Whats New - Version 4.4.6


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Slim templates - output varying variables
Cutter now declares varying output variables properly when it converts RenderMan Shading Language source files to Slim templates. For example, Cutter will convert the following shader, 

    displacement test( float  Km = 0.1;
    output varying float  hump = 0)
    {
    normal n = normalize(N);
    hump = noise(P);
      
    P = P - n * hump * Km;
    N = calculatenormal(P);
    }

to the Slim template shown on the right. For more information about Cutter's ability to convert RSL to Slim templates refer to converting RSL to a SLIM template.

Information popups
Many of the items found in the Preferences window now have popup help buttons. In previous versions three preferences had to be set for the RenderMan documentation. In this version only one path is required.





Quick link to RSL Documentation
The help menu on the Rman Tools menu bar now points to a slightly different selection of quick links. Some documents are nolonger available in release 6.5 of RAT. A link to "Subsurface Scattering" has been added as well as a link to Pixars index page of RSL functions. 




## MTOR SLIM template file generated by Cutter version 4.4.6
## on 9.30.20050:13:28. Cutter software by Malcolm Kesson
## (all rights reserved).

slim 1 extensions Cutterdb {
extensions Cutter cutr {
    # A template is an appearance that is used to generate functions and
    # is fundamental to Slim's shader creation features. Templates are
    # containers of properties.
    template displacement Test {
        description {No shader description available}
        # These items have been copied from Pixar's displacement.slim
        # document. I have omitted their "DoDisplacement" parameter
        ribattribute float displacementbound {
            label "Displacement Bound"
            description "This number represents the maximum displacement
                in shaderspace that your surface will undergo. Be very
                careful with this parameter as it can dramatically influence
                rendering times. In particular, make SURE to set this to
                0 (zero) if you aren't performing any displacement."    
            default 0
            range {0 100 .001}
            subtype vslider
            }

        parameter float UseShadingNormals {
            label {UseShadingNormals}
            description "Directly using the normal returned from calculatenormal() 
                causes polygons to appear faceted. This parameter adds the offset 
                of the original shading normal to the calculated normal. This
                re-smooths the polygons. For more information refer to,
                http://accad.osu.edu/~smay/RManNotes/WritingShaders/disp.html#smooth
                by Steve May."
            default 0
            subtype switch
            }
        # Parameters are used to collect all information associated
        # with a single parameter of an appearance.
        parameter float Km {
            description {No description}
            label {Km}
            detail varying
            default 0.1
            subtype slider
            range {0 1}
            }
        parameter float hump {
            display hidden
            access output
            detail varying
            default 0
            provider primitive
            }
        RSLMain {
            generate
            output "float Km = [getvar Km];"
            output "normal n = normalize(N);"
            output "hump = noise(P);"
            output "P = P - n * hump * Km;"
            output "N = calculatenormal(P);"
            output "if([getvar UseShadingNormals] != 0) { "
            output "    normal _dnormal = normalize(N) - normalize(Ng);"
            output "    N = calculatenormal(P) - _dnormal;"
            output "    }"
} } } }


Find Tool - replace all
The speed of "find and replace-all" facility of the Find Tool has been significantly improved.



Improvement to Slim Template Generation
Previous versions of Cutter required RSL functions to conclude with an assignment to a variable before the final return statement. For example, 

    color foo(color c1, c2)
    {
    color temp = c1 + c2;
    return temp;
    }

Cutter is now able to generate a SLIM template without this "assign to temp, return temp" idiom. For example, 

    color foo(color c1, c2)
    {
    return c1 + c2;
    }

now works fine. Refer to converting RSL to a SLIM template.for more information about SLIM template generation.





© 2002- Malcolm Kesson. All rights reserved.