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Dissecting the Sections of the Shader SPDL File

Following any comment that may appear in the SPDL file, there are a number of sections, which may include the sections listed below, depending on what the SPDL files are defining and how complicated the feature is:

• File Header: identifies the shader.

• PropertySet: defines the return value and parameters of a shader.

- Parameter: defines the implementation of a shader.

• MetaShader: identifies the implementation of the shader for each of the renderers capable of using the shader.

- Renderer: specifies a rendering engine and the shader implementation. May include a BeginText...EndText section that defines a render tree.

• Defaults block: specifies the default attributes for the properties defined in the PropertySet section. This section is optional. Parameters are defined in the PropertySet section. Property attributes entered here override attributes set elsewhere.

• Layout block: specifies the layout of controls on a property page—see Defining Layout with SPDL.

• Logic block: defines event handlers and parameters that control the user interface layout and behavior--see Defining Property Page Logic with SPDL.

• Plugin: used when a mental ray shader’s .dll name is different from the SPDL name.

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