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html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40/loose.dtd" Itoosoft has released RailClone 7, the latest version of its 3ds Max parametric modelling plugin.The update introduces a new set of Spline Operators for manipulating splines in a wide range of ways, comprising 10 new nodes with 19 separate features. Users of the paid Pro edition get RailClone Systems, a new set of readymade procedural assets for generating common architectural structures like windows, curtain walls, and cabling. A popular parametric modelling tool for architectural visualisation work First released in 2010, RailClone makes it possible to generate complex 3D models by defining procedural construction rules using a node-based workflow.Users can create complex 3D models by repeating simple base meshes, or ‘Segments’, along splines, using Generators to arrange them into arrays, and Operators to control their properties. Although the workflow applies to visual effects or motion graphics, the plugin is most commonly used to generate buildings and street furniture for architectural visualisation projects. It is compatible with a range of third-party renderers, including Arnold, Corona, FStorm, OctaneRender, Redshift and V-Ray. RailClone 7: new multi-purpose Spline Operators RailClone 7 adds a new category of Spline Operators to the software’s graph editor.The 10 new nodes include Basic Ops, a new ‘multi-tool’ for performing common operations on splines, like transforming, breaking, combining, flattening or chamfering splines. A new Boolean node performs standard Boolean operations on regions bounded by splines. Other new nodes include Offset, for creating repeating clones of splines; Catenary, for creating the catenary curves generated by cables hanging under their own weight; and Conform, for projecting splines onto terrain. The images in Itoosoft’s blog post show potential use cases ranging from creating road networks to structures like wiring, railings and gantries. In addition, a new Draw Splines mode makes it possible to preview the result of spline operations directly in the viewport. New version-independent portable file format, and updates to point clouds Other new features include the Itoosoft Portable file format, making it possible to save RailClone objects in a file format independent of the version of 3ds Max used to create them.The point cloud display mode has been updated, with each RailClone object now using a fixed number of points, rather than point density being dependent on distance from the camera. According to Itoosoft, the new mode is optimized for modern GPUs and versions of 3ds Max. There are also a number of smaller workflow and feature updates, especially to macros, array generation, and handling of V-Ray Proxies when rendering with V-Ray GPU or Vantage. Pro edition: new RailClone Systems procedural assets Users of the paid Pro edition also get RailClone Systems, a new set of customizable readymade procedural assets for creating common architectural elements like windows, suspended ceilings, curtain walls, boardwalks, and cabling.You can see the new assets in the online preview of RailClone’s asset library. Price and system requirements RailClone 7.0 is available for 3ds Max 2022+. Feature support varies between the compatible renderers. New licences start at $275, including one year’s maintenance. There is also a free, feature-limited Lite edition of the plugin. Read an overview of the new features in RailClone 7 on iToo Software’s blog Read a full list of new features in RailClone in the online release notes. Visit the RailClone product website (Includes a download link for RailClone Lite at the foot of the page) 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.

There is another game artists focused Humble Bundle, joining yesterday’s 3D Artists Tools & Brushes Bundle, this one is the Flipped Normals Extreme Add-Ons Bundle for Blender & ZBrush. This is a collection of add-ons for both Blender and Brush. It is important to note the following: Free lifetime updates are not included in the bundle purchase. All creators have included coupon codes in the bundle, so you can purchase directly from their shop at a discounted price to receive updates and full support. As with most Humble Bundles, the Flipped Normals Extreme Add-Ons Bundle for Blender & ZBrush is organized into the following tiers: 10$ Tier Fit Curve Blendshop – Layer-Based Compositing / Color Grading Tool – Blender 4.0+ Geo Sign 1.0 – Sign Generator Blender Addon Power Maps ZBrush Plugin Model Enhancer – ZBrush Plugin 20$ Tier Wrap Gen – Generate Fully Customisable Wraps (Blender 4.0+) Fit Lattice Real Cloud 1.0 – Cloud Creator / Blender Addon + 200 VDB Assets Power Shapes ZBrush Plugin ZBrush – Mask & Delete Plugin 30$ Tier Lazy VFX 1.0 – VDB Assets & Blender Addon Better Lighting V2 – Light Presets & Gobos Library Fluid Kit – Water Generator & Water Assets Library Lazy Forest V2 – Forest Generator Addon + Trees & Plants Library Physical Starlight And Atmosphere Physical Celestial Objects – Procedural Planets Physical Open Waters Spline Brush – Turn Splines into Brush Strokes Light Wrangler: Essential Lighting Add-On For Blender Quad Maker Power Modeler ZBrush Plugin Easy Mesh ZBrush Plugin Power Primitives ZBrush Plugin Power Text Brush Maker ZBrush Plugin Real-time Hair ZBrush Plugin Torn Pro – ZBrush Plugin UV-Pro Mastering UV Unwrapping – ZBrush Plugin ARMORED MIRROR Zbrush Plugin Geo-Scatter 5.5 Using links on this page to purchase the bundle helps support GFS (and thanks so much if you do!). You can access the  3D Artists Tools & Brushes Bundle here and the Flipped Normals Extreme Add-Ons Bundle for Blender & ZBrush here. If you’d like to see coverage of a specific asset in action in video form please do let me know on the GFS discord server.

I’m delighted to share that the 2022.2 Tech Stream, our final release of the year, is available for download.Tech Stream releases allow you to go hands-on with early access to the latest features. It’s also an opportunity to share your feedback on how we can build even better tools to power your creativity.Most recently at Unite, we gathered with our community of game developers to share some of these updates on topics like DOTS, rendering, multiplayer development, and XR, and we celebrated Made with Unity games like V Rising, Pentiment, Breachers, and many more. The dialogue online from over 9,000 Discord messages and countless in-person conversations was invaluable to shaping the future of Unity.Coupled with the 1,470 new forum threads where we discussed product feedback with you since the 2022.1 Tech Stream arrived and the 3,080 new notes on the Unity Platform roadmap, this feedback helped us get to today’s release. We couldn’t have done it without you and are excited to get that work in your hands. To learn more about how your feedback drives product development, check out this blog post.Together with the first Tech Stream, today’s 2022.2 completes this year’s cycle. Join us and explore what’s in store ahead of the LTS release in 2023. For even more on where Unity is heading, I encourage you to read our Games Focus blog series.In this post, I’ll be sharing a few highlights from this release, but you can always get more details in the official release notes.A frequent request we receive is to give you the ability to create more engaging gaming experiences, deeply immersive worlds, and to do so with more objects and characters than ever before.Unity 2022.2 includesECS for Unity (Entity Component System), a data-oriented framework that empowers you to build more ambitious games with an unprecedented level of control and determinism. ECS and a data-oriented approach to development put complex gameplay mechanics and rich, dynamic environments at your fingertips. Starting with Unity 2022.2, ECS for Unity is fully supported for production, so you can get even more out of ECS through support channels and success plans.ECS for Unity includes the Entities package, along with ECS-compatible packages for Netcode, Graphics, and Physics. If you’re already familiar with Unity’s GameObject architecture and scripting standards, ECS for Unity is fully compatible with GameObjects, so you’ll find a familiar authoring experience and streamlined workflows. This gives you the capability to leverage your existing skill set and leverage ECS only where it will best benefit your game experience.We’re already seeing some great games running on ECS for Unity, such as Stunlock Studios’s V Rising. Because they turned to ECS, they were able to vastly increase the number of in-game interactable assets to more than 160,000 across a 5km2 map, with more than 350,000 server-side entities powering the experience.If you’re looking for help, want to provide feedback, discuss best practices, or show off your projects, you can join a thriving community on our forums and Discord. Our teams regularly engage in these channels and keep a close eye on your feedback. Join us on December 8, 2022 for our Dev Blitz Day dedicated to DOTS, when we’ll be spending an entire day trying to answer all your ECS questions.The last 18 months have seen an explosion of multiplayer experiences being built with Unity, and we hear that many of you want to add multiplayer access to your games but aren’t sure where to start.Alongside Unity 2022.2, we’re highlighting Netcode for GameObjects, a package that simplifies the implementation of multiplayer capability to your project in a number of scenarios such as couch cooperative play. The package works with familiar GameObject-based programming techniques, and it abstracts away low-level functionality so you can write less code while creating the multiplayer experience you envision.For more demanding, large-scale games, you can harness the power of ECS with Netcode for Entities. Netcode for Entities can enable you to increase your game world size, player counts, and complex network interactions without the performance sacrifices developers have traditionally had to deal with.We also recently announced the launch of self-serve capabilities in our Multiplayer Solutions suite within Unity Gaming Services (UGS), which helps you to operate your multiplayer games with hosting, communications, and more. Learn more about the latest developments for this tech in this Games Focus blog, or take a deeper look at the UGS Multiplayer suite in this UGS video, produced in collaboration with Tarodev.Multiplatform scalability and high-fidelity graphics continue to be our focus for rendering. In our Games Focus blog “Rendering that scales with your needs,” we covered our dedication to delivering features that allow you to scale with confidence while tapping into an even broader range of tools that provides the best possible visual quality and performance.We continue to bring the Universal Render Pipeline (URP) closer to feature parity with Built-in Render Pipeline through more streamlined and scalable workflows. We worked on key tools such asForward+, which provides functional parity with Forward path in Built-in Render Pipeline, eliminating the light limit count so you can scale with quality across platforms.Another key feature is Decal Layers,which allow you to filter and configure how different objects are affected by Decal Projectors in a scene. Decals are useful for adding extra texture details to a scene, especially to break the repetitiveness of materials and their detail patterns.Other special URP enhancements include LOD crossfade for smoother transitions and Built-in Converter improvements that provide you with tools to upgrade your existing projects from the Built-in Render Pipeline to URP. You can also personalize your rendering experience with Shader Graph Full Screen Master Node and Custom Post Processing across both renderers.Diving into High Definition Render Pipeline (HDRP), we’ve made enhancements that help you create even more beautiful physically based environments and detailed characters. You can scale high-fidelity environments with the new HDRP Water System to render oceans, rivers, and underwater effects, and use Volumetric Material to create procedural local fog using Shader Graph. Create even more realistic skies with improved Cloud Layers dynamic lighting, and you can even blend between different Volumetric Cloud conditions.You can also take your cinematic renders further to render realistic characters with Eye Cinematic with Caustics and PCSS shadows. HDRP Path Tracing Denoising provides you the choice between NVIDIA Optix™ AI accelerated denoiser and Intel® Open Image.Watch our latest Unite 2022 session on Lighting Environments in Unity to discover some key tips to get you started with our latest HDRP environment tools.Creative endeavors are never linear, and we understand that rapid iteration is part of the journey. This release includes new authoring features and workflow improvements to help speed up your productivity.For example, the Prefab system sees a number of upgrades, including the ability to quickly replace a Prefab Asset for a Prefab instance in a scene or nested inside other Prefabs. Read our latest blog on this topic for more information.For faster environments, the Paint Detail brush in the Terrain Tools package now allows you to simultaneously scatter multiple types of details with per-detail-type density settings available. Additionally, detail density and a few other Terrain settings are now overridable in the Quality settings to help you achieve platform performance targets.You can also use improved tooling and API features for Splines to help draw paths in your environments with greater precision. This means you can build out rivers, roads, camera tracks, and other path-related features and tools more efficiently. Thank you to all who engaged with us in the worldbuilding forums in the last couple months to help us finalize this delivery. For more on the API features, check out the documentation.Finally, the AI Navigation package is now available for you to quickly add intelligence to 3D characters and move in game worlds without needing to code rules manually. It also ships with samples to help you get started. See the forum for more details, and check out what’s next on the roadmap.In 2022.2, UI Toolkit is reaching parity with IMGUI for customizing the Editor and is the recommended solution for Editor tools. This means better separation of concerns, more flexible layouts, and advanced stylings. With updates like default inspectors generated with UI Toolkit, ported common built-in Property Drawers, TreeView controls with multicolumn support, and a new vector-drawing API, this release not only helps us reach parity with IMGUI but also supports runtime use cases as well.If you want to learn more about the current state of runtime, we recently released a new project demonstrating a full-feature interface with UI Toolkit based on your feedback for more samples. Check that out here.To help you get started, watch the recent Unite session illustrating a step-by-step example of how to build custom tools with UI Toolkit. Plus, visit the recently released Editor Design system for guidance on how to build intuitive experiences.After extensive work, testing, and listening to a lot of community feedback, DirectX 12 is out of an experimental state with the release of 2022.2. Depending on the project, you can now expect performance on par or greater than DX11, especially in draw call-heavy scenes.This is a result of significant investment into performance and stability, making DX12 the recommended graphics API for Windows and Xbox development. Additionally, DX12 lays the foundation for more advanced graphics features, such as real-time ray tracing, which is now available for Xbox game development. We couldn’t be more excited and thankful to you all for helping us get DX12 across the finish line and look forward to the great games you’ll be creating.We continue to hear that you not only want us to support new platforms, but also where we can simplify and improve development when targeting devices. If you haven’t already, check out the Games Focus blog “Reach more players over multiple platforms and form factors,” where we dive into both what is here now and what will be available in the near future.We’re making cross-device XR creation simpler with Unity XR Interaction toolkit (XRI). XRI provides a framework for common interactions that work across various controllers, such as grab, hover, select, visual feedback to indicate possible interactions on objects, and more. XRI is now in version 2.2, which adds multi-grab support, new locomotion methods, and a collection of ready-to-go Prefabs in our Starter Assets sample package.We recently invited the creators of Blacktop Hoops, a VR basketball game, to talk about how they used XRI as the base for their input controls during the Unite 2022 Keynote. Check out the XR segment for more information.We’ve also updated AR Foundation to version 5.0. This update brings two key features to reduce development time. The first is simulation, allowing you to test your AR app in the Editor using Play mode, an update that addresses a common AR developer frustration in the past. We’ve also added the AR Debug Menu as a new Prefab that you can use to view available configurations on your device and visualize AR subsystem data such as planes and point cloud positions.Finally, we’re continuing to add key platform support to the Editor with Meta Quest Pro, PlayStation®VR2 and Magic Leap 2.To read more about the 2022.2 Tech Stream, check out the release notes for a comprehensive list of features and the Unity Manual for documentation. As you dive in, keep in mind that while each Tech Stream release is supported with weekly updates until the next one, there is no guarantee for long-term support for new features and remember to always back up your work prior to upgrading to a new version. The upgrade guide can also assist with this. For projects in production, we recommend using Unity Long Term Release for stability and support.Each Tech Stream is an opportunity to not only get early access to new features, but also to shape the development of future tech through your feedback. We want to hear how we can best serve you and your projects. Let us know how we’re doing on the forums, or share feedback directly with our product team through the Unity Platform Roadmap. You can also follow us on Twitter and catch our latest Unity Twitch Roundtable, covering 2022.2, on demand.This release completes our 2022 development cycle. We have ambitious goals for next year, which you can read about in our Games Focus series or watch in the recent Unite Roadmap session. Thank you for all your support, and we look forward to partnering with you every step of the way.

Unity 2022.2 includes updates to the Splines package, accessible through the Package Manager, which offers you the ability to draw and use spline paths in your game or other creation. For developers, this means you can easily build out rivers, roads, camera tracks, and other path-related features and tools. If you’re an artist, you get a consistent, Unity-supported experience across all these toolsets using our Splines solution. Several default components are also included with the Splines package, so you can use this new artist tooling right away.If you’d like to jump right into learning and discussing the new Splines package, head over to the Unity Splines forum post.A “spline” is a type of path that is often used in both 3D and 2D creative tools. Essentially, you set a few points as if you are mapping out a road, then optionally tweak how the path curves around those points, and, finally, connect more branching points if you need them… that’s your spline!Splines are often used to:Create rivers and roadsSet camera tracksDefine areas or shapesThe Splines package enables you to create and use splines as easily as you would any other object. Open the GameObject menu to create a spline, then add whatever components you want to use that spline’s path.As an artist, this means you just need to learn one set of tools to draw roads onto your terrain, define camera paths, or extrude mesh shapes for level design. Even better, the spline you draw for your camera can be reused to place a path on the ground, to navigate characters, or anything else. Just add or swap out components as needed.For developers, the Splines package provides a robust and standardized framework to build on. Create your own custom components or Unity Asset Store packages. For more information, see the Splines API documentation.Create or open a project on Unity 2022.2 or later, then install the Splines package using the Package Manager.To create a spline:1. From the top menu, select Create > Spline > Draw Spline.2. Click in the Scene view to place points for your spline. If you want to add a curve to the path, click and drag when you place a point.3. When you are done drawing, press Escape, or select a tool in the Tools overlay.4. Use the Editor’s standard select and transformation tools to edit the shape of the spline. For more information, see the Splines documentation.Splines is the first major feature to use our new tooling system, contextual workflows. Contextual workflows use overlays to get you the right tools at the right time. You can see them in action in these cases:Simplify editing with Tool context: Select a spline to see an icon appear at the beginning of the Tools overlay. This icon indicates the Tool overlay’s Tool context. Click the Tool context icon to change your Tool context from GameObject to Spline. Now you can dive right into editing the spline’s finer details using the standard Editor tools and controls.Customize with Tool Settings: Activate a spline tool to see new options in the Tool Settings overlay. This shows you which options are available so you can pick what you need on the fly.Discover new tools with component tools: Select a spline, and if that spline has any component tools, they appear at the bottom of the Tools overlay. If a package or asset uses components to add new tools, you can find them at the bottom of the Tools overlay – no need to search through the Editor.The best part here is that contextual tooling can work with any toolset in Unity, including the Unity Asset Store or other custom creations. If you’re a tool developer and need help setting this up, start with the tools documentation, or reach out on the Unity Forums.Speaking of components, we’ve included three to meet the common uses cases:Instantiate: Generate copies of an item along a spline. Use the Instantiate component to create objects like fences, trees, stone walkways, and so on.Animate: Move a GameObject along a spline. Use the Animate component with cameras, characters, or in situations where you need to define movement in Unity.Extrude: Build a tube mesh along a spline. Use the Extrude component to create and easily edit shapes like wires, pipes, ropes, noodles, and more.New in Splines 2.1, you can build splines with multiple, branching paths. Activate the Draw Splines tool, and begin drawing new parts onto the spline. This also enables you to create disconnected spline sections.You can directly manipulate splines quickly without having to hunt through menus for the right transform tool or gizmo. When you are editing spline points, click-drag a point to move it. No tool activation needed! This is designed to bring 2D-like simplicity of editing to splines.When editing spline points, these new options are available in the handle orientation dropdown. Parent enables you to move, rotate, or scale items relative to their parent element. Element gives you precise editing using the selected item’s directionality.Splines was built to be a foundation for other tooling, especially tools from the Unity Asset Store and custom creations. The package includes a robust API and samples for developers to learn from or customize. Check out the Splines API documentation to get started.The Splines package has been publicly available for almost a year now. Your continuous input has been fantastic, and we’re excited to hear even more, especially from artists, with this major update. Comments here are great, and for deeper discussions we hope to see you on the Splines forum thread.

A first look at what stealth AI/ML player Version Zero AI has been up to. Our series on AI, ML and VFX ventures into new territory with a chat with a new player in the field that you may not have heard too much about: Version Zero AI. Version Zero AI has been running in stealth mode, testing its products on a number of shows. As you’ll hear from two of its co-founders – VFX supervisors Chad Wanstreet and Allan McKay (the other co-founder is Murali Selvan) – it’s becoming a platform and a tool utilizing machine leaning for roto, matting, clean plating and paint. A big thing the team are working on is orchestrating splines for roto, which is somewhat of the holy grail for AI rotoscoping. There’s even early development on matchmove and camera tracking tools for Version Zero AI. Listen in above, and below, see examples of matchmoving, object tracking, paint and roto in Version Zero AI. The post Version Zero AI has a splines output solution for AI/ML rotoscoping appeared first on befores & afters.

html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40/loose.dtd" New features in thinkingParticles 7.4, the latest version of the 3ds Max particles plugin. The video also shows features added in thinkingParticles 7.3 and its service pack updates. Cebas Visual Technology has released thinkingParticles 7.4, the latest version of its particle effects and multiphysics plugin for 3ds Max.The update extends thinkingParticles’ ME-L scripting language with new functions for manipulating meshes, and adds a SplineForce node for guiding particles along splines. Other features added in recent updates include the Explosion Tool, a set of readymade nodes for creating explosion effects. A versatile simulation tool for 3ds Max-based VFX pipelines First released two decades ago, thinkingParticles is a procedural simulation tool that has been used by leading VFX studios including Scanline VFX, FuseFX and Bottleship VFX.Originally geared towards particle-based destruction and gaseous fluid simulations, it later added a SPH (Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamics) solver for liquids and soft bodies, MPM solvers for granular fluids and elastic materials, and tools for manipulating OpenVDB data. The software is also now bundled with finalRender, cebas’s GPU renderer. ThinkingParticles 7.4: new ME-L functions for controlling meshes ThinkingParticles 7.4 further extends the capabilities of ME-L (Math Expression Language), the plugin’s new scripting language.Initially a means to manipulate OpenVDB data, it was broadened out into a more general-purpose system for creating custom particle simulations in thinkingParticles 7.3. ME-L scripts have “almost unrestricted access” to the core simulation data created by the plugin, making it possible to create most of the same effects as through its standard node-based workflow, but since evaluation of particle data via the ExpressionME-L node is multi-threaded, unlike most of the standard nodes, performance can be much greater. The 7.4 update introduces over 160 new ME-L functions for modifying meshes, making it possible to perform operations like edge subdivision and dynamic remeshing. You can see examples of simulations created using the new functions in the video embedded at the top of this story. New SplineForce node, plus updates to SimpleDeform and the MPM Sand solver Other new features in thinkingParticles 7.4 include the SplineForce node, which creates a virtual force along the length of a spline curve.Particles within the radius are drawn along the curve, making it possible to create “stylized trails, flows, and guided motion effects”. The existing SimpleDeform node, for using particles to deform meshes, gets new Pose Matching controls, enabling the meshes to “maintain or revert to their original pose even after extreme deformation”. In addition, the MPM Sand solver now has a moisture-based activation threshold, for realistic damp-to-dry granular fluid simulations. Added in the previous service pack release: new Explosion Tool Other features added in recent releases include the Explosion Tool: a collection of readymade nodes for creating explosions.It includes nodes for generating the initial burst of the explosion, the shockwave it generates, and trails of debris thrown up by the blast. Price and system requirements thinkingParticles 7.4 is compatible with 3ds Max 2024+. The software is available on a rental-only basis. Subscriptions cost $660/year.Read an overview of the new features in thinkingParticles on cebas’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.