[Bf-committers] OpenEXR plugin for Blender :-)

[Ton Roosendaal]

Hi,

Great, thanks!
I have no time to check on this patch now, but like to mention that  
another developer has been working on the feature as well (Alfredo de  
Greef). Afaik this wasn't finished yet.

Kent Mein is also working on 64/128 bits images support in our ImBuf  
(image) library, something to keep synced as well!

> Restrictions are:
> .) It is C++-code, so openexr.cc is using g++ to compile

Check on how for example the Freetype/FTGL library was linked in  
Blender. This is C++ code as well, nicely wrapped to a C API. The local  
Blender component for it (C++ too) is in the directory  
source/blender/ftfont/, the FTGL library in extern/, the freetype  
library belongs either in lib/<platform>/ or defined to use a link path  
in makefiles/scons.

OpenEXR should be done in a similar way. The library itself doesn't  
belong in our source tree, but precompiled as static lib (with  
headers).
Make a nice C Api for it in source/blender/openxr/ or so

> .) I only integrated the necessary includes and ldadds to SConstruct,  
> and
> only for the Linux platform.

There are devs here who will help with makefiles and project files.

> .) There is no auto-detection of OpenEXR, it is assumed to lie in
> /usr/include/OpenEXR

See above. Since we use many different OSs to compile on, using the  
lib/ dir for Blender will be simplest for everyone to use.

> Bonus features of OpenEXR:
> .) Support for OpenEXR Z-data writing (that's why I wrote the
> plugin ;) )
> .) Prepared for float data output (will be the first one, right ? :-) )
> .) Prepared for extra data channels (like normals, geometry images,  
> etc.)
> .) Interchange format with Cinepaint

Yep, openEXR was on our roadmap. :)

> I will need help with:
> .) Licensing ... what shall I write in the header ? I gladly donate the
> code to the Blender foundation for dual licensing, but I would like to
> have my name in the code .

Just copy the full header from another C file, and change the (c)  
statement into "Blender Foundation" and add your name as contributor.

> .) 16 bit-short-output: Is there example code for that ?

I doubt we'll support that in the short term.

> .) Float out: I heard the renderer is being rebuilt to support float
> output. How can the OpenEXR plugin register as a float output format to
> the renderer ?

Check on the code for other image saving... warning, this is a very  
antique abused dutch named routine "schrijfplaatje()" in toets.c. Could  
use major cleanup, but will work for you.
The 4xfloat buffer is simply accessible as the global R.rectftot (float  
pointer, RGBA). Check the RE_floatbuffer_to_output() code in render  
module.

> .) GUI: It would be great to be able to provide settings for OpenEXR
> output (see the OpenEXR plugin on www.splutterfish.com ). Although I  
> dont
> know if I have time to do it myself, I could sit together with some
> Blender GUI expert to define the knobs and whistles the user could set,
> and export this settings API from the OpenEXR plugin.

There's space for 1 or 2 buttons... not much. :)
Output choices could be limited to 4 x float, with/without Z
Optional is 4 x short, with/without Z. Dunno...

> .) Z data channel: How is the Z data defined ? Is it relative to the
> camera, starting with Z=0 at the image plane ? Where is Z=1.0 ?

The zbuffer is the actial Z buffer as used for rendering. It isn't even  
'correct' since it misses transparency and halos or particles. The  
values are signed integers, ranging from -max to +max for clipping  
planes (between near and far).

-Ton-

>
> It would be cool to meet devs who could help me in this, maybe this or
> next evening on IRC. Just drop me a mail to gz at lysator.liu.se  
> (important,
> since the list is in digest mode for me) and I will do my best to be  
> there :-)
>
> Servus,
>   Gernot
>
> --  
> T----------------------------W-E-L-C-O-M- 
> E------------------------------T
> O  The Austria <=> Sweden <=> Germany <=> Netherlands connection.....   
>  H
> |  http://www.mpi-sb.mpg.de/~gziegler | http://lysator.liu.se/~gz       
>  E
> \-----------------------------F-U-T-U-R- 
> E-------------------------------/
> _______________________________________________
> Bf-committers mailing list
> Bf-committers at projects.blender.org
> http://projects.blender.org/mailman/listinfo/bf-committers
>
>
------------------------------------------------------------------------ 
--
Ton Roosendaal  Blender Foundation ton at blender.org  
http://www.blender.org