RenderMan (software)
| Developer(s) | Pixar |
|---|---|
| Operating system |
|
| Platform | x86-64 |
| Type | Rendering system |
| License | Proprietary commercial software |
| Website | renderman |
RenderMan (formerly PhotoRealistic RenderMan), is proprietary photorealistic 3D rendering software produced by Pixar Animation Studio. RenderMan is used by Pixar to render all of their in-house 3D animated movie productions and is also available as a commercial product licensed to third parties.
On May 30, 2014, Pixar announced it would offer a free non-commercial version of RenderMan that would be available to download in August 2014. The product's release was postponed to early 2015. As of March 23, 2015, RenderMan is available for non-commercial use.
RenderMan defines cameras, geometry, materials, and lights using the RenderMan Interface Specification. This specification facilitates communication between 3D modeling and animation applications and the render engine that generates high quality images. Additionally RenderMan supports Open Shading Language to define textural patterns.
Historically, RenderMan used the Reyes algorithm to render images with added support for advanced effects such as ray tracing and global illumination. Support for Reyes rendering and the RenderMan Shading Language were removed from RenderMan in 2016.
RenderMan currently uses Monte Carlo path tracing to generate images.
RenderMan has been used to create digital visual effects for Hollywood blockbuster movies such as Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, The Lion King, Terminator 2: Judgment Day, Toy Story, Jurassic Park, Avatar, Titanic, the Star Wars prequels, and The Lord of the Rings. As part of the 73rd Scientific and Technical Academy Awards ceremony presentation on March 3, 2001, The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ Board of Governors honored Ed Catmull, Loren Carpenter and Rob Cook with an Academy Award of Merit "for significant advancements to the field of motion picture rendering as exemplified in Pixar’s RenderMan". It was the first Oscar awarded for a software product.
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