Pixar and Maximus have announced a joint programme to offer RenderMan animation training courses in India.

Maximus, a visual effects school, is the first educational institution to offer certified RenderMan training in all of Asia. The school has already designed various course modules for fundamental, intermediate and advanced levels.

According to Mithun, the tech head at Maximus, a number of production houses use RenderMan, including Prana, VCL, BiG Animation, Red Chillies and Nipuna. Mithun also noted that Roadside Romeo, the first big budget 3D feature in India from Disney/Yashraj, was rendered entirely on RenderMan at VCL.

Meanwhile, Autodesk has launched its own professional certification program in 135 locations across the country. EMEA Training Manager Norman Buckberry explained that the certification examinations will help "create key benchmarks for students and employers to assess knowledge and capability in the design industry in India."

Realistic 3D renderings, once limited to the realm of speciality gaming, have signifcantly increased in popularity. For example, clothing designers often utilise programs such as RenderMan to create entire lines of virtual apparel so that they can study the texture and drape of fabrics on 3D models. In addition, auto-manufacturer Lamborghini has employed rendering software to create digital prototypes of sports cars, including the new $1 million 2008 Reventon.  X

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