RenderMan.app

RenderMan.app is a simple User Interface that facilitates the intuitive behavior you expect from on a Mac for the most basic RenderMan operations: rendering RIB files, compiling shaders, and converting textures. Developed specifically, indeed exclusively, for the Mac, RenderMan.app sits comfortably on your desktop, with the power of RenderMan Pro Server just a mouse-click away.

RenderMan.app offers three basic utilities, each with a separate tab. RIB files are rendered, shaders are compiled, and textures are converted simply by dragging and dropping the appropriate files to the corresponding tab. Options for each of the utilities are controlled through drop-down lists or user-defined parameters. RIB files are easily queued and managed within the Rendering Queue; jobs can be paused, ejected or removed from the queue, re-arranged, and reloaded with the click of a button or by dragging and dropping. Recompiling shaders or textures is also just a matter of clicking a button.

With RenderMan Pro Server at its core, RenderMan.app is an easy way to do basic rendering tasks simply, locally, and reliably, and all of the features of RenderMan Pro Server are still available on the Mac via the command line.

The Menus

The RenderMan.app Interface

The User Interface offers basic management of your render jobs. There are three tabs that correlate with RenderMan.app's functions: prman, shader, and txmake.

prman

Choose the number of slots to use via the Rendering Slots drop-down list.
The active job is shown in the top window, along with its slot and its progress. The job can be paused, restarted, or ejected via slick buttons.
The Rendering Queue shows a list of pending renders. Each render can be removed from the list by clicking on the “X” button. The order of the files can be re-arranged by dragging and dropping files according to your whims, needs, or inclinations.
The Recent Files window shows, as you might expect, a list of recent RIB files that have been rendered. These files can be added back to the queue by clicking on the swirly-arrow button.
The Rendering Log shows interesting bits of information related to your render jobs. You can choose to show “All” the information, the “prman Output”, the “prman Errors”, or a “Summary” by choosing from the drop-down list. The information in the log can be erased by clicking on the Clear Log button.

shader

Shader Settings provides two windows for entering specific Include Paths and Options, as required by your shaders.
Multi-processor rendering is enabled via the multi-proc check box.
Once again, the Recent Files window provides a list of recently compiled shaders, which can also be re-compiled by clicking on the swirly-arrow button.
The Shading Log displays tasty morsels (or heaping portions) of pertinent information related to your compilations. You can choose to view “All” the morsels (a.k.a. “heaping portions”), just the “shader Output” morsels, or a “Summary” of the morsels using the drop-down list. The information in the log can be erased by clicking on the Clear Log button.

txmake

Choose the type of texture you are converting the file into via the Convert Texture Settings drop-down list. Options include Texure, Shadow, Environment, Occlusion, or Irradiance. You can also choose User to define your own texture settings, or Sho to view the file.
The Defaults button sets the texture settings parameters to their default values.
You can adjust those parameters (Resize, Mode, and Output) via the drop-down lists. If you change your mind, see the preceding item re: the Defaults button.
The Command window shows the settings you've generated. These settings can be manually edited here, or entered by hand if you have chosen the User setting.
As you might have guessed, the Recent Files window provides a list of recently converted textures, which can be reconverted by clicking on the swirly-arrow button.
The Texture Log shows interesting bits of information related to your texture conversions. You can choose to show “All” the information, the “txmake Output”, or a “Summary” by choosing from the drop-down list. The information in the log can be erased by clicking on the Clear Log button.

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Using RenderMan.app

RenderMan.app…

renders RIB files,
compiles shaders,
converts textures,
manages RenderMan Pro Server versions,
starts and/or stops Alfserver, and
starts and/or stops the License Server.

It does all these things in as Mac-like a manner as one could hope. RIB files, shaders, and images can be dragged to their corresponding tabs, or opened via the File menu. Render jobs are paused, removed, restarted, or reloaded using the appropriate buttons, as outlined above. Ditto the recompiling of shaders and textures. Tweaking parameters and options can be done manually or by using the drop-down lists that also happen to be outlined above. Managing versions and starting/stopping the Alfserver and License services is done via the Preferences.

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