...

Bxdf "MyDiffuse" "diffuse1" "color tint" [0.5 0.5 0.5]

Args files

By convention, arg files (.args) are used to define shader metadata needed by host applications. This includes parameter names, default values, localization and GUI hints.

Arg files are written in a simple xml format and should be easy to parse.

Bridge specific metadata should also be written to arg files. For example, Maya requires nodeid and classification information:

<rfmdata nodeid="1053406" classification="shader/surface:rendernode/RenderMan/bxdf:swatch/rmanSwatch"/>

Creating a Bxdf args File

If you would like RenderMan for Maya or Katana to recognize your Bxdf and provide a user interface for changing input parameters and connecting output parameters to other nodes, then you will need to create an args file for your bxdf. The args file defines the input and output parameters in XML so that tools like RMS or Katana can easily read them, discover their type, default values, and other information used while creating the user interface for the pattern node. Please consult the Args File Reference for more informationNote that RenderMan itself queries parameter information using the RixBxdfFactory::GetParamTable() method, not by reading arg files.