The Saw Palmetto - Renderman/Maya Integration of RIB archives
The purpose of this assignment covers the use of Renderman RIB archives in Maya, where it is integrated as rendering proxies. By doing so, we are able to use lower polygonal meshes in Maya to preview a higher resolution imagery in Renderman. This project covers the basics in Maya to Renderman conversion from polygonal models to textures, light and rendering.
Read this tutorial
here
RIB Matrix - The basics in a Renderman scene description
When Maya attempts to render in Renderman, it does so by converting the Maya scene description into a Renderman scene description. This project covers the basics in understand the structure of how a Renderman scene work, by exploring the individual coding behind rendering setups, camera, textures, lights and basic transformation setups. This project, while basic serves as a important precursor to debugging Renderman issues.
Read this tutorial
here
RSL Shader I - ST coloration, Renderman's texture coordinates
This project covers the area of Renderman procedural textures. While seeing just as how textures can be identified via its X and Y pixel coordinate system when used in Maya's file nodes, this tutorial covers the use of mathematical elements to create procedural images for Renderman's ST coordinate system - the equivalent of Maya's UVW space; to create imagery for the rendering process.
Read this tutorial
here
RSL Shader II - Renderman's Maya shader integration
This section of the project covers the use Renderman shader description files and how it integrates into Maya's shading interface. By incorporating all that I have learnt from the ST coloration exercise into a complete shader.
Read this tutorial
here
RSL Shader III - Normal based flame shader
By incorporating the theories learnt in the earlier 2 parts, this portion of the assignment covers the further use of those theories onto another rendering coordinate space; namely the camera normals space. This project details the steps in creating a fire shader that can essentially shade any polygonal mesh generated from fluid volumes.
Read this tutorial
here
Mel/Python Matrix - Melscripting and Python in creating a visual spirograph
This project covers the procedural generation of a geometric spirograph formation, using both Melscripting and Python as means to generate data meant for Renderman. This is essentially a first step into comparing the differences between the two possible workflows and also to list down the pros and cons between the two.
Read this tutorial
here
Mel Vertice Tricks I - Using RIB archives on point data
This project is a further advancement on the earlier saw palmetto concepts. By advancing further into Maya's scripting interface, we explore more possibilities and uses in the ReadArchive functions where numerous effects and controls can be used to generate much more complex effects and animations.
Read this tutorial
here
Mel Vertice Tricks II - RIB Replacements
This continuation of the Mel Vertice Tricks covers my own documentation on the issues between integrating Maya and Renderman code to generate a swarm of moving invaders. A look at what possibilities that RIB archives can bring to us.
Read this tutorial
here
Mel, Python and Renderman I - Python curves
This project explores further the possibilities of RIB archives, by using python as a middle man to write data outside of Maya's limitations and generating procedural RIB archives. In this case, the subject of interest in procedural curves tapered to look like grass.
Read this tutorial
here
Mel, Python and Renderman II - The weed generator
Now, after exploring the possibilities of Python and Renderman, we go back into Maya's own native scripting interface to create a much more elaborate function to create parameters which would in turn respond to data input from the user to randomize and create various effects in the Python to Renderman bridge, thus allowing us to create a larger scale of proceduralism in generating a random floor of weeds.
Read this tutorial
here
Procedural Leaf Generation and Shading - Creating a canopy of leaves
By incorporating all that we have learnt earlier, this project explores a different but more efficient way of channeling more data information compared to the earlier and more (using python to generate a RIB file) concept. Instead of writing to file, this process explores the use of RIB data while it is being generated on the fly~ by piping it directly into the rendering engine,
Read this tutorial
here
Advanced RSL Shaders I - Writing a caustic shader
This project explores the further use of RSL coded shading as a light texture, by exploring the concept of which how Renderman actually processes it renders and how such parameters can be made sharable with data coming from within Maya and even between various different shaders.
Read this tutorial
here
Advanced RSL Shaders II - AOVs renderpasses
This project explores the creation of Renderman render passes, a technique often covered and buried in the automated reality of the current cg industry. By exploring how these passes work, we being to learn how we can also create unconventional passes suited towards our custom needs.
Read this tutorial
here
Advanced RSL Shaders III - RSL Materials X Passes
This project is an attempt to recreate a Renderman equivalent of MentalRay shader, as an attempt to create a familiar ground for MentalRay users in SCAD whom, as animation students have little or no experience in RSL coding or SLIM editing. It is an excellent foray into how shaders work and explores every form of technical aspects required in writing a comprehensive shader that is so often used by the industry today.
Read this tutorial
here
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