Can somebody please explain what OSL is please?

Fri Sep 30, 2016 8:41 am

Subject says everything. So many times a response is "once OSL i implemented, this request would be possible" etc. Is OSL something that opens up things to engineers at OTOY make new fun things? Is it something that lets users make tools, shaders, etc that Otoy isn't making (e.g. Maya and MEL). Please inform my ignorance.

Fri Sep 30, 2016 9:36 am

Hi, OSL is Open Shading Language from Sony Image Works.
The idea is to share shader between 3d apps or render engines and to write your own shader.
Some use it already, Blender Cycles, Arnold, Vray and so forth.
Here is an overview:

https://github.com/imageworks/openshadinglanguage

Cheers, mib

Fri Sep 30, 2016 10:01 am

thanks for the quick explanation. In terms of Octane Render, can you let me know what this means though? That's that thing i've never gotten a clear answer on (I get what you're saying but i'm not clear). I mean, i know having something like this works well for teams with programmers on staff or large scale teams making their own custom stuff (I'm a Maya background of 16 years and they always leave their lack of tools in the hands of a team of programmers at full sized studios) , but for a normal, small, single user, what does OSL mean? That's the thing i'm trying to understand.

Basically, as a freelancer, when I ask if certain features will be available, and the answer from Otoy is "once OSL is implemented, it's possible", does that mean I need to learn that language and make things myself? Or that I need to hope somebody else that knows the language makes it?

Being a not programmer, if I get the answer "once OSL is implemented, it's possible", what does that mean for a non programmer, single user, such as myself.

Fri Sep 30, 2016 11:28 am

itsallgoode9 wrote:Being a not programmer, if I get the answer "once OSL is implemented, it's possible", what does that mean for a non programmer, single user, such as myself.

Good question. Will it be possible to add layers directly in Octane as we can in photoshop for example?

Fri Sep 30, 2016 11:35 am

Zay wrote:
itsallgoode9 wrote:Being a not programmer, if I get the answer "once OSL is implemented, it's possible", what does that mean for a non programmer, single user, such as myself.
Good question. Will it be possible to add layers directly in Octane as we can in photoshop for example?

You can write a "Layer" shader or new "fresnel" function for example. That's the most important addon to Octane for my thoughts since a long time.

Fri Sep 30, 2016 11:54 am

aoktar wrote:You can write a "Layer" shader or new "fresnel" function for example. That's the most important addon to Octane for my thoughts since a long time.

If you mean by "write a Layer" coding, then no I can't.

Fri Sep 30, 2016 12:11 pm

Zay wrote:
aoktar wrote:You can write a "Layer" shader or new "fresnel" function for example. That's the most important addon to Octane for my thoughts since a long time.
If you mean by "write a Layer" coding, then no I can't.

I don't mean YOU. You is me or somebody else of you. I think you're missing the more important part.

Fri Sep 30, 2016 12:30 pm

no to cut you off Aoktar, or Zay (very important questions you made, honestly) but...

as a purchaser of your program, can otoy please explain what this means whenever otoy gives me an answer "when OSL implemented, "X" fuction will be possible"

sorry guys. right now i'm trying to understand, as a user, the most basic level of understanding of what this means. Does this mean Otoy is relying on others to make features? Does this mean that "if" I know coding I can make these features but Otoy doesn't have plans to make these features? Does it mean it opens new posibilities for Otoy to make new features that weren't possibly before?

I'm trying to evaluate if I should stick with Octane or look at other render options and this is potentially a deciding factor and NOBODY will give me a straight answer.

please, i just want to get a basic understanding of this, as a non programming user, then you guys can have at it with deeper questions.

Fri Sep 30, 2016 12:42 pm

I can be away from topic if you wish to hear words from Otoy not me.

Fri Sep 30, 2016 1:03 pm

aoktar wrote:I can be away from topic if you wish to hear words from Otoy not me.

no, it's fine! it's just first i'm trying to understand the meaning as a non developer, first, before we get to questions beyond the very basic meaning of that. I didn't want to put the cart in front of the horse, so to speak.

even you, as a developer, could probably answer this basic question for me that nobody from otoy has ever done.