Intrusive vs Non-intrusive Pipeline
by Anne Dolmans, Pixel-Nexus | 27 November 2024
A pipeline exists to connect the different steps needed to complete a production. Each artist follows a series of steps to finish their task, this specific series of steps is called the workflow. Every artist can have their own preferences when it comes to workflow, and it can differ between tasks as well. The pipeline is there to connect the output of each of these workflows together, storing the data in the correct places and making sure it is available for the next departments, leaving little room for miscommunication. For a more detailed explanation on the difference between a workflow and a pipeline, you can check out the article “Workflow vs Pipeline” on the Pixel-Nexus website. The distinction between an intrusive and a non-intrusive pipeline refers to the way the pipeline interacts with the artist's workflow. An intrusive pipeline can interact with and dictate part of the workflow, while a non-intrusive pipeline does not care about the workflow at all, it simply processes the output data of the task, no matter how the artist got to that result.
Non-intrusive pipeline
A non-intrusive pipeline is a selfish pipeline. It simply takes the output of the artist's workflow and manages the data. It does not care what tools the artist uses, what hierarchy the files follow internally, or what naming conventions are used. This leaves room for a lot of flexibility when switching between softwares or working with multiple vendors that each have their own way of working. The other side of the coin with a non-intrusive pipeline is that the pipeline truly does not care about the content of the data it is processing, which creates a need for good internal conventions that keep the output usable for the next steps in production. Tools can be used to check the files on these conventions and enforce them where necessary. This is done with sanity checkers for each step, they can be integrated into the publish tools, so the checks happen every time something is sent to the pipeline.
Intrusive pipeline
An intrusive pipeline dictates part of the artist's workflow. For example, the pipeline can require a certain naming convention or enforce a specific hierarchy within the projects. It can also limit the artist to specific software, file formats, or tools. When working in an intrusive pipeline, the artists are all forced to follow the parts of the workflow that are dictated by the pipeline, which ensures a certain uniformity. A downside of an intrusive pipeline is a lack of flexibility. If a change is needed in the part of the workflow that the pipeline dictates, it can take more effort to adjust the pipeline to allow for this new workflow.
Summary
A non-intrusive pipeline does not dictate any part of the workflow, which allows for a lot of flexibility. It does require good internal conventions to keep all the data usable. An intrusive pipeline does dictate part of the workflow, which leaves less room for flexibility but does ensure more uniformity between the work of different artists.