Mental Ray for Maya, 3ds Max, and XSI
A 3D Artist's Guide to Rendering
Chapter One
Introduction to mental ray
mental ray, a robust and independent rendering package, is well integrated
within several 3D applications-Autodesk Maya, Autodesk 3ds Max, and Softimage|XSI, for
example-as plug-in software. As a plug-in application for these host programs, mental ray
specializes in generating photorealistic images, with an unsurpassed ability to re-create
natural phenomena. As you'll see, it can also be used for creating nonphotorealistic contour
renderings (NPRs). mental ray's photorealistic capabilities derive from an extensive
set of tools that perform advanced camera, light, surface, and volume shading simulations.
These simulations and the realistic renderings they allow lend themselves to various applications:
architectural design, motion picture animation and visual effects, high-end television
commercials, automotive and industrial design, and games. In a nutshell, mental ray
provides outstanding render quality and an unsurpassed set of tools that cope with complex
rendering challenges su ... read full excerpt from mental ray for Maya, 3ds Max, and XSI: A 3D Artist's Guide to Rendering ebook
