o3de/Gems/AtomLyIntegration/TechnicalArt/DccScriptingInterface/README.txt

"""
Copyright (c) Contributors to the Open 3D Engine Project.
For complete copyright and license terms please see the LICENSE at the root of this distribution.

SPDX-License-Identifier: Apache-2.0 OR MIT
"""

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This folder contains the DccScriptingInterface (DCCsi) for O3DE

Notice: The old \\SDK folder is being replaced with \\Tools
The scripts in \\SDK may be out of data (and not run)
When scripts are finished being updated and refactored into \\Tools the \\SDK will be removed

What is the DCCsi?

- A shared development environment for technical art oriented to working with Python across a number of DCC tools.
- Leverage the existing python ecosystem for technical art.
- Integrate a DCC app like Substance (or Substance SAT api) from the Python driven VFX and Games ecosystem.
- Extend O3DE and unlock its potential for content creators, and the Technical Artists that service them.

Tenets:
(1) Interoperability:    Design DCC-agnostic modules and DCC-bespoke modules
                        to work together efficiently and intuitively.

(2) Encapsulation:        Define a module in terms of its essential features and interface to other components,
                        to facilitate logical layered design and easy maintenance.

(3) Extensibility:        Design the tool set to be easily extensible with new functionality and new tools.
                        Individual pieces should have a generic communication mechanism to allow newly written tools to slot cleanly and transparently into the tool chain.

What is provided (High Level):

- DCC-Agnostic Python Framework (as a modular Gem) related to multiple integrations for:
    O3DE Editor (python scripting, utils and PySide2 tools)
    DCC applications and their Python APIs/SDKs
    Custom standalone tools and utils (python based)
  
        external from cmd line
        external standalone
        integrated to run within O3DE Editor

What is provided (by folder):

\3rdParty:                    Allows third party libs/packages to be integrated outside of O3DE
                            Example: O3DE is py3, Maya 2020 (and earlier) is py27
                            O3DE provides a patterns for Gems to provide a requirements.txt
                            See:
                                DccScriptingInterface\reqiurements.txt
                                ^ These packages will be fetched and installed into O3DE python at build time

                            This means for some applications like Maya we need another way to add the same packages
                            See:
                                DccScriptingInterface\SDK\Maya\readme.txt
                                DccScriptingInterface\SDK\Maya\requirements.txt
                                DccScriptingInterface\3rdParty\Python\Lib\2.x\2.7.x\site-packages\*
    
                            Packages that reside in 3rdParty are never commited to the repo (only fetched+installed)

\Assets:                    All O3DE Gems can maintain an asset folder
                            If a Gem contains an \Asset folder, these assets are folded into the projects asset data
                            These assets are processed by the Asset Processor for use in the Editor and Runtime
                            In the DCCsi the \Assets folder primarily contains TestData

\azpy                        Core (shared) API, A pure python Package and Modules

\Code                         Contains the bare bones C++ scaffold to build and integrate the Gem with O3DE
                            Notes:    portions of the DCCsi can be utilized outside of O3DE
                                    thus this Gem doens't have to be enabled and built for some use cases

\Editor                        This folder provides an entry point pattern for extending O3DE Editor with python
                            When a Gem is enabled ...
                            If the following if found, it will be executed when the Editor boots:
                                "Editor\Scripts\bootstrap.py"

                            This can be used to initialize code access, extend the editor (PySide2), etc.

\Tools                        This is where the following is maintained:

\Tools\DCC                     Integration for DCC tools:
                                configuration of tool (managed env, etc.)
                                bootstrapping, such as providing the tool access to azpy api code
                                extensibility, such as adding new functionality or tool to the app

\Tools\DCC\Maya                An example of adding a integration for Autodesk Maya

\Tools\Env\Windows            This provides a .bat file managed env to configure and bootsrap windows apps
\Tools\Launchers\windows    Provides .bat files based tool launchers for windows (accesses env)