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More on LoTR Special Effects
sushi writes: "Another LoTR article: this one focusing on the technology used at Weta Digital (the CG shop). Interesting that they are undertaking "major" R&D into running more Linux, and that Linux "delivers about two times the price performance compared to systems running proprietary operating systems". I've been lucky enough to have seen inside this place, and it's cool to see a render-wall of linux boxen. Full story
from a New Zealand newspaper." We linked to another good article about WETA a month ago.
Well PDI, Blue Sky, Rhythm and Hues and other facilities wrote their own renderer because there wasn't any commercial one back then (PDI is over 20 years old!!!). That what Pixar also did when it was still the Lucasfilm Computer Graphics Group, they created their own renderer, but later on decided to sell it. But even Pixar uses its own animation software called menv or Marionette (for the media). And besides the advantage is that all these companies don't have to wait for new features and also they can tailor it specifically to their pipeline, not that they want punishment.
Ohhh, and WETA Digital is using PRMan. There is one guy from there that frequently posts at the RenderMan newsgroup. He even posted at least once job openings for shader writers. They also use Houdini, which has a Linux port and it has a great RenderMan connection.
Not at all, they are running PRMan from the looks of it. One guy from WETA digital is a frequent poster at the renderman newgroup and has even posted job openings for shader writers. besides Maya and Shake they are also running things like Houdini which has a great RenderMan connection. Weta does indeed have propietary software like Masive, but as most other places they have a mix of in house built and of the shelf stuff.
Most old timers in the CG arena have in house tools because there wasn't any off the shelf stuff to buy. Besides Rhythm and Hues, you have places like PDI, Blue Sky Studios, Pixar (though they decided to sell their renderer most of their other tools are propietary) and others. Most FX studios run on a mix off commercial and in built software. Most places run mostly SGI but many are switching or at least experimenting with Linux. Rhythm and hues is even helping develop the Film version of the Gimp (for 16 bit work, tha's 16 bit per component).