Unlock Seamless Material Interchange for Virtual Worlds with OpenUSD, MaterialX, and OpenPBR
Table of Contents
- Standardizing Material Interchange with OpenUSD and MaterialX
- Describing Materials as Shader Graphs with MaterialX
- Utilizing OpenPBR for Seamless Material Interchange
1. Standardizing Material Interchange with OpenUSD and MaterialX
- The AOUSD Materials Working Group is standardizing the MaterialX standard library with OpenUSD in UsdShade.
- Developers can confidently use OpenUSD materials, ensuring compatibility across the ecosystem.
- Shaders in real-time applications are typically written in low-level shading languages like GLSL or HLSL.
- MaterialX is an open-source file format and library for describing materials as shader graphs.
- MaterialX allows for the generation of low-level code for different platforms, facilitating the evaluation of materials.
2. Describing Materials as Shader Graphs with MaterialX
- MaterialX hosted at ASWF describes materials as shader graphs, detailing how nodes are connected to form a graph.
- Shader graphs provide flexibility for creating a variety of materials.
- Users can create new materials by plugging shader nodes in a graph editor.
- MaterialX backend generates low-level code for rendering engines to evaluate the materials effectively.
3. Utilizing OpenPBR for Seamless Material Interchange
- OpenPBR is an "uber-shader" available in Omniverse and MaterialX for streamlining material creation.
- An overarching material definition, OpenPBR, offers a simplified approach for utilizing materials, such as PBR textures.
- Omniverse, in collaboration with the OpenPBR group, will implement the new shading model for seamless material interchange.
- Developers can access OpenPBR materials via OpenUSD and MaterialX, ensuring compatibility across different applications and renderers.
