MayaMan Custom RenderMan Light Shaders

Creating a Custom RenderMan Light Shader Node

Open the MayaMan Light Attributes dialog. At the bottom you will see an option to 'Use Custom Shader'. Tick this option, then press the 'Create New Custom Shader Node' button. This will create a new custom light shader node for you. Alternatively, if you already have such a node in your scene you can just enter its name in the field or use the Browse button to locate it.

Once you have the name of a custom light shader node in the field, you can press the 'Put To Selected' button to associate the custom node with any selected lights.

Modifying Custom Light Shader Nodes

Once the custom node is associated with your lights, you can simply select a light and bring up Maya's attribute editor. You should now see a tab for the custom shader node. Here you can enter the name of a compiled shader file (or browse to one) and press the 'Init' button to add attributes to the node that will be used as the shader's arguments.

Auto-Matching Of Light Shader Parameters

Not all parameters of a light shader are shown as they can be derived from the light that the shader is attached to. This list is subject to change, if a parameter is not listed then it can be assumed that the value is derived from either the light or a MayaMan Light Attributes node attached to the light.

For parameters like coneangle and to work properly it is important that the Maya light that the shader is attached to be of the appropriate type.

Shader Parameter Actual Source

intensity Maya light's Intensity

lightcolor Maya light's Color

coneangle Maya light's Cone Angle

conedeltaangle Maya light's Penumbra Angle

from Maya light's transform

to Maya light's transform

shadowcolor Maya light's ShadowColor

shadowname normally computed by MayaMan, explicitly set with MayaMan Light Attributes

shadowbias Maya light's Dmap Bias

shadowsamples Maya Man Light Attributes

shadowblur Maya light's Dmap Filter Size

__foglight MayaMan Light Attributes

__nondiffuse Maya light's Emit Diffuse

__nonspecular Maya light's Emit Specular

MayaMan Help Contents

Shader Parameter	Actual Source
intensity	Maya light's Intensity
lightcolor	Maya light's Color
coneangle	Maya light's Cone Angle
conedeltaangle	Maya light's Penumbra Angle
from	Maya light's transform
to	Maya light's transform
shadowcolor	Maya light's ShadowColor
shadowname	normally computed by MayaMan, explicitly set with MayaMan Light Attributes
shadowbias	Maya light's Dmap Bias
shadowsamples	Maya Man Light Attributes
shadowblur	Maya light's Dmap Filter Size
__foglight	MayaMan Light Attributes
__nondiffuse	Maya light's Emit Diffuse
__nonspecular	Maya light's Emit Specular