Check out this method for 'learning' image filters by example developed at NYU's Media Research Lab.

RE:Vision Effects has released ReelSmart FieldsKit, a set of plugins that provide smarter deinterlacing and more workflow options for interlacing and pulldown. At the heart of FieldsKit is ReelSmart Deinterlacer, a plugin that deinterlaces video imagery using proprietary field reconstruction and adaptive motion techniques. ReelSmart Deinterlacer can build full frames from fields that are of much higher quality than the standard approaches available in most effects and video editing applications.
ReelSmart FieldsKit works in After Effects (Adobe), Combustion (Discreet), Final Cut Pro (Apple), Commotion (Pinnacle), Premiere 6.0 (Adobe) and other programs that support After Effects compatible plugins. Demo version available for download.

Image Power announces mVideoTV, Motion JPEG2000 video streaming technology for real time and pre-recorded video content delivery. According to the company, mVideoTV technology produces encoded bit streams equal to or better than DVD, is free of the adjacent frame dependencies of MPEG2 and MPEG4 and is scaleable to very high compression levels with reduced quality. A demo version is available from Image Power with a full commercial release scheduled for September. Motion JPEG2000 will allow support for both lossless and lossy compression in a single codec.

According to a PR from Discreet, this patch is mainly a performance and stability update. Lots of enhancements here, the list includes:
- Overall memory efficiency.
- Performance Increases in TrackView, TrackBar, Particles, RPF, and ActiveShade.
- Workflow Enhancements in Skin, Custom Attributes, Render Elements, Subdivision Surfaces (HSDS, Meshsmooth), Parameter Wiring, Groups, ActiveShade, and PolyObjects.
- MaxScript bug fixes and enhancements.
A detailed list of all 3ds max 4.2 changes and updates is available at Discreet's website.

StereoGraphics Corporation is shipping StereoVue-3ds, a stereoscopic visualization plug-in that supports 3ds max 4, 3D Studio MAX R3 and 3D Studio VIZR3, enabling users to create stereoscopic images and animations.   [ more... ]

Absolute Software invites all Max users to participate in the open beta testing of its RayMax 4.0 GI renderer for 3ds max 4. The new version of RayMAX has several different Global Illumination engines and also offers distributed raytracing features like softshadows and advanced AA. Check out the website's gallery to see the new renderer's features in action.

The official 4.2 patch is ready and available for download. Updates have also been posted for Max's SDK, help files and tutorials.

Vue d'Esprit 4 is the latest version of e-on software's 3D scenery animation and rendering software. Version 4 includes many new features such as a volumetric atmospheric system with volumetric clouds, materials and lights, stellar and atmospheric objects such as planets and stars, a terrain editor with real-time 3D preview, etc. Besides the regular import and export of 3ds format objects there is no mention of communication or interaction with Max.

Check out this martial arts animation created by Rainbow Studios using Mo-Cap tools.

Next Limit's Realflow (v1.3.33) and Realwave (v2.1.1) have been updated with many fixes and new features. More information available at Next Limit's website. There's also a new Materials/Shaders section at Next Limit with some Realflow and Realwave related materials (water, foam, smoke, etc.).

CoreVision has released ShadeValley, a scripted material plugin (currently in beta) for use with terrain objects generated with their DeepValley landscape generator. The new material works on MAX R3.x and 3ds max 4 and is optimized to the different shapes of terrain (slope, valley, ridge, etc.). The beta version works with authorized DeepValley version 1.0.3 and can be downloaded from CoreVision's site.

Maxplugins.de has added a commercial plugins section to its site.

CGI magazine reviews Kelseus Cloth plugin, comparing it with Stitch and ClothReyes.
CGChannel reviews Swift 3D vector-based file format renderer for Max and Lightwave.
Computer Arts has a short overview of Maya 4.

"...we would like to make you a special offer!

For those of you who have not are do not plan to upgrade to MAX 4 we would like to offer you the chance to purchase our market leading plugin Inkworks for MAX3 at $49.95

If you are interested please be kind enough to go to our website at:
http://www.cambridgeanimation.com/3dplugins/product/product.htm"

Camera Basics Part 1: Knowing your lenses can improve CG dramatically
Some more tips on lenses (not CG)
Simple "Pouring" Exercise (Beginner - Realflow)
Max 4 Video Tutorials (Adding custom attributes, wiring, HSDS, etc.)
Modeling a foot (Beginner - French)
Making of "Black Gold" (3DLuvr competition - Modeling, texturing, etc.)
Understanding Coordinate Systems
Realism and CG

Nothing Real announced the availability of Shake v2.4. New features of this compositing software include a streamlined graphic user interface, an integrated vector-based procedural paint node, advanced color correction tools, a new rotoscoping node, and several ease-of-use improvements. It is available on the Windows NT/2000, IRIX and Linux operating systems.
Nothing Real is also shipping Tremor v1.0, the company's non-linear compositing solution targeted at HDTV, commercial video and broadcast production professionals.
For more information read the Shake and Tremor PRs.

The second update to Poser Pro Pack character animation software is now available. This update addresses known issues and includes compatibility with 3ds max 4.

Computer Graphics World online has two interesting articles on technological developments that give architects more creative freedom:
- New projective drawing system borrows from traditional illustration techniques.
- Expressive Architecture (includes some drawings done with Piranesi).

How do I do that typewriter effect? Check out the list at CGW.com. Many of these plugins also work with other compositing applications.

CGW reviews After Effects 5, TrueSpace 5 and SensAble's FreeForm V3, a modeling system that enables users to directly interact with digital objects using their sense of touch.

Gamasutra has a very interesting article on making games that capture the look and feel of movies.

Electric Rain has released Swift 3D MAX, a plugin version of its Swift 3D standalone product that offers 3ds max users the power to render 3D scenes directly from the 3ds max interface to a variety of vector-based file formats, including Flash (SWF) AI, EPS, and the latest XML-based vector format SVG.   [ more... ]

Next Limit has opened a new discussion board for RealWave/RealFlow users.

Alias|Wavefront announced that it is shipping Maya 4, the latest release of its 3D animation and visual effects software. This new release features enhancements in the areas of rendering, character animation, brush and paint tools and games related functionality. Maya 4 ships today for the IRIX and Windows NT platforms, a Linux version is scheduled for July 2001.
Read the whole PR at Digitalproducer.com

Stéphane Marty, author of the VirtuaLight renderer has released L-FORMS Studio Pro, a program dedicated to the creation of experimental, fractal and organic forms modeled using L-Systems. This technique is especially useful for creating objects that derive their complexity from repetitive growth procedures such as plants or trees. L-FORMS Studio Pro lets you experiment with L-Systems by dropping directives onto a hierarchical tree and allows you to create geometry via polygons, metaballs or other primitives. Animation and mutation of objects is supported as well as DXF and POV format export. Note: A password must be obtained from L-FORMS Studio Pro's website in order to unpack the program, website pages and software are in French.

Some fractal art for a change :-). Check out the winning entries of the 1999 and 2k Fractal-Art Contests.

A file has been posted at Discreet's website called "3dsmaxpatch42.exe". This is NOT the final version of 4.2. If you have downloaded this file, DO NOT install it. Anything you create with it may cause problems when the real 4.2 update is loaded. You may also have to uninstall and then reinstall Max completely to get rid of it properly.

The first images produced with the Lume Tools set of plugins for Max have been posted at Digimation's Beta Site. The shaders used to make these images are from the LumeLandscape and LumeWater toolsets.   [ more... ]

The new "mp3PRO" audio compression format creates files that are 1/2 or less the size of original mp3 files, and according to the developers achieves "parity or better" in terms of quality with the Windows Audio 8 format developed by Microsoft.   [ more... ]

Computer Arts reviews Discreet's Reactor (short article).
Bryce 5 also previewed at Computer Arts Online.
3D Gate reviews Pixologic's ZBrush 1.13 modeling program.
Computer Arts reviews Electric Image's Universe 3.
Digital Producer reviews Discreet's Edit 6.

Conny Klasson has recompiled Valve Softwares Half-Life SMD Exporter for max 4. You can get the plugin here.

Di-O-Matic announced the availability of 'Teach-O-Matic : Character Studio 3', an interactive training cd-rom set that makes the learning process of Discreet Character Studio 3 easy and affordable. The cd-roms include more than 4 hours of interactive training tutorials created by Laurent M. Abecassis, a Discreet Training Specialist. Teach-O-Matic : Character Studio 3, is designed for both the novice and the advanced user. The cd set is available in English or French for $149.00, visit Di-O-Matic for more information.

Fusioneers announced the release of DOT-s 2.0, a particle engine plugin for Eyeon's DigitalFusion. New features include: Playback sequences on particles (through sequence caching), more control via splines including a birthspline (instead of a birthline), path follow/binding of the particles, Color Aging (use RGB splines to set color at any given age of the particle), Banking (particles rotate according to their direction), still 100% network renderable.
DOT-s 2.0 is priced USD $488, DOT-s 1.0 users will get a free update. A demo version may be downloaded from Fusioneers' website.

Check them out!

A new plugin has surfaced on the Digimation Beta Site called Facegen. Some images have been posted.

In case you missed the Mingo animation news thread, Blur's Mingo the clown animation is now available for download from their FTP server.

Remember the Juggler demo? Back in 1986, the Amiga computer made it possible to produce a raytraced CG animation in thousands of colors (its venerable HAM, 4096 color mode). The demo was made by Eric Graham, who later released Sculpt 3D, Animate 3D and Sculpt Animate 4D for the Amiga computer. Check out Ernie Wright's site for more on the first steps of CG on personal computers, including images from Eric Graham's Sculpt 3D (Byte by Byte), Mike Halvorson's Turbosilver (Impulse), Allen Hasting's VideoScape 3D (Aegis), and the first versions of LightWave (Newtek). There's even a recent letter from Mr. Graham on the making of the Juggler demo.

Check out the new feature list for Darktree 2. Lots of enhancements, including some much needed workflow enhancement, a lot of new generators, and better integration into max.

Digimation is shipping Flatten, a mapping plugin that enables game developers to incorporate complex materials and procedural maps into their game engines with ease. Flatten works with existing mapping channels to unwrap a model, and then collapses the channels down to a single bitmap. Once Flatten is done, users are able to re-apply the new bitmap to their model and render. Not only are render times significantly reduced, but with Flatten, materials that users build can be converted and sent to any other 3D application or run time engine. Flatten is available for only $99 until July 6.

Boomer Labs' Foley Studio MAX 3ds max 4 patch (v2.01a) posted at Maxusers.com.

A full trailer for Pixar's new film has been released.

Digit Magazine has an interesting article on tomorrow's display technologies.

An innocent, but obnoxious clown is beaten to a pulp by a bulky, but temperamental beast in Mingo, a 3D animated short conceived and produced by Blur Studio for Discreet. The 5-minute showpiece is designed to demonstrate the technical capabilities of Discreet's 3D animation software 3ds max, while having some fun at the expense of one of the software company's rivals.
Read the whole story at Digital Producer.

Joe Alter, the developer of Shave and a Haircut mentioned in a recent interview that his hair creation software will soon support a number of 3D platforms besides Lightwave, maybe as soon as SIGGRAPH.

Shave and a Haircut hair grooming, dynamics, and rendering system has been updated. New features include an attribute painting mode that can paint weights on almost any hair attribute (including color, shaping, density and dynamics), the ability to comb hair on lower res cages with the hair following the highres surfaces when further tesselated and a polygonal render capable of rendering billions of polygons with a few megabytes of RAM (it discards polygons from RAM after rendering them).
A demo version is available for download. Note: This is not a plugin for Max and is currently only available to Max users that use a Renderman-compatible renderer for output.

Nature Brush Collection by Herman Saksono - Consists of three brushes to be used with Max Freehand tools by Fred Moreau. They are Simple Grass, Advanced Grass and Stone. To install change the file's extension to .brush and put it in MaxFreeHand Tools' brush folder.
Skeletools V0.03b by Herman Saksono - Update: Remove bone and remove bone XP are integrated into one interface.
Magma Shader V1.1 by Thomas Blue - Scripted material plugin: a standard shader with 14 different noises and cellular maps. You'll find it in your material editor as a new material type called "Magmalicious". It was inspired by Frank Delise's lava shader. Sample pics: 1 - 2. The file comes as a .mzp (Maxscript Zip Package), install it by running the .mzp file from Max 4 itself (MAXScript>Run Script and pick the .mzp file).

New Wave Systems announced the release of Pilot3D, a low cost, trimmed NURB surface 3D modeling program. Pilot3D is an outgrowth of 15 years development of ProSurf, a 3D modeling and fairing program for boats and ships. Pilot3D offers features such as using edit points that lie on the NURB curves and surfaces, dynamic curvature feedback for fairing, fine tune shaping commands, dynamic geometry constraints, editing and shelling of polysurfaces, plate development and expansion, and a database of airfoil shapes. Price: $495.

MooDee Shader v0.04 by MooDee - Provides you with a new shader model that offers a large amount of control over specularity, diffuse shading, color correction and more.

Sean's Texture Dump has been updated: a couple of hundred extra textures have been added plus a particle effects matlib for max 4 and a Brazil matlib have been uploaded to the matlibs page. Note: older Netscape browsers (4.x) may have problems displaying the textures on this site.

ELSA introduces the GLoria DCC, a professional graphics card certified for real-time "rendering" of digital animation from software like 3ds max 4. The ELSA GLoria DCC will be sold only in the United States exclusively through Discreet's channel of resellers and be available the second week of June.

Actuality Systems is developing a new display device that lets users view 3D images from any angle. The new monitor works with several OpenGL-based software packages and uses ordinary "white light" to display its images. More information available at Actuality Systems' website.

Digit Magazine reviews Electric Image's Universe.
Two reviews of Amapi 6.0, one by Digit Magazine and another by Computer Arts.
3D Gate offers a Max 4.0 and LightWave 6.5 Roundup.

NVIDIA introduced its new nForce Platform Processing Architecture. The nForce is a new PC platform design, integrating system, graphics, communications, and audio technologies into one architecture.
Read the whole PR.

VFXPro has an article on ILM's work for 'The Mummy Returns'.

Side Effects announced new dates for its free Houdini Introductory Workshops in Santa Monica, San Francisco and Toronto.   [ more... ]

Essential Reality have put up more information on their P5 VR glove.
The demonstrations of its capabilities include its use in a professional 3D animation application.
Which application ? Why, nothing short of 3D Studio MAX of course.

Animation Artist has a nice article on the making of Shrek. "The film predominantly takes place in an outside world that is fairly rich and detailed. We wanted to make sure that the environments were alive and they didn’t feel like static matte paintings... In rendering that is a big challenge because you have hundreds of thousands of blades of grass in a scene and millions of leaves and an inordinate amount of data."