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DreamWorks releases OpenMoonRay source code

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Re: DreamWorks releases OpenMoonRay source code

#72

Post by daniel-thompson »

Surprised nobody has mentioned this, but it looks like it implements the render kernels in ISPC^, which is a tool that exposes a CUDA-like SPMD model that runs over the vector lanes in the CPU.

ISPC is also used by Disney's Hyperion renderer, see https://www.researchgate.net/publication/326662420_The_Desig...

Neat!

^ https://ispc.github.io/

Re: DreamWorks releases OpenMoonRay source code

#73

Post by aprdm »

Someone1234 wrote: post #34
dimator wrote: post #10

i'm curious: what is the incentive for dreamworks to open-source this? surely having exclusive access to a parallel renderer of this quality is a competitive advantage to other studios?

Unreal is eating everyone's lunch. If they cannot get anyone else to contribute to their renderer, it will wind up getting shelved for Unreal with a lot of smaller animation studios already using Unreal instead of more traditional 3D Rendering solutions like Maya.

Except no one uses unreal for movies..

Re: DreamWorks releases OpenMoonRay source code

#74

Post by antegamisou »

abdellah123 wrote: post #40

I'm a software engineer with no animation xp. Can someone explain what this tool is (and is not) and how it fits in an animation project. e.g: can I make an animation movie using only moonray? what other tools are needed? and what knowledge do I (we) need to do that?

It's by and large mathematical software, like all renderers. So it isn't interactive in a manner like software that allows moving a character model and sequencing frames to make an animation. It's a kind of a 'kernel' in some sense for animation and 3D modelling software.

The source files contain the algorithms/computations needed to solve various equations that people involved in Computer Graphics research have came up with to simulate various physical - optical phenomena (lighting, shadows, water reflections, smoke, waves) in the most efficient (fast) and and usually photorealistic sense for a single image (static scene) already created (character/landspace models, textures) in a program.

Since there are various different techniques for the simulation of one specific phenomenon, it's interesting to peek into the tricks used by a very large animation studio.

Re: DreamWorks releases OpenMoonRay source code

#75

Post by greenknight »

ar9av wrote: post #46

Quality 3d animation software is available to anyone with Blender. If someone gets this renderer working as an addon (which will obviously happen) artist will get a side by side comparison of what their work looks like with both cycles and a professional studio product, for free. This is win, win, win for Blender, OSS and the community.

Not just that, I am assuming that there are parts of that code, that will be analysed by the Cycles developers, to enhance Cycles to improve it.

Re: DreamWorks releases OpenMoonRay source code

#76

Post by naikrovek »

aprdm wrote: post #73
Someone1234 wrote: post #34

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Unreal is eating everyone's lunch. If they cannot get anyone else to contribute to their renderer, it will wind up getting shelved for Unreal with a lot of smaller animation studios already using Unreal instead of more traditional 3D Rendering solutions like Maya.

Except no one uses unreal for movies..

yes, unreal is used in movies and TV shows, both. usually not entire movies or shows, but lots of individual scenes.

Re: DreamWorks releases OpenMoonRay source code

#78

Post by dagmx »

packetslave wrote: post #60
Someone1234 wrote: post #55

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Tons of studios are now using Unreal for final rendering, including Disney and several blockbuster movies. The fantastic thing about Unreal is that you can do realtime rendering on-set (e.g. for directorial choices/actor feedback) and then post-production upscale it with the ceiling only being cost. Unreal in the TV/Movie industry is already huge and only getting bigger, year-on-year. You've definitely seen a TV or M…

You've definitely seen a TV or Movie that used Unreal. Name a major-studio movie that rendered final camera-ready VFX in Unreal. For TV, you can name The Mandalorian season one, sure, but even then, ILM switched The Volume to their own in-house real-time engine for season two.

DNeg did one sequence in the latest Matrix film. But it looked very obviously “real-time”.

But yeah otherwise I agree with your points. The person you’re replying to is vastly over estimating unreal use for final CG.

Definitely isn’t being primarily used for hero character work.

Re: DreamWorks releases OpenMoonRay source code

#79

Post by nineteen999 »

satvikpendem wrote: post #27
dimator wrote: post #10

i'm curious: what is the incentive for dreamworks to open-source this? surely having exclusive access to a parallel renderer of this quality is a competitive advantage to other studios?

The competitive advantage is in storytelling, not necessarily visual fidelity. People will watch a somewhat worse looking movie with a better story than a better looking movie with a worse story. And honestly, can anyone really tell slightly worse graphical quality these days when so many animated movies already look good? The exception, of course, is James Cameron and his Avatar series. People will absolutely watch…

The rendering in the Avatar movies is at the cutting edge. But quite apart from the very uninteresting storytellying there's something there that just doesn't work for me visually - I don't know if it's the uncanny valley effect of the giant skinny blue people with giant eyes or what, but I'd definitely rather watching something creative and painterly like the Puss in Boots movie, or even something like the Last of Us with really well integrated CG visuals and VFX that aren't necessarily top of the line, but well integrated and support a good story.
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