Essential Guide to RenderMan® Shading Plugin Development: Understanding Bxdfs

Table of Contents
About the Author
About the Technical Reviewer
Chapter 1: Overview, Brief Contextual History, and Pixar’s Non-Commercial RenderMan
	Introduction to RenderMan
		What Is Rendering?
		The RenderMan Interface Specification
		The Non-Commercial RenderMan
			Official Docs
			Official Example Plugins
	RenderMan’s Evolution
		“Render Everything You Ever Saw”
		RenderMan Shader Language
		RenderMan Bytestream
			C API
			Python API
	Overview of Monte Carlo Path Tracing
		Irradiance Integration
			Numerical Approximation
				Monte Carlo Integration
	Installing NCR on Linux Machines
		Ubuntu Linux Installation
	Other Types of RenderMan Plugins
		Geometry
		Lights and Integrators
	Our Road Map
		What This Book Covers
		What This Book Does Not Cover
	Summary
Chapter 2: What RenderMan Plugins Are Made Of: C++ Language and Shared Object Files
	The C++ Language
		Reserved Words
		Object-Oriented Programming
	Compiling C++ Programs
		Makefiles
		Dynamic vs. Static Linking
			Shared Objects
		Plugins Folder
			Where the RenderMan Server Loads Plugin Binaries
	Summary
Chapter 3: Radiometry and Bidirectional Scattering Functions
	Radiometric Quantities
		Solid Angle
		Differentials
		Radiant Energy
		Radiant Flux
		Irradiance
		Radiance
			Differential Solid Angle with Respect to Radiance
	Definition of the BxDF
	Rendering Equation
		The Integral
			BRDF Term
			Cosine Term
	Summary
Chapter 4: Monte Carlo Integration and Global Integrators
	Numerical Integration
		Quadrature
		Monte Carlo
			Probability Density Functions
			The Monte Carlo Estimator
			Error Determination
			Importance Sampling
	Overview of Integrator Plugins
		Official Integrators
			PxrPathTracer
			PxrVCM
			PxrUnified
			PxrDirectLighting
			Integrators for Bxdf Development
			Integrators for Bxdf Debugging
		How Integrators Call a Bxdf Plugin
			Analogy with the RSL illuminance Loop
	Summary
Chapter 5: The RenderMan (Rix) API
	Classes for Bxdf Plugins
		Execution Model
		RixShadingPlugin
		RixShadingContext
			Similarity with RSL’s “Predefined” Variables
		RixBxdf
	Shading Utilities
		Frequently Used “Built-In” Utilities
		RiTypesHelper.h
	Summary
Chapter 6: Canonical Scattering Regimes for Bxdf
	Bxdf Plugin Code Organization
	Emissive Model
		Emissive Plugin Factory Class
		Emissive Plugin RixBxdf Class
	Diffuse Reflection Model
		Diffuse Plugin Factory Class
		Diffuse Plugin RixBxdf Class
			PDF Selection and Sampling
	Specular Reflection Model
	Plastic (Phong) Material
	Summary
Chapter 7: Developing and Debugging Bxdf
	Development Environments
		Visual Debugging with Multiple Threads
		The renderman.ini File
		VS Code Extensions for RIB and RSL
	Using PxrValidateBxdf
	Using PxrDebugShadingContext
	Summary
Chapter 8: PDF Normalization, Sampling, and Anisotropic Bxdf
	PDFs and Sampling
		PDF Normalization
			Cosine Distribution
		Sampling via the PDF
	Ward Anisotropy
		Background on the Gaussian Curve
		The Ward Anisotropic BRDF
	Marschner Finished Wood
	Summary
Conclusions
Index