Pixar has launched RenderMan 25.0, the following main replace to the VFX and animation manufacturing renderer.
Key adjustments embody the mixing of the AI-trained denoiser utilized by Pixar by itself animated options, and updates to the MaterialX Lama layered materials system and Stylized Appears toolset.
RenderMan XPU, Pixar’s hybrid CPU/GPU render engine, will get a major replace, including help for volumes and deformation movement blur, and might now be used for a wider vary of lookdev work.
The combination plugins for Blender, Houdini, Katana and Maya have all additionally been up to date.
New AI-based denoiser educated on VFX and animation information units from ILM, Pixar and Disney
Though RenderMan 25 isn’t as giant an replace as 2021’s milestone RenderMan 24, it has its personal main new function, within the form of the AI denoiser used on each Pixar film since Toy Story 4.
It’s tailor-made to each photorealistic VFX and stylised animation, having been educated utilizing manufacturing information from ILM, Pixar and Walt Disney Animation Studios, and is designed to protect complicated particulars in photographs.
In response to Pixar, it “excels on complicated, detailed imagery that might trigger different denoisers to fail”, similar to photographs containing a number of hair and fur, or FX photographs with complicated points-based results.
We lined the structure of the brand new denoiser, which is built-in into RIS, RenderMan’s CPU-based final-quality render engine, when Pixar previewed it final yr, so take a look at this story for extra info.
MaterialX Lama: new iridescence response
The discharge additionally options updates to the main toolsets added in RenderMan 24, together with MaterialX Lama, the Industrial Gentle & Magic-developed MaterialX-based materials layering system.
Modifications in RenderMan 25 embody a brand new materials response for iridescent supplies, LamaIrisescence, which incorporates the choice to map the colors generated to an artist-directed color set.
As well as, Lama now extra precisely replicates the best way that mild interacts between materials layers.
Stylized Appears: new Distort possibility for line rendering
Stylized Appears, RenderMan’s new non-photorealistic rendering toolset, has additionally been up to date.
New options embody a Distort possibility within the strains shader, which applies fractal distortion to rendered outlines, making a extra naturalistic, hand-drawn impact.
The replace additionally provides extra presets for hatching results.
XPU: help for volumes, deformation movement blur, AOVs/LPEs and extra digital camera controls
RenderMan XPU, RenderMan’s new hybrid CPU/GPU render engine, will get a vital replace, with the newest launch introducing help for volumes, deformation movement blur, and AOVs, LPEs and hint teams.
XPU additionally now helps extra options of PxrCamera, together with depth of subject and chromatic aberration, and improves interactive efficiency, significantly on GPUs with restricted graphics reminiscence.
In response to Pixar, the adjustments imply that XPU is now appropriate to be used on “for look improvement past laborious surfaces”, though it’s nonetheless meant for look dev somewhat than final-quality output.
Pipeline integration: help for VFX Reference Platform CY2021, PxrSeExpr deprecated
As well as, RenderMan has been up to date to a more moderen model of VFX Reference Platform, though solely the CY2021 specification, not the newer model of the spec supported by different key VFX device builders.
Deprecated options embody PxrSeExpr, RenderMan’s implementation of SeExpr, the Disney-developed expression language utilized in Maya’s XGen toolset.
RenderMan’s RIS-only C++ patterns for shader authoring have additionally been outdated by OSL equivalents, which work in each RIS and XPU.
Updates to the preset libraries and plugins
Different adjustments embody new preset libraries for fur, hair, pores and skin and pyrotechnic results, with Houdini customers additionally getting the Kaboom Field, a Houdini Pyro HDA created by former Pixar FX TD Hope Schroers.
RenderMan’s integration plugins for DCC functions have been up to date to help the brand new options, with RenderMan for Blender, the new official Blender integration, persevering with to obtain updates.
Pricing and availability
RenderMan 25 is obtainable for Home windows 10, CentOS/RHEL 7.2+ Linux and macOS 10.14+. The plugins are suitable with Blender 2.83/2.93/3.0+, Houdini 18.5+, Katana 4.0+ and Maya 2020-2023, plus Mari 4.5+.
New node-locked or floating licences price $595. There may be additionally a free non-commercial version of RenderMan, which has additionally been up to date to model 25.
Learn an outline of the brand new options in RenderMan 25 on the product web site
Learn a full record of recent options in RenderMan 25 within the on-line launch notes
Obtain the free non-commercial model of RenderMan (Registration required)
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