Dr. Tonya Custis, senior director of artificial intelligence (AI) at Autodesk, draws on 20 years of experience in AI research to explore both the limitations and the transformative potential of AI in design workflows. While powerful, AI is often misunderstood—it’s frequently perceived as a catch-all magical solution rather than a tool with specific strengths and weaknesses. As AI becomes more commonly used in daily life, expectations rise for its role in professional tools. The best way to move beyond the hype, fear, and uncertainty surrounding AI is to develop an understanding of its history, limitations, and the types of tasks it’s best suited to help with. In this session, Dr. Custis will demystify how AI actually works, examine current trends, and outline the unique challenges of applying AI to design workflows—particularly those involving complex 3D design data. She’ll also share some recent work from the Autodesk AI Lab, offering a glimpse into the current state of AI in design and what the future may hold.

3D layout is a critical component of the 3D animation production workflow. Working from storyboards, the layout artist builds the first 3D representation of that storyboard in a cinematic form by using the models created by the rest of the crew. The layout artist will set up cameras, and decide which lenses to use, where to position the lights, and how to lay out the 3D environment and props. They will then roughly animate the characters, either manually or with motion capture. The end result is a rough version of the scene that will be passed to the animation department. To be a good layout artist, a person needs to have a very good knowledge of Maya software, as well as a good mastery of cinematography concepts. This presentation will go though some basic concepts of cinematography that every layout artist needs to know. And then it will show how to create a 3D layout scene inside Maya step by step, starting from a 2D storyboard.

This talk explores Zaha Hadid Architects’ human-centred design methodology, shaped by behavioural insight, immersive tools, and real-time collaboration. Projects begin with client profiling and spatial scenario testing, using AI, VR, and procedural design to explore preferences for openness, privacy, and atmosphere. The design workflow integrates Autodesk tools such as Revit for BIM and Maya for sculptural modelling, coordinated through NVIDIA Omniverse to maintain real-time design and performance feedback across disciplines. As projects evolve, materials, engineering systems, and fabrication strategies are layered into a cohesive, experience-driven architecture. Communication remains immersive and participatory, using 360° views and simulation tools to keep stakeholders involved. The talk reframes architecture as an adaptive, user-driven system — scalable, precise, and powered by technologies that connect emotion, performance, and spatial intelligence.

Generative model data—such as photogrammetry and generative artificial intelligence (gen AI)—is becoming more and more pervasive in our daily work as we visualize experiences for our customers. While this generative content might look okay at first glance, upon further inspection we see that it’s far from being production ready. So, how do we turn it into something that we can use? Using 3ds Max software, we’ll cover various tools and functionality that can easily clean up and improve this data so you can use it as a positive force multiplier in your productions.

SYNK is an innovative real-time production toolkit that enables content creators to produce linear and virtual content using the same tools and processes used by big studios with decades of experience in animation. SYNK allows assets from traditional digital content creation software and outputs from game engines to be managed in a single accessible environment through an integrated real-time workflow. SYNK manages the data from the early concept phase all the way to final delivery, enabling output to virtual reality (VR) and extended reality (XR), cinema, animation, video games, and virtual productions.

Hear from a panel of technical visionaries as they explore the role of Universal Scene Description (OpenUSD) in fostering open data exchange—not just in media and entertainment, but across industries. From traditional filmmaking to virtual production, architecture, engineering, construction, automotive, and manufacturing, our team of experts will explore how USD opens the door for seamless connectivity and collaboration across large-scale 3D projects of all kinds. 

About USD$2 trillion—that's the amount of money the architecture, engineering, and construction industry has lost due to bad data. Bad data is data that's inaccurate, inaccessible, and incomplete. In the industries Autodesk serves, data is a critical lifeline for project decisions and automations. But all too frequently, that data is not easily accessible, or, even worse, the available data is simply bad. Across the globe, the ability to use data in an insightful manner is no longer a "nice to have"—it has become a primary source of competitive advantage. Furthermore, with the acceleration of AI, the need for data is increasing exponentially. Those who use their data to make informed decisions and gain performance insights will ultimately emerge as leaders in their industries. Meet the leaders behind the industry data models to learn more about how Autodesk will help solve top customer problems.

This course aims to educate participants on the innovative integration of machine learning (ML) techniques for deformation approximation within Maya software. Using approximations for (part of) a deformation stack can highly improve interactivity when using complex rigs, and can significantly improve the portability between different applications. It is designed for animators, game developers, VFX artists, and any professional interested in exploring the intersection of ML and 3D animation. This course will explore a demo of a rig with computationally expensive muscle deformations that is reduced to a simple, general, black-box neural network that only requires inputs from the motion system. We'll show the entire setup process in detail. In addition, we'll go over best practices, tips, and limitations to help users get the most out of this tool for their production needs.

As technology continues to evolve, the intersection of 3D design and artificial intelligence (AI) presents exciting opportunities for innovation in content creation. In this session, we'll showcase experimentation with innovative techniques—namely, ComfyUI, ControlNet, and Stable Diffusion—to forge a future pipeline that seamlessly integrates 3D rendering with AI-driven processes. We'll outline a visionary approach toward empowering artists and streamlining the content creation process. By using advanced AI algorithms and data-driven insights, we aspire to give artists greater control over their creations as they enhance their efficiency and creativity while using Autodesk tools, specifically Maya and Arnold software. Our vision for the future pipeline revolves around achieving a seamless transition from 3D design to AI render, while empowering artists with unprecedented control over their creations.

Booleans are a foundational part of content creation, yet it was frowned upon to use traditional polygon booleans in media and entertainment projects. To solve this problem, Autodesk rebuilt their booleans from the ground up within 3ds Max software, creating a new, powerful, and trusted solution in the Boolean Modifier that unlocks exciting new workflows and capabilities. In this session, you'll learn about how and why this new system was created for 3ds Max, which benefits it provides, and how you can use it to its maximum potential in your own work to create amazing content for film and TV, games, XR, or 3D printing projects.

With the compound collection "Procedural Polygon Generator 2.0" for Bifrost, users can autogenerate buildings and all kinds of architectural detail. The goal is to build a construction history that works on various polygon inputs, and creates complex buildings without any further user input. This solution is used in the video-game industry and the film/TV industry for automated generation of environments, as well as for concept design and visualization in architecture.

In this workshop, we'll discuss how we used Maya software to create our short film Scrap Metal. We will take a deep dive into what kickstarted the project, how we got it funded, and all the technical and creative challenges. We'll also talk about managing a short film of this scale and complexity on an indie budget. At the end, we'll discuss the further development of the IP, and where we want to go next.

In this session, we'll introduce GraphQL and explore how it is being used to deliver the promise of "granular" data. As you have heard before, Autodesk is investing heavily in cloud data with Autodesk Fusion (manufacturing), Autodesk Forma [architecture, engineering, and construction; building information modeling (BIM)], and Autodesk Flow (media and entertainment) industry groups. At the center is also the Data Exchange API that allows data to be shared in a specific and durable way. From authoring to access, this class will explain the details about each software system, and how to use the GraphQL API to access the data. We'll also cover the fact that data can easily be accessed across each of the information models, and via Data Exchange.

Join Zaha Hadid Architects (ZHA) to discover its journey of adopting and deploying OpenUSD to build an interoperable Spatial Technology Stack (STS) with tools that include Maya software, 3ds Max software, Epic Unreal, and McNeel Rhino. The STS lets ZHA build immersive digital twins that enable deeper integrations between design and construction, enhance spatial experiences, and increase efficiencies in design and review cycles. In the session, we'll cover how no-code or low-code platforms and APIs, such as NVIDIA Omniverse, are enabling ZHA to build proprietary tools. These tools allow the firm to interact with and manipulate its data sets in processes such as robotics and digital fabrication. This approach reduces material waste while increasing sustainability and innovation. Join us to explore how this innovative approach revolutionizes architectural design, making it more engaging, responsible, and accessible to the architecture, engineering, and construction industry.

Although the character-animation process has been largely digitized, the fundamental approach has remained relatively unchanged for more than a century. Animators create performances by creating key poses, which they then string together in a sequence to create motion. They continue to add and finesse these keyframes until they get a believable performance. In this presentation, we will demonstrate a new approach to character animation that uses AI to transform the way animators work. With neural motion controllers, we use machine learning to model how characters move and behave. An animator then only needs to specify high-level intent, like when and where they want the character to move, and the neural motion controller does the tedious work of producing natural, believable motion. We will also demonstrate that by connecting this new technique with core Autodesk capabilities, we can create a production-ready workflow where animators retain full artistic control over the final animation.

Join Fernando Macedo—founder and COO of SPIRIT Animation Studios and creator of KARL's Animated Franchise—for an exclusive lecture that will unveil the challenging strategies behind creating a global franchise with more than 1 billion views. Whether you're a talented artist with big dreams or a business owner, this event promises invaluable insights that can catapult your venture to extraordinary heights. Since its debut at Disney Channel, KARL has evolved into a franchise with three seasons, spin-offs such as Karl Babies (season 2) and Ketchup Jack: A Villain Story (feature), games, and e-books—reaching audiences worldwide. Macedo will share knowledge about strategic brand development on how to craft a brand that resonates on a global scale; maximizing engagement across diverse platforms; and monetization strategies that ensure sustainable revenue. Macedo is a veteran industry leader frequently present at global pitchings. He was invited to be a juror at the 51st Annual Annie Awards, and was a speaker at SIGGRAPH Bogotá.

Join us for an insightful session on how Ayelet Studio, with just three artists and an 18-member team, created the narrative-driven game Unsung Empires: The Cholas using Maya software as a pivotal tool. Discover how we harnessed Maya software's powerful features for prototyping, modeling, and animation to streamline workflows and bring the game to life. Learn how the immersive experience—enriched by captivating storytelling, unique artistic styles, memorable characters, engaging dialogues, and evocative music—resonated deeply within the gaming community, fostering a sense of pride among players. Explore the secrets behind the success of Unsung Empires: The Cholas and gain valuable insights into using Maya for game development.

While professional artists use high-fidelity animation techniques—pioneered and refined by Autodesk's animation products MotionBuilder, 3ds Max, and Maya—in games, film, and design production pipelines, we ask the questions: What if the user is not as skilled? What if their requirements for control are not as stringent Could we leverage new input modalities to allow untrained creators to record and edit 3D motion in just a few minutes? We'll discuss the speed and utility afforded by animating in a completely new paradigm: One that allows you to express intent with your body, fingers, face, gaze, and speech while enhancing presence, storytelling, and collaboration in real-time immersive experiences, and engaging your spatial understanding, reasoning, and memory to author 3D animations. Come and hear what our panel of experts from Meta Platforms, Workshop XR, Entertainment and Media Solutions as well as Autodesk Research have to say.

This class will present a quick and easy-to-use workflow between Maya software and ZBrush. Maya is the industry-standard software for 3D animation, and ZBrush is the industry-standard software for 3D sculpting. Although both are widely used in the industry, it is not common to see beginner tutorials about the workflow and integration between both software systems. This course will try to fill this gap with plenty of examples and best practices. We will show you how to create basic meshes in Maya, how to refine the basic mesh in ZBrush using Live Boolean, how to go back and forth between both programs using the GoZ plug-in, how to export high and low-poly models back to Maya, and how to create textures in ZBrush and apply them to an Arnold shader, among other interesting topics. In the end, you will have a very good grasp of how to use Maya and ZBrush together.

It's 2023 and you've been wondering "WTF is USD?” You're not alone! Software never stops evolving, and it is easy to feel left behind when new tech enters the scene. Funny enough, that is exactly what USD is aiming to address. USD stands for Universal Scene Description, and it is an open-source initiative, meaning it is being built in a public facing manner, without any single company claiming ownership of its development. Rather, multiple companies share the same vision – a world where sharing production assets among programs is consistent, reliable and easy. In this class you will learn USD's origin, where its currently at in the Media & Entertainment Industry, where it is headed, and how these techniques and technologies add benefit to any industry pipeline.