Attributes

RenderMan allows for attributes to be assigned to and used on geometry for different purposes.

Some attributes allow controls for:

Grouping objects
Linking objects
Giving hints to the renderer like intersection priority
User attributes for customizing output or pipeline functions
Altering visibility for certain effects like trace sets, camera or reflection visibility, etc.
Some options for optimization like trace depth and pixel variance

attributes grouping:membership string [] Grouping membership used for linking.
attributes identifier:id integer [0] Lower 32 bits of 64 bit object id.
attributes identifier:id2 integer [0] Upper 32 bits of 64 bit object id.
attributes identifier:lpegroup string [] Grouping membership used for light path expressions.
attributes identifier:name string [] Instance path name.
attributes lightfilter:subset string [] Active light filter groups in lighting.
attributes lighting:excludesubset string [] Exclude light groups from lighting.
attributes lighting:mute integer [0] Mutes light emission.
attributes lighting:subset string [] Light groups active in lighting.
attributes Ri:Matte integer [0] Indicates matte object.
attributes Ri:ReverseOrientation integer [0] Flip shading normals.
attributes Ri:Sides integer [2] Geometry can be one or two sided.
attributes shade:relativepixelvariance float [1] PixelVariance multiplier for camera visible objects.
attributes trace:holdout integer [0] Indicates holdout object.
attributes trace:intersectpriority integer [0] Raytrace intersection priority for nested dielectrics.
attributes trace:maxdiffusedepth integer [1] Maximum diffuse light bounces.
attributes trace:maxspeculardepth integer [2] Maximum specular light bounces.
attributes trace:reflectexcludesubset string [] Exclude object groups from relections.
attributes trace:reflectsubset string [] Object groups visible to reflections.
attributes trace:shadowexcludesubset string [] Exclude object groups from casting shadows.
attributes trace:shadowsubset string [] Object groups active in shadows.
attributes trace:transmitexcludesubset string [] Exclude object groups from refractions.
attributes trace:transmitsubset string [] Object groups visible to refractions.
attributes user:<name> <type> <value> Arbitrary instance user data.
attributes visibility:camera integer [1] Indicates if object is visible to camera rays.
attributes visibility:indirect integer [1] Indicates if object is visible to indirect (reflection and refraction) rays.
attributes visibility:transmission integer [1] Indicates if object is visible to shadow rays.

Primvars

Primvars can be set and manipulated on different types of geometry (as available for that type of geometry). This can allow pattern networks and shaders to retrieve this information at render time.

User Primvars

primvars <name> <type> <value> Arbitrary primitive user data.
primvars identifier:object string [] Object name

Dicing and Approximating geometry

primvars dice:micropolygonlength float [0] Description
primvars dice:minlength float [-1] Description
primvars dice:minlengthspace string [] Description
primvars dice:offscreenstrategy string ["viewfrustumdistance"] Description: "clamped", "sphericalprojection, "viewfrustumdistance", "worlddistance"
primvars dice:rasterorient integer [1] Description
primvars dice:referencecamera string [] Description
primvars dice:referenceinstance string [] Object name
primvars dice:strategy string ["instanceprojection"] Description: "instanceprojection", "sphericalprojection", "worlddistance"
primvars dice:worlddistancelength float [-1] Description
primvars Ri:GeometricApproximationFocusFactor float [-1] Description
primvars Ri:GeometricApproximationMotionFactor float [0] Description

Displacement

primvars displacementbound:CoordinateSystem string [] Description
primvars displacementbound:sphere float [0] Description

Tracing Controls

primvars trace:autobias integer [1] Description
primvars trace:bias float [0.01] Description
primvars trace:displacements integer [1] Description
primvars trace:samplemotion integer [0] Description

Primvars based on geometry type

Blobbies

primvars:Blobby Ri:code integer[n] [required] Description
primvars:Blobby Ri:floats float[n] [] Description
primvars:Blobby Ri:nleaf integer [required] Description
primvars:Blobby Ri:strings integer[n] [] Description

Cone

primvars:Cone N <detail> normal [] Description
primvars:Cone Ri:height float [1] Description
primvars:Cone Ri:radius float [1] Description
primvars:Cone Ri:thetamax float [360] Description
primvars:Cone s <detail> float [] Description
primvars:Cone st <detail> float[2] [] Description
primvars:Cone t <detail> float [] Description

Curves

primvars:Curves curve:stochasticshadows integer [1] Description
primvars:Curves N <detail> normal [] Defines oriented ribbons
primvars:Curves Os <detail> color [] Opacity.
primvars:Curves P vertex point [required] Description
primvars:Curves Ri:Basis string [required] Required for non-linear curves. Values are "bezier", "b-spline", or "catmull-rom".
primvars:Curves Ri:nvertices uniform integer [required] Description
primvars:Curves Ri:type string [required] Description
primvars:Curves Ri:wrap string [required] Description
primvars:Curves s <detail> float [] Description
primvars:Curves st <detail> float[2] [] Description
primvars:Curves t <detail> float [] Description
primvars:Curves width <detail> float [] Description

Cylinder

primvars:Cylinder N <detail> normal [] Description
primvars:Cylinder Ri:radius float [1] Description
primvars:Cylinder Ri:thetamax float [360] Description
primvars:Cylinder Ri:zmax float [1] Description
primvars:Cylinder Ri:zmin float [-1] Description
primvars:Cylinder s <detail> float [] Description
primvars:Cylinder st <detail> float[2] [] Description
primvars:Cylinder t <detail> float [] Description

Disk

primvars:Disk N <detail> normal [] Description
primvars:Disk Ri:height float [0] Description
primvars:Disk Ri:radius float [1] Description
primvars:Disk Ri:thetamax float [360] Description
primvars:Disk s <detail> float [] Description
primvars:Disk st <detail> float[2] [] Description
primvars:Disk t <detail> float [] Description

Hyperboloid

primvars:Hyperboloid N <detail> normal [] Description
primvars:Hyperboloid Ri:point1 point [1 0 -1] Description
primvars:Hyperboloid Ri:point2 point [0 1 1] Description
primvars:Hyperboloid Ri:thetamax float [360] Description
primvars:Hyperboloid s <detail> float [] Description
primvars:Hyperboloid st <detail> float[2] [] Description
primvars:Hyperboloid t <detail> float [] Description

NuPatch

primvars:NuPatch N <detail> normal [] Description
primvars:NuPatch P vertex point [required] Description
primvars:NuPatch Pref vertex <point|hpoint> [] Reference P.
primvars:NuPatch Pw vertex hpoint [required] Description
primvars:NuPatch Ri:nu integer [required] Description
primvars:NuPatch Ri:nv integer [required] Description
primvars:NuPatch Ri:Orientation string ["outside"] Geometric winding order
primvars:NuPatch Ri:trimknot float[n] [] Description
primvars:NuPatch Ri:trimmax float[n] [] Description
primvars:NuPatch Ri:trimmin float[n] [] Description
primvars:NuPatch Ri:trimn integer[n] [] Description
primvars:NuPatch Ri:trimncurves integer[n] [] Description
primvars:NuPatch Ri:trimnloops integer [] Description
primvars:NuPatch Ri:trimorder integer[n] [] Description
primvars:NuPatch Ri:trimu float[n] [] Description
primvars:NuPatch Ri:trimv float[n] [] Description
primvars:NuPatch Ri:trimw float[n] [] Description
primvars:NuPatch Ri:uknot float[n] [required] Description length (Ri:uorder + Ri:nu)
primvars:NuPatch Ri:umax float [optional] Description
primvars:NuPatch Ri:umin float [optional] Description
primvars:NuPatch Ri:uorder integer [required] Description
primvars:NuPatch Ri:vknot float[n] [] Description length (Ri:vorder + Ri:nv)
primvars:NuPatch Ri:vmax float [optional] Description
primvars:NuPatch Ri:vmin float [optional] Description
primvars:NuPatch Ri:vorder integer [required] Description
primvars:NuPatch s <detail> float [] Description
primvars:NuPatch st <detail> float[2] [] Description
primvars:NuPatch t <detail> float [] Description
primvars:NuPatch trimcurve:sense string ["inside"] Description

Paraboloid

primvars:Paraboloid N <detail> normal [] Description
primvars:Paraboloid Ri:radius float [1] Description
primvars:Paraboloid Ri:thetamax float [360] Description
primvars:Paraboloid Ri:zmax float [1] Description
primvars:Paraboloid Ri:zmin float [0] Description
primvars:Paraboloid s <detail> float [] Description
primvars:Paraboloid st <detail> float[2] [] Description
primvars:Paraboloid t <detail> float [] Description

Points

primvars:Points N <detail> normal [] Description
primvars:Points Nref <detail> normal [] Reference N.
primvars:Points P vertex point [required] Description
primvars:Points Pref vertex point [] Reference P.
primvars:Points width <detail> float [] Description

Polygons

primvars:PolygonMesh N <detail> normal [] Description
primvars:PolygonMesh Nref <detail> normal [] Reference N.
primvars:PolygonMesh P vertex point [required] Description
primvars:PolygonMesh polygon:concave integer [1] Allow concave polygons.
primvars:PolygonMesh polygon:smoothnormals integer [0] Smooth normals if not provided
primvars:PolygonMesh Pref vertex point [] Reference P.
primvars:PolygonMesh Ri:nvertices uniform integer [required] Description
primvars:PolygonMesh Ri:Orientation string ["outside"] Geometric winding order
primvars:PolygonMesh Ri:vertices facevarying integer [required] Description
primvars:PolygonMesh s <detail> float [] Description
primvars:PolygonMesh st <detail> float[2] [] Description
primvars:PolygonMesh t <detail> float [] Description

Procedurals

primvars:Procedural __bound float[6] [required] Description. Required for procedural 1.
primvars:Procedural procedural:immediatesubdivide integer [0] Description
primvars:Procedural procedural:reentrant integer [0] Description
primvars:Procedural proceduralVersion integer [2] Description
primvars:Procedural Ri:boundfunction string [required] Description "SimpleBound" or "DSOBound". Required for procedural 2.
primvars:Procedural Ri:subdivisionfunction string [required] Description "DelayedReadArchive" or "DynamicLoad"

Spheres

primvars:Sphere N <detail> normal [] Description
primvars:Sphere Ri:radius float [1] Description
primvars:Sphere Ri:thetamax float [360] Description
primvars:Sphere Ri:zmax float [Ri:radius] Description
primvars:Sphere Ri:zmin float [-Ri:radius] Description
primvars:Sphere s <detail> float [] Description
primvars:Sphere st <detail> float[2] [] Description
primvars:Sphere t <detail> float [] Description

Subdivision Surfaces

primvars:SubdivisionMesh dice:pretessellate integer [1] Description
primvars:SubdivisionMesh dice:watertight integer [0] Description
primvars:SubdivisionMesh N <detail> normal [] Description
primvars:SubdivisionMesh Nref <detail> normal [] Reference N.
primvars:SubdivisionMesh P vertex point [required] Description
primvars:SubdivisionMesh Pref vertex point [] Reference P.
primvars:SubdivisionMesh Ri:nvertices uniform integer [required] Description
primvars:SubdivisionMesh Ri:Orientation string ["outside"] Geometric winding order
primvars:SubdivisionMesh Ri:scheme string [required] Description
primvars:SubdivisionMesh Ri:subdivtagfloatargs float[n] [] Description
primvars:SubdivisionMesh Ri:subdivtagintargs integer[n] [] Description
primvars:SubdivisionMesh Ri:subdivtagnargs integer[n] [] Description
primvars:SubdivisionMesh Ri:subdivtags string[n] [] Description
primvars:SubdivisionMesh Ri:subdivtagstringtags string[n] [] Description
primvars:SubdivisionMesh Ri:vertices facevarying integer [required] Description
primvars:SubdivisionMesh s <detail> float [] Description
primvars:SubdivisionMesh shade:faceset integer[n] [] Description
primvars:SubdivisionMesh st <detail> float[2] [] Description
primvars:SubdivisionMesh stitchbound:CoordinateSystem string [] Description
primvars:SubdivisionMesh stitchbound:sphere float [0] Description
primvars:SubdivisionMesh t <detail> float [] Description

Torus

primvars:Torus N <detail> normal [] Description
primvars:Torus Ri:majorradius float [1] Description
primvars:Torus Ri:minorradius float [0.5] Description
primvars:Torus Ri:phimax float [360] Description
primvars:Torus Ri:phimin float [0] Description
primvars:Torus Ri:thetamax float [360] Description
primvars:Torus s <detail> float [] Description
primvars:Torus st <detail> float[2] [] Description
primvars:Torus t <detail> float [] Description

Volumes

primvars:Volume Ri:Bound float[6] [0 0 0 0 0 0] Description
primvars:Volume Ri:dimensions integer[3] [required] Description [Volume]
primvars:Volume Ri:type string [required] Description [Volume]
primvars:Volume volume:aggregate string [] Description [Volume]
primvars:Volume volume:dsominmax integer [0] Description [Volume]