This global utility adds right click menus to map/material slots and color swatches, giving access to cut/copy/paste commands.

I'm out of the office from Friday 27th June until Saturday 5th July, so I won't be able to update the news in that time. I'll catch up on everything when I'm back. Dave.

Changes for v1.8 are:
- Objects with simple transparency now behave in a manner more consistent with Max when it comes to shadow mapping
- Cylindrical bumping mode is now the default for curves
- Support for PRman 11 raytracing and global illumination features added
- MaxMan now supports BakeAir
- This version introduces support for Max 5, and no longer supports Max 3

BodyStudio seamlessly integrates Poser 3D character animation technology into Max. This innovative plugin allows Max users to render and playback Poser animations. Features include:
- Playback of Poser Animations from within Max
- Maintains link to Poser files
- Playback of Poser 5 dynamic cloth
- Reload Poser files from within Max
- Light Set import from Poser to Max
- Shader Translation
- Real World Scaling Presets
- Dynamic Hair playback will be available soon in a free update

BodyStudio is available for Max 4 and 5, and costs $179. Owners of the Poser Pro Pack can upgrade for $129.

Changes for v1.01a are:
- Added file search to Default MAX sound directory
- Improved master Waveform presentation
- Added Note Track import from Default Sound Track
- Added MAXScript Command 'unload'
- Added Logged Messages if Network Rendering
- Fixed Non-1X playback issues
- Fixed Mocap bug
- Fixed replacement of default audio tracks bug
- Fixed protection bug on Audio Save
- Fixed Export bug
- Fixed wavsound.start MXS routine
- Fixed Mapfile setting when loaded audio not found
- Improved error management when loading large files
- Fixed bug when audio ends exactly at the start of anim range
- Fixed Rescale Time bug

Both Commercial and Demo users can access this upgrade here.

Paralelo Computação have updated all of their Fly3D import and export plugins to work with Release 2.03 of their Fly3D game engine.

Changes for v2.0 are:
- EASYnat v2.0 now integrates hybrid modeling already available in natFX allowing for rapid and easy plant modeling with a minimum of polygons.

EASYnat is available for Max 4 and is on special offer until August 31st 2003, costing $360 instead of $495. A demo version is available here.

Changes for v6.1 are:
- Custom order
- Rename a set of files
- Convert 3D files (Save as command in 3D viewer)
- Fix: fast access toolbar display
- Fix: last tool is now correclty restored in the viewers
- Fix: random crash on very large directories
- Fix: crash on some Lighwave files

Reference Checker is an example utility from the Max SDK. It allows you to obtain class information of the nodes in a scene.

Thanks go to François Mourlevat for recompiling the plugin for Max 4 and 5.

This is a utility that allows you to select objects by name, no matter how deeply nested in groups they are.

Thanks go to François Mourlevat for recompiling the plugin for Max 4 and 5.

This plugin is the same as the MultiSub-Object Material, but for Maps. However there is no viewport-preview.

Changes for v1.03 are:
- Minor fixes to GetStdMapSlot(), which was returning incorrect indexes
- Spline code now supports the PropertyManager interface

Changes for beta 0.24 are:
- Added MaxScript support for batch rendering and rendering of animated maps

Kaldera is currently in Open Beta Testing, for full information on registering, go here.

This modifier deforms an object using another mesh object and a UVW channel. The UVW channel can be animated along the mesh object to animate the deformable object.

This is similar to the Ishani CeThru plugin, and solves the problem of not being able to apply Object / Material ID-based effects when the target in question goes behind a transparent object.

Di-O-Matic have released a demo version of their Voice-O-Matic plugin. You can get the demo here.

Changes for v1.09.03g are:
- Improved compatibility with Digimation's SpeedTree
- The Fresnel option in the VRay material affects its transparent shadows as well

Changes for v1.01 are:
- Improved VertexPaint
- VertexPaint and Sculpt modes are now available as 'standalone' modifiers
- 'Ignore Backfaces' is now checkable for the paint modes
- The rollup page for the additional paint tool parameters is now always scrolled up when opening and selecting a tool
- The state of 'Ignore Backfaces' is now stored in the config file
- Fixed assertions when setting vertex colors
- Fixed crashes when opening the Mesh AK dialog
- Fixed some problems with spinners
- Fixed map mode not working when a vertex was dead centre on a poly
- Vertex colors should now stay correct if there are face deletes in the current Mesh AK modifier
- Fixed a Max bug in MapDelta, which leaded to destroyed vertex colors

Changes for v2.5 are:
- SimbiontMAX now supports render elements, baking, and radiosity

Changes for v1.07 are:
- Fixes a bug which caused Max to hang when importing an object with no vertices

The link above is for the Max 4 / 5 version, if you are still using Max 3, you need this version.

Here is some information on an upcoming plugin that can create screensavers straight out of Max. ScreenSaverMax is due for release in June 2003, and can generate three types of screen saver:
- Dynamic - a number of 3D models are duplicated, bounced and tumbled around the screen
- Movie - the screen saver plays back animation of your model or scene
- Logo - a single model travels spinning around the screen

There are also a few example screensavers for download here.

Changes for v6.04.2003 are:
- New 'Force UNC Path' option, plus bugfixes

Bionatics are running a special offer on their natFX plugin. For all purchases made before June 30th 2003, Bionatics will increase any plant package by 50 percent. For example, buy natFX with 10 plants and receive 15, buy natFX with 20 plants and receive 30. Offer is valid to a maximum purchase of 200 plants.

Changes for v1.09.03e are:
- VRayLight could crash if the user right-clicks while creating it
- Saved irradiance maps were not always loaded properly causing excessive render times
- VRay could crash sometimes while calculating irradiance maps
- VRay could crash sometimes with VRayLights
- Files created with beta versions of VRay no longer load from this build onward
- All of the renderer parameters are exposed to MAXScript (in Max 5)
- Added MAXScript methods for loading/saving irradiance and photon maps
- The Bake3D plugin file is named differently for each Max version

Changes for v4.3.0.47 are:
- Animationset name now configurable
- Material opacity setting now supported
- Overwrite texture option added (Default not to overwrite)
- Progress bar now shows each mesh - helps with larger exports

This version is only for Max 4.2 and 5 together with CS3.2 and higher. If you are still using Max 4 and CS3.1, you need this version.

Changes for v1.17 are:
- The far clip track is now exported
- Export of some keyframed tracks has been completed
- There's a new space-warp method to override in format plugs
- Export of gravity & wind space warp objects
- New scene parameters : FLX_Tesselation, FLX_LightingMode
- Fixed a bug that made Flexporter crash when texture names were null
- Fixed a bug in quat's "!=" operator
- Added XYZ controllers (keyframes)
- Added texture tiling in TextureTransform class
- Added billboards helpers
- Added a custom Flexporter material using Max 4's custom attributes
- Added a warning when exporting instances with different material to the master one
- Modified export commands to be used with User Properties
- Fixed cropping equations
- Added a space warp checkbox in the Options panel
- Added a new user prop command to force / discard IK for each node
- Now supports Max 5 render-to-texture materials
- Fixed a bug with vertex alpha consolidation
- Added a new checkbox to discard texture alpha
- Old lightmapper removed, new vertex lighter added + vertex data modifier
- Fixed a crash that happened with hidden instances
- Export filename is now current Max filename
- Fixed a bug with Max 5 and W2K / WXP
- Compression settings moved to ZCB options
- Max 3 not supported anymore