Pixar Animation Studios has released RenderMan Pro Server 11.5 for registered RenderMan users. The package contains rendering tools for film and video production and can turn a server or desktop workstation into a render engine.
Multiprocessor rendering allows several CPUs in one workstation to work on the same frame. Z-stencil buffers with subsample resolution support new geometry-blending and clipping effects.
Improved scene analysis reduces shader execution time, particularly with complex geometry and shaders. New algorithms accelerate indirect illumination, ambient occlusion and related global-illumination effects.
The shader compiler uses revised code analysis to improve memory use and rendering performance. Indirect illumination and ambient occlusion quality have also been improved for animation.
Enhanced RiPoints processes particle effects faster with fewer artefacts. Motion blur is improved for fast-moving objects with high depth of field, while subdivision surfaces gain more precise texture handling through revised face-varying interpolation.
The release also improves efficiency with large images and adds an API for custom control.
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