Ayam a free 3D modeling environment for the RenderMan interface is open for beta testing.
A central resource for subjects related to RenderMan.
The purpose of this Repository is to help spread the lore of RenderMan.
The RMR consists of about 30 HTML pages, 30 Megs of data and around 150 shaders at last count. Plus there of dozens of links to various other RenderMan related sites.
This site is your site too, so don't be just a lurker. If you have something to share, by all means feel free to do so. This site will become only as good as you help make it.
Don't feel you have to have finished work either. I have been considering building a "Work in Progress" section, for code that doesn't produce the desired results or are wondering if there is a better way of doing it.
OF NOTE: I use Pixar's prman and BMRT under UNIX based OSes like SGI, Linux, and NeXTSTEP. So if information seems slanted towards these renders and environments, it is because they are what I know and use on a daily basis.
However, these renders and others do run under other OSes. For example, BMRT now runs under W95 and NT!
Ayam a free 3D modeling environment for the RenderMan interface is open for beta testing.
Exluna announces Entropy and job opportunities
In case you haven't been paying attention, Exluna has revampped their web site. Now you can find out more about their upcoming, cool renderer, Entropy.
Exluna also has some job openings.
FREE INTRODUCTION TO HOUDINI 4.1 WORKSHOP
The Free Houdini Introductory Workshop is a guide to understanding Houdini's
powerful workflow, including valuable tips, shortcuts and keyboard techniques.
This class includes an introduction to the Object, SOP (Surface Operator),
Material, Composite and Output editors. The Introductory Workshop is a
requirement for all other Houdini training courses.
PREREQUISITE: 1+ years 3D animation industry experience. COST: FREE SANTA MONICA Workshop #1: June 2 10:00a.m. 5:00p.m. (Saturday) Workshop #2: June 19-20 7:00p.m. 10:00p.m. (taught over two nights) Workshop #3: June 23 10:00a.m. 5:00p.m. (Saturday) SAN FRANCISCO Workshop #4: June 16 10:00a.m. 5:00p.m. (Saturday) Workshop #5: June 30 10:00a.m. 5:00p.m. (Saturday)RESERVATIONS ARE REQUIRED for all Side Effects Software workshops and training sessions. To reserve a seat or for more information contact Side Effects Software at: training@SpamSucks_sidefx.com or (310) 319-9876. For additional course descriptions, dates and times http://www.sidefx.com/education/training.shtml
HOUDINI TRAINING LOCATIONS:
Southern California: SESI Training Center 233 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 610 Santa Monica, CA 90401 Northern California: Academy of Art College 180 New Montgomery Street San Francisco, CA 94103 ** LIMITED SEATING, SO RESERVE YOUR SEAT ASAP AT: training@SpamSucks_sidefx.com RSVP must include: name, title, company, phone, brief summary of 3D animation = experience.
From Pixar: Stupid RAT tricks
There will be a third installment this year of the Stupid RAT tricks, and
we're now inviting your submissions! We're now calling it the Stupid RAT
tricks to emphasize that MTOR/Slim/Alfred tricks are highly encouraged -
and the new name also evokes the circus atmosphere.
This year's Stupid RAT Tricks will take place at the annual Pixar User's
Group meeting at SIGGRAPH. This will take place on Wednesday, August 15 at
the Wilshire Grand, between 6:30 to 8:30.
For those new to the event, the idea is to come up with something involving RenderMan, MTOR, Slim, shaders, DSOs, front ends to the above, scripts for handling RIB, war stories, etc. Almost anything related to RenderMan or its usage in a production environment is fair game. Judging will be based on a combination of how cool, useful, obscure, and just plain perverse the trick is. If it leaves us shaking our heads in awe, confusion, or both, it's a good thing. As an idea of what to submit, previous entries have included everything from raytracing bicubic patches, to creating hair (all in shaders!), to creating art sculptures using the noise shadeop.
Five winners will get to share their trick with us at the User's Group meeting. Showing a set of pretty images won't just be enough, though: you'll get 10 minutes at the meeting to educate us all on your trick. A/V equipment will be provided. You'll come away with instant fame, the adulation of your peers, and there will of course be prizes as well.
Entries should be submitted to rmanprod@SpamSucks_pixar.com and should have as their subject "Stupid RAT trick". A few paragraphs describing your trick, along with any images if necessary, will be fine. If there is a lot of material, we'd prefer it if you could point us to an external web page containing your material. We'll need to get all of the entries before July 11, and winners will be announced in this forum on July 18.
NB: Invitations to the User's Group meeting will be mailed out soon to customers. Please do not RSVP to us or renderwoman about the meeting at this time.
Now out on DVD.
Check out an excerpt from the FAQ for the usenet group comp.graphics.rendering.renderman, maintained by Larry Gritz.
Also, reading the FAQ is a good way to make your posts to the RenderMan Newsgroup (news:comp.graphics.rendering.renderman) be more intelligent and less annoying to us old timers on the newsgroup. There is nothing more annoying (well, ok Spammers are much worse), then questions like "Where can I get RenderMan?" "Are there any good RenderMan books?" To which the answers are easily found, in the FAQ or a few minutes, from a WEB or newsgroup search.
3.1 RenderMan Spec
3.2 RenderMan Spec (PDF)
Prman Application Notes: with subjects using displacement shaders, shadow maps, interface summary, new features and lots more!
RMNotes, by Steve May.
For now the only way to get things the WEB site is to email it directly to me at talrmr@SpamSucks_pacbell.net. If it is binary, I can handle MIME, or just plain uuencode.
On a related topic, I won't accept any binaries (pictures excepted) such as compiled shader files, etc. If you have a shader that you would like to share but don't want to distribute the source or if you have some shaders that you would like to sell. Then feel free to send some pictures that you feel shows them off.
A) If it is just source -- make sure you include some comments telling us this is yours, so we know who it came from and who to give credit to. Also, if you are sending a shader, make sure you include a simple RIB that shows the shader off.
B) Anything else include a readme describing what it is and that this is yours.
The contents of the RMR are maintained and copyrighted by Tal Lancaster
Any comments or suggestions? Send them to: tal@SpamSucks_renderman.org