MAX Plugins.de News Archive

Archived Plugin News  –  March 2001
 

New Plugin: Modifiers

Two plugins (Mask Top and Mask Bottom) that allow you to mask the effect of a modifier based on a bitmap or material.


New Plugin: Modifiers

This is basically a spiffed up version of the Linked Xform modifier. All bones in the system are equally weighted and have a radial influence from the center of the bone.


New Plugin: Modifiers

Lag is a modifier that stretches an object as it moves (secondary motion).


New Plugin: Utilities

Collector scans the scene for bitmaps, and copies these to a directory of your choice, updating the materials as well if wished.


Plugin Update: Materials

A special procedural plugin that allows fine touch-up smoothing of hard edges, so your object can become not just photo-realistic, but much more real-life looking. This build will expire on April 30th, 2001.


New Plugin: Spacewarps

This is a rewrite of the original deflector spacewarp. It can pass through and affect stationary particles, supports friction and energy transfer.


New Plugin: Modifiers

A rewrite of the original Edit Spline modifier that fixes some of the shortfalls.


New Plugin: Modifiers

Blob Mod is a simplistic metaball modifier. Basically at every vertex of a mesh it will place a metaball.


New Plugin: Spacewarps

Chase Gravity is a particle spacewarp which causes particles to chase the spacewarp or a designated object. It is useful for creating flocking type animations or using particles to outline an object.


New Plugin: Modifiers

This is a simple deformation system. With it you can choose an ink and brush and then deform the mesh by painting on it.


New Plugin: MAXScript Extensions

This is a MaxScript extension that allows you to show and hide the UI toolbars.


New Plugin: Utilities

HotScript is a plugin utility that allows you to assign keyboard shortcuts to MaxScripts.


New Plugin: Renderers

Brazil R/S is a new, state of the art rendering engine that is being designed around the principles of extensibility, portability, modularity, distributability, stability, and reliability. It offers (or will offer): highest quality rendering - sufficient to intercut and composite with live action; flexible; efficient; reliable; versatile; sophisticated filtering and anti-aliasing; advanced effects like motion blur, depth-of-field, global-illumination, etc.; variety of looks; open architecture. The Brazil Rendering System public alpha is currently composed of the following files: brazilcore.dlu, braziltestmtl.dlt, and braziltestfx.dlv.


New Plugin: Controllers

The FPS Controller (First Person Shooter, not Frames Per Second) works similiarly to the independant position controller except it does some simple collision detection when you do interactive mouse movement. When you move an object with the mouse, it will prevent the pivot of the object penetrating the faces of the objects in the Collision Nodes list.


New Plugin: Materials

Particles Blend material is used to change a particles material based on it life. Has only been tested with Particle+, but should work with most particle systems.


New Plugin: Materials

Particle Material is used to change a particles material based on it life and allows you to change materials if a collision occurs.


New Plugin: Particles

This is an update to the basic Max Particle System. It adds a few more particle types, a few more emitter shapes, a particle position dump, and stream velocity and motion.


New Plugin: Particles

Hair is a particle system used to simulate hair. It was mainly aimed at doing long head hair but can also be used for short body hair. Since it is a particle system most particles space warps will work with it.


New Plugin: Utilities

This utility is basically the same as the R4 scatter routine. If you pick a scatter object and an emitter object then hit the Apply button, the scatter object is copied to each vertex of the emitter object. The random distribution and number of objects have not yet been implemented. After you hit the Apply you must force screen redraw to see the results.


New Plugin: Modifiers

This modifier works exactly like the normal Camera Map modifier that ships with Max except that when the camera is animated the mapping is recomputed.


New Plugin: Objects

CrossSection Object is the object equivalent of the CrossSection Modifier. Basically you create a bunch of splines that you want to use as cross sections. You then create a CrossSection Object and press the Add button, which allows you to select the splines that you want to skin.


New Plugin: Utilities

Unwraps the texture coordinates of an object and places them in a bitmap. Very useful for creating templates for textures. Version 1.1 adds multiple map channel support, custom colour support, open edges and a preview window.


New Plugin: Modifiers

This modifier works exactly like the normal Camera Map modifier that ships with Max except that when the camera is animated the mapping is recomputed.


New Plugin: Materials

This is a texture map plugin that calculates the illumination of light that passes through a thin object.


New Plugin: Materials

This is a texture map plugin that calculates the shift in HSV coloring for the underlying texture. Each parameter of a HSV color can be controlled by a mask texture, or an animated value.


New Plugin: Videopost Filters

A modified version of the Starfield plugin that ships with Max. This one applies motion blur to the stars when the camera moves.


Max 4 update: Max 4.02 is released

Discreet has released an upgrade for Max 4. The patch can be found here. The read-me file can be downloaded here. The patch addresses the following bugs:

ActiveShade
- ActiveShade now correctly represents anisotropic highlights.
- ActiveShade updates bump map changes correctly.

Editable Poly and PolyMesh Object
- Chamfer Edge on models with Mapping has been stabilized.
- Vertex Transforms are correctly constrained to the working axes in Local Coordinates.
- Detached Objects are correctly Triangulated at Render.

UVWUnwrap
- Patch Objects with UVWUnwrap, saved in previous versions of Max, now load with properly mapped Quad Patches.
- Cloning Objects with the UVWUnwrap modifier has been stabilized.

Skin Modifier
- Quad Menu 'Add Bones' Pick from view mode fully supported.

Particle Systems
- Escape, to terminate calculation, is now fully supported.


New Plugin: Import / Export

Exports scenes as a Nebula scriptfile (*.n). This can then be used with the free 'Nebula Device' game engine.


New Plugin: Import / Export

Exports scenes and animations for use with the WildTangent Web Driver.


Plugin Update: Import / Export

Changes for v1.5.1 include:
- Anti-aliasing improvements in gradient ramp shader.
- MaxMan selects linear or cubic mode for a patch mesh based on 'Surface->Render Steps' value.
- when a custom shader is reselected the parameters are now properly updated.
- IFL files can now be used in the Up/Down/Left/Right/Front/Back slots of a Reflect/Refract map.
- The MaxMan shaders now output a value '__shadow' for the colour of the shadow at the surface.
- Fixed bug that prevented non-admins modifying current user registry settings in the path settings dialog.
- Matte objects that are also shadow casters will now work correctly in mapped shadows.
- Reflection maps can now have the resolution set per-object.
- Emulation of the wood map was badly broken. Fixed.
- and much much more...
For more information go here.


New Plugin: Modifiers

A plugin that allows you to copy UVW channel info between channels on the same object. This is an unofficial plugin with no support.


Plugin Update: Objects

Changes for v3.1 are: Fixed a load / reset / load bug.


New Plugin: Modifiers

Greeble creates procedural surface details on your meshobjects and / or selected faces. With it, you can dress up an area of your modelwith random details or even create an entire landscape, such as the surface of the DeathStar.


Plugin News: Max 4.01 patch broken.

The patch for Max 4.01 has been removed from the Discreet server. Here's the official word:

Discreet has run into a problem with the Max 4.01 patch and has temporarily removed it from the download site. We have encountered problems relating to XRef Scenes that can cause a data-loss crash. It is a problem that can only be reproduced with the patched version of Max 4.01, therefore, Discreet has decided to remove the patch until a replacement is compiled. At this time, we are unable to provide information when the new patch will be available and we apologize for the inconvenience.


Site News: Minor Update

I've made a few small changes to the progamming of the site, as well as new CGI stuff that will hopefully speed up searches. I'm hoping that everything is working as planned, but if you notice anything that's not working, please send me a mail


New Plugin: Modifiers

This is an advanced spherify modifier used to project object vertices onto a Sphere. Bulge-O-Matic allows you to do spherify operations on Objects, as well as Sub-Object selections, it also allows you to do negative effects, and per-axis deformations. It brings an attenuation gizmo for more smooth results, as well as full MaxScript Support.


Plugin Updates: Alternative Discreet download links

Updated 16.03.2001 - See the news item above.

Here are a couple of alternative links if you're having trouble downloading the Max 4.01 and Character Studio 3.11 patches mentioned below:
- Max 4.01 patch
- Character Studio 3.11 patch


New Plugin: Modifiers

This is an advanced spherify modifier used to project object vertices onto a Sphere. Bulge-O-Matic allows you to do spherify operations on Objects, as well as Sub-Object selections, it also allows you to do negative effects, and per-axis deformations. It brings an attenuation gizmo for more smooth results, as well as full MaxScript Support.


New Plugin: Modifiers

SimCloth is a modifier for generating clothlike animation (softbody dynamics) or rigid body dynamics.


Plugin Update: Character Studio 3.11

An upgrade has been released for Character Studio. The patch can be found here. I have no idea at the moment exactly what this patch fixes, but as soon as I do I'll post it.


Max 4 update: Max 4.01 is released

Updated 16.03.2001 - See the news item above.

Discreet has released an upgrade for Max 4. The patch can be found here. The Discreet FTP-Server is extremely slow, so just keep trying with the downloads. The patch addresses the following bugs:

ActiveShade
- Using ActiveShade with xrefs no longer result in improper behavior.
- ActiveShade now correctly represents anisotropic highlights.
- ActiveShade updates bump map changes correctly.

Editable Poly and PolyMesh Object
- Chamfer Edge on models with Mapping has been stabilized.
- Vertex Transforms are correctly constrained to the working axes in Local Coordinates.
- Detached Objects are correctly Triangulated at Render.

UVWUnwrap
- Patch Objects with UVWUnwrap, saved in previous versions of Max, now load with properly mapped Quad Patches.

Skin Modifier
- Quad Menu 'Add Bones' Pick from view mode fully supported.

Particle Systems
- Escape, to terminate calculation, is now fully supported.


New Plugins: HABWare recompiles

HABWare has recompiled almost all of his plugins for Max 4.
The following is a list of the plugins which are available here.

- 3:2 Pulldown v4.0 - Videopost Filter
- ACI to MAT v4.0 - Utility
- Billboard v4.0 - Controller
- Blobs v4.0 - Object
- Carrera v4.0 - Modifier
- ColorTab v4.0 - Utiity
- DEM to MAX v4.0 - Import / Export
- Detacher v4.0 - Utility
- Exclude v4.0 - Utility
- Fast! SuperParticle v4.0 - Particles
- HDXFEXP v4.0 - Import / Export
- HSpline v4.0 - Modifier
- IBitmap v4.0 - Material
- Interlace v4.0 - Videopost Filter
- MAX to OBJ v4.0 - Import / Export
- MLI to MAX v4.0 - Import / Export
- Moebius v4.0 - Object
- Nurbser v4.0 - Utility
- OBJ 2 MAX v4.0 - Import / Export
- Panorama v4.0 - Utility
- Patchwork v4.0 - Material
- Photometer v4.0 - Object
- Particle Texture v4.0 - Material
- Roller v4.0 - Controller
- SGI Logo v4.0 - Object
- Snapshot v4.0 - Utility
- Spider v4.0 - Object
- Sticks v4.0 - Modifier
- Terrain2 v4.0 - Utility
- ToyTrain v4.0 - Object
- Water2 v4.0 - Material
- XIdMary v4.0 - Object


New Plugin: Atmospherics

This is a volumetric light plugin that is in some ways superior to the Max volume lights.


New Plugin: Materials

Uses UVW channels to shade the surface of an object. Useful for viewing how the UV mapping flows along a surface.


New Plugin: Modifiers

This is an enhanced version of the Max 4 Point Cache modifier. New features include:
- Adjustable playback ranges and a playback graph
- Nth frame sampling
- Adjustable 'strength' in Absolute mode
- Easily create/delete caches via the UI
- Filenames can be edited without browsing
- Error message bugfix and general bugfixes.


New Plugin: Modifiers

BindPoints consists of 2 modifiers - BindToPoint and BindToFace - that allow you to link points on an object to points or faces on another object. They can be thought of as Linked XForm modifiers that let you link to sub-object parts of another object. Both modifiers have no properties and essentially no UI. They are entirely operated through a set of MaxScript functions.


New Plugin: Import / Export

This is an importer for LightWave's object file(*.lwo). It has basically just been recompiled for Max 4, but the programmer would like to know of any problems there may be.


Plugin Update: Objects - Updated 08.03.2001

This is an improved version of the MetaReyes plugin. The bug-fixes are related to the conversion of metamuscles to editable meshes.


New Plugin: Utilities

This is a mind-numbingly simple utility that displays the face and vertex count of objects.


New Plugin: Objects

A collection of helper objects, (currently a collection of one :P), consisting of Null: A bit like an enhanced Dummy object, with options including Null shape, wirecolor, size, and viewport displayed label.


Plugin Update: Objects

Changes for v1.2 are: Added Shift/Ctrl options while creating.


New Plugin: Render Effects

Yet another missed plugin! This Render Effect can be used for doing an animated circular wipe, and affects the alpha channel. Once again, thanks to Richard Annema for the link.


New Plugin: Render Effects

This is another plugin I seem to have missed when I wrote database. It basically fakes an interlaced look on your rendered image by removing every other line of the image. It also works on the alpha channel. Thanks to Richard Annema for the link.


Plugin Update: Modifiers

The JEdit program which works in conjunction with JetaReyes has been updated to fix problems people were having running the plugin. Only the JEdit ZIP-file has changed, all of the other ZIPs are the same.


New Plugin: Global Utilities

N-Patches are a higher-order surface primitive developed by ATI for DirectX 8. This plugin gives the artist the ability to create a viewport for previewing objects using N-Patch tesselation rules. You can read more about the plugin here.


New Plugin: Objects

Generates C, H, I and L-shape steel girders.


Plugin Update: Utilities

Changes for this version are: Fixed a bug that was causing problems with the quadmenu in Max 4.


Plugin Update: Utilities

Changes for this version are: Quadmenu problems are fixed, an option to override Fence selection with Uzife's lasso, customisability, and a few bugfixes.


New Plugin: Import / Export

These plugins are a bit old, but I seem to have missed them as I was writing the database. There are 3 Export plugins in the pack, enabling you to export ANM files (animation), SKL files (skeletal animation) and UV files (texture and material information) for use in Heavy Metal FAKK 2.