Renderman for OS X

[MacRumors]

With the release of the PowerMac G5, Pixar appears to be getting on board with Renderman for the PowerMac.

A Pixar Press Release notes that they are evaluating a full release:

We have benchmarked PhotoRealistic RenderMan on Apple's new Power Mac G5 and have found the performance of the G5 to be impressive. We are considering a full release of our software for the G5, depending on customer demand and other issues.

If interested in Renderman for the Power Mac G5, Pixar is requesting emails to rmanosx@pixar.com with the Subject of "RenderMan for Mac", as well as to include your contact information.

If released, the Beta program will likely begin in August, and will be limited to active Pixar customers. Interest in Beta testing from current Pixar customers can be directed to rmanosx@pixar.com with the Subject of "RenderMan for Mac Beta Program".

 

[GeneR]

Kewl.

Sounds like a good thing. I wonder how much they will be selling the Renderman software, etc.

I guess what would REALLY impress me is if Apple got it's XServes to have G5's and if Pixar opted to replace their render farm boxes with G5s. Hmmm...

 

[Mr. Anderson]

Ah, very cool - definitely interested - although I'm going to wonder what their pricing is going to be. Probably quite steep - but I emailed them anyway.

Thanks for the info

D

 

[trilogic]

Re: Kewl.

Originally posted by GeneR
I guess what would REALLY impress me is if Apple got it's XServes to have G5's and if Pixar opted to replace their render farm boxes with G5s. Hmmm...

this is just a question of time

 

[macFanDave]

Can Pixar afford it?

Maybe the people at Pixar can get the people at Apple to give them a break if they buy lots of G5's.

 

[bertinman]

Re: Re: Kewl.

Originally posted by trilogic
this is just a question of time

seems to me that they will loose the 1U config when they switch. all that cooling, WOW. maybe they didn't release at the same time because they're still trying to figure out how to do the cooling on a 1U config.

having dual cpus at 1U is a very good thing, the racks cost allot and the movement and storage of them isn't pennies either (having to move a 9ft rack myself to save a couple hundred bucks).

- bert

 

[tmornini]

Re: Kewl.

Originally posted by GeneR
I guess what would REALLY impress me is if Apple got it's XServes to have G5's and if Pixar opted to replace their render farm boxes with G5s. Hmmm...

Their render farm is RENTED from RackSpace.

It's possible that:

1) They rented to get themselves an upgrade NOW (when they did it) knowing that G5s were coming.

2) They want someone else to manage the boxes so they can always have current hardware without capitalizing and depreciating it. Renting gives them a pure expense.

Everyone keeps saying that they switched to Intel, blah blah blah. I think they switched their business model more likely.

 

[macquariumguy]

Re: Re: Kewl.

Originally posted by tmornini
Their render farm is RENTED from RackSpace.

More likely leased, but still.

I work for a medium sized business (~700 employees) and we lease all our computers and office furniture. It's just accounting voodo, a way for the company to spread the cost out. We still get what we want when we want it.

 

[mustang_dvs]

Though I am in no way connected to the CGI animation industry (except for the occasional $8 ticket purchase to enjoy a Pixar film), I see this as a very Good Thing (tm). If Pixar shifts, even partially, to OS X, it lends even more 'street cred' to the best operating system available.

 

[acj]

Jobs is the CEO of pixar

Obviously, he has interest in linking the two companies and phasing out their intel powered render farm.

 

[ThorPrime]

CineBench

On a somewhat related note

If Pixar is seeing big results on the G5, I wonder what the CineBench Marks for the G5 are. Maxon has put alot of time into optimizing their renderer for mac and especially Dual Processors.

I bet a new G5 optimized renderer would cream the Intels harder than Photoshop did. Forget Spec results. CineBench is a real world test of something people actually use their mac for.

 

[agreenster]

Originally posted by Mr. Anderson
Ah, very cool - definitely interested - although I'm going to wonder what their pricing is going to be. Probably quite steep - but I emailed them anyway.

Thanks for the info

D

Ever used RenderMan? Its a tough piece of software. (unless you are well-versed in programming, although I heard that their new versions have some sort of GUI)

Renderman is powerful, but its not for the casual CG person...Ill stick with MentalRay.....

 

[Mr. Anderson]

Originally posted by agreenster
Ever used RenderMan? Its a tough piece of software. (unless you are well-versed in programming, although I heard that their new versions have some sort of GUI)

Renderman is powerful, but its not for the casual CG person...Ill stick with MentalRay.....

I played around with Renderman many years ago - when I was doing some openGL programming. It is a bit top heavy, but like you said, they're working on a GUI. If it ever comes to the mainstream, they'd have to deliver it with regular users in mind.

So maybe this will start the ball rolling in that direction.

D

 

[eric_n_dfw]

Re: Re: Re: Kewl.

Originally posted by bertinman
seems to me that they will loose the 1U config when they switch. all that cooling, WOW. maybe they didn't release at the same time because they're still trying to figure out how to do the cooling on a 1U config.

having dual cpus at 1U is a very good thing, the racks cost allot and the movement and storage of them isn't pennies either (having to move a 9ft rack myself to save a couple hundred bucks).

- bert

They wouldn't need all those fans if noise was a non-issue as it is for most rack mount machines. Remember the PowerMac G5 only has 9 fans because they are low RPM and computer controlled to be as quiet as possible. On an XServe they could have one fan per CPU running at high speed and achive the same goal. (Like the current XServe does)

 

[Smurfman]

Re: CineBench

Originally posted by ThorPrime
On a somewhat related note

If Pixar is seeing big results on the G5, I wonder what the CineBench Marks for the G5 are. Maxon has put alot of time into optimizing their renderer for mac and especially Dual Processors.

I bet a new G5 optimized renderer would cream the Intels harder than Photoshop did. Forget Spec results. CineBench is a real world test of something people actually use their mac for.

I agree! We use Cinema4D 8.1 everyday and have already placed our orders for the G5's. Hope Maxon updates Cinema soon after the G5's ship inorder to take advantage of the 64bit 970.

I have been EXTREMELY impressed with the new G5's. Not only for where they are now, but for where (and how fast) they're going. As Jobs said... The architecture has legs and IBM seems to have the confidence that the 970 will scale quickly. The next 3 years will be a completely different story for Mac fans than the previous 3. I believe the WinTel world is now going to watch as, each year, they get farther and farther behind Apple/IBM.

In regards to RenderMan... I have also sent an e-mail in hopes this will come to the Mac platform and that Cinema4D will somehow be able to hook into it.

HSMM Imaging Studio

 

[ClimbingTheLog]

It appears to be done - I guess they're wondering if they ought to release it or not.

Hmmm, let's see if I get this attachment thing to work - the preview doesn't.