ArtVPS has announced the launch date for a pre-release version of Shaderlight, a new rendering technology that is being launched as a pre-release version so early adopters of the technology can help shape the software by providing feedback during the key final phase of product development. Shaderlight 0.1 will be available for free download from 1 June 2009. Shaderlight is a physically based ray-trace renderer that enables 3D artists and other visualization specialists to make changes to key image attributes at any stage of the rendering process—even on production quality images—without having to restart rendering computations. Users will be able to make interactive changes to materials, environments, lights, and textures (the MELT elements) on high-resolution images. “Ray-tracing is a compute-intensive process and continues to be a bottleneck in the production of high quality computer-generated images and animations,” said Michael Lawson, CTO at ArtVPS. “Because even the smallest change to the factors that define the image means rendering must start again from the beginning, professionals are all too often faced with the choice of missing a deadline or compromising on the quality of their final output. Shaderlight removes this obstacle by enabling fundamental changes to be made right up to the point of delivery, maximizing creative freedom and ultimately improving the final image.” The first pre-release of Shaderlight will be a plug-in for 3ds Max from Autodesk. It will be available as a free download, where users will be encouraged to share feedback, both with each other and with the ArtVPS development team. For more information, visit ArtVPS. Sources: Press materials received from the company and additional information gleaned from the company s website.
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