Suggestions to modify Shaderman.next

[animate1978]

Hi Alexie,

I managed to get Shaderman.next running well for Animux, after some
tinkering. I would like to suggest some modifications though since
this program is starting to catch on, finally.

1. Renderman selection, as there is no way to change this inside the
program. Makes it difficult to switch as it is entered in a file that
most people don't know.

2. More bricks?

3. A bit more documentation, as it is it seems vague how the program
is supposed to run.

That is pretty much the extent of things I can see that could be
improved with Shaderman.next, though with enough effort I am sure I
can start to build new bricks. I loved the amount of bricks in the
original program and am looking to make that same amount for this one
too, just my own contribution to the program maybe. Anyways the major
improvement is just the Renderman program selection.

Thanks!
Ted :)

[Alexei Puzikov]

Ted,

> I managed to get Shaderman.next running well for Animux, after some
> tinkering. I would like to suggest some modifications though since
> this program is starting to catch on, finally.

Anything specific to document/fix?

> 1. Renderman selection, as there is no way to change this inside the
> program. Makes it difficult to switch as it is entered in a file that
> most people don't know.

You mean - path to renderer and shader compiler?

Cheers,

A.

[T G]

Yes sir that would be correct. The Animux devs were just having hell of a time making Shaderman work, though with some correct python libs and a bit of patience it runs fine now. It just had to do with the renderer setting mainly.
The thing I miss from the new program is the Renderman settings from the original, the ability to change the pixel samples, filtering, preview size and the like. However that is not as important as being able to change the rendering application from 3Delight (as it is now) to something like Aqsis or Pixie, let alone PRMan, AIR and other commercial apps.
I know you intended on Shaderman.Next being more than just a SL builder, I think there is a need for a bit more control over the application as the original had thats all.

Other than that the program is awesome, even more so since it is open source. If I had the programming skill I would be doing this myself but alas I do not. The best I can do is build the bricks up a bit more, to try to get the amount of bricks found in the original program.

Thanks :)

Ted

[Alexei Puzikov]

> The Animux devs were just having hell of a
> time making Shaderman work, though with some correct python libs and a bit
> of patience it runs fine now.

This would be lovely to have the proper setup documented.

A.

[T G]

I will get the info from the Animux devs and write up a document tonight :)

Sorry if I missed what you were getting at there Alexei :)

Ted

[T G]

Shaderman.Next Setup

The initial setup of Shaderman.Next on a Linux OS can be quite problematic if the absolute necessary steps are not taken. Another part of setting up Shaderman.Next is to edit the render output, otherwise by default the program looks for 3Delight.

Shaderman.Next runs completely on Python, the exact version of Python needed is not known but it is a general rule that you would need at least Python 2.5.2. The next step is to obtain wxPython 2.8 and PyOpenGL 3.0. This step is most critical to get right, if you do not get the right version then the program will fail to run right, if at all. A few Linux users have expressed problems from this, so following these steps will save you a LOT of time and frustration. If you do not get the proper libraries then the program will produce a lot of errors when trying to run, if it runs at all.

Exact packages in Animux Linux

python        2.5.2-3

python-wxgtk2.8    2.8.7.1-1.1

python-opengl    3.0.0~b6-3

There was no custom install of the above packages, being this is a Debian based Linux OS, these were found on the Debian repositories. However if you are using an RPM based Linux, it is pretty certain you'll find the same thing. At worst you need to download the source and place the Python libraries manually.

The next step is to edit the render settings. You will find this here in the Shaderman.Next package :

../shaderman/modes/Renderman SL/settings.py

The setting is set for 3Delight, so unless you do have this renderer, the preview will not render at all. You need to edit this to reflect the renderer you have installed on your system, either Aqsis or Pixie. You also need to have root privilege to do this as well.

The below code is in settings.py :

settings = [{'default': u'shaderdl', 'name': u'ShaderCompiler'}, {'default': u'renderdl', 'name': u'Renderer'}]

You need to change 'shaderdl' to 'aqsl' and 'renderdl' to 'aqsis' - if using Aqsis

You need to change 'shaderdl' to 'sdrc' and 'renderdl' to 'rndr' - if using Pixie

Once you have completed these steps Shaderman.Next should function smoothly.

-Ted Gocek
anima...@gmail.com

[Alexei Puzikov]

Lovely - thanks!