How Pixar Is Reinventing Rendering with XPU

Pixar marks 40 years of innovation while continuing to advance the technology behind animated filmmaking.
In this episode of Reshaping Workflows with Dell Pro Precision and NVIDIA RTX GPUs, host Logan Lawler and co-host Cindy Olivo speak with Dylan Sisson, Head of RenderMan Creative Engagement at Pixar. The discussion traces the evolution of rendering from the original Toy Story to Toy Story 5, highlighting the architectural and production milestones that have shaped modern computer graphics.
Sisson explains the origins of RenderMan, its transition from scanline rendering to Monte Carlo path tracing, and the development of RenderMan XPU. Designed to operate on CPU, GPU, or both simultaneously, XPU enables consistent pixel output across hardware configurations while improving interactivity and performance for artists.
Tune in for insights into Pixar’s RenderMan Challenge and Art & Science Fair at SIGGRAPH, programs that cultivate emerging talent and industry engagement.
You can also watch this and all previous episodes here.
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