Shader Dev

For Arnold Render with C++

Tutorials

• Compiling Custom Arnold Procedurals (Stand-ins) to Make Mandelbulbs with Maya MtoA, CGStirk

• https://docs.arnoldrenderer.com/display/A5AFMUG/Technical?preview=%2F40111108%2F40404366%2FArnoldShadersTutorial.pdf

• https://docs.arnoldrenderer.com/display/A5AFMUG/Creating+a+Shader

  https://docs.arnoldrenderer.com/display/A5ARP/Creating+a+Simple+Plugin

Books

• https://thebookofshaders.com/

Setting up

1. Download VSC

2. Download Arnold SDK

Setting up Visual Studio Code

Creating the Maya interface for your shader

Referencing your template files

1. Use the template from Arnold docs
2. Open your Maya env file located in ~/Library/Preferences/Autodesk/maya/2020/

3. Insert this line at the end and save the file

MTOA_TEMPLATES_PATH = $HOME/Documents/maya/projects/arnold

In Professor Kesson's Cutter script editor v8.34 and above, it will automate the process of parsing your cpp file for the node parameters, and write into a python template file.

Utilities

Mix

AtRGB mix(AtRGB a, AtRGB b, float alpha){
	return a*(1-alpha) +b *alpha;
	}