Writing Mental Ray(r) Shaders: A Perceptual Introduction

An increasing number of artists and programmers in visual effects and broadcast production now use mental ray, a high performance rendering engine for generating photorealistic images. This book details the aesthetics of rendering with mental ray. It describes the varieties of shader programming from the point of view of increasing perceptual complexity: from color, to the effects of light, to the manipulation of shape, to the output of the final image. It includes many example shaders, including the simplest shader possible in each category that can serve as a starting point for further customization. These examples will also provide a basis for training artists interested in extending their technical skills by learning how the write shaders for mental ray.