Animation Tools Programmer – AAA Games – Netherlands

OPM are excited to be working with this AAA games studio in the Netherlands, located in the cultural heart of Amsterdam, on one of the original 17th century canals. They are one of Europe’s leading game development companies founded in 2000, and have pushed the boundaries of technical and artistic excellence in their games ever since. They are now looking for an ambitious Animation Tools Programmer with a proven track record in creating and maintaining animation tools and DCC plugins.

As a member of the Technical Animation Team you will assume responsibility for the creation and maintenance of the animation pipeline tools, with an emphasis on the ease of use for animators, while maintaining compatibility and reusability in their existing workflows. You will collaborate with engineers and animators to help meet workflow, in-game, and technical requirements, and work closely with the riggers, skinners and programmers.

You will define workflows and pipelines in consultation with your colleagues, and develop and improve in-house tools as needed, remaining aware of the impact of your decisions on other disciplines, helping ensure that art and animation quality is not compromised by limitations of technical processes. As Animation Tools Programmer, you will develop a deep understanding of the technical animation goals and guidelines, and use these goals as guidance for decision making. You will research and develop new techniques, approaches and solutions as required.

Required Skills:

• Excellent Maya and/or MotionBuilder skills.
• Proficient with scripting languages Python (first), Maya Python API, (second) and C++.
• You have a strong grasp of design patterns.
• Professional experience, with more than one AAA title shipped or an equivalent amount of experience from a related industry.
• Experience working with game engines and game systems.
• Prior experience with animation and motion capture is a plus.
• Experience with Maya and MotionBuilder rigging desirable.
• An understanding of real time engine pipelines advantageous.

Tagged as: Animation Programming, Tools Programming