CGTalk - Rendering custom image file formats in Maya

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01-30-2002, 04:21 PM

I've recently invented a new image file format, and I was wondering if anyone knows of a way to incorporate it into Maya's renderer (so I could render out to my new format just like I can with BMP or TIF files). I've been through the Maya help pages and I could not find the relevant information on how to do this.

jordibares

01-30-2002, 06:07 PM

Thru the Maya API.

You will have to build a plugin in C++ to read/write the file in your new format.

Anyway, i wonder what for it is a new format?

jordibares

Chappo

01-30-2002, 09:34 PM

YEah, i'm kinda interested too in your new format...
will it provide HIGH quality resolution with the smallest file size possible ? :)

Sorta like the MP3 for images.

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01-31-2002, 12:55 PM

You will have to build a plugin in C++ to read/write the file in your new format.

I thought so. Are there any tutorials online about this sort of thing?

YEah, i'm kinda interested too in your new format...
will it provide HIGH quality resolution with the smallest file size possible ?

My format is semi-lossless (in that it only saves data that can't be generated at load time), so it DOES provide high quality resolutions with no loss of image quality. It's got loads of features that are built around this semi-lossless idea (adaptive channel output, automatic chroma-keying, automatic greyscale recognition, blank image optimisation etc), and it also supports a new form of adaptive RLE that improves greatly on the original compression system it was based on.

It supports alpha masking, has five colour channels as standard (rather than the usual three), and it saves custom information in its file header (so if you had many versions of the same image file, you could save each one with a different version number, thereby keeping track of your work).

The average level of compression I can get through this format is roughly 55% (compared to an uncompressed file). The lowest amount of compression I've ever got is 12%, and the highest I've ever got is 98%.

jordibares

01-31-2002, 01:24 PM

Tutorials about writting plugins?

If i am not wrong in the CD there are some examples... don't know because i was working with Maya 2 months ago but right now i am working with XSI.

Anyway, it is quite easy to do it.

good luck and let us know anything about your new format, looks interesting, although a proper description will be necesary.

jordibares

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