RenderMan Resources

This is a list of web sites and resources related to RenderMan that could come in handy during the quarter. The list is in no way exhaustive, and do not reflect our endorsement of a particular product or site. This list will expand as the quarter progresses.

Documentation and Examples

• Pixar's RenderMan Interface Specification v 3.2.
• The RenderMan Repository has a bunch of example RIB files, shaders, and documentation.

• The RenderMan FAQ has a bunch of useful information about everything RenderMan.

Renderers and Modelers

• Moonlight 3D - a free modeler for Linux that can output RIB files. The original developers no longer support this product, but it can still be downloaded from loyal fans on the 'net. We will make this available to the class.
• Blue Moon Rendering Tools - a shareware RenderMan-compliant renderer for nearly all platforms (Windows, Linux, SGI, etc). They also have a pretty comprehensive listing of RenderMan related links. UPDATE: Seems like BMRT isn't being distributed anymore...
• ACD3 - a shareware modeler that can output RIB files. Also available for nearly all platforms. Note that it only supports polygonal models. The shareware version doesn't allow you to re-edit your models after you shut the program down :(

Ray Tracing Resources

• Ray Tracing News - a newsletter with all sorts of useful code, news, and information on ray tracing.

• Internet Raytracing Competition - a good source of inspiration about scene composition and modeling. The entries here really illustrate the artistic potential of ray tracing.