mental ray
Cutter Preferences

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Introduction

This tutorial addresses the issue of setting up Cutter's mental ray preferences. The first section deals with the general preferences that relate to syntax coloration. The second section is split into two parts, each dealing with issues specific to the two demo versions of mental ray.

Demo Limited is available on the CD that accompanies,
      Volume 1: Programming mental ray , and
      Volume 2: Rendering with mental ray.
Demo Complete is available on the CD that is included with,
      Volume 3: Writing mental ray Shaders

Section 1 - Preferences for Syntax Color

Two preference panels deal with syntax coloration for mental ray - figures 1 and 2.

Figure 1

Figure 2

Section 2 - Preferences Specific to Demo Limited

The preferences that are specific to this demo version of mental ray are shown in figure 3. On Windows it is assumed the reader is working on the M:\ drive. Change the drive if necessary.

Figure 3

Windows

Linux

MacOSX

      C:\Program Files\mental images\mental ray
      M:\mi\manual
      M:\mi\shader_src
      M:\mi\shaders
      (generally left empty)

      /usr/local/mi/bin
      USER_NAME/mi/manual
      USER_NAME/mi/shader_src
      USER_NAME/mi/shaders
      (generally left empty)

      /usr/local/mi/bin
      /Users/USER_NAME/Documents/mi/manual
      /Users/USER_NAME/Documents/mi/shader_src
      /Users/USER_NAME/Documents/mi/shaders
      (generally left empty)

Preferences Specific to Demo Complete

The preferences that are specific to this version of mental ray are shown in figure 4. On Windows the installer prompts the user for the path to the directory in which it should install mental ray. The default path used by the installer is,

    C:\Program Files\mental images\mental ray Demo 32-Bit Edition

For the sake of brevity it is assumed the user has chosen to use the following path,

    C:\Program Files\mi

On Linux and MacOSX the installer does not give the user the option to identify a directory in which to install mental ray.

Figure 4

Windows

Linux

MacOSX

      C:\Program Files\mi\bin
      M:\mi\manual
      M:\mi\shader_src
      M:\mi\shaders
      (generally left empty)

      /usr/local/mi/mrdemo/bin
      USERS_ACCOUNT/mi/manual
      USERS_ACCOUNT/mi/shader_src
      USERS_ACCOUNT/mi/shaders
      (generally left empty)

      /usr/local/mi/mrdemo/bin
      /Users/NAME/Documents/mi/manual
      /Users/NAME/Documents/mi/shader_src
      /Users/NAME/Documents/mi/shaders
      (generally left empty)