Perforce automation by Python by Viacheslav Makhynko

Stop manually clicking through Perforce. This course teaches you to automate the boring stuff—checkouts, changelists, shelves, and conflict resolution—using Python and the Perforce Helix Core API. You’ll build real tools, not just theory.

🎯 What you’ll learn

• Automate common Perforce user actions with Python scripts
• Build a debug GUI with PySide6 and Qt Designer
• Integrate Perforce automation into custom production tools
• Create monitoring systems for new submits and exclusive checkouts
• Manage changelists, shelves, and file conflicts programmatically

✅ Requirements

• Skills: Basics of Python.
• Tools: Perforce, Python, VS Code. All have free access.

📝 Description

This isn’t a dry lecture series. Every core lesson is a hands-on workshop. You get a goal, some hints, and then we code it together. The focus is on practical, repeatable automation you can drop into your daily workflow.

You’ll start by connecting to a Perforce server and fetching workspace data. Then you’ll move on to the real meat: adding files, managing changelists, reverting, shelving, syncing, and resolving conflicts. Each task is a standalone script you can reuse.

The course also covers building a debug GUI with PySide6 and Qt Designer. This lets you test your automation visually and see what’s happening under the hood. Finally, you’ll build a monitoring system that alerts you to new submits or exclusive checkouts—perfect for keeping a team in sync.

The last workshop shows you how to integrate Perforce automation into a Substance Painter exporter, proving these skills work in real production pipelines.

🧑‍🎓 Who this course is for

• Technical Artists who want to automate version control tasks
• Pipeline Architects and Technical Directors building custom tools
• DevOps engineers managing Perforce in a studio environment
• Tools programmers looking to extend their automation skills

🧑‍🏫 About the Author

Viacheslav Makhynko is a full-time Technical Artist at Ubisoft with over 6 years of experience on AAA titles like Watch Dogs Legion, Far Cry 6, and Beyond Good and Evil 2. He started as a Tester, moved into Tech QA, and eventually became a Tech Artist. His own tough learning path drives him to make things simpler for others.

🏁 Final Result

• A set of reusable Python scripts for common Perforce automation tasks.
• A functional PySide6 debug GUI for testing and interacting with your tools.
• A working Perforce monitoring system for new submits and exclusive checkouts.
• An integrated automation example for a Substance Painter exporter.