Tuesday, March 18th, 2025Posted by Jim ThackerAdobe releases Substance 3D Modeler 1.21html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40/loose.dtd"Originally posted on 29 January 2025. Scroll down for news of Substance 3D Modeler 1.21.Adobe has updated Substance 3D Modeler, its desktop and virtual reality sculpting tool.Substance 3D Modeler 1.19 adds a new Assets workflow for iterating on designs, making it possible to save export settings for groups of components within a model.Substance 3D Modeler 1.21 adds the option to export multiple assets simultaneously. The software is also now available as part of Adobes new Substance 3D Indie subscriptions.Sculpt organic and hard-surface models in VR using a virtual clay workflowSubstance 3D Modeler is a SDF-based tool that lets users sculpt both organic and hard-surface models in virtual reality, or in desktop mode using a mouse and keyboard.Workflow combines elements of sculpting and Boolean modelling, with users able to build up forms with virtual clay, then join or cut into them with Boolean operations.You can find more details in this story on Substance 3D Modeler 1.0.https://www.cgchannel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/250129_Substance3DModeler119_tw.mp4Substance 3D Modeler 1.19: new Assets workflow for iterating on designsSubstance 3D Modeler 1.19 introduces a new Assets workflow to the softwares Export mode.It makes it possible to group components within a scene into assets, each of which can have separate export settings, which the software remembers between exports.The system is intended to make it easier to iterate on designs, removing the need to adjust settings with each successive export.Other new featuresAll of the 3D primitives get a new Shell parameter, which makes the shape hollow, with a user-controllable thickness to the geometry shell. It can also be used on primitive groups.Mesh to clay, used to convert imported polygonal models to SDF for editing, now uses adaptive subdivision, only subdividing areas needed to achieve a given clay resolution.During export, users can now reduce the poly count of an object by a percentage figure, rather than by setting an absolute value.VR mode gets a new system of camera previews. Non-physical objects like gizmos do not appear in previews, and users can opt to smooth the camera movement.Some of the 1000 3D assets available as part of Adobes new Substance 3D Indie subscriptions, which include Substance 3D Modeler, Substance 3D Painter and Substance 3D Designer.Updated 18 March 2025: Adobe has released Substance 3D Modeler 1.21, following last months beta-only Substance 3D Modeler 1.20.5 update.The update improves export workflow, making it possible to export multiple assets simultaneously, and improving the speed and level of quality with which assets are exported.It is also now possible to adjust the topology detail of individual objects within a scene, controlling where Modeler focuses polygons in exported assets.There are also a number of other workflow and performance improvements, drastically improving performance of non-destructive primitives and the surfacing tools.Now available as part of Adobes new Substance 3D Indie SubscriptionsIn related news, Substance 3D Painter is now available via Adobes new $24.99/month Substance 3D Indie subscription plan.Available via Steam, it also includes texture painting software Substance 3D Painter, material authoring software Substance 3D Designer, and a library of 1,000 3D assets.Price and system requirementsSubstance 3D Modeler is compatible with Windows 10+, and these VR headsets.The software is available via Steam, and costs $149.99 for a perpetual license, or $24.99/month as part of a Substance 3D Indie subscription.It is also available via Substance 3D Collection subscriptions, which currently cost $49.99/month or $549.88/year, although prices are due to rise on 25 March 2025,Read a full list of new features in Substance 3D Modeler in the release notesHave your say on this story by following CG Channel on Facebook, Instagram and X (formerly Twitter). As well as being able to comment on stories, followers of our social media accounts can see videos we dont post on the site itself, including making-ofs for the latest VFX movies, animations, games cinematics and motion graphics projects.Latest NewsAdobe releases Substance 3D Modeler 1.21Check out the new export features in the VR modeling software. Now available via Adobe's new Substance 3D Indie subscriptions.Tuesday, March 18th, 2025Adobe releases Substance 3D Painter 11.0Check out the new features in the 3D texture painting app, including an Auto-update system, and more path tools, filters and texture generators.Monday, March 17th, 2025Free tool: Lens Cap for BlenderDecoded's frustration-saving add-on adds new features to Blender's camera system, streamlining keyframing DOF and object visibility.Sunday, March 16th, 2025Celsys releases Clip Studio Paint 4Check out the new features in the digital painting software for comics, illustrations and concept art, including the new Puppet Warp.Saturday, March 15th, 2025Assetify 2.1 converts Blender assets to game-ready formatsAsset baking and export add-on can now bake PBR textures from any Blender shader set-up, not just the Principled BSDF shader.Saturday, March 15th, 2025Tutorial: Creature Combat Animation in MayaDiscover how to create a King Kong-style creature fight sequence with The Gnomon Workshop's new five-hour Maya masterclass.Saturday, March 15th, 2025More NewsWonder Studio becomes Autodesk Flow StudioPolygonflow releases Dash 1.9Get KitBash3D's Gaea fantasy architecture asset pack for freeCheck out open-source Blender character generator MPFB 2Check out neat AI-trained hand mocap tool HandCraft ProTutorial: Creating Production-Ready Hero Assets Using MariAMD releases Capsaicin 1.2AMD launches FSR 4, AFMF 2.1 and RIS 2.0AMD launches Radeon RX 9070 XT and Radeon RX 9070D5 Render 2.10 adds real-time path tracingDownload Marmoset's free materials for Toolbag 5Autodesk lays off 1,350 staffOlder Posts

An aviation expert explains why high-profile plane crashes dont mean its statistically unsafe to flyLosing Wheel of Fortune, Trudeau after hours, and unmade decisions (Issue #290)Published inThe Medium BlogSent as aNewsletter4 min readJust now--Last year, in issue #62, we featured Admiral Cloudberg, aka Kyra Dempsey, the aviation expert whos published over 300 plane crash investigations on Medium. If you dig deep into Dempseys archive, youll see that most of these tragedies are the result of miscommunication, misperception, or bad UX (often, all three).To give you a sense of the research that goes into each post, heres last Decembers 86-minute read on EgyptAir flight 804. It was traveling from France to Cairo in May 2016 before mysteriously disappearing into the Mediterranean Sea. For nearly a decade, investigators insisted the cause mightve been a terrorist attack. Based on a close examination of evidence released last fall, Dempsey concludes the true cause was an accidental freak fire originating via a short circuit in the cockpits oxygen system.As human beings, we have an easier time understanding such horror when theres someone behind it, some criminal pulling the strings, writes Dempsey. Our need to find fault can blind us to reality, where causation tends to be more ambiguous.Plane crashes are in the discourse lately, given budget cuts to the FAA and an uptick in high-profile aviation accidents. The Potomac crash in January was the deadliest U.S. air disaster in nearly a quarter-century.But is it really more dangerous to fly now? Or do we just perceive aviation as more dangerous given (a) government cuts, and (b) the high-profile nature of some of these recent crashes?I asked Dempsey via email. She replied (emphasis is mine):In terms of global safety record, we cant say how safe 2025 is going to turn out to be, and frankly the number of crashes or fatalities in any individual year is pretty random and subject to extreme fluctuation. Its much more useful to look at a 5 year rolling average. And if we look at the safety trend worldwide over the last five years, its the safest aviation has ever been, and theres not a statistically significant increase over previous years; if anything, the trend line is flat.Chart by Kyra DempseyDempsey is concerned about aspects of the U.S. aviation system that have been dicey for years (specifically, keeping planes apart in crowded landing zones). But those trends dont, in Dempseys view, map clearly to the high-profile accidents weve seen lately.There is no obvious common trend or issue affecting all of the recent accidents, so their occurrence back to back is likely coincidental, she concludes. (Thats comforting, as I do have some travel coming up!) Harris SockelP.S. The FAA has its own Medium publication, Cleared for Takeoff, which recently shared a story about one way the agency ensures flight safety: installing beds of crushable material around runways, so if a plane under- or overshoots its runway by up to 1,000 feet, youll be okay. What else were readingSoftware engineer Nidhi Jain has nine lessons for anyone who wants to get promoted, including: Dont just opine about whats wrong; propose a better solution and then actually do it.Michael A. Kroll appeared on Wheel of Fortune recently, lost, and lived to tell the tale. Amongst all the cameras and ultra-sophisticated mics, he was surprised by such low-tech throwbacks as the cue cards posters with hand-lettered questions that host Ryan Seacrest uses to introduce each contestant.I often remind myself that every day is a privilege to do what I do, writes Adam Scotti, Justin Trudeaus official photographer for the last 15 years. On Medium, he drops hundreds of behind-the-scenes photos of the former Prime Minister road-tripping around Canada (and the world):Prime Minister Trudeau shadowboxing with senior advisor Supriya Dwivedi at the end of a long day (Adam Scotti) Your daily dose of practical wisdomMost of your problems are just unmade decisions. (Victor Mong)

PlayStation forms new first-party studio Dark Outlaw GamesDeveloper led by studio head and director Jason Blundell News by Sophie McEvoy Staff Writer Published on March 18, 2025 Sony has formed a new first-party PlayStation studio called Dark Outlaw Games, led by industry veteran Jason Blundell.Blundell, who is studio head and director, confirmed the news during an interview with journalist Jeff Gerstmann. He revealed that Dark Outlaw "has been working away in the shadows" on an unknown project."It's such a privilege to be able to do it with Sony as a new first-party studio," said Blundell. "Sony doesn't set up first-party studios all the time. To have that privilege is humbling, it's really nice. I'm really excited."Blundell said the studio is currently "staffing up [and] keeping it kind of low key" as the team develops its game."We're getting the team to jell, getting the ideas clicking I'm a programmer at heart, so let's test those assumptions: Is it working? You're trying to escape velocity."Blundell has been working in the games industry for almost two decades, having been the co-studio head of Treyarch and one of the lead creators on Call of Duty Zombies.He worked at Activision for 13 years, before leaving in 2020 to form Deviation Games with Dave Anthony.In 2021, the studio signed a deal with PlayStation to create an original AAA IP. However, Blundell left Deviation Games in 2022 and the developer reportedly laid off up to 90 employees a year later. By March 2024, Deviation Games was shut down.Dark Outlaw's formation was previously rumoured in May 2024 after former Deviation Games technical director Michael Anthony suggested that the studio was "working on an undisclosed IP."

A BYD car being charged at the companys Berlin store last year. | Photo: Jens Kalaene / picture alliance via Getty ImagesChinese electric vehicle manufacturer BYD has revealed new fast-charging tech that can add 400km (249 miles) of range from a five minute charge. With the announcement, BYD has also promised to make a major investment in charging infrastructure, building over 4,000 of the new fast chargers across China.The Super e-Platform tech is capable of charging at peak speeds of 1,000kW, double the fastest Tesla V4 superchargers, which will peak at 500kW when they roll out this year. The faster charging tech is initially available in two new vehicles, the Han L sedan and Tang L SUV, which start at 270,000 yuan (around $37,330).In order to completely solve our users charging anxiety, we have been pursuing a goal to make the charging time of electric vehicles as short as the refuelling time of petrol vehicles, BYD founder Wang Chuanfu said from a Shenzhen launch event. This is the first time in the industry that the unit of megawatt has been achieved on charging power.BYD has also committed to building over 4,000 ultra-fast chargers across China using the new platform, though didnt specify a timeframe for that project. Thats a notable move, given that Reuters reports that most BYD owners in China rely on other manufacturers chargers to keep their cars topped up.This isnt BYDs only headline-grabbing move. Earlier this month it launched a roof-mounted drone launcher compatible with all of its cars, designed in collaboration with DJI, which allows drones to take off and land at up to 25 km/h. The company is closing the gap on Tesla, having sold 1.76 million cars in 2024, just behind Teslas 1.79 million, though 90 percent of those sales have been in China, and are led by its hybrid vehicles.

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Last Wednesday, Google made a somewhat surprising announcement. It launched a version of its AI model, Gemini, that can do things not just in the digital realm of chatbots and internet search but out here in the physical world, via robots. Gemini Robotics fuses the power of large language models with spatial reasoning, allowing you to tell a robotic arm to do something like put the grapes in the clear glass bowl. These commands get filtered by the LLM, which identifies intentions from what youre saying and then breaks them down into commands that the robot can carry out. For more details about how it all works, read the full story from my colleague Scott Mulligan. You might be wondering if this means your home or workplace might one day be filled with robots you can bark orders at. More on that soon. But first, where did this come from? Google has not made big waves in the world of robotics so far. Alphabet acquired some robotics startups over the past decade, but in 2023 it shut down a unit working on robots to solve practical tasks like cleaning up trash. Despite that, the companys move to bring AI into the physical world via robots is following the exact precedent set by other companies in the past two years (something that, I must humbly point out, MIT Technology Review has long seen coming). In short, two trends are converging from opposite directions: Robotics companies are increasingly leveraging AI, and AI giants are now building robots.new effort to build humanoid robots this year. In October, the chip giant Nvidia declared the next wave of artificial intelligence to be physical AI. There are lots of ways to incorporate AI into robots, starting with improving how they are trained to do tasks. But using large language models to give instructions, as Google has done, is particularly interesting. Its not the first. The robotics startup Figure went viral a year ago for a video in which humans gave instructions to a humanoid on how to put dishes away. Around the same time, a startup spun off from OpenAI, called Covariant, built something similar for robotic arms in warehouses. I saw a demo where you could give the robot instructions via images, text, or video to do things like move the tennis balls from this bin to that one. Covariant was acquired by Amazon just five months later. When you see such demos, you cant help but wonder: When are these robots going to come to our workplaces? What about our homes? If Figures plans offer a clue, the answer to the first question is soon. The company announced on Saturday that it is building a high-volume manufacturing facility set to manufacture 12,000 humanoid robots per year. But training and testing robots, especially to ensure theyre safe in places where they work near humans, still takes a long time. For example, Figures rival Agility Robotics claims its the only company in the US with paying customers for its humanoids. But industry safety standards for humanoids working alongside people aren't fully formed yet, so the company's robots have to work in separate areas. This is why, despite recent progress, our homes will be the last frontier. Compared with factory floors, our homes are chaotic and unpredictable. Everyones crammed into relatively close quarters. Even impressive AI models like Gemini Robotics will still need to go through lots of tests both in the real world and in simulation, just like self-driving cars. This testing might happen in warehouses, hotels, and hospitals, where the robots may still receive help from remote human operators. It will take a long time before theyre given the privilege of putting away our dishes. This story originally appeared in The Algorithm, our weekly newsletter on AI. To get stories like this in your inbox first,sign up here.

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You can trust VideoGamer. Our team of gaming experts spend hours testing and reviewing the latest games, to ensure you're reading the most comprehensive guide possible. Rest assured, all imagery and advice is unique and original. Check out how we test and review games hereA new Helldivers 2 Warbond has just been announced, and leaks have revealed weapon modifications and more. But, for now, Arrowhead has just released a new HD2 update. Here you will find the Helldivers 2 update 01.002.200 patch notes that include huge weapon buffs and nerfs.Helldivers 2 update 01.002.200 patch notesBelow are the Helldivers 2 update 01.002.200 patch notes as shared on Discord:OverviewBalancingCrash fixesBalancingPrimary weaponsSMG-32 ReprimandSpread decreased from 50 to 40SG-8S SluggerSpread decreased from 20 to 6Damage increased from 250 to 280AR-23C Liberator ConcussiveFire rate increased from 320 to 400R-63 DiligenceMagazine capacity increased from 20 to 25MP-98 KnightDamage increased from 65 to 70StA-11 SMGDamage increased from 65 to 70SMG-37 DefenderDamage increased from 75 to 80SMG-72 PummelerDamage increased from 65 to 70Now requires less shots to apply stun on applicable targets, stun value increased from 1.0 to 1.25 per bulletAR-23 LiberatorDamage increased from 70 to 80StA-52 Assault RifleDamage increased from 70 to 80BR-14 AdjudicatorDamage increased from 90 to 95AR-61 TenderizerDamage increased from 95 to 105R-36 EruptorProjectile armor penetration increased from Medium (3) to Heavy (4)Projectile lifetime increased from 0.7 to 1 secStratagemsEagle 110MM Rocket PodsUses increased from 2 to 3EXO-45 Patriot ExosuitUses increased from 2 to 3EXO-49 Emancipator ExosuitUses increased from 2 to 3TX-41 SterilizerErgonomics increased from 5 to 20M-105 StalwartDamage increased from 70 to 80MG-206 Heavy Machine GunImproved armor penetration across a wider range of angles before transitioning to glancing shotsEnemies:A recent software autopsy has revealed an update to the Automatons situational awareness protocol. They are now less distracted by each other, increasing their reaction speed in large groups. Weve increased the number of AI calculations the game can perform. This primarily impacts scenarios with a high number of spawned enemies, improving their response times in those situations. However, this comes with a slight trade-off in game performance. According to recent intel, the enemies of Freedom are attempting to counter the Helldivers anti-air capabilities. Newly-produced Automaton dropships show clear signs of hull reinforcement, allowing the main body to absorb significantly more damage.Illuminate Warp Ships have been observed deploying their shields mid-flight.Automaton Dropships: Main body health increased from 2500 to 3500Illuminate Dropships: Utilizes the same shield as the ones that have landedBarrager Tank TurretResolved an issue introduced recently where the armor value was incorrectly set to 0. Now has the correct armor value of 5Additionally, the turret now features weak spots at the front and back, each with 750 HP and an armor value of 3GameplaySettings:Added new separate settings for inverting the gyro input instead of using the Invert Look settingsThe Stratagem loadout menu has undergone an updated categorization of the different stratagem groupingsFixesResolved Top Priority issues:Fixed an issue with the extraction beacon sometimes being unreachable when landing on top of enemiesGeneral optimization improvements in the colonies environmentsCrash Fixes, Hangs and Soft-locks:Fixed a crash when playing against Terminids in poor network scenariosFixed a rare crash that happened during game shut down on PCFixed a crash that could occur when there was a high amount of particles on the screen at onceFixed an issue where players could be blocked from completing objectives requiring called-down equipment due to the required stratagem being unavailableWeapons and StratagemsFixed the G-123 Thermite Grenade sometimes not armingFixed a rare crash when using the LAS-17 Double-Edge SickleFixed a bug where switching weapons while reloading the CB-9 Exploding Crossbow would sometimes discard an entire magazine without actually reloadingSocial & Multiplayer FixesFixed an issue causing players in low-activity regions to see fewer lobbies on the planet hologram than expectedFixed an issue in low-activity regions where lobbies were not seeing players join as frequently or quickly as beforeFixed an issue on low-activity planets where Quickplay would always join your friends game, even if they were not playing on the same difficultyFixed a disconnection issue that could happen when playing Gloom missions with poor connection to the hostFixed some interactions not working properly after canceling the Raise Weapon emoteFixed an issue where adding, removing, blocking, or unblocking friends caused player cards in the friend list to display with white text and missing information until you close and open the panel againFixed an issue that made it impossible to mute or kick players who were in the loadout when joining a squadFixed an issue that caused some new Steam players latest profile names to not display correctly in-gameMiscellaneous FixesFixed some memory leaks to improve performanceFixed old text chat messages from re-appearingFixed an issue with the Democracy Space Station progress bars being unintentionally curved in appearanceFixed a bug that prevented progression through the menus when the initial language selection was set to English (US)Fixed the raise weapon emote to properly fire projectiles in the direction of the weaponFixed Helldivers sliding around on the ground after exiting the ragdoll state (despite it being the year of the snake and despite us trying to fix this previously)For more Helldivers 2, check out our guide to thebest warbonds ranked, along with thebest stratagemsandbest throwables. We have also a guide to thebest weapons, and, if youre coming back to HD2 for the first time in a long while, we have a bunch oftips and tricksto help you get reaccustomed to the battlefield.Helldivers 2Platform(s):PC, PlayStation 5Genre(s):Action, Shooter, Third Person8VideoGamerRelated TopicsHelldivers 2 Subscribe to our newsletters!By subscribing, you agree to our Privacy Policy and may receive occasional deal communications; you can unsubscribe anytime.Share