Minutes from 132-nd OpenVDB TSC meeting, May 10th, 2022.

Attendees: *Jeff* L., *Nick* A, *Dan* B., *Ken* M., *Andre* P.

Additional Attendees: Sebastian Gaida, J. T. Nelson (Blender)

Regrets: *Rich* J.

Agenda:

1) Confirm quorum
2) Secretary
3) Forum
4) Multires Proposal
5) Issue 1374: MIME registration
6) Website updates
7) OpenVDB Course
8) Merging Master into vdb_tool
9) Issue 1162: Quantization in PNanoVDB
10) Version 10
11) Release Manager
12) Next Meeting

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1) Confirm quorum

Quorum is present.

2) Secretary

Secretary is Jeff Lait.

3) Forum

No issues to discuss.

4) Multires Proposal

They have version internally named VTT, with a NanoVTT component.
NanoVTT is an any-device multi-res version.

Proposing to send us a NanoVTT implementation.  Only dependency is
nanovdb (likely for conversion).

If we are happy with this repo, then they will provide VTT.  Early
version will still have dependencies.  So there will be a trickle-out
of VTT.  Try to avoid a lot of development only to have us reject
them.  

We need to find out how much we can share the NanoVTT.  Can we share
it with our own rendering teams, etc, outside of the TSC?

5) Issue 1374: MIME registration

Blocked on determining which section we are.  We are likely the model
area.  This also does include the magic numbers of the file format.

6) Website updates

Nick has pushed new updates

7) OpenVDB Course

We have permission to embed the course video.

8) Merging Master into vdb_tool

Still ongoing.  Dan still reviewing.

9) Issue 1162: Quantization in PNanoVDB

Ken needs to pass this on to the PNanoVDB author.  The author will directly connect Sebastian.

10) Version 10

Frustum rasterizer should make it in.  This includes the SOP.  Other rasterizer sop was taking out.  We keep wanting a one-true rasterization sop, but that is not showing up.  

This would have upkeep issues.  It is a mess when people are used to
SOPs that disappear or are renamed.  But, SOPs could be seen as the
API.  So if these exist as vdb_tools as different commands, they
likely should also exist as different SOPs.  Even if these are not
final artist-friendly layer, they form the sort of API layer
underneath.

It becomes tricky to do to get the stuff into Houdini.  We need more
documentation on C++ rather than more SOPs.  VDB is a C++ API.  Maybe
we can add the SOP but with experimental_ prefix and not installed to the
library by default?

Dan's PR is ready, but includes the SOP.  Not 100% happy with the SOP,
but it has been used.  How to specify the VDB is tough.  Also can use
a camera to drive motion blur smear, but this confuses with the camera
for the frustum...

What are our goals?  Frustum rasterization should be its own sop, and
surfacing should be its own sop.  But inbetween there is particle
rasterization on AABB grids.  So perhaps we focus on the two major
ones.

Nick will open a PR with the SOP, for Jeff to cherry pick and
re-submit, taking over control of the PR.  Dan's SOP can be VDB
Rasterize Frustum

Plan is the tools from Dan and Nick are in for 9.1.  SOPs will be in
for 10, possilbly experimental in 9.1.  vdb_tool is 10.   Mathematica
will be 10.

11) Release Manager

Decide next week.

12) Next Meeting

Next meeting is on May 17th, 2022. 1pm-2pm EDT (GMT-4).
