This section contains a tutorial about Atoms Katana workflow. Please refer to the reference guide to know more about the atoms proxy parameters.

Import an atoms cache

In order to render an Atoms cache in Katana, you should use the atoms proxy node. First create an atoms cache in Maya or Houdini.

Create an "AtomsProxy" node in Katana.
In the cachePath parameter of the AtomsProxy node pick the cache file (the file named youCacheName.atoms).
In the variationsPath parameter pick the variation file contained in the data folder of your atoms installation (variations/robot.json) or your variation file if you used your own agent type.

Display agents

Expand the atoms proxy location inside the scene graph.
Change the atomsProxy drawMode parameter to "Variations".
Open the katana Viewer.

Display metadata

Set the drawMetadata parameter to yes.

Filter agents

To filter agents using their ids:

Set the agentIds parameter to "2-10" or "!(2-10)".

To filter agent using some metadata values:

Set the metadataFiter parameter to variation:Robot1.

Expand agents

To expand an agent to a single location put its id inside the agentsToExpand parameter

Set the agentsToExpand parameter to "15-24".
In the scene graph, check the new locations under the atoms proxy.

Expand agent meshes

Is possible to expand the sub agent location even more by creating another child location for each mesh belonging to the agent.

Set the expandMeshes parameter to yes.

Override agent variations

Every sub-location of the atoms proxy has its own custom procedural parameters. You can override these parameters to change the agent type, agent variation, lod etc...

Create and AttributeSet node and place it after the AtomsProxy node.
Set the attributeName parameter to rendererProcedural.args.agentVariation,
Set the attributeType parameter to string.
Set the stringValue parameter to Robot1.

Move agents

You can move every expanded agent in its own sub location.

Create aTransform3d node and connect it after the AtomsProxyNode
Set the makeInteractive parameter to yes.
Set the stackOrder parameter to Last.
Set the path parameter to one of the agent sub location.
Inside the Katana viewer activate the translation manipulator and move the agent in the 3D space.

Using Katana materials

It is possible to use materials created inside the Katana scene instead of the ones inside the variation table

Create a Material node and create a new surface material.
If you are using Arnold create an ArnoldMaterialSettings, set the forceCreate parameter to on and the forceSurfaceName to a material name contained in the variation table. Set the material node path as path parameter.
If you are using Renderman create an AttributeSet node, place it after the Material node. Set the attributeName parameter to material.prmanExportMaterial, the attributeType parameter to int and the intValue parameter to 1. Then inside the prmanGlobalSettings, under the plugin section, turn on the exportTaggedMaterials option.
Set the atomProxy sceneMatetial parameter to the same name you used inside the forceSurfaceName parameter. This forces the procedural to use the material in the scene and not the one from the variation table.

Override materials

If you want to connect a material to a specific mesh create a new material following the steps from the section above ("Using Katana materials").

Set the atomsProxy materialOverrides parameter to *_head:yourNewMaterial. This will connect every head mesh to the new material.

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