Advanced RenderMan: Creating CGI for Motion Pictures

Advanced RenderMan: Creating CGI for Motion Pictures is precisely what you and other RenderMan users are dying for. Written by the world's foremost RenderMan experts, it offers thoroughly updated coverage of the standard while moving beyond the scope of the original RenderMan Companion to provide in-depth information on dozens of advanced topics. Both a reference and a tutorial, this book will quickly prove indispensable, whether you're a technical director, graphics programmer, modeler, animator, or hobbyist.

Explore the Power of RenderMan

Use the entire range of geometric primitives supported by RenderMan.Understand how and when to use procedural primitives and level of detail.Master every nuance of the Shading Language.Write detailed procedural shaders using texture, displacement, pattern generation, and custom reflection models.Write shaders for special effects relating to volumes, custom lighting, and non-photorealistic media.Use antialiasing to ensure that your shaders are free of artifacts.Minimize the expense of rendering scenes by optimizing input.

Other Features from Advanced RenderMan

Offers expert advice and instruction applicable to any RenderMan-compliant renderer.Filled with technical illustrations and many full-color representations of effects supported by the RenderMan standard.Includes a chapter reviewing key math and computer graphics concepts.

Introduction 1. Photosurrealism 2. Review of Math and CG Concepts

Scene Description 3. Describing Models 4. Geometric Primitives 5. Handling Complexity 6. How PhotoRealistic RenderMan Works

Shading 7. Introduction to Shading Language 8. Texture Mapping and Displacement 9. Illumination Models and Lights 10. Pattern Generation 11. Shader Antialiasing 12. A Gallery of Procedural Shaders

Tricks of the Trade 13. Storytelling Through Lighting 14. CG Lighting Controls 15. Volumetric Shaders for Visual Effects 16. Non-Photorealistic Rendering 17. Ray Tracing in PRMan