RenderMan Reborn

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RenderMan Reborn

Arriving at 195 Piccadilly for the 2015 RenderMan Art and Science Fair there was a palpable excitement in the air as users and enthusiasts alike gathered to see the exciting updates on offer with the latest incarnation of Pixar's RenderMan.

Building on the announcement of free non-commercial use and a new streamlined pricing structure, Pixar's science bloke explained the major technological improvements they have made including an extensive re-write of the core architecture. Considerably faster render times, pre-built customisable shaders and a user-focused forum allowing artists to share their work and techniques usher in an exciting new era.

We were treated to unique insights into Double Negative’s workflow, which has been used to great effect on forthcoming superhero movies, exclusively employing this latest incarnation of RenderMan to bring to life the incredible world they created.

No longer only the preserve of the larger facilities this re-imagining puts RenderMan firmly in the hands of anyone; with this unrestricted access comes a wider user base and greater creativity and evolution of the product.

Pixar have managed, incredibly, to shrink the price but increase the strength of this powerhouse package. I for one look forward to seeing what effect that has on the world.