Academy Software Foundation Announces OpenPBR Shading Model

Academy Software Foundation (ASWF) announced OpenPBR (Open Physically-Based Rendering), a new subproject of MaterialX. It is an open-source shading model that will be the successor to Autodesk Standard Surface and Adobe Standard Material – material models designed to be used for PBR.

OpenPBR was created by Autodesk and Adobe with guidance from the MaterialX Technical Steering Committee. 

OpenPBR is based on MaterialX and provides "a description of how an artist will interface with the physical properties of the surface they’re creating." This will give artists a more specific interface and the ability to transfer data between assets with little conversion.

ASWF promises that any software that supports MaterialX will automatically support OpenPBR.

The OpenPBR repository will appear on GitHub this month, and more details will be shared on YouTube soon, so stay tuned.

ASWF is an organization created for advancing open-source software development across image creation, visual effects, animation, and sound technologies. It recently adopted OpenImageIO as its hosted project.

The organization is busy with its Open Review Initiative, which aims to build "a unified open source toolset for playback, review and approval of motion picture and related professional media." Maxon, Tangent Animation, Framestore, and HP are part of ASWF, and Autodesk, DNEG, and Sony Pictures Imageworks first contributed to the Open Review Initiative.

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