Pandromeda announced the launch of Linux, Mac and Windows versions of the free MojoWorld Transporter and the $29.99 MojoWorld Transporter Pro. MojoWorld lets you create entire planets the size of planet Earth, explore them in real time, and render detailed animated scenes. MojoWorld Transporter is available as a free download from Pandromeda's website.   [ more... ]

Since the start of Digimation in November 1992, Digimation has gone on to become the largest publisher and distributor of plug-in software for 3ds max™. To celebrate this milestone event, Digimation will be offering special discounts to their customers from November 1 to December 21, 2001.

Pixar has updated its website with a new design and *lots* of information on each of their feature films and the creative process behind them. It has also made available many of its short films online (including golden oldies such as Red's Dream and Knick Knack).

This series of training sessions will be presented live on the Internet by expert instructor Michele Bousquet, author of "Animation with character studio 3". Watch and learn in real time, ask questions, and participate in discussions. Send in your files for comments from the instructor. Over 12 hours of instruction available for just $250!  For more informations or to register, visit http://www.maxhelp.com/csc/onlinetraining.htm

The works of the winners of this year's 3D Festival in Copenhagen are up on the web. Check 'em out!

InsideCG.com reviews Cluster-O-Matic.
Also at InsideCG.com, a review of Owen Demers' Digital Texturing & Painting book.

Pete Docter, Lee Unkrich, David Silverman and John Lasseter. Three directors, one supervisor and a talented team of writers, artists, programmers and actors (among many others) bring us Pixar's latest feature film: "Monsters, Inc.". Check out the article and interviews at Animation World Magazine.

According to 3DFestival.com the German book publisher Taschen, well know for their fine art books, will be publishing a series of books on digital art and digital artists.

Recipients of the CGW Innovation 2001 Awards include Discreet's gMax, Bionatics' natFX, Snoswell Design's Absolute Character Tools, Next Limit's RealFlow, Pandromeda's MojoWorld and Jim Henson Creature Shop's Digital Performance Studio (if you enjoy the works of Jim Henson and his team don't miss this link). Read the whole list at CGW.com.

Absolute Character Tools from Snoswell Design receives an Innovation 2001 Award from Computer Graphics World. ACT 1.0 will be available as a set of plugins for 3ds max and is due to ship in late November. It will be published through Digimation. The price is yet to be set but will be in the US$1,000 - $1,395 range.   [ more... ]

CG Focus reviews Next Limit's Realwave.

More great test images done by Johan Thorngren with the Brazil renderer coming your way. HDRI, Caustics, Area Lights, Absorption/Dispersion and a Toon shader test. Check'em out!

CGChannel.com reviews "Digital Texturing and Painting" by Owen Demers and "Character Animation 2 Volume 2 - Advanced Techniques" by George Maestri.

Once upon a time, a young programmer called Andrew Cross wrote a depth-of-field plugin called "The Fields of Depth" (to be later of Depth of Field Pro fame) for 3D Studio MAX, selling it for a mere $10.
(A plugin purchased by mail for £10, since I had no dollars laying around. (And I still have the hand-written reply, on 5mm torn grid paper, too).)
But, all good things must come to an end, and for Andrew they're replaced with better things;
“NewTek, Inc. Promotes Dr. Andrew Cross to Vice President of Video Software Engineering.”.
Here's to You, Doc :)

Tree C's VR4MAX is a real-time interactive virtual reality environment to view, check and distribute 3ds max 4 models with only a few mouse clicks while still working within the Max 4 environment. Version 2 of VR4MAX will be released in early 2002. Check out Tree C's press release for more information.
RealiMation is also updating its 3D authoring software to v5.20, adding functionality such as new lowest LOD facility, streamable file format for internet deployment, extended collision detection functionality within the SDK, etc. Visit RealiMation's website for more information.

Ashlar-Vellum is offering a test-drive of Argon v4, a NURBS modeler that sports surface analysis and true solid modeling capabilities. Argon v4 is still in beta and will remain a free download until the software is released, a $100 commercial license discount is available during the beta period. Argon imports from and exports to many formats, including ACIS SAT, Pro/E, ParaSolids, IGES, STEP, DXF, DWG, EPS and AI.\t\t\t\t

CGW reviews Autodesk Architectural Studio: "ArchStudio deserves attention from any architect who is serious about design".
CGW reviews Autonomous Character crowd animation plugin. The review is for the Maya version of the plugin, but BioGraphic Technologies have mentioned that a Max flavor of the plugin is in the works.

CGW has a great article on the challenges faced by Pixar's tech team in creating believable characters for "Monsters, Inc.".

CGW has an article with more information on the Subsurface Light Scattering research done at Stanford University's Computer Graphics Lab.

Run4Fx have released version 1.0 of their Chair plugin.
“Known possibilities of objects that can be created with this plugin are chairs, tables, stools, benches, space vehicles,..... ! This list goes on and on.”   [ more... ]

Remember how Digimation struck a deal with 3hird Dimension for their 3D controller ?
Welp, they've done it again; enter the AxiGlaze.

Exluna have put a 15-day evaluation version of their Entropy renderer available for download.

VirtuaLight, a global illumination renderer, has been updated (and so has the website).
Many new goodies in this release, here's 3 highlights :
· displacement mapping
· experimental scanline mode
· blurry reflections/refractions

Project Changer v0.8 by Unai - Lets you set up different projects without restarting max, use different map paths, etc. If you're interested in this utility, take a look also at Borislav Petrov's Project Manager script.
finalRender Script Utility v1.15 by Matthew Clementson - utility for adjusting finalRender settings on groups of materials or objects.
NRB Material ID Paint v1.0 by Antero Pedras - This script was made to turn the task of adding material ID to a mesh faster (and not so boring).
Anipose v2.0 by Chuggnut  - A small util for making the task of repeatable poses in animation much simpler. What it does is blend object positions and rotations and scales from the current frame to a stored pose. Think of it like morphing but only on whole object locations instead of single verts.

Johan Thorngren has posted new images on his website showing off Brazil's caustics (created using photon maps), area lights and subsurface light scattering techniques . Also take a look at his explanation for his caustics animation.

Looks like Internet Computing Services' (a part of Intel Corp.) Screamline Rendering Services is screaming its last screams, as the service is to be cancelled well before 3ds max 4 users could fully use it.
“Due to a deteriorated funding climate for Internet-based businesses and unfavorable market conditions, Internet Computing Services, part of the Intel New Business Group, has decided to exit the outsourced rendering services business. This service will be unavailable effective October 31, 2001.”   [ more... ]

New pictures at Raph.com. Check 'em out! Also take a look at Richard Rosenman's and Robin Konieczny's websites to see some very nice demo reels and character animation.

" The Morpher modifier might not have seen any enhancement in the latest release of max, but as Darren Brooker discovers, a new plug-in called Morph-O-Matic brings improvements that will be welcomed by serious users of this feature...
Read the full review here

Di-O-Matic announced the availability of 'Teach-O-Matic : Update to 3ds Max 4',  the new interactive training cd-rom that makes the learning process of what's new in Discreet 3ds Max 4 easy and affordable to everyone. The cd-rom include more than 2 hours of interactive training tutorials created by Laurent M. Abecassis, a Discreet Training Specialist. Teach-O-Matic : Update to 3ds Max 4, is designed for both the novice and the advanced user. The cd  is available in English or French for $149.00. Read the press release here.

Arri introduces ArriMotion, a motion control system which allows the director and camera operator to create and execute visual effects shots without the need of highly specialized equipment and complicated set-ups. The system records any camera movement as well as lens adjustments and makes it possible to replay the recorded move at any time and at any speed. The motion data can be filtered and smoothed and also exported to or imported from CGI-systems.   [ more... ]

3DMaxer.dk interviews a greatly talented CG artist from Canada (currently working, living and rendering in California): Neil Blevins.

Smurf is a new plugin for Rhino3D 2.0 that converts polygonal models into non-trimmed NURBS. Documentation available online.

Video Systems has an interesting article on how the new version of the Internet will influence the delivery of video through the Web.

Blur Studio used 3ds max to create more than 80 visual effects scenes ranging from digital matte paintings to a fully rendered 3D creature for Darin Ferriola's SoulKeeper, a supernatural comedy debuting on the Sci-Fi Channel this month. More information and some pictures available at Digitalproducer.com.

As reported some months ago, LCD monitor prices keep falling. NEC-Mitsubishi Electronics Display of America has announced the NEC MultiSync LCD1550V at an estimated street price of $399. Read the whole press release at Digitalproducer.com.

SIGGRAPH 2002, the 29th International Conference on Computer Graphics and Interactive Techniques, is seeking both veteran and novice contributors who work, play, and live with the latest advancements in computer graphics and interactive techniques. See the SIGGRAPH 2002 Call for Participation for detailed information on how to submit to each program.
SIGGRAPH 2002 will be held 21 - 26 July, at the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center in San Antonio, Texas.

Geomancy is a set of AE compatible plugins designed to create geometric shapes and lines. These elements are often used in the design of motion graphics, and while they are easy to create, they can be quite tedious to animate. Geomancy automates this task by using a particle system coupled to a grid system. The three filters provided are GridSquares, GridLines and HairLines (check out some sample animations: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4).

CoreVision announced Visualrays, a commercial RenderEffect for 3ds max 4 that uses an advanced algorithm to create realistic images by simulating "human visual systems". More information and some sample pics available at CoreVision's website.

Meshtools v2.5 by László Sebõ - The latest update to the great Meshtools modeling toolset. New features include: Soft selection toggle, Ignore backfacing toggle, Show end result toggle, Surface Select (selects polys, connected to current poly selection with matching matIDs), SpinEdge, SolidChamfer (like the normal edge chamfer, but this keeps the original edges also), MultiBevel (make a bevel operation on ONE poly, rotate it along x-y-z, then repeat this automatically and interactively).
CharRigger v1.06 by Michael Comet - Takes a bunch of specific pointHelpers and auto creates a nice bone and control rig for character animation. This includes custom attributes and a stretchy bone and stretchy arm system, custom finger setup and more.
Skintools by Chuggnut - Enhancements to the skin modifier, plugging some gaps in skin functionality. Includes several tools for adjusting or setting vertex weights, selecting verts, and mirror tools for editing envelopes.
Affect Pivot and Center Pivot by Martin Coven - Works similar to Maya's Affect Pivot. You need to assign it to a hotkey, or put it in a Quad Menu. Once you have executed Affect Pivot, click anywhere you want the pivot point to be located. TIP: Works great with snaps. Center Pivot does just that. It also works with multiple selections.

Chris Cookson has released a 3DS import script, and an OBJ import script for gMax, available on his gMax resource page. The OBJ script should also works in 3dsmax 4.

Today marks an important day in the history of MaxUnderground.
As of 22:34 PDT on October the 14th 2001, we have attained a comments thread of 100 comments in length!
The lucky poster chose to remain anonymous, therefore forfeiting their rights to a top-of-the-line hardware and software bundle.
You may find their post with the wise words “Is that an African or a European Lion's share?” as comment #1309 at :
The (in)famous Brazil r/s news article.

Eovia, makers of the Amapi 3D NURBS and polygon modeling software, have released a plugin for Max that establishes a direct link between Amapi 3D and Discreet's software. The two programs are then able to exchange objects and modify them, thus taking advantage of both softwares' capabilities.

Creative-3D.net reviews Vue d'Esprit 4, landscape creation and animation software: "easy to learn, easy to use [and] the quality is just awesome".

Gamasutra has a very interesting article on how games can be improved by using suspense, conflict, character development and other tools of the dramatic narrative. (Registration required.)

Digit Magazine reviews Commotion compositing software.

Slated for commercial release in early November 2001, the Brazil r/s will be available in an "Artist Bundle" that includes one Brazil r/s workstation license and two rendering slave licenses for $1500. SplutterFish also offers a "Renderfarm Bundle" which includes four render slaves for $1000. Licensing is per computer, and covers a computer with up to four CPUs. A Student licensing policy will also be available soon. From now until December 31, 2001, SplutterFish will be offering an Introductory Price for the Artist Bundle of $1200, and the Renderfarm Bundle for $750.
Read whole PR at Splutterfish.com. More information available at Splutterfish's products page and v1.0 feature list.

3D Festival interviews two CG magicians from Spain: Sergio Miruri and Jorge Seva. The interview features some of their wonderful architectural works (many of them rendered with Brazil).

Australian studio Iloura has made available new animations at their website showcasing their latest CG work. Among the new animations is a Honda commercial that combines over 18,600 rendered images to create a bloodstream of CG cars. There is a real car in 3 shots only. Definitely worth a look.

The TDP newsletter has a review of finalRender: "A jewel of a fast and versatile renderer".
Available only to subscribers.

Check out kaosHead, which helps you quickly set up a base head model from which you can model your finished head.

Procedural wood tutorial by Peter Ashberg: http://pchan.vi2.com/tutorial/tutorial01.html
IK Bone Setup Tutorial by Travis Neal: http://www.busterbackwood.com/IK_rig04.htm
Low Poly Texturing by Eric Asorson: http://www.geocities.com/fyer_starter/tut_lowpoly.html
Creating a NURBS Helmet By Richard Haw: http://g3d.8m.com/Tuts/Helmet/Helmet.htm
Creating a NURBS Cellular Phone by RIchard Haw: http://g3d.8m.com/Tuts/Cellfone/Celltut1.htm

If you are having trouble downloading gmax from discreet website then get it from iD8 Media

3DLuvr has a review of Dimension Technologies' new 3D LCD display. The article also explains the differences between CRT and LCD display technologies.

Some new animations done with finalRender have been posted at Trinity3D.com. Check 'em out!

Digital Anarchy has announced their Knoll Spark Pack 2.0 plugin package for Discreet's Advanced Systems. Knoll Spark Pack 2.0 adds new functionality, as well as increased rendering speed and higher quality rendering. The Knoll Spark Pack includes four plugins: Knoll Lens Flare Pro, Knoll UnMult, Knoll Min/Max, and Knoll Screen.   [ more... ]

Digimation has announced that the upcoming (1.1) release of their Stitch cloth simulation plugin is scheduled for the 2nd week of October and will include many new features such as: real-time cloth simulation (the ability to interactively drag cloth objects in your scene), many new types of group constraints, cloth properties on a group by group basis, a new cloth to cloth collision engine and the ability to collapse stitch simulations to vertex animation and bake the animation into the mesh.
More information available at this month's Digimation newsletter.

Johan Thorngren has posted some images on his Trinisica website that were rendered with Brazil's new subsurface light scattering models. According to a message posted at Brazil's forum the renderer will support a variety of algorithms that will allow to simulate different materials that are translucent to some degree.

Read the press release at Digitalproducer.com

“Over the years we've been privileged to see some absolutely amazing visualization work created by some of the best artists in the business. In honor of these fabulously skillful people, ArchVision has created a new site to showcase their work.”   [ more... ]

Anark Corporation has announced an open beta of Anark Studio, a software which allows you to integrate 3D and 2D graphics, video, audio, text and data into a single interactive presentation. The beta is available for download.   [ more... ]

Creative-3D reviews Darkling Simulations' SimbiontMAX 2.0, a collection of procedural shaders, 3D maps, and materials for 3ds max.

Singular Inversions has released FaceGen Modeller 2.0, a stand-alone face modeling software for Windows. Features include: over 50 symmetric and 25 asymmetric shape controls, over 10 symmetric and 5 asymmetric coloring (texture) controls, comes with 29 expressions, phonemes and modifiers. FaceGen Modeller can export to .3ds format.

Digit Magazine has posted another very informative review: Corel's Painter 7 (now part of Corel's new Procreate line).