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 Dash 1.8.5 update.Polygonflow has updated Dash, its world building toolset for Unreal Engine 5.Dash 1.7 adds a new vines tool for growing vegetation procedurally across any 3D model, a new Blend material and an instant color grading system.Dash 1.8 adds Dash Board, a new PureRef-style reference image organizer, and a Chat-GPT-based AI assistant.Dash 1.8.5 adds Data Tables, a new system for layering effects, makes it possible to create terrain using height maps or guide curves, and cuts the price of the software.A new name for Polygonflows GraphN Library, minus GraphN itselfReleased in 2023, Dash is a rebranded version of the library of Unreal Engine 5 tools that used to accompany GraphN, Polygonflows now-discontinued node-based programming environment for Maya and Unreal Engine.It is intended to let artists to build complex environments without having to navigate the Unreal Editors interface, working primarily in fullscreen mode in the viewport.It provides readymade behaviours accessible by typing natural-language search terms into a floating prompt bar for common scene-building tasks like create terrain and apply water, plus scattering tools for dressing environments.As well as game development, Dash can be used for offline work: for example to create animations, visual effects projects or architectural visualizations in Unreal Engine.https://www.cgchannel.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/240611_Dash17_WorldbuildingToolUnrealEngine5_tw.mp4Dash 1.7: new vines tool generates procedural vegetation across any 3D modelDash 1.7 adds a lot of new features to the software, but the most eye-catching is Create Vines on Selection, for growing 3D vegetation procedurally across any surface.Despite the name, it isnt confined to growing vines, since you can use texture atlases from the Megascans asset library free for use in UE5 to customize the leaf type.The basic workflow will be familiar to anyone who has used an ivy generator such as the ones available for 3ds Max and Blender, with users able to control the form of the vegetation by adjusting parameters for growth, surface adhesion and gravity.New Blend material and automatic color grading systemOther new features include the Blend material, which makes it possible to create custom ground surfaces by blending from three source surfaces.Polygonflow describes is as being a lite version of Quixel Mixer, blending the surface color, height map and noise settings from the sources.There is also a new Image to Grading system, which makes it possible to color grade the viewport display to match a reference image: either a local file, or a URL.In addition, Dash now includes a library of IES profiles for recreating real-world lights in architectural visualizations, based on free online libraries like IES Library.https://www.cgchannel.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/240611_Dash17_VolumeScatter.mp4Updates to the scattering tools, including support for 3D scatteringThe scattering toolset has also been expanded, with the new Volume Scatter tool making it possible to scatter objects in 3D, as well as over surfaces.It is possible to use any mesh as the scatter volume, as shown in the video above, where a blobby mesh is used as a volume within which to distribute a flock of birds.The 2D scattering tools get the option to use any landscape paint layer as a mask, and the randomize the colors of the scattered objects. Automatic AI-based object taggingIn addition, Dash 1.7 makes it possible to tag assets within a users Asset Library automatically using Open AIs GPT-4 AI model.AI tagging was originally introduced in Dash 1.5, but Polygonflow describes the original open-source AI model it was using as fairly limited in quality and speed.The new GPT-based system uses a ChatGPT Enterprise plan, so OpenAI cannot use Dash users data for training its AI models.When tagging assets manually, it is now possible to multi-select objects.Other workflow improvementsWorkflow improvements include a new Reference system, which supersedes the old Variables system for controlling shared properties used by Dash tools.It is also now possible to export assets and all of their dependencies from an Unreal Engine project as .zip archives.Other key changes since we last wrote about Dash include the option to use assets from multiple UE5 projects in an environment, which was added in Dash 1.6.Updated 23 October 2024: Polygonflow has released Dash 1.8.The update reworks Dashs user interface, splitting features into distinct menus, and unifying many floating panels into a single Tools panel.The softwares path-based tools Road Tool, Quick Pipe, Decal Scatter and Path Scatter have also been revamped from the ground up to make them easier to use.New PureRef-style image organizer and new AI assistantNew features in Dash 1.8 include the new Dash Board tool, an experimental new reference image organization tool, described as similar to Miro and PureRef.The update also adds a new Chat-GPT-based AI assistant, which makes it possible to type in plain-language questions and receive answers from the online documentation.Updates to the Surface Scatter tool and Blend materialThe Surface Scatter tool gets several new features, including the option to use the top, bottom and center of objects being scattered as pivot points, and to modify the size of scattered objects according to distance from a target object.The Blend Material added in Dash 1.7 has been updated to support rain and snow.Updated 23 January 2025: Polygonflow has released Dash 1.8.5.New features include Data Tables, an experimental system for layering effects.In the initial release, it is limited to layering masks to control object scattering, and curves to deform terrain, but Polygonflow aims to extend it to other systems in the next release.Create terrain surfaces using guide curves or heightmapsUsing curves to deform terrain is itself a new feature in Dash 1.8.5: in previous releases, it was only possible to use noise patterns to deform a landscape mesh.The update also introduces basic heightmap support.Other updated featuresOther changes include new options to hide visible texture repetitions in the Material Edit and Blend Material tools, and new options to control object rotation in the scattering tools. The update also adds support for Fab, Epic Games new online marketplace, with Unreal Engine assets downloaded using the Fab plugin now added to the Dash Content Browser.Price cuts to subscriptions, and perpetual licenses for studios as well as freelancersPolygonflow has also cut the price of Dash. For Freelance users those with funding under $250,000/year the cost of monthly subscriptions falls from $20/month to $14/month, while annual subscriptions fall from $190/year to $133/year.For larger studios, the cost of monthly Enterprise subscriptions falls even further, from $89/month to $14/month, although annual subscriptions remain unchanged at $850/year.Studio can also buy perpetual licenses of Dash, which were previously only available to Freelance users.Price and system requirementsDash is compatible with Unreal Engine 5+ on Windows 10+ only.For artists earning under $250,000/year, perpetual Freelance licenses cost $230, while Freelance subscriptions cost $14/month or $133/year.For larger studios, perpetual Enterprise licenses cost $999, while Enterprise subscriptions cost $14/month or $850/year.Read a full list of new features in Dash in the online release notesRead more about Dash on Polygonflows websiteHave your say on this story by following CG Channel on Facebook, Instagram and X (formerly Twitter). 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