Call for Ideas - New LuxCoreRender Features post-v2.10

[CodeHD]

Hi everyone,

currently, work is on a good path towards version 2.10, which focuses on updating the dependencies, modernising the build system for the C++ source code, and restoring compatibility with Blender 4.2+. This skips some version numbers after the last stable release v2.6, because there have been intermediate beta-releases for other Blender versions (3.0-3.5, 3.6, 4.0, 4.1) carrying those numbers.

Anyways, once this work is completed, we can look at implementing new features, or improve existing features and performance. It has been suggested to once again do a poll to prioritise based on what users need. Before acutally starting a poll, I want to collect a list of ideas.

Please share your ideas here or on our Discord server. I will append any new suggestion in this post:

New or Updated Rendering Features

• Spectral Rendering
• Simulated Realistic Cameras
• Blue noise sampling
• ReSTIR https://benedikt-bitterli.me/restir/bit ... restir.pdf
• Disney Shader Update https://blog.selfshadow.com/publication ... slides.pdf
• New Sky texture https://cgg.mff.cuni.cz/publications/skymodel-2021/
• Autodesk StandardSurface shader https://autodesk.github.io/standard-surface/
• Expose BakeCPU in BlendLuxCore
• Parrallax occlusion/bump mapping
• Path Guiding
• Microfacet-based Normal Mapping
• Multiple-Scattering Microfacet BSDFs with the Smith Model
• Iridecent microfacet model https://belcour.github.io/blog/research ... -film.html
• Faster Rough glass --> Overlap with new Microfacet BSDF
• Update fbm texture to cycles feature set. --> General update to use more blender textures?
• ACES color space - 2065-1 and ACEScg

Optimization and Performance

• General performance improvement for current rendering algorithms
• GPU acceleration for OIDN
• Improve viewport updating/scene export for small changes https://github.com/LuxCoreRender/BlendL ... issues/623
• Replace Embree3 with Embree4
• Precompiled CUDA kernels

Backend Maintenance

• Replace luxcoreui with an equivalent python implementation, publish on PyPI
• Stable ABI (Application Binary Interface) for the wheels
• Replace further Boost dependencies with C++20 standard library
• Investigate replacing OpenCL with Vulkan, Metal, ...

[Howetuft]

- pyluxcoreui - an equivalent of luxcoreui, but written in Python and deployable with pip
- activation of GPU acceleration for OIDN
- stable ABI for wheels (would probably require nanobind)
- reduction of Boost use (and size reduction), replacement with C++20 STL equivalents
- Autodesk StandardSurface shader
- BlendLuxCore referenced on Blender Extensions website

[CodeHD]

Thanks for the input.
I think the last item (reference on extensions website) doesn't need to be included in a poll, we should already check about that when v2.10 stable is released.

[epilectrolytics]

- There is a BakeCPU engine (including lightmaps) that Dade finalized in LuxCore but it was never exposed in Blender. See also here.

- Path Guiding. It is currently developed by Intel and available in Cycles on CPU only. It was voted #4 in the last poll. The Intel version does online learning which slows down the render initially. In LuxCore there is already an indirect light cache solution which could be extended with directional information and should be faster especially when the cache building on CPU and the rendering on GPU works in parrallel.

- parrallax occlusion/bump mapping.

[CodeHD]

thanks, included!

[Howetuft]

Replace Embree3 by Embree4
Precompiled CUDA kernels (like in Blender)

(and a remark: concerning Python wheels, the exact goal is Stable ABI, not just ABI)

[CodeHD]

A little comment: While I'm happily collecting all ideas in the bullet list at the moment, I would later group things such as Embree4 under more generic terms like "Improve efficiency of existing engines". This is both to keep the list reasonably short and concise, and IMHO the poll should be focused on user-experience and completely new features. Some items or details that are only relevant to developers don't need to be included, I think.
As a counterexample, "precomiled CUDA kernels" I would leave as a separate item because this aspect is individually experienced by any user, especially new users at first try.

[epilectrolytics]

- faster rough glass shader. When adding roughness to current LuxCore glass, it renders slower and the result is darker unlike cycles glass. Could eventually be combined with Disney 2015 shader which contains refraction and is already on the list.

[CodeHD]

Comment on rough glass: This is overlapping with the point about new Microfacet BSDF. In fact, microfacet models might be applicable to multiple materials, or specific to some situation, based on the model. This will require further research into which model is to be implemented.

[epilectrolytics]

Good to know it will be accounted for, thanks!