NVIDIA Announces Open-Source MDL SDK
The MDL SDK is the Material Definition Language and is a programming language for defining physically-based materials for rendering, The MDL code can then be converted into GLSL, NVIDIA PTX, x86 instructions, or LLVM IR for making these assets more portable.
MDL software — a set of tools that integrate the precise look and feel of real-world materials into rendering applications — has long been supported by developers. It gives end-users the freedom to share physically based materials and lights between supporting applications.
For example, an MDL material — such as a specific piece of carpeting, upholstery or clothing — created in Allegorithmic Substance Designer can be saved to a library and then used in any other supporting application, like Adobe Dimension CC.
Users can build a library of these materials once and be confident they’ll maintain their appearance as they move between applications in a workflow. It’s an easy way to save significant time and effort — for both users and application developers.
"Security, customizability, flexibility and cost are a few of the benefits of open-source software for developers," NVIDIA proclaimed while open-sourcing the MDL SDK.
The MDL SDK is available for Linux, Windows, and macOS and includes sample codes that can run on the CPU or GPU.
More details on this Material Definition Language SDK as open-source can be found via developer.nvidia.com.
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