hello all I have put forward a project proposal outlining a programmable graphics pipeline for optional use in blender.
I submitted my proposal: ------------------------------------------------------- PROJECT GOAL I intend to create a render pipeline who's shader(s) can be selected by a user as being a programmable shader created from source code which is then compiled and then "executed" when a pixel is to be shaded OR one of the current stock shaders from a drop down list box in material settings.
I have still not yet decided wheather the shading language should be a subset of python (at least looking synthatically similar) or like C (similar to RSL) however the many benifits of an RSL clone is that people have experience with it, it is an industry standard and the shaders runtimes and shader compilers from pixie or aqsis can be used.
REQUIRED BLENDER RESOURCES What I hope to use are: The mailing lists - so other developers can have an input on the syntax design as well as give help on pipeline integration and coding techniques. The exposure - so people are aware of it.
DECLARATION OF PRIMARY INTENTIONS AND OTHER COMMITMENTS This is a blender research project.
There is no agenda of infringing on the foundation's long term plans. HOWEVER It is naturally a big boost to one's own self-esteem and happyness when ones own work gets regonised by the wider community.
I am doing a masters in electronics, I do not have the 'promptness' and speed that other coders may have because my thesis takes up so much of my time. Therefore if the project is accepted it should be expected that this is a *long term research project*. With no results to be shown for the first 6-12 months after initial acceptance.
My main interest is the shader virtual machine, shader API's and the render pipeline, it will have to be for others to give it a nice GUI if the programmable shader subsystem has the required merit to warrant futher development.
The shader type would be the surface shader in renderman(tm), so there is no intention of providing displacement, transformation, atmospheric, volumetric and light shaders to blender's graphics pipeline. --------------------------------------------------
and ton emailed me back asking me to put it on the developer mailing list, just to see what you all thought of it - ask for ideas and comments.
so here it is.
what do you think??
simon
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