Open Source Renderer Aqsis 1.0 Released

cgTobi writes "I am very pleased to announce that the stable 1.0 release of Aqsis - The Open Source Renderman Renderer, has been released. This release will remain stable in terms of publicly visible interface, no new features, only bug fixes. This will allow users who have been concerned in the past about things changing underneath them to use Aqsis in the confidence that it will not change. We have branched the CVS repository to allow 1.0 to be maintained in terms of bug fixes, while work goes ahead on new exciting features, including performance and memory optimisation, ray tracing/global illumination, and deep shadow maps."

Re:Major Users?

[Anonymous Coward]

The core of it, believe it or not, was used extensively in Doom 3. Cormack licensed some of the technology, particularly the stuff to do with shadows from lights projected behind the player.

It's also rumored to be used for Excel easter egg in Excel 2005, copies of which are being tested by various corporate groups at the moment. Microsoft was extremely impressed by Aqsis's speed and realism, and the version used in Excel apparently includes an entire map of the 1 Microsoft Way campus.

Very impressive stuff, and all the more impressive that such big names have taken such a liking to the technology.