Mathieu Beaulieu

I hope a solution is found

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Creating games is very difficult. And building games is challenging. The process of build requires to compile the code and all the data required in the game in a specific sequence involving many dependencies. As such monitoring the outcome is essential, but not sufficent. What if we were able to predict the outcome of a build ? What if we were able to decrease the required computing resources while increasing our iteration capability ? #Ubisoft #Ubisoftlaforge #innovation

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Just Cause developer Avalanche Studios Group acquired Monster Closet Games (founded by Ubisoft veterans) in October last year and integrated its developers to launch a new studio in Montreal. Yesterday, this studio was shut down 8 months after launch, along with Avalanche’s New York studio, cutting 50 jobs. In an “exceptionally difficult decision” taken by Avalanche, the shutdown was “necessary to ensure a stable and sustainable future for the company”. Avalanche even expressed regret for losing 9% of its workforce but gave no updates on how it plans to help them after this. For big studios, posting on social media is easier and a one-time thing. But what about the 50 devs who are left with tougher days to come? When AAA giant (Avalanche) entered their lives last year, they promised the devs big game projects. For eight months, they worked hard on a title with Xbox, getting excited about how they would thrill gamers from different corners of the planet. But instead of receiving due credit, they are informed that they are no longer needed on the project and that the company has to lay them off to sustain themselves. If this is sad to learn, consider the sudden mental toll on these developers and the possibility of many falling prey to self-doubt. I also tried finding the impacted folks to give them a shoutout, but I can’t see any #opentowork banners except one or two. If you know of anyone who was impacted, please mention them below, and we will do everything in our power to give them maximum visibility. If you were impacted and saw this, I am listing three resources and various other ways for you to get back into the games industry ASAP. First💎 Layoff Support Kit 2.0 - https://lnkd.in/gCCXW_Wp My team and I have dedicated countless hours to curating hundreds of online game development resources so you don't have to. This comprehensive collection includes top programming boot camps, renowned game dev educators, free game assets to help you build great games, insightful podcasts, and much more. Second💎 A 100% scholarship on our $11,000 Full Stack game dev program - https://lnkd.in/gZKqNBFh If you were impacted by the recent bloodshed of layoffs, here’s a chance to Re-skill and revise your game dev knowledge with our advanced C++, OOPs, Unity, and Data Structure modules. Additionally, you will receive exclusive one-on-one mentorship from top game programmers who will help you strengthen your already solid foundations. Third💎 Our Discord Community of over 10K game devs - https://lnkd.in/gH-wZe2G Here, we listen to everyone’s take on game development, support aspiring game developers in building stronger portfolios, and solve each other's doubts. Also requesting Kelly Bender, Alexander Rehm, Caitlin Cooke, Jordan Mazer, Ruty Rutenberg, Hailey Rojas, Kevin F., Kat Craig, Ali Farha, Matt Barney, and Ash C. to help this reach all the folks who can benefit from this. #layoffsupport

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17 Comments

We're in a serious situation here in Quebec. VFX and animation artists are struggling as it is with the reduced amount of work in the industry. Thousands have already lost their jobs. Many more have experienced loss of working hours or reduced salaries as studios work to keep their doors open in response to the downturn. The impending reduction of government subsidies for doing work in Quebec means that those jobs, working hours, and salaries are not likely to come back as clients take their projects elsewhere in the world where it is more financially beneficial to make them. This government reduction threatens to reduce the size of the industry here (if not outright kill it) and subsequently force people to uproot their lives who might not otherwise desire to do so as they follow the jobs to the next place they can find them. This reduction also threatens the prosperity of Quebec in general as those who have come in order to fill high(er) paying positions are forced to leave and thus take with them their financial contributions to the provincial tax pot as well as their buying power in the local economy. Perhaps I'm over-estimating the impact of our industry on the wealth, prosperity, and well-being of Quebec, but for those of us concerned about how much longer we and our families can provide for ourselves and still call this place our home, it's a very real threat to our well-being and the stability of the economy around us.

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4 Comments

Last night I finalized my tool for loading .csv files on the fly. I can now assign a preset choice to an animation timing (without touching the animator) to set the SynthOne of Wwise in-game. Additionally, I can use my csv files to switch between engines (Unity-Unreal) to load the SynthOne configurations, so I can work on the sound comfortably in Unity and, if a project arises in UE, retrieve my work without having to redo the settings in Unreal. I will stop development for a while; there is one more thing to address which is the randomization. Currently, you need to manually change the last two values in the CSV to configure the randomization that will be played by the CSV player (the randomization works in-game). So here are my last two scripts for the sound designer community, enjoy them, real-time synthesis is life, I've been waiting for this for years. Download link: https://lnkd.in/eQczAqaH

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#Ubisoft is gearing up to launch games featuring #Web3 technology this year. Nicolas Pouard Vice President of the Ubisoft Strategic Innovation Lab and head of #blockchain initiatives, is spearheading these developments. The company has broadened its blockchain efforts, forging new gaming partnerships and expanding its blockchain team. It's licensing intellectual properties to Web3 gaming firms like VeVe and Cross The Ages and collaborating with blockchain platforms such as Aleph, Flow, XPLA, and Sequence. Ubisoft is also developing Champions Tactics with Oasys, and plans to release two Web3 games to the public by the end of the year. This push into Web3 gaming positions Ubisoft at the forefront of the industry, offering fresh opportunities for growth and innovation. For the blockchain gaming community, Ubisoft’s involvement not only legitimizes the space but also drives technological advancements and broadens the market, promising enhanced gaming experiences and new interactive possibilities. Sources: GamesBeat, Dean Takahashi

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3 Comments

📔Anim Tip #4: Utilize VFX Trails💨 VFX trails allow you to translate your attack over farther distances each frame because the viewer will naturally use the trail as an indicator of where the attack has traveled. It's the same idea as smear frames, but more realistic and snappy!💪 I use my own VFX trail asset, but this one by Kiel Figgins is great 🤘 https://lnkd.in/eppad8Xm

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Do you want to level up your game dev team? Do you want to learn some of the magic that makes some of the greatest games? Alex's course is a great place to start. And if you have designers on staff you think would benefit, I highly recommend this bootcamp. #bootcap #gamedesign

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It's not a phase, Mum! Mon projet solo de 3e année. Tout est de moi, du storytelling au compositing. My 3rd year solo project. I made everything from storytelling to compositing. #2danimation #animation2d #2d #cinema #movie #animation #cartoon #schoolproject

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This is inspired from something I saw recently on a post in LinkedIn. So tried to replicate it in Unreal Engine by my own intuition of the video. Well, I think it turned out pretty good. Now, for some tech-insights : These are meshes that have their mesh-normals and UVs controlled in Houdini. These are used for mitigating multiple noises along the meshes through curves in Material graphs of Unreal. Material graphs also allows the lightning to grow and fade off to the other side as it travels through. Finally, with some tweaking of Niagara particle system's modules we end up with this. Thanks to the author of the video that I saw, for this. 🎵 : AC/DC - Thunderstruck. #UE5 #Niagara #Houdini #Realtime #FX #Gamedev

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🎤 The conference Legend on the making: Working in VFX with AI by Baptiste Gueusquin, starts at 05.30 pm (in Paris)! 🚀 Meet Baptiste, a talented CG Generalist, for: • Presentation of his artist's routine • Explanation of how the studio uses AI • How can AI be integrated into workflow tools? 👥 Take advantage of Baptiste's expertise to ask him all your questions live! Please RSVP your free ticket! ** LIMITED SEATS to 200 peoples ** 🔗 Link in the comments . . . #meetyourlegend #conference #mentoring #vfx #ai #artificialintelligence #technology

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Stylized Dust Impact in UE5.4 Niagara | For Patreon https://lnkd.in/gHCD3azb @unrealengine #CGHOW #realtimevfx #ue4 #ue5 #ue5niagara #unrealengine #madewithunreal #unrealstudy #ue4niagara http://cghow.com

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I felt like explaining my audio workflow today. The equipment I use to control the quality of the sound (crack, click, noise, ...) includes Yamaha HS8. They don't embellish the sound; it's ultra-flat, which is great for monitoring. Then, when I'm in the testing phase for integration processes, I use only the VU meters. I look at how the sound behaves; I don't need precise listening. Next, I move on to the mixing phase: I use a gaming headset JBL Quantum 810 to work in stereo and binaural, then I switch the headset to 7.1 to check the surround behavior in upmix. It is important, when working for long periods, to take care of your ears. Listening to sound is tiring (even stressful for some listeners; the choice to mute the sound is frequent for users, and it's not for nothing). That's why it's important to alternate between monitoring systems, headsets, screen speakers, and Hi-Fi. The video concerns the transition of my stereo demo project to 7.1 to hear the result. The sound of the video is encoded in stereo, so you can't experience the full effect, but you can see the switch from my stereo configuration to the 7.1 upmix with the VU meters.

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Based on my experience as a Game Professional and Educator, let's discuss Game Production as a discipline. We must start by stating the Game Production's purpose and objective. A simple definition I give my students about Game Production is: Ensure the project's completion and shipping under heavy economic and productive restrictions. These restrictions are Time, Money, Experience, and Technology. For this very reason Game Production work is invisible to the players, the only evidence of success is a completed and shipped Game. Under this framework, I suggest my students to ask themselves, at the beginning of each day, the "Game Producer" question: What do you think we could do with today's available resources? I remarked to them about the present state of the aforementioned question; our available resources change every day, forcing us to pivot constantly and adjust our iterations. I hope more seasoned producers can give me feedback about these definitions. #GameProduction #GameDesign #GameEducation #HigerEducation

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Hello VFX community! Did you know that 2dview offers more than just project management tools? With 2dview's Attendance feature, authorized personnel have a dedicated space to effortlessly monitor and manage artist attendance. It provides a real-time snapshot of your team's attendance status, indicating who's actively working, who's on leave, and who hasn't logged in. This visibility into individual and overall attendance ensures that studio managers and supervisors can stay informed and make informed decisions to keep projects on track. Ready to revolutionize how you manage artist attendance? Sign up for 2dview today and experience the power of efficient attendance tracking firsthand! Visit our website to explore 2dview without any cost. Website link: www.2dview.com Sales queries: sales@2dview.com #vfx #VFXIndustry #vfx #attendance #2dview #tracking #freeplan #freeofcost

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Here is my latest script. In the link, you will find my work base for sound design of an animation. It includes tools to trigger Wwise events without using events in the animation, generate a curve for an RTPC and play it based on an animation, launch synthesis configuration presets according to the timing of an animation, and as mentioned in my previous two posts, retrieve points from an existing animation curve and reconstruct it through interpolation. These are basic tools for working and prototyping with Unity and Wwise. Unity is excellent for prototyping with its simple scripting and very responsive nature, which allows for quick development. The next step will be to eventually port the concepts and prototypes developed in Unity directly to Unreal by generating C++ to automatically create Blueprints :) To download my scripts if you want to test them: https://lnkd.in/exA4ikku

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