Havok Behavior Tool available for download
[permalink] 27.11.2008
Havok, provider of interactive software and services for game developers, released Havok Behavior Tool for designers and animators of 3D video and PC game characters. The Havok Behavior Tool, along with the Havok Content Tools which are also available for download, are key components of Havok’s larger suite of cross-platform middleware products which include Havok Physics, Havok Animation, Havok Cloth, Havok Destruction, and Havok Behavior. Using Havok’s downloadable tools, game designers and artists can see their 3D characters and animations which have been created in Autodesk’s 3ds Max, Maya, and XSI, come to life in a dynamic world that they can play in, and build upon to prototype new game concepts and character mechanics. Download the Havok Behavior Tool from www.havok.com/tryhavok. [source]
www.havok.com

Autodesk software shapes India's 3D animated film
[permalink] 25.11.2008
Autodesk announced that Indian animation and visual effects powerhouse Visual Computing Labs (VCL), a division of Tata Elxsi Ltd., used Autodesk Maya software as the lead 3D modeling, animation and visual effects tool on Roadside Romeo (imdb entry.) VCL also relied on the Autodesk Flame visual effects system to create the film, while Prime Focus used the Autodesk Lustre system for the final color grade. A joint production of Yash Raj Films and Walt Disney Pictures, Roadside Romeo is India's first 3D animated mainstream feature film, as well as the first Hollywood-Bollywood co-production. Written and directed by Jugal Hansraj, Roadside Romeo was released worldwide on October 24, 2008. [source]
www.disney.in/movies/roadsideromeo

glu3D for 3ds Max updated to v1.3.23
[permalink] 12.11.2008
Particle-based fluid simulator glu3D for Autodesk 3ds Max (as well as Maya) has been updated to version 1.3.23. The new version now includes a node object called gluBaker that allows playing previously calculated caches without loading main glu3D node in a scene. It has user controls like offset and scale that allows adjusting time to scene needs. The plug-in costs 495 EUR and can be purchased at 3daliens.com. Demo versions are also available (direct links: glu3D v1.3.23 for 3ds Max 9 and later, glu3D v1.3.22 for Maya 8.5 and up.) [source]
www.3daliens.com

Vue 7 xStream and Vue 7 Infinite ship!
[permalink] 04.11.2008
E-on Software announced the availability of its flagship solutions for the creation of natural 3D environments: Vue 7 xStream and Vue 7 Infinite. Vue 7 xStream represents a totally new paradigm in terms of integration and workflow. All Vue tools are now fully integrated in the host application - i.e. Autodesk 3ds Max and Maya, SOFTIMAGE|XSI, MAXON CINEMA 4D or NewTek LightWave 3D - providing direct access to the most advanced 3D environment creation technologies. Vue 7 Infinite offers scenery creation and animation tools in a stand-alone package. Both products were also include EcoSystem 3 technology, Spectral 2 cloud technology for highly realistic volumetric 3D clouds and cloud layers, new Radiosity engine optimized for indoor and infinite scenery, Water Editor for convincing water animations, faster Global Illumination rendering, and more. Demo videos: Vue 7 xStream Demo, Vue 7 Presentation Video.
Vue 7 xStream retails for $1,495 US, with upgrades available for $595 US. Until February 2, 2009, a special introductory pricing is available on this product, with the full version retailing at $1,195 US and upgrades from Vue 6 xStream at $395 US. Annual subscriptions for Educational licenses of Vue 7 xStream are available for $149/year/seat. Vue 7 Infinite retails for $895 US, with upgrades for $395 US. Annual subscriptions for Educational licenses of Vue 7 Infinite are available for $99/seat/year. Both Vue 7 xStream and Vue 7 Infinite are available immediately for Windows and Mac OS X systems. [source]
www.e-onsoftware.com

Autodesk FBX 2009.3 technology available
[permalink] 20.10.2008
Autodesk released a new version of its FBX technology. This comprehensive, platform-independent 3D data interchange solution, with published source code for the reader/writer that enables users to extend and adapt it for use in custom pipelines, consists of 3ds Max FBX plug-in (redesigned and customizable user interface, 3ds Max Bake Animation feature, Improved file I/O performance, reduced memory footprint, HLSL hardware shader support, and more), Maya FBX plug-in (redesigned interface, speed and memory usage optimizations, CgFX hardware shader support etc.), and the FBX 2009.3 SDK (optimized Object Model, Improved file load time, improvements to the COLLADA 1.4 file importer/exporter, published source for FBX and COLLADA reader and writer, support for user-defined objects, IPV6 compliance, improved material support, CGFX/HLSL hardware shaders.) For more information, read the FBX SDK Overview PDF and other FBX-related documents. Download any or all of the above here (requires registration.) [source]
www.autodesk.com

Rendercore adds LightWave 3D 9.5 support
[permalink] 26.08.2008
Remote rendering service Rendercore announced support for the recently released LighWave 3D 9.5 software. With over 3Tera Hz computing power, a cutting edge super-computing infrastructure and the industry's first remote rendering software, Rendercore's render farm provides instant on, outsource rendering capacity for users of Maya, 3ds Max and VIZ, CINEMA 4D, LightWave 3D, SOFTIMAGE|XSI, V-Ray, Brazil r/s, and finalRender Stage-1. See their Price Guide for information on fees. [source]
www.rendercore.com

Mental ray 3.7 with enhanced motion blur capabilities
[permalink] 14.08.2008
Mental images announced the latest version of their rendering software, mental ray 3.7. It is now integrated as part of the recently released Autodesk Maya 2009 package, and will subsequently be integrated by other key mental images customers. Most notable are the significant enhancements to the multi-camera rendering and motion blur capabilities. Maya 2009 improved mental ray multi-frame buffer rendering is intended to render multiple images at once, with full motion-dependant displacement mapping, making it possible to control displacement while motion blurring. As a result, displacement details are reduced as motion becomes more extreme. This will drastically improve render times for motion blurring scenes while producing a more realistic result. [source]
www.mentalimages.com

Autodesk at SIGGRAPH 2008: New versions of Maya and MotionBuilder
[permalink] 12.08.2008
At SIGGRAPH 2008, Autodesk announced new versions of its Maya and MotionBuilder 3D animation and effects applications. Maya 2009 is a 10-year Anniversary Release of the software and includes a host of advancements: new Maya Assets toolset, which enables users to encapsulate a set of nodes into a single container and publish a view of the data suited to the artist's task; a new Render Proxy feature in mental ray; accelerated modeling workflow; new animation layering paradigm that provides animators with increased non-destructive flexibility; innovative Maya nParticles dynamic simulation module (a part of the Maya Nucleus Unified Simulation Framework); new stereo camera rig, complete with in-viewport stereo viewing; and more. Maya 2009 will be available in October 2008 on the Windows and Linux operating systems (64-bit and 32-bit versions), as well as Mac OS X for Intel-based Macintosh and PowerPC computers (32-bit version only). Suggested retail pricing is $1,995 US for Maya Complete 2009 and $4,995 US for Maya Unlimited 2009. The upgrade price from Maya Complete 2008 to Maya Complete 2009 is $899 US, and $1,249 US in case of the Maya Unlimited version. See the new Maya 2009 PDF brochure for more information...
Autodesk's real-time 3D character animation software MotionBuilder has been updated to version 2009 as well. It offers high-quality visualizations within the 3D viewport incl. new Normal Mapping and Light Attenuation CG shaders; an intuitive toolset for real-time rigid body dynamic simulations; and a full script editor with syntax checking and command highlighting for the Python scripting language; and more. MotionBuilder 2009 will ship during October 2008 for 32-bit and 64-bit Windows systems (now including the 64-bit Microsoft Windows Vista Business) for an MSRP of $3,995 US and $995 US in case of an upgrade. [source]
www.autodesk.com

SIGGRAPH 2008: Cebas previews finalRender Stage-1 R3.0 and more!
[permalink] 12.08.2008
German 3D graphics software maker cebas Computer previews an updated line of its plug-ins at this year's SIGGRAPH: finalRender Stage-1 R3.0 for 3ds Max (now with interactive rendering with full GI and ray-tracing, iterative anti-aliasing engine, hybrid scanline rendering core, ultra fast Accurate Physical Camera model based on real world parameters, full OpenEXR file format support, and more); finalRender Stage-2 R2.0 for CINEMA 4D, Maya, and SOFTIMAGE|XSI (new unique finalRender Volume Rendering Material, Physical Sky enhancements, better and faster 3D motion blur from within CINEMA 4D etc.); and ThinkingParticles 3 SP2. [source]
www.finalrender.com

E-on to preview Vue 7 at SIGGRAPH 2008
[permalink] 07.08.2008
E-on software, a 3D landscape software specialist, announced it will be showcasing key new features of its Vue 7 professional solutions (scheduled for release later this year) in Los Angeles, during the SIGGRAPH show, August 12-14, 2008, at booth 1129. Vue 7 xStream, upcoming version of its flagship product, represents a totally new paradigm in terms of integration and workflow: All Vue tools are now fully integrated in the host application (Autodesk 3ds Max and Maya, Softimage|XSI, Maxon CINEMA 4D and NewTek LightWave 3D ), providing direct access to the most advanced 3D environment creation technologies. Vue 7 will also feature a number of important new features such as the 3rd generation of e-on's patented EcoSystem technology, as well as Spectral 2 atmospheric engine, SolidGrowth 4 HD, a completely new indoor Radiosity engine and much more. [source]
www.e-onsoftware.com