principles of OOP is highly recommended. There are several amazing resources on YouTube.