SceneBuilder will let Max users deliver "richly rendered and interactive 3D content over the Internet". It's designed to assemble and edit the content of a "VET" scene before its final output to a Viewpoint Media file. A VET scene is a collection of 3D objects, material properties, animators, interactors, and the definition of the 3D environment (i.e., panoramas or the maps of environmental-lightmaps).
Read the whole PR.

SOFTIMAGE|3D for Linux is currently in beta testing and is expected to be available on various certified Linux configurations in late March 2001. Softimage also plans to introduce a Linux version of SOFTIMAGE|XSI later this year.
Also of note, XSI 1.5 reviewed at Computer Creative.

"Transform Controller plug-in for 3D Studio MAX. The behavior of these controllers can be compared to Linear and Smooth Rotation, but rather working on any transformation. They will interpolate between any keyframe transformations, but won't give control by function graphs. This is because the transformations are not decomposed into translation, rotation and scaling parts. The good thing is that the user is free to combine transformations in any order, switching between coordinate systems as he or she pleases."
Download Mcontrol by Kees van Prooijen.

Screamline's web-based service allows clients to know the exact cost of a rendering job before running it: its JobAnalyst software works as an interface between the client and Screamline's render farm calculating the complexity of a project (by looking at factors such as # of objects and polygons, # of light sources, anti-aliasing, raytracing, resolution, etc.) and giving a per-frame cost. It also lets customers monitor and manage jobs anytime day or night though the Internet.
JobAnalyst for 3ds max and RenderMan are scheduled for release this quarter.

Texporter Version 3.4  New Smooth Color option for XYZ, W and Vertex Color colorization schemes. Wrap Around option now wraps around at all of the edges (not only the left edge). A bug fix in colorization by Face Area option. Works only with MAX 4.

John Burnett has made available an enhanced version of Max 4's Point Cache modifier for Max 3.1.

GhostPainter is a new texture map that interactively connects to Photoshop to achieve 3D/2D bitmap painting effects. It lets users paint 3D objects in Max's viewports while using Photoshop's painting toolset. Cebas also announced that upgrades to R4 versions of its Max plugins will be free of charge: "In a few weeks time we should be able to deliver all of our plug-ins as recompiles for 3ds max 4. Availability will be announced".

Game developer Lionhead Studios has incorporated a library of tactile sensations into its video game Black & White, due for release this spring by Electronic Arts. The haptics are provided by Immersion Corp.'s TouchSense technology. Gamers using a TouchSense-enabled mouse will be able to, for example, feel a fish nibbling at their fingers as they feed them, or their own heartbeats quickening.

Turbo Squid's integration into Max 4 will enable users (with an Internet connection) to locate assets in a matter of seconds from within Max. The selected models and textures from Turbo Squid can then be dragged and dropped directly into the 3ds max 4 workspace.
Read the whole PR.

Max4 is reviewed at http://www.3dvf.net/logiciels/3d/magma/magma.php3.  Theres a lot of screenshots but the article was written in French.  (ed.  If you can't work with french, you may want to try a bablefish).

Raph.com's famous 3D Artists gallery needs a dedicated server in order to keep operating. If you're interested please visit Raph.com and help in saving seven years of animation history.

More information on the next versions of Messiah:animate and Messiah:render is available at Project:Messiah's site. The good news is that *both* modules will support Max. Messiah:animate's new features include an integrated particle system, scripting with full control, RenderMan RIB output and a non-linear animation editor. Messiah:studio will be entering alpha testing in February.

CGChannel enters the perilous waters of software reviews with an article on Maxon's Bodypaint 3D. Another review of the 3D painting and texturing program is available at Planet3DArt.

Free plug-in ColorCorrect v2.0.4 for max 4 is posted to http://www.cuneytozdas.com/software/max/colorcorrect/index.htm. This version is just a re-compilation for max 4: there are no operational changes between 2.03 and 2.0.4.

This new Tutorial for Beginners and Intermediate MAXScript users was developed from scratch during a MAXScript Course at the Filmakademie Baden-Württemberg on January 11, 2001. It shows the complete development process from test code through callback script to full-featured scripted plug-in. It contains all sources and the final scripted plug-in source. Also available as a Zipped package for offline reading.

According to Planet3DArt, Advanced Rendering Technologies is working together with representatives of the Vatican on a new global *illumination* technology codenamed: RenderPope.   [ more... ]

All available on Pepeland

Shaders for under $10.00 each - bitmaps also available
http://www.vfxpro.com/brief/mainv/0,7220,24957,00.html

New scripts and Layermanager update (2.21) can be found at: http://www.rezn8.com/gearhead/

Digimation published a profile of Blur Studio on its latest newsletter.
Other recent profiles: Blizzard Entertainment, REZN8, Computer Cafe, Tigar Hare Studios, etc.

press release

Discreet is having launch events in 12 cities across North America.  Read on for details...   [ more... ]

Microsoft Windows CEMeNT

Borislav Petrov has made available a big list of very useful new scripts for Max 4 including:
- Columbo - a powerful Batch Search Engine that will let you perform complex search operations by combining multiple queries both the Object and Sub-Object level. You can then apply Select, Select More, Unselect, Hide, Unhide, Freeze, Unfreeze actions to the filtered objects (ex.: Find all Objects with a Bend Modifier Angle higher than 10 degrees - or that have a TGA texture in the diffusemap slot).
- Point3, Joystick, Spinner, SuperSlider and Dial manipulators.
- MultiWire - enhances the Properties Wiring functionality of Magma.
- BonesPaint - assigns different colors to the different Bone Hierarchy Levels.

Visit Discreet.com for the whole PR!

A new teaser for the upcoming Lord of the Rings movie is available.

ART has updated the RenderDrive software that serves as a bridge to its hardware ray-tracing rendering system. RenderPipe MAX (RenderDrive to Max interface) includes new features such as improved sampling of area lights and custom camera shaders (which can be used to create specific camera and lens descriptions, such as camera lens for IMAX). RenderPipe RIB (generic RenderMan compliant interface) now offers support for RenderMan displacement shaders and deformation blur, among other features.

Western Digital announced that a new hard drive family with a 30 GB-per-platter model, is now in volume production. The new WD Caviar provides up to 60 GB of storage and is the first 5400 RPM hard drive available with a 30 GB-per-platter design. Maxtor also announced a new 80 GB drive, the DiamondMax 80 which is a 5400 RPM, four 20 GB platter hard drive.

Matt Fairclough's Terragen official site is back online. New features rumored.

Computer Graphics World (CGW) has a nice article on Pixar's latest short: For the Birds. Pixar has updated its schedule of this short film's screenings with new festivals in Belgium, France and the US.

Yet another favorable review of Discreet Combustion. This time by George Maestri at CGW.
"I don't normally gush over software, but Discreet has pretty much nailed this one on the head. "
Discreet has posted a downloadable trial version of Combustion at their site plus tutorials to learn the basics of the software.

Added 3 new tutorials to http://www.neilblevins.com
Tutorial 13: Raytrace Material vs Standard Material, A Comparison In Speed
Tutorial 14: Faking Bokeh
Tutorial 15: Sparkling Snow

Of special interest to Max users, there is a list of new features implemented into XSI's animation mixer (good to write them down for the wishlist :-). The demo video on the animation mixer shows some of these new features although it's a bit too slow to watch.

Not a feature built into ghost, but the results are definitely worth checking out.  Check out the description of the technique here.

Ghost 3D has released ResErect, a new plugin for the conversion and import of geometry to splines in Max. Some of its uses are:
- Convert and rebuild Splines or other object types into optimized Splines without losing any pre-existing animation.
- Accurately import Hash’s Animation Master models and their textures as patch surfaces through the *.AV2 format.
- Procedurally convert Patch or Mesh objects to Splines (in quads or tri patterns) without altering the shape of the original object.
- Reconfigure the flow and direction of Splines (or the converted output Splines from Mesh or Patch surfaces) with greater ease, flexibility, and faster than ever before.

Side Effects is offering a fully-enabled, six-month non-commercial license of Houdini 4.1 with training for $300 to people living in Toronto.

Animal Logic has updated its Max to Renderman plugin with some bug fixes and improvements.

Details on changes can be found in this news item

People for People is a collection of 3D clipart that provides "simple dignified 3-dimensional models for architectural rendering". Each set has "People for People modeled in sitting, standing, and walking positions ready to plop into your 3D scene".

Fuzh (a.k.a. DressingSim) is a plugin "dress creating software" for Max developed by Toyobo. Combined with "FDK2", paper patterns created by conventional apparel CAD or 2D graphic software such as Adobe Illustrator can be used with ease. CG animators who are not experienced in apparel paper patterns "may easily create clothes using a Paper Pattern Database".
Check the sample movies done with Fuzh.   [ more... ]

Designfreak reviews Discreet Combustion.

MU-Code is the code running this website. The release candidate version of MaxUnderground can be found here.  Feel free to check it out.  Contact us with any bugs, comments, or suggestions.  For more details on the changes, please read on...   [ more... ]

The latest update to the Ghost renderer, 0.0.1b is now available and ready for download. Changes include improved depth of field, exposure control *before* adaptive sampling and filtering, new "Bokeh" lens effects, drastically improved antialiasing of very bright objects (also affects highlights, reflections, etc.), etc.

Chaosgroup has updated its great freeware cloth plugin. SimCloth 2.51 fixes many bugs including better behavior while working with Shag:Hair and comes with a convenient HTML (.chm, actually) help file.

Next Limit has updated its Realwave 2 to Max support plugin.

- Max 4 reviewed by Computer Creative magazine.
- Character Studio 3 reviewed by Digit Magazine Online.
- Sonic Foundry's Vegas Video reviewed by Video Systems.
Max 4 and CS3 articles are a bit short.

"Digital Firepower and 3ds max create the fantasy world of Dungeons & Dragons"
Add another star to the list. According to an article at Discreet's site, Max was used by Digital Firepower to complete nine complex virtual environments for the movie in just nine weeks.
Read the whole article.

"DVD-R is a 4.7GB write-once DVD format that is compatible with most existing video players and DVD-ROM drives. Pioneer's DVR-103 drive writes and reads DVD-R, CD-R and CD-RW media, and also reads CD-ROM and DVD-ROM discs. The drive offers up to 4.7GB of storage capacity on a single sided DVD disc."
The drive will be integrated with some models of Apple's new Power Mac G4 systems.

Phoenix 1.5 volumetric fire plugin is now shipping. New features include: the ability to choose any object as a deflector, improved flame color controls, Phoenix lights, Phoenix render effect, Phoenix fractal map, randomization of flames and speed improvements.
Shag:Hair 1.01 is also shipping. The upgrade offers many new features requested by users: multithreading, better dynamics and integration with SimCloth, new Hair Material type and motion blur support via the Velocity buffer.
Shag:Hair works with Max versions 2 and higher and the upgrade is free for current owners of the plugin (it can be dowloaded from Digimation's site).

Particle Studio and Seascape have also received minor updates. The Particle Studio 1.11e patch addresses various bugs including Quick Setup crashes. The Seascape 1.2 patch fixes a "protection issue that occurs on some machines and some configurations".

Check out the sample movies of some of Digimation's upcoming plugins: Cluster-O-Matic and Bones Pro 3.

A couple of new images showing "bokeh" effects have been posted at Blurbeta's Ghost pages.

Electric Image announced the PRO version of its Amorphium real-time 3D sculpting and painting program. New features include:
- Advanced Booleans and synthetic Primitives for hard surface models.
- A new tool called "Wax" enables users to actually add or erase 3D geometry, such as drawing 3D branches from an object to make a tree.
- Greater control when detailing complex objects.
- Material properties for realistic texture maps, optics and surfaces.
- Real-time sculpting and painting Brushes that can be edited and saved.
- Output of 3D objects and animations in Flash format (.SWF).   [ more... ]

More info (and some hype) can be found at Apple's website.

Apple Computer CEO Steve Jobs announced new PowerMac G4s with faster processor speeds (Apple claims the new 733MHz PowerPC G4 processor is 57% faster than a 1.5 GHz Pentium 4). The 733MHz PowerMac G4 will include a DVD-RW drive that will enable users to burn a DVD for playback on a standard home DVD player, in addition to the computer DVD drive. DVD authoring software will also be included.

Microsoft enters the video game console market with its new Xbox video game system. The new machine is built around an Intel 733MHz processor, an 8GB hard drive and an NVIDIA graphics processing unit that is expected to deliver more than 125 million polygons per second. It includes an Ethernet adapter and according to Gamasutra an additional remote in the $20-30 range will have to be purchased separately in order to use the Xbox to play DVD movies.

Cebas' new finalRender plugin is the successor to BoV and LumaObject. It will offer "full GI (global illumination) capability and also it will be 100% implemented in 3ds max and supporting all features you are used to". finalRender is currently entering beta and Cebas is looking for beta testers among (registered) profficient Max users experienced with scene lighting, raytracing and GI.

Iomega announced a new removable media drive system that will offer storage capacities of 5GB, 10GB and 20GB. The Peerless drive will be roughly the size of a personal digital assistant and will connect to the computer via USB and FireWire connections. It's expected to produce sustained transfer rates of 15MB/sec with the FireWire module.   [ more... ]

Rob Cook, Loren Carpenter and Ed Catmull of Pixar have been awarded the first Oscar ever given specifically for rendering.  The announcement is here.   [ more... ]

Eva is a renderer by Algorithmic Arts that is designed to produce non-photorealistic images from 3D scenes. It works by performing "operations on output images, such as scan converting surfaces, applying effect filters to rendered layers, and drawing brush strokes based on an analysis of scene geometry". There's no mention of communication with Max yet (there's just an old reference to a Softimage plugin) but an NT version of the renderer (currently runs on IRIX machines) is in the works.

Three reviews at Digit Online magazine: BodyPaint 3D (Maxon's 3D texturing program), Imagemodeler 2.0 (Realviz' image based modeling program) and Paint Effects for After Effects (plugin implementation of Maya's Paint Effects).   [ more... ]

Free download for registered Rhino 1.1 users.   [ more... ]

New pics at Raph.com's 3D gallery ("updates" section).

Discreet is looking for animations and stills to be included in Discreet's demo reel at the next Games Developers Conference: "After a whole year of modeling, designing, texturing, developing and publishing, we are hoping to receive your latest titles created with 3ds max™ and character studio®."

Using Projection Lights to Simulate Moving Clouds
Animating wires/ropes realistically (3D Stills->Tutorials section)
"Firemarble" tutorial
The making of "Destination Eternity"

Boomer Labs just released "Saturate", their latest freeware plugin for 3D Studio MAX.
This Render Effect plugin provides the ability to adjust saturation level of the image and optionally specify the saturation level of objects based on their G-Buffer ID.
The plugin can be obtained from the Boomer Labs freeware page.