Back in 2022 Intel announced OpenPGL as an open-source library for path guiding to help enhance the quality of path-based renderers. With time Blender began making use of OpenPGL and other industry interest and adoption. Unfortunately, Intel quietly ended work on OpenPGL in 2025 but has now fortunately found a new home.
The Apache 2.0 licensed Intel Open Path Guiding Library was started as part of the Intel (oneAPI) Rendering Toolkit and found use by not only Blender but also OpenMoonRay as well as reportedly in commercial offerings from Autodesk, Corona, Cinema 4D, V-Ray, and more. But amid cost-cutting at Intel over the course of 2025, OpenPGL development ceased as one of many open-source projects Intel cut back on.
Intel’s OpenPGL repository on GitHub hasn’t been archived or formally discontinued but hasn’t seen any commits now in eight months. It turns out indeed that it’s no longer being developed.
Intel dropping OpenPGL development was confirmed in this ticket:
“The project was initiated in 2022 by Intel as part of the Intel oneAPI Rendering Toolkit, but was recently discontinued due to restructuring and shifting priorities. Given the project’s widespread adoption and usefulness to the VFX industry, we want to bring OpenPGL under the ASWF umbrella.”
Following recent voting by the Technical Advisory Council (TAC), the OpenPGL project is now being picked up by the Academy Software Foundation (ASWF). The Academy Software Foundation is the Linux Foundation hosted project for advancing open-source in the content creation industry from this neural forum. A great fit for OpenPGL development moving forward.
The OpenPGL is becoming a new working group with the ASWF. This PDF slide deck laid out the case for OpenPGL at the foundation. Interestingly there it also notes Disney’s Hyperion making use of Intel OpenPGL and that Zootopia 2 was the first released movie making use of this former Intel software project. Sebastian Herholz who had worked at Intel as the main OpenPGL developer is also mentioned as soon joining Blender.
At least now this former-Intel, widely-used open-source project will be able to live on at the Academy Software Foundation.
