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Minutes from 46th OpenVDB TSC meeting, April 16th, 2020, (GMT)
Attendees: Nick A., Jeff L., Ken M., Dan B.
Additional Attendees: Johannes Meng (Intel), JT Nelson (Blender), Peter Cheng (DW), Andre Pradhana (DW), Bruce Chernia (Intel)
Regrets: Peter C.
Agenda:
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Confirm quorum
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Secretary
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Forum/Github Issues update
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PR review
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Google Summer of Code
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Changing VDB background value in Houdini
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Expected release date for 7.1.0?
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OpenVDB & USD
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Next meeting
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Quorum was confirmed.
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Secretary was Dan Bailey
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Runtime Grids and Compile Times
Discussion about runtime grids and follow-on from last weeks discussion. In general all in agreement that it would be useful and a nice new flexible mechanism for the library. Preferred over continuing to add more compile-time grid types. However, implementation is not trivial, including extending the file format and figuring out a new value access mechanism.
Subsequent discussion about tackling the orthogonal, but related issue of compile times in the library. In many cases this is down to using excessively templated classes or functions in order to optimize inner loops, we should be vigilant to ensure each template parameter is translating into improved runtime performance to reduce the template bloat where possible.
There is also a general desire to reduce redundant template instantiation time that is repeated across multiple translation units. Modules in C++17 will likely improve our ability to address this, but that's a minimum of three or four years away. An alternative approach is to perform compile-time registration of grid types in the library requiring users to recompile the library itself if they wish to add new types. General agreement to do this. Jeff cautioned that explicit template instantiation can easily result in some messy preprocessor code.
- Forum/Github Issues update
One new issue concerning Python 3.8 - time.clock has been removed. time.perf_counter can be used but is not available in Python 2.7. Will likely need a solution that branches on Python version.
- PR review
697 - Jeff has approved, can now be merged 692 - Dan has approved, ideally needs another reviewer to approve the code style, Ken to review 690 - Dan to progress this soon 675 - Ken to discuss with Nick soon 671 - few minor doc updates needed then ready to merge, Nick to progress this soon 670 - wider discussion needed about documenting package manager installation, tabled for now 654 - mostly ready, solving a number of issues but not perfectly, Nick to break it up into smaller PRs 652 - Dan and Nick to meet offline to discuss next steps with this PR along with OVDB-116 651 - Dan to take this on at some point 650 - awaiting progress on 652 631 - Nick reviewed recently, Dan to finish 623/598 - Dan to progress this at some point 455 - awaiting Ken's final approval to progress this
- Google Summer of Code
Plan is to formally ask for one slot. Dan and Nick to mentor.
- Changing VDB background value in Houdini
No way to change the VDB background value in Houdini as the core VDB tool is not currently exposed. Ken mentioned that at DWA they were initially reluctant to offer this to the artists for fear it may get misused. General feeling that it would be best to avoid a dedicated SOP if possible. One option is to add it to the native Houdini primitive SOP, but other parameters relate to metadata so performance cost may not be clear. All in favour of adding it to the newly introduced VDB Activate SOP.
Nick mentioned that there will be functionality in AX to modify all inactive values.
- Expected release date for 7.1.0?
No rush for Houdini integration, some time before Siggraph is good.
- OpenVDB & USD
Time. To discuss in a future meeting.
- Next meeting
Johannes Meng has proposed that Intel will present on OpenVKL. Meeting to remain open for all interested parties to attend, so Intel will present with that in mind.
April 23rd 2020. 2pm-3pm EDT (GMT-4).