Introduction to the Maxwell Render SDK

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Last updated: 07 Aug, 2013 by Mihai Iliuta (Unlicensed)Version comment

 

This section explains the basics to create Maxwell Render plug-ins. The SDK can be used for many things as:

  • Create plug-in connectivity between 3D applications and Maxwell Render
  • Create and Read MXS files. A MXS (Maxwell Scene Format) file contains all the information needed for Maxwell to render a scene
  • Integrate the Maxwell Render Engine inside 3D applications
  • Read and Write MXI files (Maxwell Image format)

The public SDK contained in the Maxwell Render Package does not include rendering capabilities; so it cannot be used for integrating the renderer inside other applications. This function is available only in the private SDK

How to use the SDK

The Maxwell SDK is composed of header files and libraries written in C++. The main header files are self-documented and contain descriptions and examples of the most important functions. The most important headers are:

  • maxwell.h: It contains all the methods needed for reading and writing Maxwell scenes (MXS files).
  • maxwellrender.h: It contains all the methods needed for rendering.
  • maxwellmxi.h: It contains all the methods needed for reading and writing Maxwell images (MXI files).

Check the header file maxwell.h for latest changes that are not described in this document. The header files are always self documented.

When using Visual Studio it is recommended to set the Struct Member alignment to 8 Bytes (/Zp8) (Under project properties/C++/code generation). This was needed with old Maxwell SDKs and now it is not essential but recommended.

When using Visual Studio it might be needed linking against WS2_32.lib

When using the OSX sdk, compile with the following flags: -D_MACOSX --DCOMPILER_GCC. The sdk is compatible with GCC 4.0 and upwards.

When using the Linux sdk, compile with the following flags: -D_LINUX --DCOMPILER_GCC. The sdk is compatible with GCC 4.1 and upwards.