Sunflow Adds Install Docs
Some of you might know that I am a big fan of Sunflow and that I think it should be integrated into Blender much like YafRay is. The main reasons for this belief is that it is 1) open source, 2) utilizing the latest render techniques, and 3) is catering to all the major 3D software with exporters for each. The downside of Sunflow flow is that 1) it currently has only a single developer, and 2) it takes some effort to unlock its potential. Overall though, I am putting stock in it becoming huge.
That being said, I wanted to point out that Chris (the developer) has posted some nice documentation to get quick access to Sunflow by just clicking a shortcut. Yes, clicking a shortcut to open a program is not in anyway novel, but be it that Sunflow is 100% Java (and not having a “platform”) there isn’t an installer that just plops the shortcut in your lap. Plus, when using the method described, you have an enormous amount of controlover how Sunflow is run.
February 2nd, 2007 at 4:26 pm
So does this mean some video tutorials in the future on use of Sunflow as it pertains to blender?
Also, have you checked out Indigo and other renderers to gage them against Sunflow?
Finally, do you feel that Sunflow is a better renderer than YafRay?
By the way, I do not ask this to slam you on your answers, just want to know your honest opinion. I have seen some of your tutorials and tips and respect your skills in blender.
February 2nd, 2007 at 5:08 pm
@Duane
1) I should certainly get on tutorials about Sunflow, especially about editing the scene files to do things beyond Blender.
2) I know Indigo very well (and I keep up with other renderers too), and it’s hard to compare since Indigo is an unbiased renderer, whereas Sunflow isn’t. I think a lot of renderers are good, they get the job done, but they are only great if one really gets to know everything about them to get as much performance as possible.
3) As far as Sunflow being better than YafRay, that’s hard to answer. As far as ease of use, YafRay wins – being integrated in Blender. However YafRay’s development has slowed and that has caused it’s integration in Blender to cause problems with the ever advancing Blender code base. Recently there was discussion on the committers to remove YafRay support all together until Lynx stepped up as a maintainer. Lynx has a new YafRay re-write that I can only hope gets added. But I digress. My personal opinion is that they are both comparable in the right hands, however whoever continues to push the envelope and add more advanced and new features will win out. Of course all renders are losing out to the Blender internal since it is the only renderer we have that can render particles and use the node system. Once Ton finishes the render API I can only hope more Renderers get added to Blender!
February 14th, 2007 at 9:38 pm
Thanks for the info, for the first time now Sunflow is a choice I have when I want a render to look like money.
February 15th, 2007 at 4:04 am
I’m looking forward to your tutorial for rendering Blender with sunflow