Assignment 05 - PTEX, Mari, RenderMan (update)

08 Mar 2017

Update: Under RenderMan 21, choose RenderMan->Advanced RenderMan Controls; then under the window that appears, choose View->Geometric Settings. Add the “Bake Context” and “Ptex Face Offset” as mentioned in the class demo on RenderMan 20. Make sure to attach to your model. The lights and materials are slightly different versus 20, but I think those will be fairly straightforward. One of the main differences is generalizing more under a “PxrSurface.” You’ll stil need to connect the “PxrPtexture” as discussed in class.

Original: For this assignment the goal is to switch to a production renderer (RenderMan 21 RIS), use PTEX as an alternative form of texture mapping, try Mari for texture painting, and practice a bit of lighting.

Read over the Eurographics paper that introduced Ptex in 2008. Bolt was the first film completely textured with a Ptex workflow at Walt Disney Animation where Ptex was developed.

Choose one of two options – either to complete a portrait of Nefertiti using scanned data from her bust or re-visit your Labradorite. Here are the options:

Nefertiti:

• NefertitiQuads.obj contains a modified version of the covertly scanned mesh that is described at the Nefertiti Hack site. It has been slightly reduced and also converted to quads (which tend to work better with PTEX workflow).
• Use MARI with a PTEX workflow to paint surface textures for the Nefertiti bust.
• Attempt to paint it as closely to the reference photos posted on Wikipedia taken in the Neues Museum in Berlin.
• Complete a three-point lighting setup. Using that three-point lighting setup, complete multiple setups that include split lighting, loop lighting, Rembrandt lighting, and butterfly lighting. Choose one of split, loop, or Rembrandt to demonstrate in two more renders as broad or short.
• Complete at least one render with an HDR light probe (some nice free ones here.)
• Choose your favorite lighting set and render a turntable of the bust within that setup.
• Possible extension: re-surface to appear as much like a human face as possible (investigating SSS shaders in RenderMan) and render with some of your favorite lighting setups.

Labradorite:

• Use RenderMan 21 RIS in Maya to render a turntable of your rock. Your attempt should be to match this even better than in your GLSL procedural shader. You may use any number of procedural and/or hand-painted texture maps.
• There should be at least some use of PTEX and Mari in your surfacing.
• Light your turntable using three-point lighting.
• Also light your turntable using one HDR light probe (some nice free ones here.).
• Submit screenshots of work in progress, final still renders, and your final rendered turntable movie.
• Preferably also complete a split-screen moving comparing your rock to your latest turntable. (Possibly another versus GLSL).

In either choice include screenshots of work in progress, still images and videos of final renders, and a short pdf description of what you did in your project. Come Wednesday before Spring Break ready to present and critique.