Naming your mesh objects in Maya or other 3D software

kevingamerartist · Dec 2014

Hi all,
This might sound like a really silly question to ask, but when you are using mesh objects from a 3D software such as Maya, do you need to name the mesh that you created? I know back when I first started learning 3D modeling I was taught to label/name all of your mesh objects, but I don't know if that is required for doing video games, or if it's just recommended?

Any feedback on this is greatly appreciated. Thank you!

sulky · Dec 2014

When working with others its pretty important to have a naming convention an a file structure set up from the start. It keep stuff organized and it make sure assets stay reliable across different platform and artist. When working alone is up to you to have a structure or not. Personally I like to keep my stuff tidy

I use descriptive name, suffixes, prefixes even number for repeating assets. And from my work experience so far every studio have a structure for production .

Hope it help

Ryno · Dec 2014

Working professionally, you have to name everything properly. Even when doing your own little projects (say a few dozen meshes into an Unreal level), you'll want to be able to keep track of your assets. So yes, name stuff.

RyanB · Dec 2014

kevingamerartist wrote: »

Hi all,
This might sound like a really silly question to ask, but when you are using mesh objects from a 3D software such as Maya, do you need to name the mesh that you created? I know back when I first started learning 3D modeling I was taught to label/name all of your mesh objects, but I don't know if that is required for doing video games, or if it's just recommended?

Any feedback on this is greatly appreciated. Thank you!

Use a prefix for each type of object, ex. BLD_ for buildings, so that you can write/use scripts to filter out objects by name.

Use a numbering convention for the suffix, ex. _0001, so you can visually see how many of each you have.

Add descriptive info in the middle, ex. _WindowRed4x4.

This will make your troubleshooting, optimizing and scripting much easier.

Denny · Dec 2014

Using naming conventions is game development 101. Too bad that the majority of non-technical developers never get slapped on the wrist when they ignore the subject.

Trust me, if you join a studio and always use good naming conventions, you will get plenty of love from the technical departments! Nothing is as frustrating as getting assets from artists, then spending 10-15 minutes cleaning up their mess.

To be honest, a person who ignores naming conventions should never be allowed to get past a junior position. Because it punishes everyone else in the pipeline.

Good names allow automation, speeds up development and leaves more room to create awesome games! So please, be that awesome guy/gal who knows the importance of structure.

passerby · Dec 2014

Just learn to use naming conventions, it takes very little effort upfront but can lead to huge benefits later on when the project gets big.

Also proper naming conventions really speed up the export process to game engines, since that way your tech artists can setup import export scripts that automatically figure out if something is a reference mesh or a collision mesh and set the proper settings or do the same thing with texture maps and apply proper compression settings per map type etc. Not to mention the huge benefits in terms of organization and less wasted time trying to find stuff.

Naming your mesh objects in Maya or other 3D software

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