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RenderMan version 25 provides major upgrades to look development and batch rendering, with many tools that improve artist workflows and complement the creative process. Here are some of the highlights:
Major Features in RenderMan 25.0
RIS
- Innovative Denoising Technology — The RenderMan Denoiser is completely new state-of-the-art denoising technology developed by Disney Research, which takes a new approach to denoising, using machine learning and training data from Disney, ILM, and Pixar. The Denoiser can significantly reduce render times for both feature animation and VFX, while delivering images of the highest quality. The new Denoiser excels on complex, detailed imagery that would cause other denoisers to fail. This technology has been used in production for several years now, including every Pixar feature animation since Toy Story 4 and has dramatically reduced render times at ILM, Pixar, and Walt Disney Animation Studios.
Stylized Looks– Updates to the toolset allow artists to generate Stylized Looks with more creative control over toon shading, illustrative lighting, and linework. Highlights include line distort, overhauled Toon shading system, more hatching presets, optimized linework, and new Preset Browser Stylized Looks materials that extend the library.
MaterialX Lama– ILM has contributed enhancements and features to MaterialX Lama. These include more accurate calculation of the interaction of light between different material layers, and a new iridescence material response has been included.
- Baking performance and control – If you’re using RenderMan to bake global illumination into textures for real-time applications, we’ve improved performance up to 2x, as well as added additional controls for controlling resolution.
XPU
Pixar's XPU technology reaches significant milestones in version 25, including support for volumes, secondary passes, trace groups, and many enhancements to for look development, lighting, and interactivity. These milestones represent a major evolution of Pixar’s next generation renderer, XPU.
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- XPU Guide - Overview of XPU in RenderMan 25.
- Shader & Look Development with XPU - Details on lookdev with XPU.
- Features & Limitations - Understand the differences between XPU and RIS and known limitations.
Artist Tools
We have continued to more tightly integrate RenderMan into DCCs, improving usability and stability. Collaboration with the USD and Hydra teams has helped drive RenderMan to its fullest potential. The enhancements provide a more seamless workflow for artists using RenderMan in their production pipeline.
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