RenderMan 27.3 Adds MaterialX to XPU
Pixar’s RenderMan 27.3 adds native MaterialX and initial Cryptomatte support to XPU, plus stylized-look, hair and volume updates.
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Pixar Animation Studios
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How Pixar Cheats a Skunk Tail
Kranzler talks Hoppers grooming and shading, including a layered wet-fur look and why skunks got a “cheated” tail.
RenderMan 27.2 adds USD and XPU updates
RenderMan 27.2 ships with USD, XPU and workflow updates aimed at production use.
FMX 2026 spotlights fire, fur and pipelines
FMX 2026 adds Wētā FX, Pixar and Illogic Studios sessions, plus new Premium Partners AMCRS, Accenture Song VFX and AYON.
Oscar animation directors go live online
Five Oscar nominated animation directors. One free Zoom panel. February 27. Register, log in, ask questions.
Checkpoint, fixed: Pixar ships RenderMan 27.1
Pixar refines RenderMan 27.1: better Lama layering, smarter checkpointing, memory savings, and fixes across Blender and Houdini bridges.
Pixar’s RenderMan 27.0
Pixar’s RenderMan 27.0 lands with final-frame XPU rendering, multi-GPU scaling, deep compositing, and a production-ready Stylized Looks suite.
“A Model of Madness” Scott Ross Why VFX Fails as a Business
Scott Ross: VFX is “a model of madness.” ILM, Digital Domain, and decades later, the business still cannot stand on three legs.
RenderMan 27: XPU graduates, RIS retires
Pixar ships RenderMan 27: XPU is ready for final frames, RIS is being phased out, MaterialX joins the toolset, and Stylized Looks evolve.
Pixar beamed up: RenderMan Art Challenge 2025 goes alien
Pixar’s RenderMan Art Challenge 2025 goes extraterrestrial. Theme: Aliens. Deadline: 10 November. Tools: RenderMan only. Prizes: galactic.
USDSkel: Optimized Character Rigging
USDSkel is an OpenUSD component that supports scalable, manipulable, and interchangeable skinned characters. Wanna know more?
Pixar Faces, Blender Spaces: SMIRK Lets Features Wander Free
Krysidian’s SMIRK toolkit brings detached Pixar-style facial features to Blender—free and Geometry Node-powered.
OpenUSD 25.02: Technical Tweaks for the Speedy Frame Wrangler (Yes, Really)
OpenUSD 25.02 refines API calls, performance, and stability with a suite of focused technical improvements.
RenderMan 26.3
Pixar rolls out RenderMan 26.3 with updates focused on real-time rendering, denoising, and artist-friendly features.
Autodesk Opens USD for 3ds Max
Autodesk has released the USD plugin for 3ds Max as open-source on Github,
Renderman 26 is here!
Highlights of RenderMan 26: XPU receives extensive updates that improve lighting support, camera control and adaptive sampling capabilities. Plus an interactive version of the Denoiser with ML and a stylised looks toolset. And the free, non-commercial version of RenderMan 26 is already available.
Here comes OpenUSD
USD seems to be catching on - Pixar, Adobe, Apple, Autodesk and Nvidia have launched the "Alliance for Open USD" together with a branch of the Linux Foundation
Elementary!
You’ve surely seen the posters: There’s a new Pixar movie, this time asking “What if the Aristotelian elements have feelings?” The story plays out in Element City, where fire-, water-, land- and air-residents live together.
The FMX programme is online
With 50 days to go until FMX, there's just enough time to go through the programme and see what you want to see on site - She-Hulk, 1899 or even Dave McKean? (Yes, that's the one!). Early Bird tickets are still available until tomorrow!
Between HFF and VHS | Retro article
Looking back: A special film school opened in Mannheim in DP 06 : 2014. The non-profit organisation Flimmermenschen views film as a holistic cultural phenomenon. An educational programme for students, hobbyists and newcomers to the industry.
How did the grooming in Pixar’s Lightyear come about?
Pixar's Technical Director publishes a paper explaining how the cornrow hairstyles of the film heroines Alisha and Izzy Hawthorne were created.
Rediscover the Disney-Pixar classic “Upstairs” now!
In this wonderfully silly video, the flying house from "Upstairs" takes off on a musical flight of fancy - with Lego optics, created in Cinema 4D.
Monsters, Inc. Reimagined as a 1930s Cartoon
Pixar Remix retells Monsters, Inc. as a four-minute monochrome, hand-drawn-style cartoon inspired by 1930s animation.
Andrew Schlussel on VFX Education
Andrew Schlussel discusses VFX education and talent development roles at Netflix, Framestore, Pixar, MPC and DreamWorks Animation.
Pixar Discusses the RenderMan 24 Roadmap, XPU and Denoising
Pixar's RenderMan team discussed GPU adoption, XPU, memory demands, machine learning and denoising after the RenderMan 24 release.
RenderMan 24 Introduces XPU, Lama Materials and Live Rendering
Pixar’s RenderMan 24 introduced the CPU/GPU XPU architecture, live rendering, Lama layered materials and expanded stylised-look tools.
USD Shell Extension | Release
Actvision released: a source-free software solution for USD file management.
Pixar TD Andrew Finley Releases Vertigo
Pixar technical director Andrew Finley presents Vertigo, a personal CG project centred on a sleek futuristic spacecraft.
Pixar Research Refits Garments to Digital Bodies
Pixar’s garment-refitting method alternates relaxation and rebinding optimisation to adapt clothing to different digital body shapes.
SIGGRAPH Course Examines Dynamic Deformables
Theodore Kim and David Eberle discuss dynamic deformable materials, solver design and collision handling in a SIGGRAPH 2020 course.
Inside Pixar Explores the Studio’s Creative Process
The Disney+ documentary series Inside Pixar presents stories from the artists and production teams behind the animation studio’s work.
VIEW Conference 2020 Streams Online for Free
VIEW Conference made its 2020 programme and Business Innovation Summit free online, with 160 speakers led by Ed Catmull.
RenderMan 24 Plans XPU Rendering and Blender Support
Pixar’s RenderMan 24 roadmap included the CPU/GPU XPU renderer, RIS support, stylised looks, layered materials and new OSL nodes.
Oscars 2021 Delayed by Pandemic
The 93rd Academy Awards moved to 25 April 2021 as COVID-19 disrupted production, eligibility deadlines and technical-award scheduling.
Houdini 18 Hipster Hair Workflow
A RenderMan training project covers scene setup, grooming, lighting, shading, rendering and compositing for a Houdini 18 hairstyle.
USD for Maya Installation
USD for Maya takes another step forward: Autodesk has released the first binaries for Maya USD.
RenderMan 23.1 Now Available
New update for RenderMan: Alongside several fixes, release 23.1 includes new PxrSurface parameters and Alembic support, among other things.
Pixar’s USD Pipeline
USD in the pipeline? Pixar explains how the format is used in production!
StemCell Converter Supports More Formats
The StemCell converter for 3D formats and applications now also supports Arnold and USDZ!
RenderMan 23 Is Here!
RenderMan 23 is here, still without XPU but with more USD support, improved interactive rendering, sampling and more!
SideFX | Houdini 18 Release Is Here!
Houdini 18 is released: SideFX adds a new USD context, destruction, Pyro and FLIP fluid updates, modelling features and much more.
USD Integration for Maya Announced
The USD train is rolling: The next stop is Maya—Autodesk worked on it with Animal Logic and Pixar, among others.
Quixel Bridge 2019.2 with USD
Asset management and workflow improvements? Quixel Bridge already brings USD support in 2019.2!
OpenSubdiv 3.4 Released
Alongside USD and OpenTimelineIO, OpenSubdiv is one of Pixar's best-known open-source projects - now version 3.4 has been released.
RenderMan 22.5 – Toy Story 4 and XPU
Pixar's new renderer is here: a lot changed in 22.5! Dylan Sisson also told us more about Toy Story 4 and XPU.
More Resources from Pixar!
Seamless textures, an iconic teapot, a lookdev studio and other assets: What's in Pixar RenderMan's resource portal?
Plug-in: From Substance to RenderMan
Free plug-in from Pixar: Anyone who wants to export their materials from Substance for the Pixar renderer can use this useful plug-in.
animago CONFERENCE Programme at a Glance
Who, when, what, where? Here we have the schedule for this year’s animago CONFERENCE on September 7 and 8.
SIGGRAPH 2017: RenderMan 22
What can be expected from RenderMan 22? Alongside Pixar's announcements about the upcoming version, the new showreel was also released!
animago CONFERENCE Highlights 2017
Just under one month until the animago AWARD & CONFERENCE! We already have plenty of program items to announce for this year's conference at Munich's Gasteig. Here is the overview.
New Update for RenderMan
Pixar's RenderMan version 21.5 is now available: Among other things with better skin materials, improved shaders and workflows.
Different Countries, Different Pixar Films
Pixar adapts its scenes to the respective audiences in different countries. In this video, you can see how.
130 free textures from Pixar
Free textures from Pixar: A total of 130 seamless textures of clouds, paper and more with tips for shader networks in Renderman.
First FMX Programme Highlights
Oscar glamour (without incorrect winner cards) in the programme of FMX 2017, which takes place this year under the motto "Beyond the Screen." Among other things, talks about Oscar winner "Piper" and five other nominated films are included.
Free Storytelling Tips from Pixar
In six episodes, big names from Pixar Animation Studios (including Pete Doctor and Mark Andrews) show what the art of successful storytelling looks like.
Conference programme & last call for early bird tickets
So ... our animago birthday party is slowly coming together! Here is an excerpt of the presentations at the animago CONFERENCE: Speakers from Disney, Pixar, ILM, Digital Domain, Platige Image and many other well-known animation and VFX studios will be there.
Universal Scene Description Is Open Source
The USD technology that Pixar developed for exchanging 3D data across different DCC tools has gone open source.
RenderMan 21 Is Here!
At the end of 2015, RenderMan 20 was released with the long-awaited Denoise Utility; now Pixar has added another helping of features with version 21.
Pixar’s Little Bird
The first clip from Pixa's new short film "Piper" is here. The fluffy sandpiper chick has to learn: finding food is not so easy.
Pixar’s Marketing in the 1990s
Here is an entertaining compilation of Pixar marketing videos from the 1990s.
EVE in C4D
Niko Schatz explains how to create EVE from "Wall-E" in Cinema 4D in this two-part tutorial. Part one: modelling, texturing, lighting. Part two will follow soon, according to the artist.
“Inside Out” at FMX
“Inside Out” won this year's Oscar for Best Animated Feature Film and will feature in two FMX presentations, alongside more programme announcements.
RenderMan 21 Preview
According to Pixar, version 21 will be the biggest RenderMan release in years. You can already apply for beta access.
Free Online Course from Pixar
Pixar Animation Studios and Khan Academy offer a free online course for anyone who wants to become an animation artist and learn a lot.
Pixar Landscapes
In this video, Wired explains how the CG landscapes for “The Good Dinosaur” were created using, among other things, volumetric clouds and Houdini water simulation.
Making-of “The Good Dinsaur”
“The Good Dinosaur” (German title “Arlo & Spot) opens in our cinemas tomorrow. Here is CGMeetup’s behind-the-scenes look at Pixar.
Findig Dory—First Trailer Surfaced
Pixar has fired out the first trailer for “Finding Dory.” But why is Nemo still a child? Shouldn’t he be at least in puberty by now?
Stirring Emotions
According to Pixar’s "Inside Out," humans are controlled by exactly four emotions. See how they react in the mind to the "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" trailer here. Enjoy!
The Good Dinosaur!
And the final trailer for "The Good Dinosaur," or rather "Arlo and Spot," which is coming in December.
Pixar’s USD Becomes Open Source
Pixar’s system for more efficient workflows is to launch as an open-source project in summer 2016.
First “The Good Dinosaur” Trailer
Pixar’s “The Good Dinosaur” will open in cinemas on November 26.
Fabric for RenderMan
MPC and Fabric Engine are working together to integrate Fabric Engine into Pixar’s RenderMan.
OpenSubdiv Version 3.0
Pixar and DreamWorks have released version 3 of the open-source subdivision surface library.
Pixar’s The Good Dinosaur Trailer
The next Pixar film has a trailer – “The Good Dinosaur” seems to deal with the dinosaurs not becoming extinct. Hurraaaa!!!
Anniversary Special at FMX 2015
ILM, “Toy Story” and “Hobbit” fans should definitely make a note of three program items at the 20th anniversary edition of FMX.
Snail Change!
“Wildlife Crossing” from Prague was submitted for an animago AWARD in 2014 and can now be watched in full.
Change of Director on Pixar’s “The Good Dinosaur”
Pixar parted ways with Bob Peterson for the upcoming animated feature film and is now relying on co-director Peter Sohn.
RenderMan 19 Is Here
RenderMan 19 is now available, but distribution of the free version for non-commercial purposes is still delayed.
“Toy Story 4” Is Coming
Sequels that are well received by audiences are a safe bet in the film business. In the animated-film business too.
Teaser for “Inside Out”
Disney and Pixar show the first excerpts from the new animated feature.
Former DreamWorks Artist Sues Major Studios
Bold: an artist formerly employed by DreamWorks Animation files a "Class Action" lawsuit against Pixar, Disney, SPI, Digital Domain 3.0 and Lucasfilm, among others.
Alpha Release of OpenSubdiv 3.0
OpenSubdiv is a set of open-source libraries from Pixar for calculating subdivision surfaces (Subdiv) in parallel on the CPU and GPU. Version 3.0 has now been released.
Blockbusters at the animago CONFERENCE
VFX creators from "X-Men", "Godzilla", "Monsters University" and "Iron Man 3" in Babelsberg.
Tractor 2.0 from Pixar
Tractor is Pixar's distributed processing software for render-intensive and other network-intensive applications. Pixar releases version 2.0 in the first week of September.
Animate Like a Pixar Artist
The 3ds Max plug-in F.A.S.T. is intended to imitate the workflow of Pixar's Presto Animation Software by allowing the mesh surface to be moved directly with the mouse.
Tips for a Successful Demo Reel
Andrew Gordon is a Directing Animator at Pixar and sees an extremely large number of demo reels from artists applying for jobs. He has a few tips on how to make your reel convincing.
Free New Yorker Animation Articles
As part of a website redesign, the New Yorker is making every article published since 2007 available free of charge – including many on animation.
News from RenderMan
Not only another price drop with the upcoming release, but also free use for non-commercial projects, are making big waves in the Pixar RenderMan universe.
John Lasseter Receives Honorary Doctorate
CalArts is honoring a former graduate. And in the case of one as famous as John Lasseter, it is happy to do so.
RenderMan for Katana
A conversational bridge between Katana and RenderMan: Pixar releases the RenderMan plug-in for Katana, created in collaboration with The Foundry.
Annie Awards Presented
The 41st Annie Awards were presented in Los Angeles this Saturday. Included: animago nominee and Film Academy graduate Viola Baier with "Wedding Cake".
Pixar’s RenderMan Version 18
New features in RMS 18 include new light controls, geometric area lights, accelerated re-rendering, a shading library with SSS and much more.
Pixar’s Downward Slide—Without End?
Hardly any good news is coming out of Pixar these days: Around five percent of Pixar's workforce in Emeryville, California, has now been laid off.
Lucrative University
Education pays off—"Monsters University" has proved to be a lucrative film project for Pixar and Disney. Box-office receipts have broken the 700-million-dollar mark.
PIXAR Masterclass in Berlin
Michal Makarevicz, Annie Award winner and directing animator at PIXAR Animation Studios, presents in-depth lectures, live demos, techniques and methods for mastering animation tasks.
RenderMan Enters Round 18
Pixar Animation Studios has announced RenderMan Pro Server 18. This major version update is intended particularly to improve the lighting workflow.
Pixar Plans OpenSubdiv 2.0 Release
The Blender Foundation announced that Pixar would present the new version at Siggraph with a Blender-compatible licence.