Whats Next?Its too early to make promises as to what next year will look like, but we can share the things we are considering.First, we do expect a Corona 12 Update 2 version sometime toward the end of Q1, though this will not have many (or any) new features and will be a maintenance release (part of the reason we still called this one Update 1, knowing that an Update 2 will be needed). After that release, it will be back to business as usual in terms of naming and release cycle, with Corona 13 planned for the middle of the year, and 14 toward the end of the year.What gifts might Corona 13 and 14 bring? Well, most likely improvements to the Live Link as we refine this initial implementation and look into adding rendering animations from your DCC in Vantage. We also want to investigate the possibility of developing a Toon / NPR shader, as this is one of the most requested items on our Ideas Portal.Were listening to feedback from you on some new items that debuted in V-Ray 7, such as Gaussian Splats, to see how much interest there is in those coming to Corona.Weve heard whispers about AI image enhancement and PBR material generation. Imagine this happening in the clouddigital assistants upscaling a preview or generating material options in seconds without bogging down your machine. Although still in development, these would be exciting additions.Corona is now on Chaos.comJust a quick reminder that since Corona 12 released, all things Corona can now be found on Chaos.com. You can access the latest versions, Corona Benchmark, blog articles, customer stories, and more on Chaos.com.As a reminder from our last release, a few pages you may wish to bookmark include:Corona homepageWhats new in CoronaCorona BenchmarkDownload CoronaCorona Community ForumThe Chaos Blog (featuring all Chaos products, including Corona)Additional smaller improvements in Corona 12 Update 1General(3ds Max and Cinema 4D)Added Max Photon Repeat parameter into advanced settings that influences noise of caustics.(3ds Max)Added support for ForestPack Ivy Generator.Added a decal arrow pointing in the Decal projection direction. The arrow will scale with the size of the Decal object.Added Depth of Field range indicator for 3ds Max Viewport, when Corona Camera is selected.Added aLock Aspect Ratio button to CoronaBitmap.Added a Fit to bitmap button to CoronaBitmap, available when the Lock Aspect Ratio is not active.(Cinema 4D)Scene conversion improvements: Added conversion of V-Ray Standard material.Added possibility to convert V-Ray and Cinema render settings to Corona render settings.Added option to save CXR file directly in Save tab in render settings. This should work in batch rendering or when rendering takes.Added Film Offset X, Film Offset Y and Focus Distance to Camera Listers.Vantage(3ds Max and Cinema 4D)Added basic support for exporting Triplanar shader.When exporting to Vantage, Corona exports to a running Vantage application if there is one, instead of starting a new one. When Vantage is not installed, an error is shown to the user.VFB(3ds Max and Cinema 4D)VFB 2: Added a Separate IR button instead of the dropdown menu option.VFB 2: Place new history items at the top of history instead of at the bottom.VFB 2: Added the option to load multiple CXRs into VFB history at once.VFB 2: The correct render stamp is shown when loading or comparing images.VFB 2: Camera Tone mapping override is now correctly displayed in VFB when editing CXR and returning back to VFB.(3ds Max)Added option to system settings to disable overwrite confirmation dialog when using history autosave.History autosave now also saves animations.(Cinema 4D)CXR files can now be drag&dropped directly into VFB2 to load in history tab (was already possible in 3ds Max).Installation Changes(3ds Max and Cinema 4D)Updated licensing server to 6.2 and Cosmos to newest version.Removed the Corona Material Library component from Corona installer. If you do not have it installed already, a download button will be shown on opening the Corona Material Library from inside 3ds Max or Cinema 4D.Command line arguments were changed. You can use -auto instead of -acceptEulaAndInstall. For more command line arguments use -help.Added new Legal Agreements dialog, which is shown only after "--auto" installation (when the eula/privacy policy is not shown).Note: The new installer requires SSE 4.2, released in 2008 for Intel and 2011 for AMD, so any machine newer than 13 years old should be unaffected. This would be around one tenth of one percent of users at our estimate, and some of those may be using an older Corona version anyway since Corona itself needs SSE 4.1 already.(Cinema 4D)Similar-looking installer is now used both on Windows and macOS.Size of macOS installer was reduced to half of its original size. Note that the macOS installer is still twice as big as Windows one as it contains version for both Intel CPUs and Apple Silicon.Bug Fixes in Corona 12 Update 1Crash Fixes(3ds Max)Fixed issue where showing VRayMtl in material editor without VRay installed leads to crash when Corona is active renderer.(Cinema 4D)Fixed crash in some scenes when CPU limit was set to non-default values.Fixed crash when exporting some specific configurations of the native Cinema 4D Layered shader into Chaos Vantage.Fixed crash when exiting Cinema 4D when the Node Material Editor is open.General(3ds Max and Cinema 4D)Fixed issues with decal/media and heterogeneous media when material-based medium resolving is used.Fixed computing of curves operator histogram - histogram now updates during rendering and is computed from an edited item as well, not always from the main render.Fixed Bloom&Glare missing when saving multiple elements with B&G.Fixed incorrect order of render elements in case the Rest render element was not the last one.(3ds Max)Small behavior fixes of the button used to select the node for fitting PatternMod crop box.Fixed issue where animated texmaps would in some cases render without animation.Fixed Memory Report dialog preventing render from completing, it is closed automatically for render to finish.Fixed changing of "Locked IR resolution" when rendering with docked interactive.Fixed animated camera unexpectedly changing position when switching target on and off.Fixed issue where camera name in Tone Mapping disappears after editing history item and rendering again.Fixed issue where fitting decal and then changing the size with locked aspect ratio would result in incorrect decal aspect ratio.Fixed issue where Cosmos lights were imported with wrong units.Fixed issue where some OSL maps (e.g. those using user-defined attributes) were not working properly.LUT path is no longer converted from local to UNC after arbitrary UI operations.Paths to assets used in Corona Material Library downloaded from Cosmos are no longer converted from mapped drives to UNC paths.Fixed issue where debug.log file is created in 3ds Max project folder.Fixed 3ds Max hotkeys being wrongly reenabled after clicking from Cosmos to another Corona spinbox.(Cinema 4D)Performance fixes for UI freezes on some high-core CPUs.Fixed updates of rigged geometry in IR (and so also in Live Link).Fix of some Cosmos lights having incorrect rotation after import.Fixed some minor memory leaks.Solo node shows correct state after scene load.VFB Fixes(3ds Max and Cinema 4D)Fixed issue where clicking on Save in VFB would not save the currently displayed image, but the rendered image instead.Show image comparison splitter at the center even when zoomed in + draw also overlay A/B when zoomed in.(3ds Max)Fixed not being able to maximize the VFB while IR was running as it re-adjusted its size.Responsiveness has been improved when using the docked VFB.Caustics Fixes(3ds Max and Cinema 4D)Interactive rendering restarts are now faster when using Caustics solver.Fixed issue where caustics did not work correctly with Slicers.Fixed issues in Caustics solver when Camera physical size is enabled - specifically incorrectly shaded caustics and shadows cast by the camera box.(3ds Max)Fixed issue where caustics did not work correctly with Phoenix Foam.Scatter Fixes(3ds Max and Cinema 4D)Scatter is now uninstalled with Corona, but only if V-Ray of corresponding version is not found.(3ds Max)Fixed issue when a selection of non-defined map channel could affect scatter distribution.Fixed issues with value precision sensitivity of scattering in some scenarios and improved consistency of scattering results across various scatter integrations.OCIO Fixes(3ds Max)Fixed issue where OCIO would convert everything to black when alpha is NAN.Fixed issue where saving values over 1 to PNG/JPG with OCIO would give incorrect results.OCIO config path from the environment variable "OCIO" is used only when the respective mode is selected in Color Management settings.Try Corona 12, update 1If youre an existing Corona user, download Corona 12 here, and please share your feedback, questions, and results in the Corona Forum. Wed love to know what you think, and were even more excited to see what you create!For those not yet using this easy-to-use renderer thats capable of producing incredibly realistic results, try it out for free.Thanks to everyone who tested the Corona 12, update 1 release candidates and shared their feedback. We appreciate your support and hope you enjoy using the latest version!

Dragon Quest and LEGO Horizon debut even further down.After missing key data last week, GfK has finally provided an updated look at the UK charts so we can get an idea of where all the newbies have landed.For Nintendo's latest, that's a little way down. The latest look informs us that Mario & Luigi: Brothership got off to a good start last week (not that we saw it) and arrived in third, but the same can't be said for its second appearance as the Bro-led RPG has wound up in 12th this week.Read the full article on nintendolife.com

Save big on new games!Black Friday is almost here, which means we've officially entered the season of super-tempting discounts on Switch consoles, games, and accessories, and we're joining in on the fun too by offering you some money off Nintendo Switch eShop credit!From now until Cyber Monday (Monday 2nd December), you can treat yourself to 5% off everything at our code store depending on your region, this includes eShop credit, Switch Online subscriptions, and lots of top digital Switch games.Read the full article on nintendolife.com

Bling Capital, one of the more prolific and well-connected seed VC firms, has nabbed another $270 million for a new flagship fourth fund. About half of those fresh millions are earmarked for its opportunity fund, money set aside to make follow-on investments into winners, Bling general partner Kyle Lui tells TechCrunch.Bling is the firm founded in 2018 by Ben Ling, a former general partner at Khosla Ventures, where he backed such companies as Gitlab and Webflow. He earned his Valley street cred from exec roles at Google, YouTube, and Facebook. He also became such a stellar angel investor (Airtable, Lyft, Square, Palantir, others), that its clear that seed investing is his true calling.Those experiences shaped his VC firm which operates what it calls a Product Council, a network of leaders at major tech firms that help advise Blings startups. With the new fund, the firms network is adding advisors to its roster from a bunch of the hottest startups including from Notion, OpenAI, Scale AI, and Stripe.All told, Ling has corralled about 19 unicorns under his belt. Lui, who was previously a partner at DCM, has notched at least 7 unicorns, including names like DocSend and Hims.In its six years, Bling has already invested in 170 companies, it says, including such names as Rippling, and Vise. The new fund isnt a huge step up from its last one, which launched about two years ago. That one was $212 million total, also split nearly evenly between a new seed fund and an opportunity fund.

SpaceX conducted the sixth flight test of its massive Starship rocket on Tuesday afternoon, and although the company did not replicate the history-making booster catch, the company did welcome a very special guest: President-elect Donald Trump.Trump, who will soon be sworn into office for his second term, said on X that he was headed to Texas to watch the launch of the largest object ever to be elevated, not only to Space, but simply by lifting off the ground.His visit is just the latest sign of a growing intimacy between himself and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk, who was recently appointed to head, along with entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, a newly-created Department of Government Efficiency office. Its unclear how much power the office will have (it appears to be purely advisory), but judging by Musks public pronouncements, it could help to usher in wide-sweeping changes to major federal government programs.Trumps visit was also a sign of encouragement for SpaceXs Starship program, which the company says has been hampered by exactly the type of government inefficiencies Musk is looking to slash with DOGE specifically, the slow turnaround times for launch license approvals by the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration.Trump has said that he wants to enable SpaceX to reach Mars before the end of this term which could theoretically be possible, given that the next Mars-Earth transfer window is in 2026 and essentially gave his blessing to Musks Mars dreams: Get going, get that spaceship going, Elon, he said at an October 24 rally.Tuesdays flight test, the sixth in the Starship development program, did not feature any spectacular surprises or disappointments. The company was planning on attempting to catch the 233-foot-tall Super Heavy booster with arms of the massive launch tower, as it did during the fifth test in October, but the company said that the booster did not pass the commit criteria required for the mission director to authorize the attempt. Instead, the booster splashed down in a designated area in the Gulf of Mexico.SpaceX achieved at least one new milestone during this test: the upper stage of Starship, which is also called Starship, reignited one of its engines in space for the first time. Its a capability that will be key to enabling reuse of the upper stage in orbit, in addition to the booster.SpaceX has made rapid progress in its Starship development program since launching the first fully integrated rocket for the first time in April 2023. The nearly 400-foot-tall vehicle is a cornerstone of the companys plans to transport crew and cargo to interplanetary destinations, and also to NASAs plans to return humans to the moon for the first time since the Apollo era.Rewatch the launch here.

Bandai Namco Music Live releases the video, animated by Akio Takami, which features a mix of cell animation, 3DCG, and live performance.

Movie & Games TrailersHow to Train Your DragonBy Vincent Frei - 19/11/2024 The skies of Berk are calling! Watch the How to Train Your Dragon live-action trailer and witness the beloved story come to life in a breathtaking new way. Are you ready to meet Toothless again?The VFX are made by:Framestore (VFX Supervisors: Franois Lambert, Andy Kind and Glenn Melenhorst)The Production VFX Supervisor is Christian Manz.The Production VFX Producer is Chris Raimo.Director: Dean DeBloisRelease Date: June 13, 2025 (USA) Vincent Frei The Art of VFX 2024

To download this sampler pack, simply join our newsletter and you will get an e-mail back with download instructions. If youre already part of the newsletter you can find previous e-mails from me which will all have download instructions. You will receive this free 3D model but youll also get our 500+ other 3D freebies as well!

Warsaw-based 3D printing service bureau 3D Lab is introducing its ATO Suite at Formnext 2024.Designed to provide researchers and manufacturers with greater control over metal powder production, the ATO Suite enables the efficient and sustainable production of high-quality spherical metal powders from various feedstocks, catering to advanced applications such as additive manufacturing.Comprising the ATO Lab Plus, ATO Noble, ATO Induction Melting System, ATO Cast, ATO Sieve, ATO Wipe, and ATO Clean, the ATO Suite is designed for seamless integration, even in space-constrained environments. Each component serves a specific purpose, collectively addressing the entire metal powder production workflow, from feedstock preparation to powder refinement and equipment cleaning.The ATO Suite. Image via 3D Lab.Live demonstrations by 3D Lab in Hall 11.0, Booth B21, will showcase how the ATO Suites modular design and novel technology enable manufacturers to produce custom powders on demand while focusing on sustainability.This launch builds on 3D Labs established expertise in material production and processing, marked by recent milestones.3D Labs powder production legacy3D Lab recently secured patents for its ultrasonic atomization technology in the U.S. and China, advancing the production of premium metal powders for AM and industrial use. In the U.S., the patent addresses methods and equipment for producing heavy metal powders, while in China, it focuses on refining evacuation processes during atomization.These patents support the development of the ATO series, with the ATO Lab Plus standing out as a modular solution for laboratory-scale production. By enhancing powder flowability, ensuring precise particle size control, and lowering oxygen levels, the technology serves critical industries such as aerospace, automotive, healthcare, and 3D printing.Building on its past successes, 3D Lab partnered with jewelry manufacturer Cooksongold in 2019 to create a compact atomizer specifically designed for precious metal powder production. This collaboration led to the development of the ATO Noble, a compact atomizer utilizing patented ultrasonic plasma atomization to optimize the handling of silver, platinum, and gold.Advancing powder production efficiency and versatilityAt the core of the suite is the ATO Lab Plus, a lab-sized ultrasonic metal atomizer that provides on-demand powder production capabilities for reactive and non-reactive metals. Its small footprint and modular design cater to businesses of all sizes, facilitating rapid alloy development with precise particle size control. For industries working with high-value materials, the ATO Noble atomizer is also included incorporating a specialized filtration system to maximize material recovery and quality.Meanwhile, the ATO Induction Melting System (IMS) introduces a versatile solution for processing diverse feedstocks, including 3D printing scraps, into high-purity powders. By combining induction melting and ultrasonic atomization, IMS ensures flexibility, enabling manufacturers to repurpose irregularly shaped materials while maintaining strict chemical purity standards.The ATO Cast vacuum casting furnace supports sustainable practices by enabling users to recycle scraps and leftover powders into new rods for atomization. This reduces costs while promoting a closed-loop material flow for zero-waste manufacturing.Enhancing workflow with complementary toolsOther features within the suite include the ATO Sieve, which ensures powder purity through ultrasonic sieving under inert gas conditions, and the ATO Wipe, an ultrasonic cleaning system for feedstock materials such as wires and rods. These tools prevent contamination and enhance the quality of atomized powders. To ensure efficient transitions between materials, the ATO Clean provides hands-free cleaning of atomizer components, minimizing downtime and the risk of cross-contamination.To further streamline operations, the Revolver Rod Feeding System enables the simultaneous atomization of up to 10 rods, maximizing productivity with precise control over feed speed and rotation. Additionally, the ATO Remote Control tablet allows real-time monitoring and adjustment of atomization processes, reducing operator workload and enhancing efficiency.The Revolver Rod Feeding System. Image via 3D Lab.A key highlight of the ATO Suite is its ability to support sustainable manufacturing through patented ultrasonic atomization technology. Users can recycle 3D printing scraps, oversized powders, and other waste materials into high-quality metal powders, contributing to resource efficiency and reducing reliance on external suppliers. This process aligns with the industrys growing emphasis on sustainability, ensuring that innovation can coexist with environmental responsibility.With its debut at Formnext 2024, the ATO Suite showcases 3D Labs approach to sustainable and efficient metal powder production, offering researchers and manufacturers practical tools for advancing their workflows.Catch up on all the news fromFormnext 2024.Voting is now open for the2024 3D Printing Industry Awards.Want to share insights on key industry trends and the future of 3D printing? Register now to be included in the2025 3D Printing Industry Executive Survey.What 3D printing trends do the industry leaders anticipate this year?What does the Future of 3D printing hold for the next 10 years?To stay up to date with the latest 3D printing news, dont forget to subscribe to the 3D Printing Industry newsletter or follow us on Twitter, or like our page on Facebook.While youre here, why not subscribe to our Youtube channel? Featuring discussion, debriefs, video shorts, and webinar replays.Featured image shows the ATO Suite. Image via 3D Lab.Ada ShaikhnagWith a background in journalism, Ada has a keen interest in frontier technology and its application in the wider world. Ada reports on aspects of 3D printing ranging from aerospace and automotive to medical and dental.

ADDIMETAL, a leader in metal additive manufacturing based in Toulouse, has unveiled its K-2-2 metal binder jetting 3D printer at the upcoming Formnext 2024 exhibition in Frankfurt. After four years of development and a year-long beta-testing phase, the new system is set to offer manufacturers a new level of precision and efficiency in producing complex metal parts.The K-2-2 is engineered for industrial-scale applications, featuring an 8-liter build volume (200x200x200 mm) that supports both small and large component production. Operating at resolutions from 360 to 1200 DPI, the printer delivers high-resolution outputs suitable for intricate metal parts. A standout feature is its expansive print head, which covers over half the build platform in a single pass, substantially reducing layer printing time and boosting overall productivity.Operator adjusting parameters on ADDIMETALs K-2-2. Photo via ADDIMETAL.Customization is a cornerstone of the K-2-2s design. It offers precise control over various printing parameters, including layer strategy, binder deposition, print speeds, temperatures, and atmospheric conditions. This granularity allows manufacturers to fine-tune the process for specific project needs, ensuring optimal results. Furthermore, the machine supports non-proprietary consumables, enabling the use of a wide range of metallic powders and binders. This flexibility not only lowers material costs but also fosters innovation by allowing the integration of third-party binders with diverse properties such as viscosity, saturation, and debinding performance.Our machines ability to use non-proprietary consumables offers unparalleled freedom to manufacturers, providing the flexibility they need to push the limits of innovation, explained Franck Liguori, CCO of ADDIMETAL. Weve designed the K-2-2 to be versatile, cost-efficient, and easy to integrate into existing workflows, making it ideal for R&D teams and industrial applications alike.JPB Systme, a prominent player in the aeronautics sector, served as an early beta tester for the K-2-2. The company reported significant improvements in both the quality and efficiency of their production processes. In just a few months, the K-2-2 delivered better results compared to other machines we have used, a JPB Systme representative commented. This positive feedback underscores the K-2-2s potential to meet the rigorous demands of high-stakes industries such as aerospace, automotive, and luxury goods.Visualization of the Orion software used in ADDIMETALs K-2-2 3D printer for precise process control and parameter adjustment. Photo via ADDIMETAL.Live demonstrations at Formnext 2024 will showcase the K-2-2s capabilities to industry professionals. ADDIMETALs CEO, Mohamad Koubar, stated, The K-2-2 bridges the gap between lab-scale research and full-scale industrial production. CCO Franck Liguori added, Our machines ability to use non-proprietary consumables offers manufacturers the flexibility they need to push the limits of innovation.The company announced the K-2-2 is available for purchase upon request, with a starting price of under 200,000. Prospective customers can request a direct quote through the ADDIMETAL website.Coming Up at Formnext 2024Caracol is set to introduce its Vipra AM platform at Formnext 2024, integrating robotic deposition technology with automation to facilitate the production of complex industrial components. Vipra AM employs Direct Energy Deposition with wire arc additive manufacturing, offering configurations tailored for both extreme quality and extreme productivity. Vipra XQ (Extreme Quality) utilizes Plasma Arc Deposition for high precision and strength, suitable for structural components in aerospace and energy sectors.Additionally, D3-AM, a subsidiary of Durst Group, is launching its LAB II ceramic 3D printer at Formnext 2024. The LAB II system combines an expanded build platform with Micro-Particle Jetting technology, designed to meet the demand for large-format, high-performance ceramic components. With a build volume of 400 x 480 x 160 mm, the LAB II supports the production of both large and high-quantity ceramic parts in a single print cycle.D3-AMs large-format LAB II ceramic 3D printer. Image via D3-AM.Your voice matters in the 2024 3D Printing Industry Awards. Vote Now!What will the future of 3D printing look like?Which recent trends are driving the 3D printing industry, as highlighted by experts?Subscribe to the 3D Printing Industry newsletter to stay updated with the latest news and insights.Stay connected with the latest in 3D printing by following us on Twitter and Facebook, and dont forget to subscribe to the 3D Printing Industry YouTube channel for more exclusive content.Featured image shows an Operator adjusting parameters on ADDIMETALs K-2-2. Photo via ADDIMETAL.