RenderMan has always been a bit of an enigma in my experience. The fact that it's been used to render some of the biggest and most high-profile animated feature films only contributes to this mystery.
It has been a perfect renderer for animation and VFX studios to create breathtaking final-frame films, but it's other renderers such as V-Ray and Arnold that have become the go-to programs for the overwhelming majority of the 3D industry.
RenderMan, now at version 25, is a powerhouse, owing its developmental success largely to the fact that it has been used in such big-budget films. With each film providing new technical challenges and directors desiring to push the boundaries even further, its developers have regularly been encouraged and pushed to add new features and refine existing ones.
Version 24 was a big update, with the most notable addition its all-new hybrid CPU and GPU renderer called XPU. The version under the spotlight in this review isn't quite as big and bold, but still definitely packs a punch. Let's take a look at its new denoiser, improvements to XPU, and further developments to the Stylized Looks tools.
DENOISER
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CGI creatures
Leading film creatives pick the VFX animals that have inspired them
Creating photorealistic visuals for Shōgun
The digital matte painting team at Goodbye Kansas Studios embrace a collaborative approach for the environments in Disney's miniseries
FaceBuilder
PRICE £18/$23 monthly / £180/$230 annual COMPANY Keen Tools WEBSITE keentools.io
Mars 4 Ultra
Elegoo has created quite the name for itself within the 3D printing community, with a loyal band of users singing the praises of its machines from the Mars range to the Saturn series, and also the quality of its resins.
Revodok Max 213
Although a new computer or the latest GPU are the obvious contenders for your cash, there are things that will offer big benefits even if they don’t have the same initial appeal, and a good dock is one of these.
DESIGN CHARACTERS INSPIRED BY HISTORY
Marco Teixeira explores a personal piece that resonates with Brazilian culture and influences to create an appealing portrait
HOW DO I MASTER MATERIALS IN KEYSHOT?
One of the best things about KeyShot is its ability to create and render realistic materials. When paired with beautiful lighting, product visualisations take on a whole new level of believability. When it comes to materials, KeyShot isn’t quite as advanced as some other rendering packages, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t still able to create some killer materials.
HOW DO I MAKE A REALISTIC JELLY MATERIAL IN BLENDER?
This issue’s Q&A is a real sweet treat, as I’m going to show you how to prepare a realistic jelly material in Blender – you’ll have to provide the strawberries and cream yourself though! This is a relatively straightforward procedural recipe and can be done in three quick minutes.
CRAFT UNIQUE MARIO FAN ART WITH A TEAM
Pejman Rajabi explains how his crew of expert artists put their own twist on a classic video game character
BLEND BUILDINGS AND NATURE IN A PEACEFUL SCENE
Find out how Navid Ahmadi combines a selection of assets from BlenderKit to create an awe-inspiring forest setting
