Download or read book Autodesk Maya 2020 Rendering written by Serdar Hakan DÜZGÖREN and published by Serdar Hakan DÜZGÖREN. This book was released on with total page 464 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Rendering is the final stage in the 3D computer graphics production process. Though the wider context of rendering begins with shading and texturing objects and lighting your scene, the rendering process ends when surfaces, materials, lights, and motion are processed into a final image or image sequence. Visualization vs. the final render As you build scenes (shade and texture objects, light scenes, position cameras, and so on), you’ll want to visualize them many times before producing the final rendered image or image sequence. This process may involve (depending on your particular project) creating and setting up additional cameras. See Create a camera and Adjust a camera and its attributes. Visualize a scene during early iterations to detect and correct image quality problems or to estimate and reduce the amount of time the final render takes before you spend time performing the final render. You can visualize your scene in the viewport, interactively render with the Maya software renderer using IPR; or, if you are using the Arnold for Maya renderer, interactively render in the Arnold RenderView. You can render a single frame or a sequence of multiple frames; that is, an animation or part of an animation interactively from within Maya. Alternatively, you can batch render or command line render one or more frames. Before you start your final render, be sure to select a renderer, and set the file name, format, and resolution of your rendered images in the Render Settings window.

Download or read book Autodesk Maya 2020 A Comprehensive Guide 12th Edition written by Prof. Sham Tickoo and published by CADCIM Technologies. This book was released on 2020-04-08 with total page 835 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Autodesk Maya 2020 is a powerful, integrated 3D modeling, animation, visual effects, and rendering software developed by Autodesk Inc. This integrated node based 3D software finds its application in the development of films, games, and design projects. The intuitive user interface and workflow tools of Maya 2020 have made the job of design visualization specialists a lot easier. Autodesk Maya 2020: A Comprehensive Guide covers all features of Autodesk Maya 2020 software in a simple, lucid, and comprehensive manner. It will unleash your creativity, thus helping you create realistic 3D models, animation, and visual effects. In this edition, new tools and enhancements in modeling, animation, rigging as well as performance improvements in bifrost are covered. Additionally, the newly introduced Mash module, which is used for creating motion graphics, is also covered in the book. Salient Features: Consists of 17 chapters that are organized in a pedagogical sequence covering a wide range of topics such as Maya interface, Polygon modeling, NURBS modeling, texturing, lighting, cameras, animation, Paint Effects, Rendering, nHair, Fur, Fluids, Particles, nParticles and Bullet Physics in Autodesk Maya 2020. The first page of every chapter summarizes the topics that are covered in it. Consists of hundreds of illustrations and a comprehensive coverage of Autodesk Maya 2020 concepts & commands. Real-world 3D models and examples focusing on industry experience. Step-by-step instructions that guide the user through the learning process. Additional information is provided throughout the book in the form of tips and notes. Self-Evaluation test, Review Questions, and Exercises are given at the end of each chapter so that the users can assess their knowledge. Table of Contents Chapter 1: Exploring Maya Interface Chapter 2: Polygon Modeling Chapter 3: NURBS Curves and Surfaces Chapter 4: NURBS Modeling Chapter 5: UV Mapping Chapter 6: Shading and Texturing Chapter 7: Lighting Chapter 8: Animation Chapter 9: Rigging, Constraints, and Deformers Chapter 10: Paint Effects Chapter 11: Rendering Chapter 12: Particle System Chapter 13: Introduction to nParticles Chapter 14: Fluids Chapter 15: nHair Chapter 16: Bifrost Chapter 17: Bullet Physics and Motion Graphics Index

Download or read book Autodesk Maya 2020 written by Sham Tickoo and published by . This book was released on 2020-06-23 with total page 654 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Autodesk Maya 2020 Basics Guide written by Kelly Murdock and published by SDC Publications. This book was released on with total page 576 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Written by renowned author and 3D artist Kelly L. Murdock, Autodesk Maya 2020 Basics Guide is designed to give new users a solid understanding of the fundamental skills needed to create beautiful 3D models and stunning animations with Autodesk Maya. Using clear and easy to follow instructions this book will guide you through learning all the major features of Maya. The text is complemented by video instruction. Each chapter has a corresponding video tutorial that introduces you to the topics and allows you to watch and learn how functions are performed in a way that a text alone cannot do. Autodesk Maya 2020 Basics Guide makes no assumptions about your previous experience with Autodesk Maya. It begins by helping you get comfortable with the user interface and navigating scenes before moving into modeling, texturing, lighting, animating, rendering and more. Additionally, more advanced features such as character rigging, skinning, animating with dynamics and MEL scripting are also introduced. Each chapter begins by examining the concept behind each task, the goal and the necessary features that are involved. Then you go in-depth with the objective of your task as you study examples and learn the steps necessary to complete it. Working your way through the comprehensive, step-by-step lessons, you'll develop the confidence you need to create incredible renderings and animations using Autodesk Maya. Who this book is for This text was created specifically for users with no prior 3D modeling or animation experience. If you want to work in a creative field or are just curious about how 3D animated movies are made this book is the perfect way to get started. Users who are migrating from another 3D application or upgrading from a previous version of Maya will also benefit greatly from this text. What you'll learn • How to create models using curves, NURBS, Polygons and more • How to assign materials and textures to make realistic-looking models • How to use Paint Effects to paint on and quickly create complex 3D Models • How to use lights, cameras, and depth of field to render captivating scenes • How to use keyframes, motion paths and the Graph Editor to create animations • How to use character rigging, skinning, and inverse kinematics to animate realistic movements • How to add influence objects, skin weights and hair to a character for a more realistic look • How to use dynamics to create fire, smoke, lightning, explosions, cloth and ocean effects • How to enable raytracing, motion blur, and fog effects for increased realism • How to render stills and animations using Maya Vector and Mental Ray for different looks • How to use the Command Line and MEL Scripting to work faster About Autodesk Maya Maya is a program, created by Autodesk, used to model, animate, and render 3D scenes. 3D scenes created with Maya have appeared in movies, television, advertisements, games, product visualizations, and on the Web. With Maya, you can create and animate your own 3D scenes and render them as still images or as animation sequences.

Download or read book Autodesk Arnold Render User Guide for MAYA written by Serdar Hakan DÜZGÖREN and published by Serdar Hakan DÜZGÖREN. This book was released on with total page 1580 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Arnold Arnold is an advanced cross-platform rendering library, or API, used by a number of prominent organizations in film, television, and animation, including Sony Pictures Imageworks. It was developed as a photo-realistic, physically-based ray tracing alternative to traditional scanline based rendering software for CG animation. Arnold uses cutting-edge algorithms that make the most effective use of your computer’s hardware resources: memory, disk space, multiple processor cores, and SIMD/SSE units. The Arnold architecture was designed to easily adapt to existing pipelines. It is built on top of a pluggable node system; users can extend and customize the system by writing new shaders, cameras, filters, and output driver nodes, as well as procedural geometry, custom ray types and user-defined geometric data. The primary goal of the Arnold architecture is to provide a complete solution as a primary renderer for animation and visual effects. However, Arnold can also be used as: A ray server for traditional scanline renderers. A tool for baking/procedural generation of lighting data (lightmaps for videogames). An interactive rendering and relighting tool.

Download or read book Autodesk Maya 2020 Bifrost Extension written by Serdar Hakan DÜZGÖREN and published by Serdar Hakan DÜZGÖREN. This book was released on with total page 154 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: What is Bifrost? Bifrost makes it possible for 3D artists and TDs to create complex effects in Maya quickly and easily using a new visual programming environment. TDs can create custom graphs in the Bifrost Graph Editor and package them up for artists at their studio to use across different shows, scenes, and shots. Artists can also take advantage of a wide array of ready-to-use graphs to create effects like fire, smoke, explosions, sand, and snow right out-of-the-box. Previously, Bifrost included the following features: Bifrost Fluids, a procedural framework that can create simulated liquid and aerodynamic effects using a FLIP (fluid implicit particle) solver. BOSS, the Bifrost Ocean Simulation System. With Bifrost Extension for Maya, two additional features are included: Bifrost Graph, a new node-based, visual programming environment where you can build procedural graphs to create effects such as sand, fire, smoke, and explosions. bifcmd, a tool that executes these procedural graphs directly on the command line.

Download or read book Autodesk Maya 2020 Basic Level Animation Book written by Serdar Hakan DÜZGÖREN and published by Serdar Hakan DÜZGÖREN. This book was released on with total page 701 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Animation Maya animation provides you with the powerful tools you need to bring the characters and objects in your scenes to life. These tools give you the freedom to animate any attribute of an object and the control you need to successfully transform joints and bones, IK handles, and models over time. Start with the Animation Basics section for information on the various animation techniques in Maya, how to use the different types of animation, and how to preview, playback, and save your animations.

Download or read book Autodesk Maya 2020 Simulation and Effects Book written by Serdar Hakan DÜZGÖREN and published by Serdar Hakan DÜZGÖREN. This book was released on with total page 415 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Bullet Rigid and Soft Body Dynamics The Bullet physics engine lets you create large-scale, highly-realistic dynamic and kinematic simulations. You can use Bullet to create content for rendered animations for film and visualization, as well as for the setup of game engine and real-time simulations. The Bullet plug-in provides seamless mapping of Bullet objects to Maya objects. The controls to the Bullet objects are exposed in Maya Objects, and the interaction follows the typical Maya dynamics paradigm. Bullet Physics is an open-source collision detection, rigid body and soft body dynamics library. The library provides a collection of objects each corresponding to the various aspects of dynamic simulations. For example, the Bullet solver, rigid bodies, soft bodies and constraints are all unique Bullet objects.

Download or read book Autodesk Maya 2018 A Comprehensive Guide 10th Edition written by Prof. Sham Tickoo and published by CADCIM Technologies. This book was released on 2017-08-29 with total page 697 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Welcome to the world of Autodesk Maya 2018. Autodesk Maya 2018 is a powerful, integrated 3D modeling, animation, visual effects, and rendering software developed by Autodesk Inc. This integrated node based 3D software finds its application in the development of films, games, and design projects. A wide range of 3D visual effects, computer graphics, and character animation tools make it an ideal platform for 3D artists. The intuitive user interface and workflow tools of Maya 2018 have made the job of design visualization specialists a lot easier. Autodesk Maya 2018: A Comprehensive Guide book covers all features of Autodesk Maya 2018 in a simple, lucid, and comprehensive manner. It aims at harnessing the power of Autodesk Maya 2018 for 3D and visual effects artists, and designers. This book will help you transform your imagination into reality with ease. Also, it will unleash your creativity, thus helping you create realistic 3D models, animation, and visual effects. It caters to the needs of both the novice and advanced users of Maya 2018 and is ideally suited for learning at your convenience and at your pace. Salient Features Consists of 17 chapters that are organized in a pedagogical sequence covering a wide range of topics such as Maya interface, Polygon modeling, NURBS modeling, texturing, lighting, cameras, animation, Paint Effects, Rendering, nHair, Fur, Fluids, Particles, nParticles and Bullet Physics in Autodesk Maya 2018. The first page of every chapter summarizes the topics that are covered in it. Consists of hundreds of illustrations and a comprehensive coverage of Autodesk Maya 2018 concepts and commands. Real-world 3D models and examples focusing on industry experience. Step-by-step instructions that guide the user through the learning process. Additional information is provided throughout the book in the form of tips and notes. Self-Evaluation test, Review Questions, and Exercises are given at the end of each chapter so that the users can assess their knowledge. Additional learning resources at 'mayaexperts.blogspot.com'. Table of Contents Chapter 1: Exploring Maya Interface Chapter 2: Polygon Modeling Chapter 3: NURBS Curves and Surfaces Chapter 4: NURBS Modeling Chapter 5: UV Mapping Chapter 6: Shading and Texturing Chapter 7: Lighting Chapter 8: Animation Chapter 9: Rigging, Constraints, and Deformers Chapter 10: Paint Effects Chapter 11: Rendering Chapter 12: Particle System Chapter 13: Introduction to nParticles Chapter 14: Fluids Chapter 15: nHair Chapter 16: Maya Fur Chapter 17: Bullet Physics Index

Download or read book Advanced Maya Texturing and Lighting written by Lee Lanier and published by John Wiley & Sons. This book was released on 2015-03-24 with total page 459 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Level up your skills with powerful texturing and lighting techniques Advanced Maya Texturing and Lighting, Third Edition leads you through the latest advanced techniques for adding realistic detail to your models. This new edition is up-to-date with the latest Maya texturing, lighting, and rendering features, including an exploration of the Node Editor, new Maya utility nodes and expanded coverage of mental ray shaders, and render settings. The proven tutorials are culled from real-world experience and refined to give you the ultimate in practical skills. You'll learn workflow tips and tricks, the construction of custom shading networks, and the application of time-saving tools that bring your project from concept to reality. The companion website features several gigabytes of Maya scene files, texture bitmaps, and QuickTime movies that support the exercises in the book, giving you everything you need to advance your animation skillset. This book helps you take your rendering skills to the next level with the advanced tools and techniques that take animation from good to great. Learn the theory behind expert lighting design Understand shadows, shading components, and texture mapping Work with node networks, raytracing, and global illumination Try new approaches to rendering using Maya Software and mental ray If you're ready to take a big step forward and fine-tune your style, Advanced Maya Texturing and Lighting, Third Edition is the practical, hands-on guide you need.

Download or read book Autodesk Maya 2019 Basics Guide written by Kelly Murdock and published by SDC Publications. This book was released on 2018-10 with total page 576 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Written by renowned author and 3D artist Kelly L. Murdock Autodesk Maya 2019 Basics Guide is designed to give new users a solid understanding of the fundamental skills needed to create beautiful 3D models and stunning animations with Autodesk Maya. Using clear and easy to follow instructions this book will guide you through learning all the major features of Maya. The text is complemented by video instruction. Each chapter has a corresponding video tutorial that introduces you to the topics and allows you to watch and learn how functions are performed in a way that a text alone cannot do. Autodesk Maya 2019 Basics Guide makes no assumptions about your previous experience with Autodesk Maya. It begins by helping you get comfortable with the user interface and navigating scenes before moving into modeling, texturing, lighting, animating, rendering and more. Additionally, more advanced features such as character rigging, skinning, animating with dynamics and MEL scripting are also introduced. Each chapter begins by examining the concept behind each task, the goal and the necessary features that are involved. Then you go in-depth with the objective of your task as you study examples and learn the steps necessary to complete it. Working your way through the comprehensive, step-by-step lessons, you'll develop the confidence you need to create incredible renderings and animations using Autodesk Maya. Who this book is for This text was created specifically for users with no prior 3D modeling or animation experience. If you want to work in a creative field or are just curious about how 3D animated movies are made this book is the perfect way to get started. Users who are migrating from another 3D application or upgrading from a previous version of Maya will also benefit greatly from this text. What you'll learnHow to create models using curves, NURBS, Polygons and moreHow to assign materials and textures to make realistic-looking modelsHow to use Paint Effects to paint on and quickly create complex 3D ModelsHow to use lights, cameras, and depth of field to render captivating scenesHow to use keyframes, motion paths and the Graph Editor to create animationsHow to use character rigging, skinning, and inverse kinematics to animate realistic movementsHow to add influence objects, skin weights and hair to a character for a more realistic lookHow to use dynamics to create fire, smoke, lightning, explosions, cloth and ocean effectsHow to enable raytracing, motion blur, and fog effects for increased realismHow to render stills and animations using Maya Vector and Mental Ray for different looksHow to use the Command Line and MEL Scripting to work fasterAbout Autodesk Maya Maya is a program, created by Autodesk, used to model, animate, and render 3D scenes. 3D scenes created with Maya have appeared in movies, television, advertisements, games, product visualizations, and on the Web. With Maya, you can create and animate your own 3D scenes and render them as still images or as animation sequences.

Download or read book Getting Started in 3D with Maya written by Adam Watkins and published by CRC Press. This book was released on 2012-11-12 with total page 436 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Deliver professional-level 3D content in no time with this comprehensive guide to 3D animation with Maya. With over 12 years of training experience, plus several award winning students under his belt, author Adam Watkins is the ideal mentor to get you up to speed with 3D in Maya. Using a structured and pragmatic approach Getting Started in 3D with Maya begins with basic theory of fundamental techniques, then builds on this knowledge using practical examples and projects to put your new skills to the test. Prepared so that you can learn in an organic fashion, each chapter builds on the knowledge gained in the previous chapter, showing you all the essentials of 3D in Maya, from modeling and UV layout, to texture creation, rigging animating and rendering. As you go from project to project you'll develop a strong arsenal of skills that combined will form a complete end to end process to creating complete projects in Maya. The accompanying website provides all the tools you need to develop your skills. Project files to accompany the practical examples used throughout the text, so you can work along with the examples. Additional textures and models will give you all the resources you need to start making your own projects in no time at all.

Download or read book Autodesk Maya 2022 Basics Guide written by Kelly Murdock and published by SDC Publications. This book was released on 2021-07-26 with total page 648 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Written by renowned author and 3D artist Kelly L. Murdock, Autodesk Maya 2022 Basics Guide is designed to give new users a solid understanding of the fundamental skills needed to create beautiful 3D models and stunning animations with Autodesk Maya. Using clear and easy to follow instructions this book will guide you through learning all the major features of Maya. The text is complemented by video instruction. Each chapter has a corresponding video tutorial that introduces you to the topics and allows you to watch and learn how functions are performed in a way that a text alone cannot do. Autodesk Maya 2022 Basics Guide makes no assumptions about your previous experience with Autodesk Maya. It begins by helping you get comfortable with the user interface and navigating scenes before moving into modeling, texturing, lighting, animating, rendering and more. Additionally, more advanced features such as character rigging, skinning, animating with dynamics and MEL scripting are also introduced. Each chapter begins by examining the concept behind each task, the goal and the necessary features that are involved. Then you go in-depth with the objective of your task as you study examples and learn the steps necessary to complete it. Working your way through the comprehensive, step-by-step lessons, you'll develop the confidence you need to create incredible renderings and animations using Autodesk Maya. Who this book is for This text was created specifically for users with no prior 3D modeling or animation experience. If you want to work in a creative field or are just curious about how 3D animated movies are made this book is the perfect way to get started. Users who are migrating from another 3D application or upgrading from a previous version of Maya will also benefit greatly from this text. What you'll learn • How to create models using primitives, curves, NURBS, Polygons and more • How to assign materials and textures to make realistic-looking models • How to use Paint Effects to paint on and quickly create complex 3D Models • How to use lights, cameras, and depth of field to render captivating scenes • How to use keyframes, motion paths and the Graph Editor to create animations • How to use character rigging, skinning, and inverse kinematics to animate realistic movements • How to use various deformers to manipulate objects, animations and special effects • How to add influence objects, skin weights and hair to a character for a more realistic look • How to use dynamics to create fire, smoke, lightning, explosions, cloth and ocean effects • How to enable raytracing, motion blur, and fog effects for increased realism • How to render stills and animations using Maya Vector and Mental Ray for different looks • How to use the Command Line and MEL Scripting to work faster About Autodesk Maya Maya is a program, created by Autodesk, used to model, animate, and render 3D scenes. 3D scenes created with Maya have appeared in movies, television, advertisements, games, product visualizations, and on the Web. With Maya, you can create and animate your own 3D scenes and render them as still images or as animation sequences.

Download or read book Mastering Autodesk Maya 2011 written by Eric Keller and published by John Wiley & Sons. This book was released on 2010-08-06 with total page 1386 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A beautifully-packaged, advanced reference on the very latest version of Maya If you already know the basics of Maya, the latest version of this authoritative book takes you to the next level. From modeling, texturing, animation, and visual effects to high-level techniques for film, television, games, and more, this book provides professional-level Maya instruction. With pages of scenarios and examples from some of the leading professionals in the industry, this book will help you master the entire CG production pipeline. Provides professional-level instruction on Maya, the industry-leading 3D animation and effects software Covers the very latest Maya tools and features, including Dynamics, Maya Muscle, Stereo Cameras, rendering with mental ray, and more Offers complete coverage of advanced topics such as cloth, fur, and fluids Showcases the techniques of professionals through numerous examples and real-world scenarios, showing you how to set up and manage 3D animation and visual effects pipelines Includes a CD with all support files from the book, along with movies to illustrate concepts If you're looking for an in-depth, professional Maya resource to turn to again and again, Mastering Maya is the book you need. Note: CD-ROM/DVD and other supplementary materials are not included as part of eBook file. For Instructors: Teaching supplements are available for this title.

Download or read book Autodesk Maya 2020 Motion Graphics Book written by Serdar Hakan DÜZGÖREN and published by Serdar Hakan DÜZGÖREN. This book was released on with total page 116 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Motion Graphics Motion Graphics is a branch of visual design that typically involves rearranging and transforming abstract shapes into interesting animations. Below is a list of useful features for developing these kinds of effects.

Download or read book Autodesk Maya 2024 A Comprehensive Guide 15th Edition written by Prof. Sham Tickoo and published by CADCIM Technologies. This book was released on 2023-11-08 with total page 1444 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Autodesk Maya 2024 is a powerful, integrated 3D modeling, animation, visual effects, and rendering software developed by Autodesk Inc. This integrated node based 3D software finds its application in the development of films, games, and design projects. The intuitive user interface and workflow tools of Maya 2024 have made the job of design visualization specialists a lot easier. Autodesk Maya 2024: A Comprehensive Guide book covers all features of Autodesk Maya 2024 software in a simple, lucid, and comprehensive manner. It aims at harnessing the power of Autodesk Maya 2024 for 3D and visual effects artists and designers.This book will help you transform your imagination into reality with ease. Also, it will unleash your creativity, thus helping you create realistic 3D models, animation, motion graphics, and visual effects. Our latest edition covers new tools and enhancements in modeling, animation, Bifrost and much more. The performance improvements in tools such as Selection, Retopology, Graph Editor, and Animation are covered in depth. The author has also explained the Bifrost Graph Editor, an enhanced concept, with the help of suitable examples. Salient Features Consists of 17 chapters that are organized in a pedagogical sequence covering a wide range of topics such as Maya interface, Polygon modeling, NURBS modeling, texturing, lighting, cameras, rigging, animation, Paint Effects, Rendering, nHair, XGen Fur, Fluids, Particles, nParticles, Bullet Physics, Motion Graphics, Bifrost, and MASH in Autodesk Maya 2024. The first page of every chapter summarizes the topics that are covered in it. Consists of hundreds of illustrations and a comprehensive coverage of Autodesk Maya 2024 concepts & commands. Real-world 3D models and examples focusing on industry experience. Step-by-step instructions that guide the user through the learning process. Additional information is provided throughout the book in the form of tips and notes. Self-Evaluation test, Review Questions, and Exercises are given at the end of each chapter so that the users can assess their knowledge. Table of Contents Chapter 1: Exploring Maya Interface Chapter 2: Polygon Modeling Chapter 3: NURBS Curves and Surfaces Chapter 4: NURBS Modeling Chapter 5: UV Mapping Chapter 6: Shading and Texturing Chapter 7: Lights and Cameras Chapter 8: Animation Chapter 9: Rigging, Constraints, and Deformers Chapter 10: Paint Effects Chapter 11: Rendering Chapter 12: Particle System Chapter 13: Introduction to nParticles Chapter 14: Fluids Chapter 15: nHair and XGen Chapter 16: Bifrost Chapter 17: Bullet Physics and Motion Graphics Index

Download or read book Arnold Render Engine Basics Training Book for HOUDINI written by Serdar Hakan DÜZGÖREN and published by Serdar Hakan DÜZGÖREN. This book was released on with total page 1269 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Arnold Arnold is an advanced cross-platform rendering library, or API, used by a number of prominent organizations in film, television, and animation, including Sony Pictures Imageworks. It was developed as a photo-realistic, physically-based ray tracing alternative to traditional scanline based rendering software for CG animation. Arnold uses cutting-edge algorithms that make the most effective use of your computer’s hardware resources: memory, disk space, multiple processor cores, and SIMD/SSE units. The Arnold architecture was designed to easily adapt to existing pipelines. It is built on top of a pluggable node system; users can extend and customize the system by writing new shaders, cameras, filters, and output driver nodes, as well as procedural geometry, custom ray types and user-defined geometric data. The primary goal of the Arnold architecture is to provide a complete solution as a primary renderer for animation and visual effects. However, Arnold can also be used as: A ray server for traditional scanline renderers. A tool for baking/procedural generation of lighting data (lightmaps for videogames). An interactive rendering and relighting tool. Why is Arnold different? Arnold is a highly optimized, unbiased, physically-based 'Monte Carlo' ray/path tracing engine. It doesn't use caching algorithms that introduce artifacts like photon mapping and final gather. It is designed to efficiently render the increasingly complex images demanded by animation and visual effects facilities while simplifying the pipeline, infrastructure requirements and user experience. Arnold provides interactive feedback, often avoiding the need for many render passes and allowing you to match on-set lighting more efficiently. By removing many of the frustrating elements of other renderers, Arnold fits better with your work-flow, produces beautiful, predictable and bias-free results, and puts the fun back into rendering! What is wrong with algorithms like photon mapping or final gather? Such algorithms attempt to cache data that can be re-sampled later, to speed up rendering. However, in doing so, they use up large amounts of memory, introduce intermediate steps that break interactivity, and introduce bias into the sampling that causes visual artifacts. They also require artists to understand the details of how these algorithms work to correctly choose various control settings to get any speed up at all without ruining the render. Worse than that, these settings are almost always affected by other things in the scene, so it's often possible to accidentally use settings for the cache creation/use that make things worse, not better, or that work fine in one situation but are terrible in another, seemingly similar, situation. In short, they are not predictable, other than for very experienced users, and require artists to learn way too much about the algorithms to gain any benefit. We believe that your time is more valuable than your computer's time; why spend an extra 30 minutes working with photon mapping or final gather settings, even if it saves 30 minutes render time (and more often than not it doesn't). That's still 30 minutes not spent modeling, animating or lighting.