New 12th August 2004
RenderMan is a 3d scene description language. The
RenderMan interface specification is published
by Pixar.
PURE and RenderDrive provide a RenderMan interface.
It is broadly compliant with version 3.1 of the
RenderMan specification, but does contain some of
the extensions contained in version 3.2 of the specification.
This
set of documents details PURE and RenderDrive's
compliance to the RenderMan specification. Once
unzipped they are HTML files, split into the same
chapters and appendices as the RenderMan 3.1 specification.
New 12th August 2004
RenderDrive and PURE's RenderMan interface is called
RenderPipe RIB. You can use RenderPipe RIB in two
ways:
1. By creating a RIB file and rendering it using
the command line renderpipe program. A RIB file
is a text file containing RenderMan commands.
2. By writing your own program and using the C-binding
provided.
See chapters 21 and 22 of the PURE manual, or chapters
18, 19 and 20 of the RenderDrive manual for more
information about this.
New 12th August 2004
The RenderPipe plugins (for 3ds max, Autodesk VIZ,
Maya, CATIA and Enovia) all use RenderMan as their
underlying interface to RenderDrive and PURE.
You can use RenderMan shaders in 3ds max and Autodesk
VIZ - surface shaders can be used in a material,
light shaders can be used in a light, transformation
shaders can be used in a camera and volume shaders
can be used in an environment effect. Se chpater
17 of the RenderDrive manual or chapter 15 of the
PURE manual for more information about this.
In Maya you can use transformation shaders in a
camera. For instructions, see
the question and answer.
