Archive notice: This article was originally published on July 9, 2015. Links and embedded videos are preserved as part of the historical record.
Fabric Engine is a digital content creation platform that can be used to create tools and applications for VFX, games, virtual reality and visualisations and then integrate them into an existing pipeline.
Fabric for RenderMan
The engine extension, Fabric for Pixar’s RenderMan, was originally developed by MPC. It allows TDs to use the renderer directly from Fabric Engine, either directly with the Fabric KL Language or with the Canvas Visual Programming System. “We use it to quickly build tools in Fabric Engine that then interact directly with RenderMan’s RIS mode. The option of operating directly with RenderMan from Canvas also offers the possibility of completely new ways of working that were not previously feasible,” says Damien Fagnou, Global Head of VFX Operations at MPC.
Fabric for RenderMan is intended to offer a complete connection to the RenderMan interface and the Ric API (ri.h and Ric.h), making native lighting and shader authoring possible, among other things.
All further information about Fabric for RenderMan here.
Free Licences
Because RenderMan is available as a free non-commercial licence and the Fabric Engine licence is also available free of charge, anyone can work with this combination in their pipeline if they wish.
Availability
Fabric for RenderMan will be available to Fabric Engine 2 beta testers towards the end of July and will be presented at Siggraph 2015 by the Fabric Engine User Group on August 11.
Here is the short video version of the Fabric for RenderMan presentation:
For those with more time, here is the detailed version:
