Quick start with PyOutline

Learn how to create and submit your first OpenCue job using PyOutline, OpenCue’s Python library for job definition.

What is PyOutline?

PyOutline is a Python library that provides a high-level interface for constructing OpenCue job definitions. Instead of working directly with job specification XML, you use Python objects to define jobs, layers, frame ranges, and dependencies.

Note: PyOutline works hand-in-hand with pycuerun, the command-line tool that submits PyOutline scripts to the render farm. You can launch jobs programmatically via PyOutline’s API or from the command line via pycuerun.

Before you begin

Ensure you have:

  • OpenCue sandbox environment running (or a Cuebot deployment)
  • Python 3.7 or later installed
  • PyCue and PyOutline installed

If not installed:

pip install opencue-pycue opencue-pyoutline

Set the Cuebot host. E.g.: localhost

export CUEBOT_HOSTS="localhost"

Step 1: Create a simple job

Create a file called hello_job.py:

import outline
import outline.modules.shell

# Create an outline (job definition)
ol = outline.Outline("hello-opencue", shot="test", show="testing", user="myuser")

# Add a shell layer that echoes the frame number
layer = outline.modules.shell.Shell(
    "echo-layer",
    command=["echo", "Hello from frame #IFRAME#"],
    range="1-10"
)
ol.add_layer(layer)

# Launch the job
outline.cuerun.launch(ol, use_pycuerun=False, os="Linux")

Run the script:

python hello_job.py

This submits a job with 10 frames, each echoing its frame number.

Step 2: Add dependencies between layers 

import outline
import outline.modules.shell

ol = outline.Outline("dependency-job", shot="test", show="testing")

render = outline.modules.shell.Shell(
    "render",
    command=["echo", "Rendering frame #IFRAME#"],
    range="1-10"
)
ol.add_layer(render)

composite = outline.modules.shell.Shell(
    "composite",
    command=["echo", "Compositing frame #IFRAME#"],
    range="1-10"
)
composite.depend_on(render)
ol.add_layer(composite)

outline.cuerun.launch(ol, use_pycuerun=False)

Each composite frame waits for the corresponding render frame to complete before running.

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