Thursday, September 26th, 2024Posted by Jim ThackeriToo Software releases Forest Pack 9.0 for 3ds Maxhtml PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40/loose.dtd"iToosoft has released Forest Pack 9.0, the latest version of its scattering plugin for 3ds Max.The most ambitious release in years, the update adds ForestIvy, an accompanying plugin for generating 3D ivy and other climbing plants using a mix of manual and parametric workflow.The ultimate scattering tool for 3ds MaxDescribed by iToo as the ultimate scattering tool for 3ds Max, Forest Pack is designed to distribute objects across a scene: usually plant models, but also rocks, buildings or lights.The plugin can generate scenes with hundreds of thousands of scattered objects, with a point cloud display mode to improve viewport response, and the option to convert Forest Pack objects to Maxs native instances.The scattering process is fully parametric, and object distribution can also be controlled by image maps, splines or painting directly onto terrain geometry.Forest Pack can scatter both static and animated objects, with the option to randomise both texture maps and the time offset of animation cycles, or control them via image maps.Forest Pack 9.0: new ForestIvy plugin generates 3D climbing plantsThe main new feature in Forest Pack 9.0 the paid Pro edition, at least is ForestIvy, a new bundled plugin for generating 3D ivy and other climbing plants.Users set the overall form of the ivy using a combination of manual and procedural workflow, drawing it directly onto surfaces, generating it automatically, or blending between the two.Its also possible to generate vegetation without an underlying surface, to create basic bushes and shrubs.For finer control, the plugin includes parametric control for properties like branching pattern, the response of the plant to gravity, and the distribution of leaves and flowers.ForestIvy ships with 30 presets based on real-world leaf scans, making it possible to recreate a range of types of climbing plants.To improve performance, the plugin uses viewport and render-time instancing: the initial release is supported in Arnold and V-Ray CPU, but other renderers should add support soon.Workflow and performance updates to the core pluginAs well as ForestIvy, there are a number of workflow and performance improvements to Forest Pack itself.Distribution maps now support multiple mapping channels, and the Randomize Stacked setting now supports stacked splines as well as areas.The ForestSet helper plugin added in Forest Pack 8.0 has been updated, to make it possible to move items from the Geometry List to ForestSet objects.There are also updates to the UI, Library Browser, camera clipping, memory management, and support for V-Ray Proxies. You can find a full list of changes via the link at the foot of the story.Pricing and availabilityForest Pack 9.0 is compatible with 3ds Max 2019+ running on Windows 10+. You can find a list of compatible render engines here.New perpetual licences cost $275. There is also a free Lite edition. Its feature-limited, but can be used on commercial projects.Read a full list of new features in Forest Pack 9.0 in the online release notesRead more about Forest Pack on the product webpage(The download link for the Lite edition is at the top of the page) Latest NewsUnity previews its roadmap for Unity 6.1 and beyondUpdated: See the new tools due in the game engine in 2025, including updates to shading, rendering, animation and world building.Thursday, September 26th, 2024iToo Software releases Forest Pack 9.0 for 3ds MaxMajor update to the popular scattering plugin adds new ForestIvy add-on for generating 3D ivy and other climbing plants.Thursday, September 26th, 2024Check out Blender 4.3's new SLIM UV unwrapping systemTry the 'state-of-the-art' new iterative UV unwrapping algorithm available in alpha builds of the open-source 3D software.Wednesday, September 25th, 2024Free tool: KitBash3D's CargoNow available for Mac: get access to 150+ free 3D models and materials for 3ds Max, Blender, C4D, Maya and UE5 with KitBash3D's asset browserWednesday, September 25th, 2024Nevercenter releases Silo 2024.3 and Milo 2024.0Check out the new features in the lightweight 3D modeling software, including modifiers for Boolean modeling, extrusion and replication.Tuesday, September 24th, 2024NIM Labs launches NIM 7.0Studio management platform for VFX and visualization gets new scheduling, conflict detection and resource usage tracking features.Tuesday, September 24th, 2024More NewsAlexey Vanzhula releases Modeler 2025 for HoudiniPeople Going Places is a free Blender crowds add-onHow to create facial blendshapes using photogrammetryOtoy releases OctaneRender 2024.1How Unity created Time Ghost, its beautiful Unity 6 tech demoLightWave Digital releases LightWave 2024.1Adobe releases Substance 3D Painter 10.1Epic is making Megascans free to all - but only until the end of 2024Epic Games to launch its Fab marketplace in October 2024Tutorial: Creating Efficient Digital Doubles for VFXKiri Engine 3.10 and 3.11 are outMaxon releases Red Giant 2025Older Posts