So today Pixar announced the release of RenderMan for Maya, the software rendering package that Pixar has been using for years to produce all of its short animations as well as its major motion pictures. There is a big buzz about this release. Finally the common man who works in a small studio will be able to get his hands on a software package that, in previous years, only major motion picture studios could afford or attain. I have to say that I am excited to see what it can do when compared to other rendering options out there such as Mental Ray or V-Ray. I am, however, a little curious as to why Pixar decided to wait so long to get the software integrated and ready to sell to a broad consumer base.

In the release article it says RenderMan is, “the benchmark against which all other rendering solutions are measured.” Really? How am I supposed to know that? I have something in common with a large majority of the 3D artist community. (At least in my scope of the world, please correct me if I am off here, but I’m not) I have not seen or experienced RenderMan. Like my fellow comrades, I have gotten used to using other packages I can get my hands on, namely Mental Ray. And to tell you the truth I have gotten a lot of good production out of it. Maybe if Pixar decided to get this thing up and out to the public, oh I don’t know like ten years ago, everyone in the world would already know that RenderMan is the benchmark to what all other renders are compared, but we don’t know that. We can only read the release notes and wait to get a copy of it and test it ourselves. Don’t get me wrong I really, really, want to try it out, but come on Pixar, you didn’t have to pull and “ipod” on us and hold out your technology to the general public. (Jobs you are a genius)

Alright. Enough of the rant. Back to the good stuff. RenderMan is out, and to top it all off its pretty darn cheap. One license will cost you about a grand, and you can get five or more licenses for about five grand, not too bad. I mean if it really is all they say it’s going to be, that we are all going to become RenderMan junkies, then hey, a few thousand isn’t too shabby. Lets just hope that it is what “they” say it is and not just another renderer that we will all be gripeing about in a year.

Filed under Software.