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At GDC 2019, Autodesk will be returning to GDC to show off updates to products like Maya, 3ds Max, and Shotgun. If you're an animator or product owner using these tools, senior product line manager TJ Galda
Could you please introduce yourself and your role at Autodesk?
I’m TJ Galda, Senior Product Line Manager at Autodesk. I’ve been at Autodesk for 4 years now, but before that worked in film VFX at DreamWorks, Technicolor, and the Vancouver Film School, and later in games as a Development Director at EA. I’ve been lucky to work on a lot of big projects with big expectations over the years.
What’s the most exciting thing Autodesk is looking forward to presenting at GDC?
We have a lot going on at the show this year, so I don’t know if I can pick just one! At our Developer Day, we’ll be showing the latest updates in 3ds Max, Maya, and Shotgun, giving exclusive sneak peeks at what’s coming down the line, and sharing the stage with customers like Santa Monica Studio who will be talking about animation performance in Maya for God of War! The most exciting thing for me though is having the opportunity to get in front of the game dev community and dig into their questions and feedback. Our Developer Day is just as much about hearing from users as it is about showing cool stuff.
What considerations does your team make when looking to improve tools like Maya for game-makers and improve their workflow?
Input from the game dev community plays a big role in the development of our tools. In fact, the vast majority of the new features and updates just released in Maya 2019 came directly from requests made by people who use the product every day – things like performance and stability upgrades that make a big impact on the everyday productivity of artists. We encourage users to share their new feature ideas when they’re working in Maya in our Maya Ideas Community forum.
What kinds of questions should devs have when they visit you and your team at Autodesk Developer Day this year?
Come to us with any of your technical questions on Maya, 3ds Max, or Shotgun. Our product experts will be there throughout the day so you can ask them your toughest questions. The team also loves to see the work of budding artists – Got something you’re working on that you’d like feedback on? Bring it by! Many of our developers have a background in visual effects and game development, and would be happy to share pointers. I myself used to teach and love helping students out as best I can.
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