Greetings,
Something super-useful that I think would really gravitate many of us to orbolt for would be assets that are really heavy on the maths implementation side… the perfect example being CVEX bsdf implementations derived from cutting edge research. Implementing MIS algorithms takes a lot of time and testing (for me at least), and in small VFX shops many of us definitely don't have the time to go through the R&D required to get everything right. I think people would be willing to pay money for this, even.

Just a thought.
-Jon

Could you please list here a stuff you're mostly interested? It would be useful hint for potential developers.

Problem with Orbold in its current shape is that, although it's a great beginnings, it's not very supportive when it comes to distributing more advanced stuff.

There is no binaries support, nor license counting, also afaik all scripts are openly available, which simply de-commercialize your work. Also any serious shader, to be really useful in production, needs to be distributed as an VOP node (or a vex includes), which means its core has to be implemented as C++ extension to VEX, and yet again we hit the wall.

I RFE'd some time ago to allow third parties (including Orbold devs) of using Houdini license server. With an addition of distributing packages (not only assets), this would greatly simply distributing process for small developers. Houdini community is noticeably growing and it is about time for people to start making some money out of it by helping smaller studios solving smaller everyday issues.

There so many internal development happening in small studios which simply could be acquired externally untimely minimizing costs. This is what a big studios do by opening software, they simply share this way their development resources to minimize costs.

Ah, I wasn't really aware of the current limitations of Orbolt.

Well there are more microfacet brdf models out there than what is available in Houdini, for example.

There are also edge cases like cloth and fur that could benefit from alternative models.