Thursday, April 17th, 2025 Posted by Jim Thacker Character Creator gets new free MetaTailor plugin html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40/loose.dtd" Originally posted on 19 March 2025, and updated for the final release. Character Creator has a new integration plugin for 3D clothing fitting tool MetaTailor. The free plugin enables games, VFX and motion graphics artists to send 3D characters from Reallusion’s character generation app to MetaTailor in one click, fit 3D clothing to them semi-automatically, then transfer the clothed characters back to Character Creator. Streamlining the process of fitting clothing and props to 3D avatars First released in 2023, MetaTailor fits 3D garments to humanoid avatars, making it possible to convert outfits between characters and even between host apps. It imports “any 3D wearable”, including stock content from online asset stores, and auto-fits it to any bipedal 3D character, intelligently layering and skin-weighting the outfit. Users can refine the results using the software’s sculpt brushes, attach accessories like weapons, then export to DCC applications or game engines in FBX format. New plugin makes transferring characters between CC4 and MetaTailor a one-click process The new plugin removes the need to export and re-import files manually, with users simply clicking a button inside Character Creator to send a 3D character to MetaTailor. The character is configured automatically inside MetaTailor, making it possible to fit 3D clothing to it, then click a ‘Send to CC4’ button to send the now-clothed character back. The import process preserves existing clothing, which is separated into parts inside MetaTailor, making it possible to mix and match it with 3D clothes from other sources. It is also possible to fit clothing from Character Creator to other characters inside MetaTailor. According to MetaTailor, the workflow supports any standard Character Creator avatar, or iClone iAvatar, “regardless of size, shape or rig”. Integration plugins for other DCC applications MetaTailor becomes the latest tool to get an integration plugin for Character Creator. There are currently free plugins for round-tripping 3D characters with ZBrush for editing, and transferring characters to DCC applications and game engines, including 3ds Max, Blender, Unity and Unreal Engine. Reallusion has also announced new plugins for Maya and Marmoset Toolbag, due to release alongside Character Creator 5 later this year. Price, system requirements and release date The MetaTailor integration plugin for Character Creator is available from the Reallusion Hub for users of Character Creator 4. The plugin is free, but you will need a MetaTailor Pro subscription. New perpetual licences of Character Creator cost $299. MetaTailor itself is available rental-only. You can find current system requirements and subscription pricing in this story. Read more about the MetaTailor plugin for Character Creator Have 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 don’t post on the site itself, including making-ofs for the latest VFX movies, animations, games cinematics and motion graphics projects. Latest News LightWave Digital releases LightWave 2025 Check out the new features in the 3D software, including viewport path tracing, a new Toon Filter, and new rigging and animation tools. Friday, April 18th, 2025 Get the free version of ZibraVDB for Unreal Engine and Houdini Updated: free version of the real-time volumetric effects tool for games and virtual production is now available for Houdini as well as Unreal Engine. Friday, April 18th, 2025 See JangaFX's first demo of IlluGen, its app for in-game VFX Check out the feature set of the much-anticipated tool for creating VFX assets for games, its workflow, its release date, and its likely price. Thursday, April 17th, 2025 Autodesk releases Flame 2026 Check out the new features in the compositing and effects software, including OCIO support, a new Type tool and AI clip upscaling. Thursday, April 17th, 2025 Character Creator gets new free MetaTailor plugin Add-on lets you send characters from Character Creator to MetaTailor with one-click, fit 3D clothing to them, then send them back to CC4. Thursday, April 17th, 2025 Epic Games releases Twinmotion 2025.1.1 Check out the latest features in the real-time visualization software, including support for DLSS 4 and a new procedural 3D grass material. Wednesday, April 16th, 2025 More News Leopoly adds voxel sculpting to Shapelab 2025 Check out new 3ds Max UV unwrapping plugin UVReactor Reallusion releases iClone 8.53 with timecode support Anima 6.0 adds traffic simulation to Chaos's crowd animation tool ZibraVDB: the new standard in OpenVDB for virtual production RandomControl releases Maverick Indie and Maverick Studio 2025.1 Digital painting software Howler 2023 is now free to download Kickstart top concept designer Neville Page's new art book Tutorial: Creating Photorealistic 3D Environments Foundry unveils new ICVFX and virtual production tool Nuke Stage Adobe releases Substance 3D Modeler 1.22 F12 releases The Grove 2.2 for Blender and Houdini Older Posts

html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40/loose.dtd" https://www.cgchannel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/250418_LightWave2025.mp4 LightWave Digital has released LightWave 2025, the next major version of the 3D animation and rendering software for VFX, animation, motion graphics and visualization work.Key changes in LightWave 2025.0 include new real-time preview rendering system RIPR, a new Toon Filter for cel-shading-style effects, and updates to the character rigging toolset. There are also new modeling tools, a new procedural staircase-generation system, and several of third-party developer Denis Pontonnier’s tools have been integrated into the software. The third major release from LightWave’s new owners LightWave 2025 is the third major update to the software since late 2023.It follows a three-year hiatus during which development was suspended by previous owner Vizrt, which acquired NewTek, LightWave’s long-time developer, in 2019. The software’s current owner, LightWave Digital, is a start-up whose management team comprises people who were closely involved with the software in its NewTek days, including former NewTek staff, plus key add-on developers and LightWave users. Viewport: RiPR provides path traced viewport previews on NVIDIA GPUs Major changes in LightWave 2025 include RiPR (Real-time Path Rendering).The GPU-accelerated path tracing system is available for viewport previews as an alternative to the standard VPR (Viewport Preview Renderer) or GL previews. RiPR is intended to provide more visually realistic previews for look development or visualization work, supporting HDR lighting, depth of field, and better handling of transparent materials. It’s built on NVIDIA’s OptiX ray tracing framework, so it requires a NVIDIA GPU – a GeForce 10 Series or Quadro Pascal card or newer – and is currently limited to a single viewport. LightWave 2025’s new SuperNormals system lets users edit normals on a per-model basis. 3D modeling: new SuperPatcher tool, Displacement Brush and SuperNormals system New 3D modeling tools include SuperPatcher, for capping holes in quad meshes.The Displacement Brush makes it possible to paint surface details like wrinkles or cracks, at least onto polygonal geometry: it doesn’t work with SubPatch models. It is also now possible to edit the normals of meshes on a per-model basis via the new SuperNormals system. Suggested use cases including fixing model-specific shading artefacts, creating custom edge styles, or for exporting game assets that require specific shading in different game engines. Procedural modeling: Construct generates 3D staircases LightWave 2025 also includes Construct, a new procedural tool for generating structures like “stairs, decks [and] bridges” for architectural visualization or set design work.Its Stair Calculator can be used in both Modeler, LightWave’s modeling application, and Layout, its scene layout application. (Left) New rig picking system PickkIt! and (right) hand animation system HanddIt! Rigging and animation: new walk cycle, hand animation and rig picking tools inside RHiggit RHiggit!, the modular character rigging system integrated into LightWave in LightWave 2024, gets three new tools: Steppit!, Handdit! and Pickkit!.Steppit! is an automated walk cycle generator. It works for both biped and creatures, and its output can be combined with standard keyframe animation, to modify the motion cycles generated, or to add secondary animation. Handdit! is a dedicated hand- and finger-animation system. It provides controls for posing hands, either globally or finger-by-finger, and can be accessed within its own tab, or in the RHiggit! and Steppit! menus. Pickkit! is a rig picking interface. It provides quick access to commonly adjusted rig points like shoulders and knees, and is “fully compatible” with the Steppit! and Handdit! interfaces. Rendering: updates to OctaneRender The LightWave integration for OctaneRender, included with LightWave since LightWave 2023, has also been updated.Changes include three new gradient nodes, and workflow improvements including updates to the Render Layers panel. Post effects: new Toon Filter for anime and cel-shading-style output Another headline feature in LightWave 2025 is the new Toon Filter, a “comprehensive post-shading tool” for viewport previews and final renders.It generates outlines around objects, or polygons within an object, and can be combined with the existing Cel Shader to create cel-animation-style looks. Users can control the thickness of the outlines, how they are layered, and how they scale with depth in the scene; and can shade and animate individual outlines independently. Tree-generation tool DP Verdure, showcased in a 2013 video by Erik Alstad (erikals). It and several of developer Denis Pontonnier’s other add-ons are now integrated into LightWave. DP Tools: Denis Pontonnier’s utility add-ons are now integrated into LightWave As with the previous LightWave Digital releases, LightWave 2025 integrates legacy third-party plugins from the NewTek era: this time, from developer Denis Pontonnier.The integrated DP Tools include four of Pontonnier’s add-ons, including DP Verdure, for creating polygonal trees, foliage and grass. The Rman collection is a set of shaders and textures ported from Pixar’s RenderMan renderer, DP Filter provides post-processing effects, and DP Kit is a set of nodes for the node editor. Pipeline integration: Python 3 support Other changes include support for Python 3 for scripting.Python 2 is still supported, although it has been deprecated since 2020, with most other CG applications moving to Python 3 several years ago. Price, system requirements and release date LightWave 2025.0 is compatible with Windows 10+ and macOS 10.15+ (macOS 11.0+ for Apple Silicon Macs, and macOS 13.3+ to use the Octane renderer).New licenses cost £795 (around $1,055). Read an overview of the latest features in LightWave 2025 on the product website Read a full list of new features in LightWave 2025 in the online documentation Have 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 don’t post on the site itself, including making-ofs for the latest VFX movies, animations, games cinematics and motion graphics projects.

html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40/loose.dtd" A recording of JangaFX’s spring 2025 livestream, discussing the next updates to its software. The section on IlluGen, its new app for creating VFX assets for games, starts at 00:23:25. Real-time simulation tools developer JangaFX has shown its first proper demo of IlluGen, its upcoming application for creating visual effects for games.The software, which will be capable of creating both 2D and 3D effects, is due for release this summer, for a price similar to EmberGen, JangaFX’s real-time smoke and fire simulator. What is IlluGen? JangaFX publicly unveiled IlluGen earlier this year, adding the software to its online roadmap.The description was brief, and enigmatic, simply stating that it was an application for creating “the majority of assets” used to assemble the “illusions” for visual effects in games. What toolsets does IlluGen have? Yesterday’s demo, shown during a livestream on the state of development of all of JangaFX’s products – EmberGen, liquid simulator LiquiGen and terrain generator GeoGen – goes into considerably more detail.LiquiGen is specifically designed for creating animated VFX for games – magic and energy effects, smoke, fire, explosions, and the like – and will feature both 2D and 3D toolsets. The 2D capabilities include both procedural texture generation and hand painting: users will be able to create their own brushes procedurally inside the software and paint with them. IlluGen will also generate 3D meshes, although it’s geared to creating 3D forms required for in-game VFX, like energy beams and impact craters, rather than general procedural modeling. What is workflow like in IlluGen? Workflow is node-based, with users creating effects by wiring together nodes in a graph in a way similar to JangaFX’s other apps, or Adobe’s Substance 3D tools.Most nodes display animated previews of their output, making the graph easy to troubleshoot. According to JangaFX, IlluGen is intended to enable users to “create procedural animations beyond what the typical tool would allow with very little to no code”. In what formats can you get assets in and out of IlluGen? IlluGen will support flipbook encoding and decoding, making it possible to import simulations created in applications like EmberGen or Houdini as flipbooks, modify them in IlluGen, then export the new flipbooks to game engines like Unreal Engine or Unity.It will also be possible to export data in a range of other forms, including positions, baked textures and Alembic caches. What kinds of effects can IlluGen create? JangaFX showed several demos of IlluGen during the livestream, the first being the creation of the ‘mana orb’ above, which CEO Nick Seavert had shared on X earlier this month. The base fluid was simulated in EmberGen and imported into IlluGen as a flipbook (labeled 2 in the screenshot above), then distorted using a UV co-ordinate plane (5) to match a 3D glass vessel generated inside the software (3).To create the final effect, the fluid is combined with a noise texture 91) and an element representing the fluid surface (2). However, IlluGen seems to be capable of a range of other types and styles of effects: another demo showed the software spawning particles travelling around a circular spline. A third demo showed the creation of these Diablo III-style wings. Who is IlluGen for? The livestream showed a list of software currently used to create VFX for games, including 2D tools like Photoshop, Krita and Adobe Animate, and 3D tools like Houdini, 3ds Max and Maya.IlluGen is aimed at artists using those apps, although unlike them, is “built for games specifically”. It is designed to work in existing pipelines, although Seavert did say that he hoped that IlluGen could ultimately replace Houdini as a tool for creating VFX for games. When will IlluGen be released? IlluGen is currently scheduled for release this summer: JangaFX hopes to release updates to its software during an ‘elemental week’ at the end of July.How much will IlluGen cost? The price hasn’t been formally confirmed, but IlluGen will “probably cost as much as EmberGen”, which currently costs $299.99 for a permanent license.It will also be included in JangaFX’s Elemental Suite, which currently costs $449.99. What features are due after the release of IlluGen 1.0? Features scheduled for after the 1.0 release include a built-in destruction toolset.Further off, JangaFX aims to introduce a direct export workflow to common game engines like Unreal Engine, Unity and Godot, rather than having to bake assets and import them manually. Follow development of IlluGen on JangaFX’s online roadmap Have 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 don’t post on the site itself, including making-ofs for the latest VFX movies, animations, games cinematics and motion graphics projects.

html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40/loose.dtd" Originally posted on 16 January 2025, and updated with details of the new Houdini plugin. Zibra AI has released a new free edition of ZibraVDB, its volumetric compression technology for games and virtual production, for Unreal Engine and Houdini. The Unreal Engine plugin makes it possible to import, play back and render data in .zibravdb format inside the game engine, and comes with four free smoke and fire effects. The new Houdini plugin makes it possible to compress as well as play back data, with users able to compress up to five VDB sequences into the .zibravdb format. A new AI-based technology for compressing and playing back volumetric effects Launched commercially last year, ZibraVDB is a new AI-based technology for compressing volumetric data in OpenVDB format.It enables users to compress VDB files, like effects created in software like Houdini or EmberGen, then decompress and render them at runtime inside Unreal Engine. That enables users – both game developers and VFX and virtual production studios – to render much more complex effects than would previously have been possible in real time. According to Zibra AI, ZibraVDB can compress VDB files “up to 100x”, and render them “twice as fast” as Unreal’s native SVT system, introduced in Unreal Engine 5.3. New free Unreal Engine plugin comes with four free stock explosion and tornado effects The new free Unreal Engine plugin doesn’t include the compression system itself, but it does make it possible to test the quality of the results it generates.To do that, you can download four free smoke and fire effects – three explosions and a fire tornado – compressed into .zibravdb format, and use it to import them into UE5 for rendering. There are no license restrictions on the assets, so once you’ve tested them, you can also use them as stock assets for future projects. Now also available for Houdini Updated 17 April: To coincide with the official rollout of Houdini support in ZibraVDB, the plugin is also now available for Houdini. As well as decompressing .zibravdb files, Houdini users can compress five VDB sequences into the format for free. Price and system requirements The free edition of ZibraVDB for Unreal Engine is compatible with Unreal Engine 5.3+. It is available via Epic Games’ Fab online marketplace under Fab’s Standard license, which permits use in commercial projects. The free edition of ZibraVDB for Houdini is compatible with Houdini 20.5.550+ running on Windows 10+ only. It is available through SideFX Labs, the official set of experimental add-on tools for Houdini. You can find instructions for installing it here. The full commercial version of ZibraVDB is rental-only, with individual subscriptions now priced at $10/month or $150/year, and studio subscriptions priced on enquiry. Download the free edition of ZibraVDB for Unreal Engine Read the instructions for installing the free edition of ZibraVDB for Houdini Download four free stock smoke and fire effects for use with the free edition (Requires registering your contact details on the Zibra AI website)Read more about ZibraVDB on Zibra AI’s website Have 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 don’t post on the site itself, including making-ofs for the latest VFX movies, animations, games cinematics and motion graphics projects.

html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40/loose.dtd" Autodesk’s new marketing image for Flame from its social media profiles, created by Rodeo FX. Autodesk has begun its Flame 2026 release cycle, the latest annual series of updates to Flame, its compositing, finishing and effects softwareFlame 2026 introduces support for OpenColorIO color management, a new Type tool for on-screen text, and an AI-based clip upscaling system. Flare and Flame Assist, the cut-down editions of Flame, are also listed in the release notes, but another former Flame Family application, color grading tool Lustre, has been discontinued. OpenColorIO replaces SynColor for color management The headline change in Flame 2026 is support for open color-management standard OpenColorIO (OCIO), replacing the old Autodesk Color Management (SynColor) system.The move brings Flame in line with Autodesk’s other Media and Entertainment products like Maya and 3ds Max, and with other key tools in visual effects pipelines like Houdini and Nuke. The change is backwards-compatible, with projects created in previous versions of Flame being automatically migrated from SynColor to OCIO. New Type tool replaces the old Text tool Other new features include the new Type tool for on-screen text and titles, replacing the legacy Text tool.According to Autodesk, it provides better workflows for kerning and styling text, better font management, and supports layer management via the Layers list. The Type tool also integrates better into Batch, Batch FX and the Timeline than its predecessor, including support for color management, context views, and multiview. Machine-learning-based video upscaling Flame 2026 also introduces a new machine learning upscaling system, available in the Media Export window, and via the Resize & Crop, Render and Write File nodes.Clips can be increased in resolution by 2x, 3x or 4x; and upscaling can be performed on CPU or GPU, although GPU processing is restricted to clips with resolutions of 1,920 x 1,080px or less. The option is currently only available on Rocky Linux, and does not support background export. There are also new AI models for the Morph and Timewarp tools, which both got new machine-learning-based capabilities during the Flame 2025 updates. Other workflow and pipeline improvements Workflow improvements include a redesigned Project Management window, and new options to set file locations for a project.There are also smaller updates to Batch and Batch FX, and the MediaHub. The Input and Output Clip modules have been deprecated. You can find a complete list of changes, including updates to the Python API and the RAW file formats supported, via the link at the foot of this story. Other Flame Family applications: Lustre discontinued after Lustre 2025 In related news, the Flame Family of applications has shrunk with this release, color grading tool Lustre having been discontinued after the release of Lustre 2025.The other two members of the family, Flare and Flame Assist – both cut-down versions of Flame itself – are still listed in the release notes. Pricing and availability Flame 2026 is compatible with Rocky Linux 8.10/9.3/9.5 and macOS 13.0+.The software is available rental-only. Subscriptions cost $640/month, up $40/year since the previous release, or $5,045/year, up $175/year. We’ve contacted Autodesk to check the current subscription prices of Flare and Flame Assist, and will update if we hear back. Read a full list of new features in Flame 2026 in the online documentation Have 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 don’t post on the site itself, including making-ofs for the latest VFX movies, animations, games cinematics and motion graphics projects.

html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40/loose.dtd" Leopoly has released Shapelab 2025 v2.0, the latest version of its VR sculpting software, adding an experimental new voxel sculpting toolset.Other changes include support for cavity masking when painting sculpts, falloff curves for most of the sculpting brushes, and the option to create your own custom 3D stamps. A polygon-based digital sculpting tool streamlined enough to use in virtual reality Released in 2023 after several years in early access, Shapelab is designed for sculpting 3D models – primarily organic forms like characters and creatures – in VR or on desktop systems.Unlike tools like Adobe’s Medium and Substance 3D Modeler, it represents 3D models as conventional polygonal geometry, rather than Signed Distance Fields. Shapelab uses a brush-based sculpting workflow, with a base set of brushes that will be familiar to users of apps like ZBrush, plus the option to use alpha textures as stamps. Users can adjust the resolution of the mesh locally, via a brush-controlled dynamic topology system, or via a set of global controls. It is also possible to clone, mirror or perform Boolean operations on geometry to build up more complex forms. For texturing sculpts, Shapelab includes a vertex painting toolset with support for masks; or users can apply a set of readymade materials. Experimental new voxel engine lets you model without topological constraints To that, the latest update – Shapelab 2025 came out last year, so it’s officially Shapelab 2025 v2.0 or just the ‘Spring Update’ – adds support for voxel-based sculpting.The technique, also supported in applications like 3DCoat, represents models as a solid grid of 3D pixels, rather than as polygonal surfaces. It makes it possible to model without topological constraints, removing the need to subdivide a mesh to add detail, and making it easier to punch holes through objects. However, it makes it harder to perform other operations, so each approach has its own merits. Pitched as a quick way to rough out 3D forms Leopoly pitches Shapelab’s new voxel engine as a secondary toolset, intended primarily for quick sketching and form exploration, and for blocking out rough forms for sculpts.The company describes the release as “laying the groundwork for hybrid workflows that combine the structural precision of polygonal meshes with the fluid sculptability of voxels”. Still a work in progress, lacking some of the features from the poly modeling toolset Users can either sculpt voxel objects from scratch, or convert an existing polygonal mesh to a voxel object for editing.In the initial release, the voxel sculpting brushes include Voxel Clay, for adding or removing volume from a voxel object; Inflate/Deflate Voxel, which can be used to draw strokes; and Smooth Voxel, for softening geometry. It is also possible to use voxel shapes as 3D stamps. However, the toolset is still officially a work in progress, with known limitations including a lack of support for masks or Boolean operations. Other changes: cavity masking, falloff curves for brushes, and custom 3D stamps Updates to existing features include support for cavity masking, which masks a surface according to its local curvature, making it possible to target only cavities or bumps.In addition, “most” of the sculpting brushes now include custom falloff properties, enabling users to control the area of a sculpt they influence by adjusting the falloff curve. It is also now possible to use custom 3D shapes with the Stamp Tool. Workflow and interface improvements Workflow improvements include a new ‘Quick Switch’ shortcut, making it possible to select any object or layer and jump directly into Edit Mode with a single thumbstick gesture.There is also a new quick cursor repositioning system when sculpting, and the Quick Access Wheel pie menu now supports a wider range of actions. Price and system requirements Shapelab 2025 is compatible with Windows 10+. Find a list of supported VR headsets here.Perpetual licenses have a standard price of $64.99. Subscriptions now cost $29.99/year, down $30/year since the previous release. Read a full list of new features in Shapelab 2025 v2.0 in the online release notes Read more about Shapelab on the product website Have 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 don’t post on the site itself, including making-ofs for the latest VFX movies, animations, games cinematics and motion graphics projects.

html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40/loose.dtd" Epic Games has updated Twinmotion, its Unreal-Engine-based real-time visualisation software.Key changes in Twinmotion 2025.1.1 include a new 3D grass material and support for DLSS 4. A real-time tool for 3D visualization and virtual production Originally created by visualization studio KA-RA and acquired by Epic Games in 2019, Twinmotion is a real-time visualization tool for architectural, automotive and product design.It imports hero models in a range of 3D file formats, or via live links to CAD software, with users able to dress the scenes using a library of stock assets. Atmospheric properties – including clouds, rain and snow, and ambient lighting based on geographical location and time of day – can be adjusted via slider-based controls. The software is now free to indie artists and studios with revenue under $1 million/year, following Epic Games’ recent changes to the pricing of its products. Epic Games is also now increasingly pitching the software at the entertainment marked, as an ‘on-ramp’ to Unreal Engine for virtual production and real-time VFX. New 3D Grass Material for generating procedural grass on surfaces Twinmotion 2025.1.1 comes just two months after the major Twinmotion 2025.1 update, and is a much smaller release, but it does include some significant new features. One is the new 3D Grass Material, for quickly generating realistic grass in scenes. Assigning it to a surface generates procedural 3D grass that follows the contours of the surface, with options to set the type, length and color of the grass, and whether it is affected by wind. The material can currently only be applied to static objects, not animated surfaces, and comes with some limitations when using the new Lumen rendering mode. Support for DLSS 4 for better viewport performance on NVIDIA GPUs Other key changes include support for DLSS 4, the latest version of NVIDIA’s AI-based frame generation and image upscaling technology.The update should increase viewport frame rates on systems with NVIDIA GPUs. Other changes: new modeling tools, clay materials, and workflow updates Twinmotion 2025.1.1 also features updates to the software’s modeling tools, with a new Merge tool for combining objects, and a Split tool for splitting objects into parts.Workflow improvements include two new orbit modes for navigating the viewport, a new Camera Inertia setting for smoother viewport navigation, updates to the Edit pivot feature and XYZ panel, and the option to use millimetres as units for scene scale. In addition, 10 new clay materials have been added to the accompanying asset library. For users with paid subscriptions, Configurations – interactive 3D presentations showcasing a project – can now be exported to online collaboration platform Twinmotion Cloud. Price, system requirements and release date Twinmotion 2025.1.1 is compatible with Windows 10+ and macOS 12.5+. Integration plugins are available for CAD and DCC apps including 3ds Max 2017+, CityEngine 2022.0+ and SketchUp Pro 2019+. The software is free to users with gross annual revenue under $1 million/year. The free edition lacks access to Twinmotion Cloud, but is otherwise fully featured. For larger studios, subscriptions cost $445/seat/year. Read an overview of the new features in Twinmotion 2025.1.1 on Epic Games’ blog Read a full list of new features in Twinmotion 2025.1.1 in the online changelog Have 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 don’t post on the site itself, including making-ofs for the latest VFX movies, animations, games cinematics and motion graphics projects.

html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40/loose.dtd" Originally posted on 12 June 2024. Scroll down for details of the latest update. RapidMXS – aka Octopus plugin developer Miklós Gábor – has released UVReactor, a high-performance new UV unwrapping and UV packing plugin for 3ds Max. The add-on promises to unwrap and pack even multi-million-poly models in seconds and follows 3ds Max’s standard workflow and UI conventions. A high-performance UV unwrapping plugin for 3ds Max In development for five years, UVReactor is a high-performance automated UV unwrapping and UV packing plugin for 3ds Max.It’s CPU-based and runs in a single CPU thread, making use of the AVX2 instruction set to accelerate processing. Gábor pitches UVReactor as doing “eight times more work [in one CPU cycle] than most UV editors”, remaining “extremely responsive” even on multi-million-poly models. Follows familiar 3ds Max workflows Although the feature set is still relatively limited in the initial release, UVReactor features toolsets for unwrapping and packing UVs, and setting texel density.It works with 3ds Max’s native Graphite Modeling Tools, and follows standard 3ds Max workflows, using the same hotkeys as the viewport and native UV Editor. Other selling points include built-in UV cleanup, automatically resolving common UV artefacts, and the option to stitch multiple UV shells simultaneously. https://www.cgchannel.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/250415_UVReactor11_UVReactor12.mp4 A compilation of RapidMXS’s demos of the features added to UVReactor since the initial release, including Multi Object Mode, UDIM support, and workflow improvements from the 1.2 updates. Updated 15 April 2025: Since the original release of UVReactor, RapidMXS has steadily been putting out updates to the plugin, the latest being UVReactor 1.2.5. Below, we’ve rounded up the key changes to the plugin since its initial 1.0 release. The first major update, UVReactor 1.1, released just a month after version 1.0, added a new Multi Object Mode, making it possible to unwrap multiple objects or sub-objects simultaneously. UVReactor 1.1.3, released a month later, added support for UDIM workflows, making it possible to pack UV islands to separate UDIM tiles. UVReactor 1.2 released in March 2025, made UVReactor available as a modifier. That makes it possible to edit UVs anywhere in the modifier stack, letting you use UVReactor alongside the Edit Poly modifier, rather than just on Editable Poly objects. There have also been a lot of workflow improvements, including support for vertex and grid snapping, vertex pinning, non-uniform UV straightening, a circular selection mode, and new options for visualizing and selecting flipped polygons. The video embedded above compiles some of RapidMXS’s demos of the new features, and you can find complete changelogs for the 1.1.x and 1.2.x updates on RapidMXS’s Facebook profile. Pricing and system requirements UVReactor is compatible with 3ds Max 2020+. Perpetual Indie licenses, for artists with revenue under $100,000/year, have a MSRP of €150 (around $169). Pro licenses have a MSRP of €300 ($339). Read more about UVReactor for 3ds Max on the product website Have 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 don’t post on the site itself, including making-ofs for the latest VFX movies, animations, games cinematics and motion graphics projects.

html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40/loose.dtd" Reallusion has released iClone 8.53, the latest update to the real-time animation software.The release extends support for motion-capture workflows, adding support for timecode data in iClone itself, and introducing a new paid-for Timecode plugin for working with that data. It is also now possible to stream live data to iClone from Vicon optical motion-capture systems, via a new paid-for Vicon profile for iClone’s Motion Live system. But first: a quick recap of iClone’s existing motion-capture add-ons Some of the new features in iClone 8.53 are available free to existing users, while others require you to buy new add-ons, so first, here’s a quick recap of how iClone works with mocap data.The base software can import pre-recorded mocap in BVH or FBX format, but to stream in data in real time, you need the Motion Live plugin, now included free with iClone 8. Motion Live supports a range of full-body motion-capture systems, including Qualisys optical systems, and inertial mocap systems from OptiTrack, Perception Neuron, Rokoko and Xsens. It is also possible to stream in facial capture data from an iPhone or a webcam, and finger capture data from Rokoko Smartgloves or legacy Leap Motion 1 devices. Each requires its own paid-for Motion Live profile, which can cost many times more than iClone itself: the OptiTrack, Qualisys and Xsens profiles are over three times the price of the core app. iClone 8.53: a new set of features and add-ons for working with timecode metadata Most of the changes in iClone 8.53, and the new paid add-ons released alongside it, are to introduce support for timecode-based workflows.They enable iClone to read timecode data: frame-accurate metadata used to help synchronize audio and video footage, and to synchronize motion-capture data. That makes it possible to synchronize separate captures – either for multiple characters, or where face and body motion are captured separately – preventing the data streams drifting apart over time. Timecode is now supported natively in all of iClone’s motion formats: iMotion for full-body motion, iMotionPlus and iTalk for facial animation, and iProject for lights and cameras. Basic support for timecode data in the core software iClone 8.53 itself introduces support for timecode information in pre-recorded audio, video and mocap data in a range of common file formats, including MOV, MP4, MKV, WAV, and FBX.It also makes it possible to display timecode information inside the software, and to burn it into previews and final renders. New paid Timecode plugin for editing with and exporting timecode data However, to do anything more significant with timecode data, you really need the paid Timecode plugin.It makes it possible to set a Master Clock in Motion Live so that mocap data streamed into iClone uses a consistent timecode source: at the time of writing, timecode is supported in all of the Motion Live profiles with the exception of Qualisys. It also lets you edit with timecode data, making it possible to snap clips to embedded timecodes in the timeline to line them up precisely. And finally, it makes it possible to export timecode data, both embedded in FBX files, and when using the iClone Unreal Live Link plugin to transfer data directly to Unreal Engine. New Motion Live profile for high-end Vicon optical-capture systems In addition, there is a now a new Motion Live profile for Vicon optical motion-capture systems: the gold standard for mocap for movies and AAA games.It supports full-body and finger tracking, but not facial capture; and as with the other Motion Live profiles intended for high-end work, its $1,990 price tag is much higher than iClone itself. Price and system requirements iClone 8.53 is compatible with Windows 7+. The update is free to existing users. New perpetual licenses of iClone have a standard price of $599, and include the Motion Live plugin.The new Timecode plugin for Motion Live has a MSRP of $299 for Indie artists – those earning under $100,000/year – and $1,490 for other users. The new Vicon profile for Motion Live costs $1,990. Read an overview of the new features in iClone 8.53 on Reallusion’s forum Read a full list of new features in iClone 8.53 in the online release notes Read a full list of new features in Motion Live in the release notes Have 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 don’t post on the site itself, including making-ofs for the latest VFX movies, animations, games cinematics and motion graphics projects.

html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40/loose.dtd" Chaos has released Anima 6.0, the latest version of its crowd animation software.The update – the first since Chaos acquired Anima in 2023 – adds a complete new traffic simulation system, and introduces a new higher-performance viewport renderer. Integration plugins are available for 3ds Max, Cinema 4D and Unreal Engine 5, although there’s no longer any mention of Maya in the online documentation. An intuitive tool for less demanding crowd animation jobs Originally developed by AXYZ Design and acquired by Chaos in 2023, Anima is a crowd tool intended for architectural visualisation and less demanding animation work.It enables users to add animated characters to a scene without the complexity of a traditional AI- or particle-driven crowd simulation system. Users draw paths for crowd characters directly in the viewport, and place scene objects like furniture and traffic lights, along with areas for animated characters to avoid. Integration plugins are available for 3ds Max, Cinema 4D and Unreal Engine, and animated scenes can also be exported in FBX, OpenCollada or V-Ray’s .vrscene format. Anima 6.0: complete new traffic simulation system Anima 6.0 is the first update to the software in over two years, and it’s a pretty big one, adding Vroom: a complete new traffic simulation system.As with the crowd simulation tools, it’s intended to provide an intuitive way to achieve visually plausible results, without the complexity of more detailed simulations. According to Chaos, it can simulate “hundreds” of animated vehicles to populate city environments in visualizations, but has “limited scope” for traffic engineering studies. Simulate animated vehicles obeying international traffic rules Vroom uses a straightforward step-by-step workflow to simulate traffic.The Road tool lets you draw road networks in a 3D scene, then adjust their width and the number of lanes, the direction of traffic flow, and traffic rules. Vehicles can then be placed manually on the roads, or generated automatically, with options to control their density, the frequency of individual vehicle types, and driver behavior. Vroom then simulates the motion of the vehicles, including wheel movement and steering behavior, with built-in physics for vehicle inertia and response to bumps in the road. New, more modern interface and viewport render engine There are also some major changes under the hood in Anima 6.0, including an overhauled user interface, and a new 3D viewport engine.It is described as a “modern multi-target renderer” with support for DirectX 11, DirectX 12 and Vulkan – the OpenGL subsystem has been removed – improving performance and memory use. The library of stock 3D assets available with Anima subscriptions has also been expanded, increasing the cultural diversity of the character models, and adding over 40 animated vehicles. Is Anima still available for Maya? However, it isn’t clear whether the Maya plugin has been discontinued: Maya is still listed as a host app in the online FAQs, but there is no mention of Maya in the system requirements.We’ve contacted Chaos to ask if Maya is still supported, and will update if we hear back. Pricing and availability Anima 6.0 is available for 64-bit Windows 7+. The integration plugins are available for 3ds Max 2023+, Cinema 4D R26+ and Unreal Engine 5.3+.The software is now available rental-only, Chaos having discontinued perpetual licenses last year. Subscriptions cost $121.80/month or $717.60/year. There is also a free edition, Anima Lite, although rendering is very limited. Read an overview of the new features in Anima 6.0 on the product website Read a full list of new features in Anima 6.0 in the online release notes Have 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 don’t post on the site itself, including making-ofs for the latest VFX movies, animations, games cinematics and motion graphics projects.

html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40/loose.dtd" [Sponsored] To mark the official release of its new Houdini plugin – and its new free edition – Zibra AI reveals how its ZibraVDB volumetric compression technology, also available for Unreal Engine, is shaking up real-time VFX for virtual production, game development and CGI work. A recent wave of restructurings across major VFX studios — including Technicolor, MPC, The Mill, and Jellyfish Pictures — has sent shockwaves through the industry, highlighting the growing need for more agile, modern production pipelines.Studios face shrinking budgets, tighter timelines, and an ever-growing demand for visual effects that can be rendered or tweaked almost instantly. Legacy OpenVDB workflows, with their heavy storage needs and offline-only approach, simply aren’t designed for real-time iteration, limiting their role in evolving production models like virtual production. These problems become painfully clear on virtual production sets, where teams require high-fidelity effects in real time rather than relying on slow, resource-intensive CGI workflows. ZibraVDB offers a future-aware way to render complex volumetric effects in real time without eternal scene processing and enormous hardware requirements. It could be the next standard in OpenVDB workflows for virtual production, gaming, and beyond, dealing with emerging industry problems and establishing efficient new processes at studios around the world. Why ZibraVDB real-time volumetrics are the future Volumetric effects once relegated to offline processes can now run in real time, thanks to ZibraVDB. The technology has already been adopted by Dimension, ILCA, and other industry leaders, and SideFX supports ZibraVDB in its SideFX Labs add-on tools for Houdini. ZibraVDB doesn’t just modernize volumetric data handling: it redefines it for the era of immediate feedback and budget-conscious production. With near-instant preview and iteration, you can incorporate high-fidelity effects in-camera on set, rather than being tethered to an expensive post-production stage. Powerful file compression for volumetric data As the demand for real-time workflows rises, studios need to rethink their pipelines to stay competitive and cost-efficient. ZibraVDB compression reduces the size of traditional OpenVDB files by up to 98%, drastically cutting down storage requirements and bandwidth overhead.What’s new in ZibraVDB Recent developments have expanded ZibraVDB’s accessibility. Right now, our focus is on widening access and offering deeper flexibility with: An extended trial for indie creators The new free version of ZibraVDB now offers up to five compressions for free, making it possible to convert up to five VDB sequences into .zibravdb format. This means that smaller teams can test real-time volumetrics without up-front licensing fees. It’s ideal for those on the fence, or simply curious about bridging offline and real-time pipelines. Houdini integration in every subscription The Houdini plugin is included in the standard subscription, ensuring that everyone can use ZibraVDB for advanced volumetric effects directly within the leading procedural software, and bringing an instant drag-and-drop workflow between Houdini and Unreal Engine.ZibraVDB Studio subscriptions for custom development and support For larger companies needing an even more tailored approach, ZibraVDB Studio subscriptions offer enterprise-level flexibility. This includes custom feature development, offline licensing, high-touch support, and SDK integrations that adapt to a range of specialized workflows.Whether you’re dealing with substantial data sets or more complex real-time requirements, this tier ensures you have direct support, pipeline consulting, and flexible licensing to match enterprise-scale needs. More details about our offerings for studios and indie artists can be found here. ZibraVDB: the next step in virtual production and gaming These advantages resonate powerfully in virtual production, where compressed data keeps GPU loads light and enables real-time rendering by removing bandwidth bottlenecks. Filmmakers and on-set artists can tweak atmospheric or pyrotechnic effects in seconds, letting them finalize complex shots without endless back-and-forth. CGI pipelines see parallel gains: large files move easily across networks, speeding up work on multiple render nodes. While data is compressed, shifting or archiving assets becomes simpler. This is especially crucial for remote teams or those relying on cloud servers. In gaming, developers can compress volumetric effects for real-time usage, enabling cinematic-quality clouds, fog, or fire to appear without ballooning build sizes. And it’s not just for cutscenes any more: ZibraVDB can also be used for live gameplay. ZibraVDB represents a bold move forward, offering seamless real-time volumetric rendering for virtual production, efficient OpenVDB compression for CGI, and optimized asset sizes for games, cementing its position as a new standard in OpenVDB workflows. With flexible pricing options and extensive opportunities for studios, it is the last missing piece in the Unreal Engine pipeline. Visit the ZibraVDB website for more information on the new pricing and features

html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40/loose.dtd" RandomControl has begun its 2025 updates to Maverick Studio and Maverick Indie, its physically based GPU renderers for industrial designers and entertainment artists.The 2025.1 releases extend the software’s animation toolset and support for USD workflows, with USD becoming the recommended format for importing non-CAD data for rendering. Streamlined GPU renderers for visualization and entertainment work Developed by Arion renderer creator RandomControl and launched in 2019, Maverick Studio is a streamlined renderer aimed at product and automotive visualisation.It provides a drag-and-drop workflow for assigning PBR materials, and for setting up lighting and a render camera, plus a physically accurate spectral render engine with built-in denoising. The software is CUDA-based, and supports out-of-core rendering. It was later joined by Maverick Indie, a lower-priced edition aimed at entertainment work, which lacks support for CAD file formats, plus features like NURBS and cross-section rendering. Maverick Studio and Indie 2025.1: updates to animation and USD workflows Maverick Studio and Maverick Indie 2025.1 expand two of the key toolsets introduced in the 2024 releases: the new animation system and USD support.The animation toolset gets a new set of easing modes for keyframes, the option to clone keyframes by [Shift]-dragging in the timeline, and undo support for “most” timeline operations. It is also now possible to import deforming meshes as well as rigid body animation, making it possible to import and render rigged and skinned characters. USD import – described as still “very preliminary” in last year’s releases – has been improved, and is now the recommended way to import non-CAD data into the software. Other workflow and quality-of-life improvements The update also revamps the Move tool, updating both the design of its viewport gizmo and its underlying mechanics, “squash[ing] some long-standing bugs”.Other changes include the option to change the UI theme, and localization of the interface text into 11 languages, including Chinese, French, German, Japanese, Korean, Russian, and Spanish. Pricing and system requirements Maverick Indie and Maverick Studio are available for 64-bit Windows only. Both are CUDA-based, and require a RTX-compatible NVIDIA GPU. You can see a feature comparison table for the two editions here. Perpetual licences of Maverick Indie cost €395.99 (around $449), up €146 on the previous release; rental starts at €19.99/month ($23/month). Perpetual licences of Maverick Studio cost €795.99 ($902), up €296 on the previous release; rental starts at €39.99/month ($45/month). Read a full list of new features in the online changelog Have 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 don’t post on the site itself, including making-ofs for the latest VFX movies, animations, games cinematics and motion graphics projects.

html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40/loose.dtd" Avatar and Star Trek concept designer Neville Page is launching a crowdfunding campaign for Beauty in the Beast, a new art book representing three decades of work in the movie industry.The book sees the Emmy Award-winning artist “pulling back the curtain on what it really takes to succeed in design”: both the art skills required, and the realities of working on set. A visual record of three decades of work on some of the world’s best-known movies One of the world’s leading creature and concept designers, Neville Page has been working on movie and broadcast projects since the turn of the millennium.Movies he has worked on include Minority Report, Planet of the Apes, James Cameron’s Avatar, J.J. Abrams’ Cloverfield – for which he designed the creature – The Watchmen, and The Hulk. More recently, he has worked on major broadcast projects including Star Trek series Voyager and Picard: experience distilled into his new tutorial series on Virtual Makeup Design for The Gnomon Workshop. A ‘practical field guide’ to succeeding in concept design Page’s new book project, Beauty in the Beast – the Kickstarter campaign for which goes live on 21 April – is both a visual record of three decades of work in the movie business, and an insight into what it really took to create that work.Although it sets out the artistic skills required to succeed in concept design – the mastery of anatomy, perspective and form – the book is about more than just how to draw, also exploring the realities of working on set, and of collaborating with some of the world’s leading directors. Page describes it as a “deeply personal and practical field guide for anyone [who wants to] build a sustainable career in one of the most demanding industries on the planet”. For more details on the book, and to sign up to be notified when the Kickstarter campaign goes live, visit the project website via the link below. Register for updates on Beauty in the Beast on Neville Page’s book website Have 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 don’t post on the site itself, including making-ofs for the latest VFX movies, animations, games cinematics and motion graphics projects. Full disclosure: CG Channel is owned by The Gnomon Workshop.

html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40/loose.dtd" A promo for Howler, showing the range of other features in the digital painting app. Howler 2023 is now free, and developer Dan Ritchie is raising money to make the current version freeware. The creator of versatile digital digital painting, animation and video processing tool Howler has made Howler 2023 free to download.Developer Dan Ritchie now aims to raise $3,000 to release the current version as freeware. An idiosyncratic natural media paint package with a lot of unexpected features Originally released over 20 years ago, Howler – originally Project Dogwaffle – is an idiosyncratic, inexpensive digital painting and content creation tool.Its core strength is natural media painting, but it also features basic 3D rendering capabilities, primarily for landscapes and foliage, and animation features including a timeline, onion skinning, frame repair, retiming, and an exposure sheet for lip sync animation. Developer Dan Ritchie himself comes from a 3D background, having worked at pioneering broadcast VFX firm Foundation Imaging on Star Trek: Voyager. He later began developing plugins for LightWave, some of which were integrated into Howler. Ritchie comments that “throughout its life, Howler has been more than just software — it’s been a canvas for natural media painting, a robust toolset for animation with features like onion skinning and keyframing, and a powerhouse for image editing and performance optimization. “Many of these technologies were ahead of their time, reshaping the creative world.” Howler 2023 now free, but you can donate to get the current version released as freeware Although Ritchie continues to release updates to Howler – the latest, Howler 2025.5 – adds a new text crawl system for animated titles – development has recently been hampered by health problems and the recent theft of his main development laptop.“As I face health challenges and personal hardships, it has become clear that I can no longer sustain this journey on my own,” he wrote in a post on Patreon. “To preserve Howler’s legacy, I hope to make it freely accessible to the wider community. This is my goal — but it comes with exit costs.” To give new users a taste of what the software can do, Ritchie has just released Howler 2023 for free, but now aims to raise $3,000 to release the latest version as freeware. The money will be used to cover back taxes and web hosting for the freeware release. Anyone who wants to support the effort can back Ritchie on Patreon, or simply buy the software: at the time of writing, you can buy the latest version for just $12.99. Read Dan Ritchie’s Patreon post on raising $3,000 to release Howler as freeware Buy the current version of the software from the Howler website Download Howler 2023 for free Have 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 don’t post on the site itself, including making-ofs for the latest VFX movies, animations, games cinematics and motion graphics projects.

html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40/loose.dtd" The Gnomon Workshop has released Creating Photorealistic 3D Environments, a guide to professional workflows for creating 3D terrain, recorded by Environment Artist Koke Núñez.The workshop, which is aimed at intermediate-to-advanced-level artists, provides over three hours of video training in Blender and World Creator. Create detailed photorealistic terrain suitable for a professional portfolio In the workshop, Núñez explores how to create photorealistic terrain suitable for use in professional visual effects or motion graphics projects.He begins by setting out how to use World Creator’s powerful procedural tools to shape and refine terrain, then takes them into Blender to assign materials, lighting and atmospheric effects. Topics covered include placement mapping, advanced shader setups, and rendering the terrain with Blender’s Cycles render in a format suitable to showcase in a portfolio. As well as the tutorial videos, viewers can download supporting project files including Núñez’s custom terrain maps, textures, and final Blender scene. About the artist Koke Núñez is a freelance Environment Generalist and Digital Matte Painter. He specializes in environments, but also works in visual development and set extensions.VFX and motion design studios that he has worked with include Method n Madness, Cinesite and Pixomondo. Pricing and availability Creating Photorealistic 3D Environments is available via a subscription to The Gnomon Workshop, which provides access to over 300 tutorials.Subscriptions cost $57/month or $519/year. Free trials are available. Read more about Creating Photorealistic 3D Environments on The Gnomon Workshop’s website Have 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 don’t post on the site itself, including making-ofs for the latest VFX movies, animations, games cinematics and motion graphics projects. Full disclosure: CG Channel is owned by Gnomon.

html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40/loose.dtd" Foundry has unveiled Nuke Stage, a new application for virtual production and in-camera visual effects (ICVFX).The software, currently available in invite-only early access, is designed for real-time playback of photorealistic environments onto LED walls, with support for live layout and compositing. Workflow is USD-based, and does not require Nuke, Foundry’s compositing software, but Foundry describes it as “familiar and friendly” to Nuke artists. Below, we’ve put together our FAQs about the new product. What is Nuke Stage, and why is Foundry developing it? Foundry is the latest developer of offline VFX tools to enter the virtual production market, Chaos having launched Chaos Arena, its real-time rendering solution for LED walls, last month.Both new products are attempting to carve out a space in a sector in which Epic Games has done a lot of the early running through Unreal Engine, its game engine and real-time renderer, which now has a dedicated ICVFX toolset. As with Chaos Arena, part of Foundry’s pitch to studios and film-makers is greater continuity with existing offline visual effects workflows. The firm describes Nuke Stage as “reducing the risk of costly rework” of content, such as when offline assets have to be converted for use in a game engine, or vice versa. Nuke Stage’s node graph lets users manipulate USD scenes in real time. What is workflow in Nuke Stage like? Nuke Stage is designed for creating detailed background environments that can be projected onto LED walls behind actors during principal photography, as 2D, 2.5D or 3D imagery.The core workflow is OpenUSD-based, with users able to load USD scenes created in other DCC applications that support USD into the Nuke Stage Editor. It is then possible to edit the scene in real time, adding 3D meshes, or using the Nuke Stage Editor’s node graph to add images or effects to cameras, displays and USD primitives. The scene can then be played out to the LED wall as B44-compressed EXR files: a format that Foundry describes as “real-time-suitable” and “VFX-friendly”. To ensure continuity of color management between principal photography and post-production, the software supports the OpenColorIO standard. https://www.cgchannel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/250411_NukeStage_testimonials.mp4 Nuke Stage can be used independently of Nuke, but the familiarity of its workflow to Nuke artists is cited in this video of testimonials from ICVFX and virtual production supervisors. Does Nuke Stage have to be used with Nuke? Despite the name, Nuke Stage is a “purpose-built” application based on a “new technology stack”, and does not require Nuke, Foundry’s family of compositing and editorial tools.However, Foundry clearly hopes to attract existing Nuke users: the UI and workflow of Nuke Stage are described as “familiar and friendly” to Nuke artists. And while it can use USD scenes created in any application, the online documentation describes “advantages in using Nuke with Nuke Stage to prepare assets”. Both applications have a Hydra 3D viewport, “ensur[ing] that the scene you’re seeing in Nuke is exactly what you will see in Nuke Stage”. Nuke Stage runs on set on standard workstations and render hardware. What hardware does Nuke Stage need? Nuke Stage is hardware-agnostic, in the sense that it runs on “commodity hardware”, and does not require a specialist media server, but it is designed for NVIDIA GPUs.It uses a render node architecture, with a control machine running the Nuke Stage Editor, and a series of render nodes rendering its output to different sections of the LED wall. Each render node needs a NVIDIA Quadro Sync II card to synchronize their output, and a compatible GPU: all current- and recent-gen NVIDIA professional cards – the documentation namechecks the RTX A6000. The architecture of a Nuke Stage production set-up. A license is required for each render node. How much does Nuke Stage cost? Nuke Stage is priced on enquiry, and scales “based on rendering requirements and project demands”: it requires a license for each render node used.All of Foundry’s other products are now available subscription-only. Release date and system requirements Nuke Stage is currently in invite-only early access. Foundry hasn’t announced a wider release date. You can register your interest by filling in this online form.The current version, Nuke Stage 0.9, is available for Windows 10+ only. You can see the hardware requirements in the online documentation. Read an overview of Nuke Stage on Foundry’s website Read more about how Nuke Stage works in the online documentation Have 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 don’t post on the site itself, including making-ofs for the latest VFX movies, animations, games cinematics and motion graphics projects.

html 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 1.22. 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 Adobe’s new Substance 3D Indie subscriptions. Substance 3D Modeler 1.22 is a minor workflow update, but an experimental new Connector plugin syncing Substance 3D Modeler to Unreal Engine is available in beta. Sculpt organic and hard-surface models in VR using a virtual clay workflow Substance 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.mp4 Substance 3D Modeler 1.19: new Assets workflow for iterating on designs Substance 3D Modeler 1.19 introduces a new Assets workflow to the software’s 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 features All 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 Adobe’s 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 month’s 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 Adobe’s new Substance 3D Indie Subscriptions In related news, Substance 3D Painter is now available via Adobe’s 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. Updated 11 April 2025: Adobe has released Substance 3D Modeler 1.22. Version 1.22 itself is a minor workflow and bugfix update, but version 1.21.5, the current public beta, introduces an experimental new plugin syncing Substance 3D Modeler to Unreal Engine 5. It is based on the open-source Connector framework, announced by Adobe last year. Support for other applications, including Blender and Substance 3D Painter, is coming “soon”. Price and system requirements Substance 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 now cost $59.99/month or $599.99/year, prices having risen last month. Read a full list of new features in Substance 3D Modeler in the release notes Have 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 don’t post on the site itself, including making-ofs for the latest VFX movies, animations, games cinematics and motion graphics projects.

html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40/loose.dtd" F12 – aka developer Wybren van Keulen – has released The Grove 2.2, the latest version of the software for generating biologically plausible tree models for use in VFX, animation and games.The update adds a new Skeleton tool for generating bone-based animation control rigs for trees, and new workflows for reducing their poly counts to levels suitable for real-time use. Mimic the growth forms of real trees The Grove takes a parametric approach to generating trees, with controls that mimic the factors determining the forms of real plants, resulting in more realistic-looking models.Once the overall form has been set, The Grove fills in details using ‘Twigs’: instanced geometry representing not only actual twigs, but leaves, flowers and fruit, sold separately to the core app. The resulting textured geometry can be exported from the user’s host software in standard file formats, including FBX and OBJ, for use in other DCC applications. Users can also generate wind and growth animations, exportable in Alembic format. Since The Grove 2.0, the software – originally a Blender plugin – has become a standalone application, with integrations for Blender and Houdini. https://www.cgchannel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/250410_TheGrove22_Skeleton_sm.mp4 New Skeleton tool generates and refines animation control rigs Key changes in The Grove 2.2 include the new Skeleton tool for automatically generating bone-based animation rigs and their accompanying deformation weights.It starts by generating a dense bone network, with users adjusting control parameters to reduce the bone count to a more production-friendly level, with the skeleton updating in real time. Once generated, the skeleton can be used to pose the tree manually, or to animate it: either to apply wind sway, or to animate collisions with other objects like vehicles. The rig can be simplified enough for animations to run at interactive speeds, and can be used in game engines as well as offline rendering, although there is currently no direct export pipeline. The Skeleton tool is available in the higher-end Indie and Studio editions of The Grove. https://www.cgchannel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/250410_TheGrove22_Games.mp4 A tree reduced to 42k triangles and 49 bones for real-time use. New workflows for reducing the poly count of trees for use in game engines The Grove 2.2 also features a number of optimizations intended to help reduce the poly count of the trees generated to levels suitable for use as LOD assets in games.They’re as much suggested workflows as they are changes to the software itself, so check out the online release notes for more details. Other performance increases include moving more of the code used to draw viewport previews of growth simulations from Python to the software core, making growth cycles “50% faster”. Other features and workflow improvements Other changes include a new Sow toolset, which mimics trees spreading by seed, generating seedlings and saplings around the base of a parent tree.You can find a list of smaller improvements via the link at the foot of the story. Pricing and availability The Grove 2.2 is compatible with Blender 4.2+ and Houdini 19.5 on Windows, Linux and macOS. The software comes in three editions. All of them include the Blender plugin, but only the Studio edition includes the Houdini plugin. The Starter edition has a MSRP of €99, up €10 since the previous release. The Indie edition has a MSRP of €199, up €50. The Studio edition has a MSRP of €799, up €79. Individual Twigs cost €9.69. Read a full list of new features in The Grove 2.2 on the product website Have 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 don’t post on the site itself, including making-ofs for the latest VFX movies, animations, games cinematics and motion graphics projects.

Thursday, April 10th, 2025 Posted by Jim Thacker Get versions of the free Thinkbox tools that work with 3ds Max 2026 html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40/loose.dtd" Tools developer Josef ‘spacefrog‘ Wienerroither has released updated versions of four of the Thinkbox products – Krakatoa, Frost, Stoke and XMesh – for current versions of 3ds Max. The updates make the applications – which were open-sourced by then-owner AWS in 2022 – compatible with 3ds Max 2018 and above, including 3ds Max 2026, the current release. Rendering and render-management tools used by some of the world’s leading VFX houses Amazon acquired what became the AWS Thinkbox products from Thinkbox Software in 2017, releasing them all for free five years later. Of the seven applications, the most widely used were probably render-management system Deadline and render post-processing tool Draft. However, the remaining apps – tools for managing and rendering large particle sets in 3ds Max and Maya – were also an important part of many VFX and motion graphics studios’ pipelines. They include particle rendering toolkit Krakatoa, particle and point cloud meshing tools Frost and Sequoia, geometry caching system XMesh, and particle reflow toolkit Stoke. First updates to the particle tools since they were made available free Although AWS has carried on releasing updates to Deadline since making it available free – Deadline 10.4, released last October, added support for the then-current versions of 3ds Max, Maya and Houdini – the particle tools have seen less love. The source code for Frost, Krakatoa, Stoke and XMesh was released on AWS’sGitHub repository in 2022, but has not been updated since. Now compatible with 3ds Max 2018 to 2026 Wienerroither’s work rectifies that, at least for the 3ds Max versions of the software. Using the source code, he reconstructed the original build pipeline to run locally, and applied all of the compatibility fixes necessary to compile the plugins for the latest 3ds Max SDKs: something he describes as a “long and tedious process”. The result is new builds of Krakatoa MX, Stoke MX, Frost MX, XMesh MX Loader and XMesh MX Saver compatible with 3ds Max 2018 and above, including 3ds Max 2026, the current release. As you would expect of a one-person labor of love, the new builds are “not seriously tested”, so if you’re aiming to use them in production, you may need to troubleshoot them for yourself, although Wienerroither says that he may release updates and fixes in future. Licensing and system requirements The updated versions of Krakatoa MX, Stoke MX, Frost MX, XMesh MX Loader and XMesh MX Saver are compatible with 3ds Max 2018-2026. Frost MX is compatible with V-Ray 7. All are free downloads, but if you appreciate the work, you can make a voluntary donation. The other AWS Thinkbox products are available free to anyone with an AWS account. You can find more details in this story. Download editions of the free AWS Thinkbox tools compatible with 3ds Max 2026 A tip of the hat to CGPress for spotting this story. Have 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 don’t post on the site itself, including making-ofs for the latest VFX movies, animations, games cinematics and motion graphics projects. Latest News Get versions of the free Thinkbox tools that work with 3ds Max 2026 Get new versions of particle tools Krakatoa MX, Frost MX, Stoke MX and XMesh MX recompiled to support current versions of 3ds Max. Thursday, April 10th, 2025 F12 releases The Grove 2.2 for Blender and Houdini Popular 3D tree generator gets new Skeleton tool for creating animation rigs, and new workflows to reduce tree poly counts for use in games. Thursday, April 10th, 2025 Reallusion unveils Character Creator 5 Check out the new features, price and release date for the next major update to the 3D character creation software for games and VFX. Thursday, April 10th, 2025 Get 150+ free modular workshop assets for Unreal Engine Get Leartes Studios' Carpenter's Workshop Environment pack of 3D assets for free for two weeks on the Fab marketplace. Commercial use. Tuesday, April 8th, 2025 Blackmagic Design releases Fusion Studio 20.0 in beta Big update to the 3D compositor adds new deep compositing toolset, Cryptomatte support, and 180 VR workflows. See all the new features. Monday, April 7th, 2025 Blackmagic Design releases DaVinci Resolve 20.0 in beta Discover key features for VFX artists and colorists in this major update to the free grading and editing app and its $295 Studio edition. Sunday, April 6th, 2025 More News Maxon's free Cineware for Unreal now supports character animation Maxon releases Red Giant 2024.4 and Universe 2025.3 Nekki releases Cascadeur 2025.1 with AI-based Inbetweening Maxon releases Redshift 2025.4 Maxon releases Cinema 4D 2025.2 Maxon releases ZBrush 2025.2 Maxon adds ZModeler and UV Master to ZBrush for iPad 2025.3 Adobe releases After Effects 25.2 Autodesk releases Mudbox 2026 Otoy releases OctaneRender 2025.1 Poly Hammer releases Meta-Human DNA add-on for Blender Check out virtual cinematography tool Radical VCam Older Posts

html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40/loose.dtd" Reallusion has unveiled Character Creator 5, the next version of the 3D character creation tool.The update, due in July, and currently available via a pre-release offer, introduces HD character bases, support for cavity maps in the skin shader, and an updated facial animation system. It will be accompanied with new Auto Setup plugins streamlining export of characters to Maya and look development software Marmoset Toolbag. A powerful, intuitive commercial 3D character creator for games, animation and VFX Originally released in 2015, Character Creator is a 3D character creation tool for game development, animation, motion graphics, previs, VFX and visualization work.Users can quickly create characters – primarily humanoids – by customizing a readymade base mesh with intuitive slider controls, or by importing and converting an existing model. The software includes a detail human skin shader, and toolsets for creating hair and clothing, augmented by paid asset packs from Reallusion’s online content store. Characters have a full-body skeletal rig and blendshape-based facial rig, and can be exported in FBX or OBJ format, or transferred directly to iClone, Reallusion’s animation software. There are also an increasing number of official plugins to streamline export to other DCC applications and game engines, including 3ds Max, Blender, Unity, Unreal Engine and ZBrush. Character Creator 5: new HD character bases The biggest update to the software since Character Creator 4 in 2022, Character Creator 5 features updates to the base characters, shaders and facial animation toolset.Its new HD character bases come with two more subdivision levels than those in Character Creator 4, and “offer up to 16 times more mesh detail” for close-up renders or 3D printing. The base characters’ eye structure has also been reworked, with attachable eyelashes and high-resolution tear ducts. Characters can be customized with an “all-new HD Morph system”, although Reallusion’s blog post announcing the update doesn’t go into detail. Updates to the skin shader and facial animation toolset In addition, the skin shader now has “full support” for displacement maps, for big surface details, plus cavity maps for fine pore and wrinkle details.For facial animation, the revamped HD Expression Profile has each expression driving a greater number of facial morphs, and a new Constraint System limits expressions to anatomically plausible ranges. The update also introduces non-linear facial animation capabilities through “advanced curve-based motions and mesh elasticity”. Alongside the core app, Reallusion is introducing new Auto Setup plugins for Marmoset Toolbag and Maya, and there will be updates to the existing Blender, Unreal Engine and ZBrush add-ons. According to the online FAQs, Character Creator 5 will be backwards-compatible with Character Creator 4 content and plugins, and with iClone 8. Price and system requirements Character Creator 5.0 is due for release in July 2025. The software will be free to anyone spending over $399 in a single order on Reallusion’s online stores between now and the eventual release. Read the offer FAQs here. The current stable release, Character Creator 4.52, is compatible with Windows 7+. New perpetual licences cost $299. Read an overview of the new features in Character Creator 5 on Reallusion’s blog Have 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 don’t post on the site itself, including making-ofs for the latest VFX movies, animations, games cinematics and motion graphics projects.

html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40/loose.dtd" Epic Games has made a set of 157 modular assets for creating a carpenter’s workshop available to download for free from Fab, its new online marketplace.Games asset firm Leartes Studios‘ Carpenter’s Workshop Environment is part of the latest set of time-limited free content released on Fab, and will be free until 22 April 2025. Over 150 modular 3D assets for building a traditional carpenter’s workshop The Carpenter’s Workshop Environment is a set of modular assets for building a well-used carpentry workshop: not necessarily one from history, but one with some history attached.It comprises 157 unique meshes, including walls, windows, flooring, benches and props like hand tools and paint cans, at three LODs, with textures at up to 4,096 x 4,096px resolution. Get three more environment asset packs free from Leartes Studios’ website As well as the Carpenter’s Workshop Environment, Leartes Studios has made three more of its asset packs available for free, either permanently or temporarily.At the time of writing, you can download the Stylized Fantasy Provencal environment pack, Nova Space Burgers, and the Post Apocalyptic Desert for free, for both Unity and Unreal Engine. System requirements and availability The Carpenter’s Workshop Environment is available as an asset package for Unreal Engine 4.27 and 5.0+ under a Fab Standard license.The terms of the Fab Standard license permit content to be used in “any engine or tool”, including for commercial projects, subject to the restrictions set out in the Fab EULA. Get Leartes Studios’ Carpenter’s Workshop Environment asset pack from Fab (Available free until 22 April 2025) Have 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 don’t post on the site itself, including making-ofs for the latest VFX movies, animations, games cinematics and motion graphics projects.

html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40/loose.dtd"Blackmagic Designs NAB 2025 livestream announcing its latest product updates. The new features in Fusion are shown at 2:26:15, shown here in the Fusion page inside DaVinci Resolve.Blackmagic Design has released the first public beta of Fusion Studio 20.0, the latest version of its 3D compositing software.Its a sizeable update, adding a complete new deep compositing toolset, and support for multi-layer EXR workflows, 180 VR formats, and Cryptomatte matte ID data.Also available inside DaVinci Resolve 20A version of the Fusion toolset is included in DaVinci Resolve, Blackmagic Designs colour grading, editing and visual effects software, version 20 of which has also just been released.DaVinci Resolve gets more promotional support than Fusion Studio at the time of writing, the Fusion Studio 20 product webpage still lists features from version 17 so the video above shows the Fusion page within DaVinci Resolve 20.0, but the new features should be the same.Fusion Studio 20.0: complete new deep compositing toolsetThe main change in Fusion Studio 20.0 is support for deep compositing.Deep compositing, long supported in VFX-focused apps like Nuke, makes use of depth data encoded in image formats like OpenEXR to control object visibility.It simplifies the process of generating and managing holdouts, and generates fewer visual artifacts, particularly when working with motion blur or environment fog.Fusion Studios implementation makes it possible to import deep images and inspect them in a viewer or by converting them to point clouds within the 3D environment.For manipulating deep image data, a new set of nodes, shown in the screenshot above, make it possible to merge, transform, resize, crop, recolor and generate holdouts.It is also possible to convert between deep and standard images, and to convert deep images to points.For exporting data, it is now possible to render deep images from the 3D environment.Support for multi-layer workflows and Cryptomatte dataThe update also introduces full support for multi-layer workflows, with all of Fusions nodes now supporting multi-layer images such as PSDs or layered EXRs.Users can preview image layers in the viewer, and access and manipulate layers independently inside any node, removing the need to generate multiple separate renders of a source file.Fusion also now natively supports Cryptomatte ID matte data in EXR files.Supported as standard in other VFX tools, Cryptomatte data makes it possible to isolate individual objects or sub-objects in rendered images, and manipulate them independently.New optical-flow based vector warping toolsetOther new features include a vector warping toolset, for image patching and effects like digital makeup or mapping an image onto a deforming surface: for example, a logo onto clothing.The toolset is optical-flow-based, so it can also be used for more general tasks: other suggested uses include motion-vector-based noise reduction.Support for 180 VR workflows for virtual reality contentUsers creating virtual reality content get support for 180 VR workflows.Key tools, including PanoMap, the spherical stabilizer, LatLong patcher, 3D VR camera and the 3D viewers have been updated to support 180 as well as 360 angles of view. It is also now possible to render 3D scenes to VR 180.Other changes: new 3D dome light, updated text tools and performance improvementsOther changes include a new 3D scene Dome Light, making it possible to use 360 HDRI images as background environments and to light scenes more realistically.The text tools have been extended, with the release adding a new MultiText tool and updating the Text+ tool to make it possible to control the layout of on-screen text more precisely.Workflow improvements include the option to set a start frame for compositions, and to search for tools based on effects category.Performance improvements include GPU support in the PanoMap and spherical stabilizer tools.For pipeline integration, the update moves Fusion Studio to ACES 2.0 and OpenColorIO 2.4.2, newer versions of the color-management standards.Pricing and system requirementsFusion Studio 20.0 is available in public beta for Windows 10+, Rocky Linux 8.6 and macOS 14.0+. Blackmagic Design hasnt announced a final release date yet.Blackmagic Design has just raised the prices of its products in the US to take account of the new US import tariffs, so new perpetual licenses now cost $399 in the US, up from $295.In other countries, the price is currently unchanged.The Fusion toolset in the free edition of DaVinci Resolve has a maximum image resolution of 16k x 16k and lacks network rendering capabilities. See a feature comparison table.Read a full list of new features in Fusion Studio 20.0 in the online 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.

Sunday, April 6th, 2025Posted by Jim ThackerMaxons free Cineware for Unreal now supports character animationhtml PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40/loose.dtd"Maxons free Cineware for Unreal plugin now transfers character animation from Cinema 4D to Unreal Engine. Video recorded by motion graphics artist Jonathan Winbush.Maxon has updated Cineware for Unreal, its free plugin for transferring content between Cinema 4D, its 3D animation and motion graphics software, and Unreal Engine.The add-on lets users import Cinema 4D scenes into UE5 and edit them directly inside the game engine, with any changes made automatically being transferred back from Cinema 4D.The latest update, Cineware for Unreal 2025.2, greatly extends animation workflows, making it possible to transfer rigged and animated characters as well as animation caches.Edit Cinema 4D content directly inside Unreal Engine for motion graphics or VFXFirst released in 2021, the Cineware for Unreal plugin streamlines the process of working with Cinema 4D content inside Unreal Engine.The add-on makes it possible to import a Cinema 4D file into Unreal Engine, edit its parameters, and have the scene update inside Cinema 4D and transfer the changes back to Unreal.You can find more details in this story on the original version of Cineware for Unreal.Now transfers rigged, animated characters from Cinema 4D to Unreal Engine 5.5+In the initial release, it was possible to transfer geometry, materials, lights and cameras, but support for animation was largely limited to simple object transforms and material changes.While it was possible to import more complex animations as geometry caches, the workflow did not support skeletal meshes.That changes with the latest update, which makes it possible to transfer rigged and animated characters via Unreal Engines new Interchange Framework.To do so, you need to be using Unreal Engine 5.5: while the plugin is also available for previous versions of Unreal, those versions use the older Datasmith API.However, Datasmith currently supports a greater range of Cinema 4D materials, lights and cameras, so it is still available as an option, even in Unreal Engine 5.5.You can see a detailed comparison table of the types of Cinema 4D content you can transfer using Datasmith and the Interchange Framework in the online release notes.System requirements and availabilityCineware for Unreal 2025.2 is compatible with Unreal Engine 5.3+ and Cinema 4D 2024.0+ on Windows and macOS. Read a full list of changes in Cineware for Unreal 2025.2Download Maxons free Cineware for Unreal pluginHave 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 NewsBlackmagic Design releases DaVinci Resolve 20.0 in betaDiscover key features for VFX artists and colorists in this major update to the free grading and editing app and its $295 Studio edition.Sunday, April 6th, 2025Maxon's free Cineware for Unreal now supports character animationBig update to the free link plugin makes it possible to transfer rigged and animated characters from Cinema 4D to Unreal Engine 5.5.Sunday, April 6th, 2025Maxon releases Red Giant 2024.4 and Universe 2025.3Updates to the effects plugins for compositing and video editing apps extend support for DaVinci Resolve, but end support for Vegas Pro.Friday, April 4th, 2025Nekki releases Cascadeur 2025.1 with AI-based InbetweeningInnovative animation app gets new AI system for generating realistic motion connecting two poses. Check out the other new features.Thursday, April 3rd, 2025Maxon releases Redshift 2025.4Big update to the renderer adds OpenPBR support. See the other new features for 3ds Max, Blender, Cinema 4D, Houdini and Maya users.Thursday, April 3rd, 2025Maxon releases Cinema 4D 2025.23D animation and motion graphics app gets integrated Spline Modifiers and updates to particle simulation. Liquid simulation 'coming soon'.Thursday, April 3rd, 2025More NewsMaxon releases ZBrush 2025.2Maxon adds ZModeler and UV Master to ZBrush for iPad 2025.3Adobe releases After Effects 25.2Autodesk releases Mudbox 2026Otoy releases OctaneRender 2025.1Poly Hammer releases Meta-Human DNA add-on for BlenderCheck out virtual cinematography tool Radical VCamChaos launches Chaos ArenaLumion unveils Lumion ViewMaster the art of Virtual Makeup Design with Neville PageAutodesk releases Arnold 7.4.13DGS Render 3.0 lets you paint 3D Gaussian Splats in BlenderOlder Posts

html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40/loose.dtd"A recording of Blackmagic Designs livestream of its announcements for NAB 2025. You can see the new features in Da Vinci Resolve 20.0 at 2:13:20 in the video.Blackmagic Design has updated DaVinci Resolve, its free colour grading, editing and post-production software, and DaVinci Resolve Studio, its $295 commercial edition.DaVinci Resolve Studio 20.0 is a major release, adding over 100 new tools, including a set of new AI-powered features for video editing and audio production.The update currently available in public beta is free to all existing users.Below, weve rounded up the key features for colorists and effects artists, including a new Chroma Warp tool, a new deep compositing toolset, and full support for multi-layer EXRs.The new Chroma Warp tool makes it possible to create looks with intuitive gesture controls.Color page: New Chroma Warp, plus updates to the Resolve FX Warper and Magic MaskFor grading, the Color pages Color Warper gets a new Chroma Warp tool.It is designed to create looks intuitively, with users selecting a color in the viewer, and dragging to adjust its hue and saturation simultaneously.Among the existing tools, the Resolve FX Warper effect gets a new Curves Warp mode, which creates a custom polygon with spline points for finer control when warping images.Magic Mask, DaVinci Resolves AI-based feature for generating mattes, has been updated, and now operates in a single mode for both people and objects.Workflow is also now more precise, with users now placing points to make selections, then using the paint tools to include or exclude surrounding regions of the image.Another key AI-based feature, the Resolve FX Depth Map effect, which automatically generates depth mattes, has been updated to improve speed and accuracy.For color management across a pipeline, the software has been updated to ACES 2.0, and OpenColorIO is supported as Resolve FX.Effects artists get deep compositing support in the integrated Fusion compositing toolset.Fusion: new deep compositing toolsetFor compositing and effects work, the Fusion page gets support for deep compositing.Deep compositing, long supported in more VFX-focused apps like Nuke, makes use of depth data encoded in image formats like OpenEXR to control object visibility.It simplifies the process of generating and managing holdouts, and generates fewer visual artifacts, particularly when working with motion blur or environment fog.Deep images can now be viewed in the Fusion viewer or the 3D view, and there is a new set of nodes to merge, transform, resize, crop, recolor and generate holdouts.It is also possible to render deep images from the 3D environment, and export them as deep EXRs via the Fusion saver node.Fusion: new vector warping toolset, plus support for 180 VR and multi-layer workflowsOther new features in the Fusion page include a new optical-flow-based vector warping toolset, for image patching and cleanup, and for effects like digital makeup.There is also a new 360 Dome Light for environment lighting, and support for 180 VR, with a number of key tools updated to support 180 workflows.Pipeline improvements include full multi-layer workflows, with all of Fusions nodes now able to access each layer within multi-layer EXR or PSD files.Fusion also now natively supports Cryptomatte ID matte data in EXR files.We aim to cover the new features on the Fusion Page and in Fusion Studio, Blackmagic Designs standalone compositing app in a separate story, so check back for more details.IntelliScript automatically generates an edit timeline matching a user-provided script.Other toolsets: lots of new AI features for video editing and audio productionDaVinci Resolve Studio 20.0 also features a lot of new AI features powered by the softwares Neural Engine, although primarily in the video editing and audio production toolsets.The Cut and Edit pages get new AI tools for automatically creating edit timelines matching a user-provided script; generating animated subtitles; editing or extending music to match clip length; and matching tone, level and reverberance for dialogue.There are also new tools for recording new voiceovers during editing to match an edit.Workflow improvements include a dedicated curve view for keyframe editing; plus a new MultiText tool and updates to the Text+ tool for better control of the layout of on-screen text.For audio post work, the Fairlight page gets new AI features for removing silences from raw footage, and automatically balancing an audio mix.We dont cover video or audio editing on CG Channel, but you can find a complete list of changes via the links at the foot of the story.Codec and format supportOther key changes include native support for ProRes encoding on Windows and Linux systems as well as macOS.MV-HEVC encoding is now supported on systems with NVIDIA GPUs, and H.265 4:2:2 encoding and decoding are GPU-accelerated on NVIDIAs new Blackwell GPUs.Again, you can find a full list of changes to codec and platform support via the links at the foot of the story.Upcoming features include generative AI-based background extension.Future updates: new toolsets for immersive video and AI background generationBlackmagic Design also announced two upcoming features not present in the initial beta.Artists creating mixed reality content will get a new toolset for ingesting, editing and delivering immersive video for Apples Vision Pro headset.There will also be a new generative AI feature, Resolve FX AI Set Extender, available via Blackmagic Cloud.More details will be announced later this year, but Blackmagic says that it will enable users to generate new backgrounds for shots by entering simple text prompts.The video above shows a range of use cases, including extending or adding objects to existing footage, and generating a complete new background behind a foreground object.Price, system requirements and release dateDaVinci Resolve 20.0 and DaVinci Resolve Studio 20.0 are available in beta for Windows 10+, Rocky Linux 8.6, and macOS 14.0+.Blackmagic Design hasnt announced a final release date for the updates, which are free to existing users.New perpetual licenses of the base edition are free; the Studio edition, which adds AI features, stereoscopic 3D tools, and HDR grading, costs $295.Read a full list of new features in DaVinci Resolve 20.0 and DaVinci Resolve Studio 20.0Have 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.

Friday, April 4th, 2025Posted by Jim ThackerMaxon releases Red Giant 2024.4 and Universe 2025.3html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40/loose.dtd"Maxons promo for its Spring 2025 product updates. The section on Red Giant starts at 02:10.Maxon has released Red Giant 2025.4 and Universe 2025.3, the latest updates to its suite of effects plugins for compositing and editing apps and its online library of effects and transitions.The updates extend support for DaVinci Resolve inside both sets of plugins, making two new Red Giant tools available within the software and streamlining loading of Universe plugins.In related news, Maxon has now discontinued support for Vegas Pro in the Red Giant tools, with the previous release being the last one to include active updates for Vegas Pro users.Red Giant 2025.4: DaVinci Resolve support extended, but Vegas Pro support endedRed Giant 2025.4 adds support for DaVinci Resolve, Blackmagic Designs compositing, editing and effects software, to two more of its key plugins.Real Lens Flares and Optical Glow now support Resolve, alongside Magic Bullet Looks, Cosmo, Mojo, Film, and Renoiser.However, Maxon has ended support for editing app Vegas Pro in the Red Giant tools.The final feature update was for Vegas Pro users was the previous release, Red Giant 2025.3, which will continue to receive technical support and critical bug fixes until 18 March 2026.Universe 2025.3: better loading in DaVinci ResolveUniverse 2025.3 features an improved loading process in DaVinci Resolve.In addition, effects in both Red Giant and Universe are now grouped in the menus of their host applications by effect type and purpose, making them easier to navigate.Price and system requirementsRed Giant is compatible with After Effects 2024+ on Windows 10+ and macOS 12.0+. Some individual tools are compatible with other host applications, including DaVinci Resolve.Complete Red Giant subscriptions, which include Universe, cost $85/month or $639/year. Individual Universe subscriptions cost $32/month or $214/year.Read more about the Red Giant plugins on Maxons websiteHave 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 NewsMaxon releases Red Giant 2024.4 and Universe 2025.3Updates to the effects plugins for compositing and video editing apps extend support for DaVinci Resolve, but end support for Vegas Pro.Friday, April 4th, 2025Nekki releases Cascadeur 2025.1 with AI-based InbetweeningInnovative animation app gets new AI system for generating realistic motion connecting two poses. Check out the other new features.Thursday, April 3rd, 2025Maxon releases Redshift 2025.4Big update to the renderer adds OpenPBR support. See the other new features for 3ds Max, Blender, Cinema 4D, Houdini and Maya users.Thursday, April 3rd, 2025Maxon releases Cinema 4D 2025.23D animation and motion graphics app gets integrated Spline Modifiers and updates to particle simulation. Liquid simulation 'coming soon'.Thursday, April 3rd, 2025Maxon releases ZBrush 2025.2Check out the changes to the digital sculpting tool, including updates to poly modeling system ZModeler and new Redshift materials.Wednesday, April 2nd, 2025Maxon adds ZModeler and UV Master to ZBrush for iPad 2025.3Significant update to the new iPad edition of the digital sculpting app adds long-awaited poly modeling and UV unwrapping toolsets.Wednesday, April 2nd, 2025More NewsAdobe releases After Effects 25.2Autodesk releases Mudbox 2026Otoy releases OctaneRender 2025.1Poly Hammer releases Meta-Human DNA add-on for BlenderCheck out virtual cinematography tool Radical VCamChaos launches Chaos ArenaLumion unveils Lumion ViewMaster the art of Virtual Makeup Design with Neville PageAutodesk releases Arnold 7.4.13DGS Render 3.0 lets you paint 3D Gaussian Splats in BlenderAdobe releases Photoshop 26.5Autodesk releases MotionBuilder 2026Older Posts

Thursday, April 3rd, 2025Posted by Jim ThackerNekki releases Cascadeur 2025.1 with AI-based Inbetweeninghtml PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40/loose.dtd"Nekki has released Cascadeur 2025.1, the new version of the AI-assisted animation app.The release adds a new AI-powered Inbetweening system, for automatically generating believable motion between two key poses, updates to other key toolsets, and glTF support.Create animations based on real-world physics, aided by AI-based toolsLaunched in 2019, Cascadeur is intended as an artist-friendly alternative to conventional animation software for game development, motion graphics or visual effects work.Although it has standard tools for rigging, posing and animating characters, its unique selling point is a set of AI-assisted, semi-automated toolsets.Key poses can be quickly established for a character via the AutoPosing system, which lets users reposition a small number of joints, and have Cascadeur take care of the rest of the body.For a jumping character, the software can then calculate a physically correct trajectory between the key poses.For other types of motion, a separate AI-trained system, AutoPhysics, converts an existing keyframe animation into a physically accurate version of itself.Once generated, animations may be exported the FBX, Collada or USD format for use in other DCC applications, or game engines like Unity and Unreal Engine.Cascadeur 2025.1: new AI-based Inbetweening systemCascadeur 2025.1 introduces another AI-powered tool: Inbetweening.As the name suggests, it takes two keyframed poses and generates motion between them, but unlike conventional inbetweening, it can fill in the time with complete, repeating motion cycles.The animation is generated locally, on the users computer, not in the cloud.The interval being automatically inbetweened can be of any length, but there needs to be fewer than 88 frames between the key poses selected and the nearest neigboring keys.Updates to AutoPosing, AutoPhysics, Animation Unbaking and Ragdoll physicsUpdates to existing toolsets include improvements to the AutoPosing algorithm to increase stability, and improve the behavior of the spine and pelvis controllers.AutoPhysics gets a new control slider for the Physics Corrector, and improved Geometrical Constraints logic to help preserve the original poses.Animation Unbaking, for reducing keyframes in raw mocap data, now supports animations that are only partially baked.The new Ragdoll physics system added in the previous release now supports interactions between characters and props; and supports convex and kinematic mesh colliders.Workflow and pipeline integration improvementsOther changes include the option to import or export animation in glTF/GLB format.FBX support has been improved, with the option to select which take to use when importing an FBX file containing multiple takes, and better interoperability with Blender and Daz Studio.Workflow improvements include a right-click contextual menu in the viewport, providing quick access to common operations that can be performed to the object selected, like setting a pivot.New pricingThere have also been minor changes to pricing since the release of Cascadeur 2024.3.Indie users anyone earning under $100,000/year get new $12/month monthly subscriptions, while the price of annual subscriptions has been changed from $99/year to $8/month billed annually: that is, $96/year.The price of annual Pro subscriptions has been changed from $399/year to $33/month billed annually: that is, $396/year.Price, system requirements and release dateCascadeur 2025.1 is compatible with Windows 10+, Ubuntu 20.04+ Linux and macOS 13.3+.For users earning under $100,000/year, Indie subscriptions cost $12/month or $96/year. Pro subscriptions cost $49/month or $396/year and add advanced features.Both are rent-to-own plans, with users qualifying for a perpetual license after one year.There is also a free edition, which is not licensed for commercial use, and saves animation in its own .casc file format, making it impossible to use in other DCC apps.Read a full list of new features in Cascadeur 2025.1 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 NewsNekki releases Cascadeur 2025.1 with AI-based InbetweeningInnovative animation app gets new AI system for generating realistic motion connecting two poses. Check out the other new features.Thursday, April 3rd, 2025Maxon releases Redshift 2025.4Big update to the renderer adds OpenPBR support. See the other new features for 3ds Max, Blender, Cinema 4D, Houdini and Maya users.Thursday, April 3rd, 2025Maxon releases Cinema 4D 2025.23D animation and motion graphics app gets integrated Spline Modifiers and updates to particle simulation. Liquid simulation 'coming soon'.Thursday, April 3rd, 2025Maxon releases ZBrush 2025.2Check out the changes to the digital sculpting tool, including updates to poly modeling system ZModeler and new Redshift materials.Wednesday, April 2nd, 2025Maxon adds ZModeler and UV Master to ZBrush for iPad 2025.3Significant update to the new iPad edition of the digital sculpting app adds long-awaited poly modeling and UV unwrapping toolsets.Wednesday, April 2nd, 2025Adobe releases After Effects 25.2Check out the new features in the compositing app, including High Performance Preview Playback and updates to 3D workflows.Wednesday, April 2nd, 2025More NewsAutodesk releases Mudbox 2026Otoy releases OctaneRender 2025.1Poly Hammer releases Meta-Human DNA add-on for BlenderCheck out virtual cinematography tool Radical VCamChaos launches Chaos ArenaLumion unveils Lumion ViewMaster the art of Virtual Makeup Design with Neville PageAutodesk releases Arnold 7.4.13DGS Render 3.0 lets you paint 3D Gaussian Splats in BlenderAdobe releases Photoshop 26.5Autodesk releases MotionBuilder 2026Autodesk releases 3ds Max 2026Older Posts

Thursday, April 3rd, 2025Posted by Jim ThackerMaxon releases Cinema 4D 2025.2html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40/loose.dtd"Maxon has released Cinema 4D 2025.2, the latest version of its 3D software for motion graphics, VFX and visualization work.The update integrates Rocket Lassos Spline Modifier Capsules, and updates the particle simulation toolset, including the option to use Fields or vertex maps to control emission.The launch video also includes a teaser for a new liquid simulation system not part of Cinema 4D 2025.2 itself, but coming soon.Rocket Lasso Spline Modifier Capsules like Electric Spline are now available inside Cinema 4D.Popular Rocket Lasso Spline Modifier Capsules now integrated directly into Cinema 4DThe headline change in the release almost the first third of the launch video is devoted to it is that Rocket Lassos Spline Modifiers are now integrated directly into Cinema 4D.The seven modifiers, previously available as Capsules for Cinema 4D subscribers, are now available directly in the Deformer palette.They can be used for procedural modeling and animation, but particularly for motion graphics and UI design: the launch video also shows readymade generators for fabric weave structures and constellations 3D networks of lines connecting points or particles.Particle simulation: new interactive viewport manipulators and emission control options Cinema 4D 2025.2 also brings further updates to the new particle simulation toolset rolled out in Cinema 4D 2024.4 last year.Key changes include new interactive handles for particle emitters, making it possible to resize the emitter, or edit its emission speed and direction, directly in the viewport.It is also now possible to control the density of particle emission using Cinema 4Ds Fields, procedural noises, and vertex maps.You can see the exact options available for the Basic Emitter, Mesh Emitter and Spline Emitter in the online manual.In addition, custom properties are now automatically generated for particles based on their usage, and there are new outputs for the Flock and Predator-Prey modifiers.When caching particle simulations, it is now possible to use Cubic or Cubic Monotone interpolation, which gives smoother results than the existing Linear interpolation.Other changesGeneral workflow improvements include a new Align to Plane mode mode for the Look At Camera, which can be used to keep text aligned to the view during camera movements.It is also now possible to sync the frame rate in the Render Settings to the Project Frame Rate.New liquid simulation system coming soonHowever, perhaps the biggest new feature shown in the launch video isnt in Cinema 4D 2025.2 itself, but in an upcoming version of the software.According to Maxon, it is gearing up to release a powerful new liquid simulation system bringing the beauty and complexity of realistic fluid dynamics right into your creative workflow.As well as water, the video shows viscous fluids like lava and melted chocolate, while the demo scenes show a range of small and medium-sized liquid simulations of the type for which many artists would currently turn to third-party tools like X-Particles or RealFlow.The liquid simulation toolset is coming soon, but Maxon hasnt said whether that means Cinema 4D 2025.3, or whether it is still further off.Price and system requirementsCinema 4D 2025.2 is compatible with Windows 10+ and macOS 13.6+. It is available rental-only, with Cinema 4D subscriptions costing $109/month or $839/year.Read a list of new features in Cinema 4D 2025.2 in the online release notesRead more about the new features in Cinema 4D in the online manualHave 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 NewsMaxon releases Redshift 2025.4Big update to the renderer adds OpenPBR support. See the other new features for 3ds Max, Blender, Cinema 4D, Houdini and Maya users.Thursday, April 3rd, 2025Maxon releases Cinema 4D 2025.23D animation and motion graphics app gets integrated Spline Modifiers and updates to particle simulation. Liquid simulation 'coming soon'.Thursday, April 3rd, 2025Maxon releases ZBrush 2025.2Check out the changes to the digital sculpting tool, including updates to poly modeling system ZModeler and new Redshift materials.Wednesday, April 2nd, 2025Maxon adds ZModeler and UV Master to ZBrush for iPad 2025.3Significant update to the new iPad edition of the digital sculpting app adds long-awaited poly modeling and UV unwrapping toolsets.Wednesday, April 2nd, 2025Adobe releases After Effects 25.2Check out the new features in the compositing app, including High Performance Preview Playback and updates to 3D workflows.Wednesday, April 2nd, 2025Autodesk releases Mudbox 2026Digital sculpting software gets its fifth consecutive 'minor update', but the cost of monthly subscriptions falls back to 2022 levels.Tuesday, April 1st, 2025More NewsOtoy releases OctaneRender 2025.1Poly Hammer releases Meta-Human DNA add-on for BlenderCheck out virtual cinematography tool Radical VCamChaos launches Chaos ArenaLumion unveils Lumion ViewMaster the art of Virtual Makeup Design with Neville PageAutodesk releases Arnold 7.4.13DGS Render 3.0 lets you paint 3D Gaussian Splats in BlenderAdobe releases Photoshop 26.5Autodesk releases MotionBuilder 2026Autodesk releases 3ds Max 2026Autodesk releases Maya 2026 and Maya Creative 2026Older Posts

Thursday, April 3rd, 2025Posted by Jim ThackerMaxon releases Redshift 2025.4html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40/loose.dtd"Maxon has released Redshift 2025.4, the latest version of the GPU renderer for VFX, motion graphics and visualization work.Its a sizeable update, adding support for new open material standard OpenPBR, plus separate sets of new features for 3ds Max, Blender, Cinema 4D, Houdini, Katana and Maya users.Image by Ian Robinson.New OpenPBR material ubershaderThe key change in Redshift 2025.4 is support for new open material standard OpenPBR, in the shape of the new OpenPBR Material.OpenPBR, intended as a unified successor to both the Autodesk Standard Surface and the Adobe Standard Material, is now used as the default material in both 3ds Max and Maya.Redshifts own implementation follows the organization of the OpenPBR Surface spec, but with some additional options for fine control of render output.Easier to add fuzz and surface dust than with the Redshift Standard materialMaxon describes working with the new OpenPBR Material as having many similarities to Redshifts Standard material, but there are differences, notably to the handling of surface effects.Whereas the Standard material has a topmost clear Coat layer over a Sheen layer, in the new OpenPBR material, Fuzz is the topmost BRDF layer.Maxon describes it as an excellent BSDF to add micro fuzz or micro dust layering.Other changes to the core rendererRelated changes in Redshift 2025.4 include a new Surface Tangent node, used to control anisotropy within the OpenPBR Material; and a new Energy preserving Oren-Nayar (EON) BRDF.The latter, which generates more realistic lighting on materials with high Roughness values than the standard Oren-Nayar (ON) model, is also available as an option in the Standard material.Other changes to the core renderer include a new Rotation control in the Maxon Noise shader.An Evermotion scene converted from Corona and rendered in Redshift for 3ds Max using the Scene Converter.New features for 3ds Max, Blender, Cinema 4D, Maya and Houdini usersRedshift 2025.4 also features number of changes specific to the individual host applications.3ds Max users get the option to convert scenes created for Chaoss Corona and V-Ray renderers to native Redshift shaders and lights via the Scene Converter tool.Blender users get new options, including object overrides, when importing or exporting Redshift Proxies.Cinema 4D users get support for Redshift material baking for viewport previews, which is intended to display materials more accurately than the previous Draft mode.However, there are still some limitations: baking runs on the CPU alone, and does not yet support object- or world-space projection, while subsurface scattering and roughness are only partially supported.Houdini and Katana users get support for USD Variants in the USD procedural, and support for per-vertex color and scalar attributes on hair primitives.Maya users get support for the Redshift Material Viewer inside Mayas Hypershade, for quickly dialing in the look of a material; and the option to load Alembic files with a Redshift Proxy.Price and system requirementsRedshift 2025.4 is compatible with Windows 10+, glibc 2.28+ Linux and macOS 13.3+.The renderers integration plugins are compatible with 3ds Max 2018+, Blender 3.1+, Cinema 4D R25+, Houdini 18.5+, Katana 4.5+ and Maya 2018+ (Maya 2022+ on Linux).The software is rental-only, with subscriptions costing $46/month or $264/year. Read a full list of changes in Redshift 2025.4 on the Redshift forum(Login required)Have 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 NewsMaxon releases Redshift 2025.4Big update to the renderer adds OpenPBR support. See the other new features for 3ds Max, Blender, Cinema 4D, Houdini and Maya users.Thursday, April 3rd, 2025Maxon releases Cinema 4D 2025.23D animation and motion graphics app gets integrated Spline Modifiers and updates to particle simulation. Liquid simulation 'coming soon'.Thursday, April 3rd, 2025Maxon releases ZBrush 2025.2Check out the changes to the digital sculpting tool, including updates to poly modeling system ZModeler and new Redshift materials.Wednesday, April 2nd, 2025Maxon adds ZModeler and UV Master to ZBrush for iPad 2025.3Significant update to the new iPad edition of the digital sculpting app adds long-awaited poly modeling and UV unwrapping toolsets.Wednesday, April 2nd, 2025Adobe releases After Effects 25.2Check out the new features in the compositing app, including High Performance Preview Playback and updates to 3D workflows.Wednesday, April 2nd, 2025Autodesk releases Mudbox 2026Digital sculpting software gets its fifth consecutive 'minor update', but the cost of monthly subscriptions falls back to 2022 levels.Tuesday, April 1st, 2025More NewsOtoy releases OctaneRender 2025.1Poly Hammer releases Meta-Human DNA add-on for BlenderCheck out virtual cinematography tool Radical VCamChaos launches Chaos ArenaLumion unveils Lumion ViewMaster the art of Virtual Makeup Design with Neville PageAutodesk releases Arnold 7.4.13DGS Render 3.0 lets you paint 3D Gaussian Splats in BlenderAdobe releases Photoshop 26.5Autodesk releases MotionBuilder 2026Autodesk releases 3ds Max 2026Autodesk releases Maya 2026 and Maya Creative 2026Older Posts

Wednesday, April 2nd, 2025Posted by Jim ThackerMaxon releases ZBrush 2025.2html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40/loose.dtd"Maxons launch video for its Spring 2025 product updates. The section on ZBrush starts at 10:35.Maxon has released ZBrush 2025.2, the latest version of its digital sculpting software, widely used for concept art, creature design, game development and visual effects.Its primarily a workflow update, updating ZModeler with new options developed for the latest version of ZBrush for iPad, and adding new Redshift materials.Workflow improvements in ZModelerThe main changes in ZBrush 2025.2 are to ZModeler, its polygonal modeling system for creating base meshes and hard surface models.The update adds snapping options when inserting edge loops, making it possible to snap the new loop to the centers of the polygons into which it is being inserted, or to user-defined points.There is also a new Selection Action Mode for quick polygon selection, and the option to store commonly used features as presets.The new functionality was developed while integrating ZModeler into ZBrush for iPad 2025.3, the new iPad edition of the software, included in ZBrush subscriptions.New Redshift materialsUsers of Redshift, Maxons production renderer, the CPU-only version of which is now available with ZBrush subscriptions, get 18+ new materials.The Redshift material attributes have been updated to match the standard Redshift materials available in other DCC applications compatible with Redshift.Price and system requirementsZBrush 2025.2 is compatible with Windows 10+ and macOS 11.5+. It is rental-only. ZBrush subscriptions cost $49/month or $399/year.Read a full list of new features in ZBrush 2025.2 in the online 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 NewsMaxon releases ZBrush 2025.2Check out the changes to the digital sculpting tool, including updates to poly modeling system ZModeler and new Redshift materials.Wednesday, April 2nd, 2025Maxon adds ZModeler and UV Master to ZBrush for iPad 2025.3Significant update to the new iPad edition of the digital sculpting app adds long-awaited poly modeling and UV unwrapping toolsets.Wednesday, April 2nd, 2025Adobe releases After Effects 25.2Check out the new features in the compositing app, including High Performance Preview Playback and updates to 3D workflows.Wednesday, April 2nd, 2025Autodesk releases Mudbox 2026Digital sculpting software gets its fifth consecutive 'minor update', but the cost of monthly subscriptions falls back to 2022 levels.Tuesday, April 1st, 2025Otoy releases OctaneRender 2025.1Check out the new features in the next major production version of the GPU renderer, including new decal and lens effects systems.Tuesday, April 1st, 2025Poly Hammer releases Meta-Human DNA add-on for BlenderIntriguing new tool lets you create or edit Unreal Engine MetaHuman characters directly inside Blender. Now available in beta.Monday, March 31st, 2025More NewsCheck out virtual cinematography tool Radical VCamChaos launches Chaos ArenaLumion unveils Lumion ViewMaster the art of Virtual Makeup Design with Neville PageAutodesk releases Arnold 7.4.13DGS Render 3.0 lets you paint 3D Gaussian Splats in BlenderAdobe releases Photoshop 26.5Autodesk releases MotionBuilder 2026Autodesk releases 3ds Max 2026Autodesk releases Maya 2026 and Maya Creative 2026Autodesk adds Golaem 9.2 to its Media & Entertainment CollectionZen Masters releases Zen UV 5.0Older Posts

html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40/loose.dtd"Originally posted on 8 November 2024, and updated for ZBrush for iPad 2025.3.Maxon has updated ZBrush for iPad, the new tablet edition of ZBrush, its industry-standard digital sculpting software.ZBrush for iPad 2025.1 introduces more features from the desktop edition, including support for bitmap textures, UV layouts, displacement maps and surface noise.ZBrush for iPad 2025.2 adds GoZ support for Cinema 4D, making it possible to send data to the 3D animation and motion graphics software in a few clicks.ZBrush for iPad 2025.3 adds more key features from the desktop edition, including ZModeler, NanoMesh and UV Master.ZBrushs core functionality, repacked in a UI designed for use on a touchscreen deviceReleased in Fall 2024, ZBrush for iPad is a much-anticipated tablet edition of digital sculpting software, widely used in concept art, game development and visual effects.It includes the core functionality from the desktop edition, including over 200 of the most popular sculpting brushes.Other key features include dynamic tesellation system Sculptris Pro, plus DynaMesh for true clay-like sculpting, and Live Boolean modeling.The tablet edition also includes ZBrushs Dynamics toolset for simulating cloth, and applying soft-body dynamics to sculpts.For texturing sculpts, users get 3D painting toolset Polypaint.New texturing options from the desktop edition, including texture map and UV controlsZBrush for iPad 2025.1 extends those texturing options considerably, since the update adds the Texture Map, UV Map and Displacement Map sub-palettes from the desktop edition.The new tools make it possible to apply bitmap textures to sculpts, convert Polypaint data to textures for export, UV unwrap models, and import models with an existing UV layout.Maxon has also added the desktop editions Surface Noise feature, for applying procedural noise to sculpts: one nice change in the tablet edition is the option to use photos from the iPad camera as a source of surface noise.Workflow and interface improvementsUI and workflow improvements include the option to add any control from the software to the customizable bottom toolbars, not just brushes, materials, texture and alphas.The Apple Pencils roll feature is now supported for changing values on the four main brush sliders, and tooltips are displayed on hover on devices that support the Pencils hover feature.The iPad edition also now supports the same set of languages as the desktop version, with the update adding localizations in Chinese, French, German, Japanese, Korean and Spanish.Updated 4 December 2024: Maxon has released ZBrush for iPad 2025.2.The update adds GoZ support for Cinema 4D, making it easier to send sculpts to the 3D animation and motion graphics software, as in the desktop edition of ZBrush.In addition, the software now includes ZSpheres templates for Female, Male and Hand mannequins.Updated 2 April 2025: Maxon has released ZBrush for iPad 2025.3.Its a significant update, adding several long-awaited features from the desktop edition most notably, ZModeler, its polygonal modeling system for base meshes and hard surface models.The interface and workflow have been adapted for use on a tablet, as shown in the video above.The update also adds NanoMesh, ZBrushs system for populating areas of a model with instanced geometry: for example, for creating repeating surface details.iPad users also now have access to UV Master, ZBrushs automated UV unwrapping system.Price and system requirementsZBrush for iPad is compatible with iPadOS 17.0+ requires an iPad with a A12 Bionic chip or later.The base app is free, but is export-disabled. Access to the full feature set requires a paid subscription, which costs $9.99/month or $89.99/year.ZBrush for iPad is also included in subscriptions to the desktop edition of ZBrush, which now cost $49/month or $399/year.Read an overview of the new features in ZBrush for iPad on Maxons websiteRead a full list of new features in ZBrush for iPad in the App StoreHave 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.