An OSL pattern generator is now included in 3DS Max 2019 !!!
It is awesome ! It can export to bitmap, for non-OSL renderer. Shaders are fully intergrated in OSL renderers, like Arnold.
It's optimisation is not done shader by shader, but for the whole node tree. So many little shaders would go as fast as a very big one doing the same thing! That's Excellent!
Other nice things: you can edit and compile OSL scripts inside 3DS Max, or even link them to your scene (or unlink to file, in 3DS Max terminology)!
Indeed, I just have one thing to say...
In 2012, Blender was the first to do all of this!
Brecht Van Lommel did a wonderful job on OSL integration in Cycles, as he did a wonderful job for Solid Angle Arnold.
For now 6 years, we use Blender for easy OSL dev., using included script editor, realtime render update, etc...
And, most impressive, Blender is still ahead! It includes closures and other advanced OSL functions not yet available in 3DSMax.
I started teaching OSL using Blender in 2013. Students were wondering why... Now, they are immediately proficient in writing OSL Shaders in 3DS Max 2019, from the first day!
Now, they can use their knowledge in the biggest and most powerful renderers !
Just because I started teaching OSL 5 years ago !
Long time before this standard was widely available, long time before autodesk decide that it's should be included in mainstream softwares, I was teaching OSL on Blender, Maya and 3DSMax (yes! 3DS Max!) for years!
Because, when your are teaching, you should NOT teach what exists now. You should NOT answer the actuel needs.
You have to teach what will exist when the students will leave school.
You have to teach what will be needed in the next 2, 3 or 10 years!
If you do so, your students will adapt themselve immediately to new technologies! Because they try them before all others.
And Blender is a wonderful tool for this goal.
So, if you are teacher, remeber this :
Go boldly where no human has gone before !
OSL in 3DS Max is the perfect illustration of this story!
