Changes for v2.4.2 beta are:
- Fixes a bug in Evenly Segments when using Surface
- Materials are no longer XRef'd when Override Material is off in the Library item properties
- Stepped segments are now instanced correctly on curved paths
- Fixes padding of initial segment on closed paths when Bevel is off
- Fixes behaviour of Generator->Adaptive/Scale/Count mode when using Transform operators
- Fixes trimming of Generator->Limits->Padding on offset paths
- Fixes updating of clipping areas when using nested RC objects
- Fixed size now works properly with Generator->Scale/Adaptive/Count modes
- Generator->Limits->Padding Top/Bottom are no longer swapped
- Fixes behaviour of Fixed Size when Segment->Transform->Transform Affect Size is off
- Fixes Generator->Limit by ID using the wrong range when exporting parameters
- Fixes the last segment of a linear generator sometimes being skipped with negative paddings
- Adds MAXScript functions to get/set Style Description
- Several library styles have been completely redone

RailClone Pro is available for Max 9 to 2015 and costs €200 A demo version is available here.

cebas have released a Service Pack for their first Subscription Drop which fixes a crash bug in the 'Spreading' feature of the volumeBreaker operator. Registered users can install the Service Pack using the cebas Product Manager.

ThinkingParticles is available for Max 2013 to 2015 and costs €540 per year. A demo version is available here.

Changes for v1.2c are:
- Tweaked automatic colors and namings of markers
- File Rollout is back in the Creation Panel
- Slightly improved level of detail, speeding up viewport rendering
- Corrected average point size detection
- The viewport Level Of Detail system now works adaptively
- The number of points currently rendered in the viewport is now reported back to Max as vertices
- Adds automatic auto degeneration
- Renamed 'Skip-nth point' to 'Import each Nth. point'
- 'Save As' now preselects the current filename
- 'Remove Big Outlier' is now consistent in interpreting the filter size with the other filters
- Adds Nitrous viewport support for 64bit Max 2014 and 2015
- Adds 'Nitrous Mode Button Toggle' in the Rendering rollout
- The 'VS' and 'P+VS' rendering modes using Nitrous DX10+ now render points as circles and not quads
- With multiple visible viewports, only the active viewport refreshes when holding a mousebutton
- In orthogonal views, point size and LOD is evaluated like in perspective views (Max 2013+)
- Projections now shoots against spheres instead of orientated disks
- Projection->Filter Size interpretation has been tuned
- Fixes strange distortions with projection to map with UVs crossing the 0 or 1 border
- The Offset Bias and Max Distance settings are now proportional to the extents of the target mesh
- Adds Cluster Batching Heuristics to remove CPU workload from the Nitrous viewport
- Improved useability of LicenseManger
- Adds cluster and neigbor statistics to the Info box
- When saving to .c2m a global scene cluster optimization is now always performed
- Increases calculation of statistical analysis from 32 to 64bit

Clouds2Max is available for Max 2010 to 2015 and costs $950 (workstation license) / $80 (network render license). A demo version is available here.

Changes for v3.1 are:
- Adds full support for spotlights with fully controllable new emitters workflow
- Adds 'Extra Sampling' feature for distributing different Sampling Level values in an image
- Adds OpenVDB format support for volumetric rendering
- Adds 360° Animation tool in Studio for easy creation of turntable and time-lapse animations
- Adds camera sensor models to reproduce the color response of many real world camera models
- Adds white balance and tint tone mapping controls to the render
- Adds Floating Shadows and Floating Reflections in FIRE
- Adds support for UDIM and other tiled texture formats
- Custom Alpha can now be based on materials as well
- Adds new Technology Preview Network System (TP Network)
- Hide to Camera in Shadow Channel gives perfect full shadows for compositing
- Devignetting can now be negative, for artsy purposes
- Adds new output macro to specify the name of the channel in the output image file name
- Improved and simplified licensing procedure
- Improved Single Sided SSS model
- Improved performance in scenes with a lot of grass and/or hair
- 50% reduction of memory consumption in volumetrics
- Dramatic improvement in memory usage when loading references
- Dramatic improvement in memory usage and voxelization time in massive scenes with motion blur
- The Histogram now can display RGB curves separately
- RealFlow RenderKit has been updated to the latest version
- Benchwell can be launched now with a command line flag
- Optimizations in FIRE to preprocess the scene faster when editing materials
- Fireflies and hot spots in FIRE have been reduced
- Adds support for machines with more than 64 cores in Windows
- Cleaning after rendering in large scenes is much faster now
- In Studio: display of references in viewport has been improved
- In Network: adds preference to connect to a specific Manager
- Fixes a potential problem loading the volumetric extension in some plugins
- Fixes a crash in On-the-fly displacement
- Fixes artifacts when rendering with Thin SSS and multiple BSDFs
- Fixes artifacts with transparency in spherical/cylindrical lenses
- Fixes a crash when freeing scenes with instances with motion blur
- Fixes UV channel failing with motion blur
- Fixes UV channel with 100% opaque objects
- Fixes artifacts with volumetrics in interactive mode
- Fixes the backface material in objects with transformation motion blur
- Fixes some problems with preprocessing extensions
- Fixes a crash with MXS References and instances
- Fixes a crash with multipoint particles
- Displacement now works in referenced materials
- Fixes some problems with gamma on procedural textures
- Fixes a problem with SSS alpha channels if there are opaque objects behind SSS objects
- Fixes some clipping artifacts in FIRE
- Fixes on-the-fly displacement showing the incorrect height in FIRE
- Fixes Color Multilight + Sun failing if there are emitters with emission textures
- Fixes some problems with 32-bit emission textures
- Volumetrics now inherit parent transformations correctly
- Fixes some problems with transforms of MXS references with transformed parents
- Fixes a crash in MXS references with double sided materials
- The display percentage box of particles no longer goes above 100
- Fixes a precision issue in the daytime parameter
- Parents with transformation motion blur no longer lose motion when instanced
- The -mintime command flag now works in -node mode
- Fixes the tab order in procedural textures in Studio
- Clone camera in Studio now clones all parameters
- Studio Resource Browser now lists folders properly
- Studio materials with extensions with no BSDFs can now be saved in Standalone mode
- Fixes a Studio crash cleaning scenes with several references pointing to one MXS file
- In Studio, 'Convert to Mesh' now updates the mesh state correctly
- In Studio, FIRE now works when the viewport is closed
- Fixes a regression bug in Studio that broke drag and drop in some UI elements
- Studio Resource Browser now allows selection of network paths (OSX)
- Fixes a bug in Network where closing sockets could affect stability

Maxwell Render is available for Max 2011 to 2015 and costs €595. A demo version is available here.

Changes for v1.32 are:
- Fixes some issues with refreshing paths

Bitmap Tracking/Resizing is available for Max 2009 to 2015 and costs $9. A demo version is available here.

Changes for v2.0 are:
- Adds new Orthogonal creation mode (works in grid space)
- Adds new Polar creation mode with Aligned work grid creation (works in grid space)
- Adds new Divide distance tool
- Improved UI
- Adds new Ribbon Tab Extension with options
- Adds new dockable creation UI floater with options
- Adds new 'Continous creation' command (for each creation mode)
- Adds new 'Delete all refLines' command to the Options dialog
- Adds an option to lock/unlock guides on creation
- Reworked some core functions for better functionality
- Reworked UI: new icons
- Installer: separated x64 - x86 packages
- General stability and speed improvements
- General bugfixes
- Better tooltips

refGuides is available for Max 2013 to 2015 and costs $15. A demo version is available here.

Changes for v0.1 are:
- Adds support for V-Ray 3.10.03 and higher
- Adds support for Max 2015

Changes for v1.30 are:
- Adds 'Show / Change Gamma' (change gamma only works in Max 2014 and up)

Bitmap Tracking/Resizing is available for Max 2009 to 2015 and costs $9. A demo version is available here.

Changes for v1.072 are:
- Fixes name convention of digits end
- Fixes a minor bug with the rename tool
- Adds 'toLower' and 'toUpper' options on the rename tool
- Fixes a bug with delete rig options
- Adds mirrors options for FK chain

Additional changes to the Cartoon rig:
- Adds snap options for the master
- Fixes the delete link on snap options

LH | Auto-Rig is available for Max 2011 to 2015 and costs €59 (€99 for the Cartoon version).

Changes for v2.5 are:
- Fixes an 'In-Volume Scatter' error when multiple objects are scattered across the object's volume

miauu's Script Pack Volume 1 is available for Max 9 to 2015 and costs €12.

Changes for v2.20 are:
- Fixes low quality render element render
- Fixes a bug where render elements render after being deleted
- Specular materials can now have alpha transparency if it is enabled in the kernel settings
- Switched to CUDA 6.5, so you will need a graphics driver of version 344.x or higher

OctaneRender for 3ds Max is available for Max 2010 to 2015 and costs €459. A demo version is available here.

Changes for v2.10.30 are:
- Fixes an issue with hiding the V-Ray VFB window
- Fixes an issue with blocking Max hotkeys after opening the address combobox
- Adds the ability to start searching by pressing the ENTER key
- Fixes an issue with filtering files after searching
- Fixes a bug that occurs on some machines when opening the address combobox

Project Manager is available for Max 2010 to 2015 and costs $75. A demo version is available here.

Changes for v0.15 are:
- Fixes an Auto-Tile issue that prevented unwrapping/flattening UV's when applied manually
- Updated UV-Packer plugin support to the latest version
- Updates to the 'Pack Only' interface

Multi-Tile UV Bake Tool is available for Max 9 to 2015 and costs $25. A demo version is available here.

Changes for v1.4.03.129.1240 are:
- Pause on Active Shade
- Render Region on Active Shade
- Motion blur support on Active Shade
- Render limits on Active Shade
- Rooms are retrieved from Thea MatLab
- Gamma can be combined with CRFs
- Support for base-instances without instanced modifiers or world space modifiers

Thea for 3dsMax is available for Max 2009 to 2015 and costs €395. A demo version is available here.

Shawn Olson has released an alpha version of his upcoming Wall Worm Pro toolkit. Wall Worm Pro is a collection of C++/C# exporters and other utilities to speed up using Wall Worm. This product requires Wall Worm to work (though you are not required to buy Wall Worm Pro to use Wall Worm).

Finished features:
- Lightning Fast SMD/VTA exporting
- Instantaneous FGD parsing
- VTF Importer so you can load VTF files natively inside Max
- Faster Material Library Generator and VMT importing (up to 95% faster)
- Faster VMF exporting (up to 50% faster)

Planned upcoming features:
- Native VTF writing
- DMX importer/exporter
- Source2 VMap exporter

Wall Worm Pro alpha is available for Max 2012 to 2015 and currently costs $30 (pre-release sale).

Changes for v3.10.03 are:
- Fixes Max 2015 SP3/Extension2 crash on remote hosts with Distributed Rendering
- V-Ray RT GPU now supports VRayDirt
- V-Ray RT GPU now supports VertexColor texture
- VRayMetaball now supports MAXScript vertex color source
- VRayProxy now disables 'Force first map channel' option by default
- Adds a slider to the .vrmesh viewer to control point size of particles
- Enables OpenGL point smoothing in .vrmesh viewer when point size is greater than 1.0

V-Ray is available for Max 9 to 2015 and costs $1040. A demo version is available here.

Changes for v2.51 are:
- Deleting all images and then rendering no longer causes an exception
- Fixes batch CC UI quirks
- Fixes VFB+ failing to initialize when trying to load a corrupted .VFB cache file
- Max 2013+: Max no longer crashes when using RE names with more than 32 characters
- Max 2013+: Fixes garbled RE names with images loaded from a previous Max session
- Max 2013+: The batch CC feature is no longer broken
- Max 2013+: Loading an image into VFB+ using MAXScript has been fixed

VFB+ is available for Max 2009 to 2015 and costs $19. A demo version is available here.

Changes for Build 12501410 are:
- Adds support for LightWave 2015.1
- Fixes a potential crash opening the terrain editor with recent NVidia drivers
- Fixes unwanted back and forth switches of camera between main and perspective camera
- Adds more options when importing .chan files
- .OBJ meshes imported from zbrush and sketchup are now automatically scaled
- Fixes a transparency issue when loading an FBX file exported from Maya
- Fixes world point position when using Y axis up - left hand standard
- Improved FBX camera import
- Fixes a potential crash when saving a scene
- Fixes displaced Plant Factory primitive objects
- Fixes a potential crash in HyperVue/RenderCow network rendering with scenes using a skydome

Vue xStream is available for Max 2009 to 2015 and costs $1695. A demo version is available here.

Changes for v7.0.2.3 are:
- The Repository installer now sets the version number correctly in the repository.ini file
- The submission script installers no longer create a rollback folder in the Repository
- Fixes a Linux error when checking how long the system has been idle in a headless environment
- Fixes a licensing bug where slaves sometimes falsely reported having a permanent license
- Fixes a Primary Pulse problem with performing the Pending Job Scan on Linux and OSX
- Fixes a bug for Max 2015 when checking the visibility of the SceneExplorer prior to rendering
- The C4D Team Render plugin now works properly with C4D 15 and 16
- Removed the C4D security token file location options from the plugin configuration
- The C4D security token file is now created in the correct location on OSX
- Improved the C4D error message when the security token file can't be created
- Moved the C4D 'Copy to Clipboard' button next to the security token field
- Increased button widths at the bottom of the integrated C4D submitter
- Blank C4D security tokens are now automatically populated on submission
- The Team Render submission script installer now supports C4D 16
- The C4D security token can no longer be modified from the Monitor after submission
- In Combustion, path mapping is now performed on the scene file path
- Adds support for Lightwave 2015
- Fixes a bug that prevented the integrated submitter from working with Lightwave 2015
- Permissions are now set properly by the modo submitter installer

Deadline is available for Max 2010 to 2015 and costs $185 per node. A demo version is available here.

Changes for v1.2 are:
- Adds support for the Nitrous interface
- Multi Nitrous configurations allow choosing the best settings for your system
- Adds support for Max 2015
- Improved rendering speed
- Adds point cloud color enhancement features including blurring/blending scan colors
- You can now clone portions of point clouds
- Improved offline activation
- Adds support for adaptive degradation
- Adds various point filtering capabilities
- Adds vertex draping and color map extraction from the point cloud

Clouds2Max have also posted a couple of videos, one showing the new features in action and a demonstration of the new vertex draping and color map extraction feature.

Clouds2Max is available for Max 2010 to 2015 and costs $950 (workstation license) / $80 (network render license). A demo version is available here.

Changes for v0.14 are:
- A demo version is now available (see link below)
- A video tutorial and tool overview has been posted (YouTube)

Multi-Tile UV Bake Tool is available for Max 9 to 2015 and costs $25. A demo version is available here.

BodyFast is a commercial MAXScript that allows you to quickly create a rigged character that is ready for motion capture data, as well as a motion-tracking setup for facial animation.

BodyFast Rigging Character is available for Max 2010 to 2015 and costs €50. A demo version is available here.

Changes for v4.3.6 are:
- Fixes a random rendering bug after deleting Forest objects or resetting the scene

Forest Pack Pro is available for Max 9 to 2015 and costs €200. A demo version is available here.

Changes for v2014.0.0.34 are:
- Fixes a few bugs when working with the VDB file format

Changes for v3.1.1.0 are:
- Strand detail modifier is now multi-threaded
- Fixes Hair from mesh strips sometimes flipping hair direction when used with Turbosmooth
- Removed unused 'Gravity' and 'X/Y/Z Direction' options from dynamics external forces dialog
- 'Inherit UV coordinates' option for proxy meshes in Ox Mesh From Strands now works

Ornatrix is available for Max 2009 to 2015 and costs $499. A demo version is available here.

Changes for v4.3.5 are:
- Fixes a potential crash rendering XRef'd materials in V-Ray

Forest Pack Pro is available for Max 9 to 2015 and costs €200. A demo version is available here.

Changes for v4.8.3522 are:
- The free version restrictions have changed, it now renders without a watermark
- The free version can now be used for non-commercial work

FurryBall is available for Max 2013 to 2015 and costs €599. A demo version is available here.

Changes for v1.0 are:
- Fixes a crash during xray scan when searching for identical materials
- Improved xray scan detection: unused nodes (spacewarps, helpers, shapes)
- Improved xray scan detection: unused hidden objects with no reference to objects in viewport

MaxMechanic is available for Max 2013 to 2015 and costs $60. A demo version is available here.

Changes for v2.10.15 are:
- Adds the ability to preview default thumbnail for materials (Max 2013 and higher)
- Fixes an issue with merging LinkComposite objects
- The treeView now sorts the system directories the same as in Windows Explorer
- Fixes an issue with disabling the 'Delete' key
- Fixes an issue with dragging assets to the 'Slate Material Editor'
- Fixes selecting objects by double-clicking the asset in the Asset Files browser
- Adds a new icon for Project Manager

Project Manager is available for Max 2010 to 2015 and costs $75. A demo version is available here.

Changes for v1.02 are:
- Adds support for bitmaps used in VRayHDRI and VRayBmpFilter

Bitmap Tracking/Resizing is available for Max 2009 to 2015 and costs $9. A demo version is available here.

Changes for v0.8.0 beta are:
- Adds an option in the standalone renderer to re-install the Max/Maya plugins
- Minor speed optimizations
- Removes the dependency on TBB
- Adjusted the bias parameter a bit
- Adds the license to the Help/About dialog
- Tweaked the random noise generator
- Fixes a problem removing the app from the Windows installed programs list
- Updated the Windows Installer UI
- Removed the installer for MacOSX, now everything is inside the .app
- Recompiled using VS2013 CE Update 4
- Recompiled using the latest libraries (Qt 5.4.0, NSIS 3.0b1)

Changes for v1.50.50 are:
- Adds the ability to render the preview as a .png with alpha channel
- Fixes a few minor issues

Batch Render&Relink is available for Max 2010 to 2015 and costs $15. A demo version is available here.

miauu's Polyline is a commercial MAXScript that allows you to create splines precisely using measurements and angles, making precision spline modelling fast and easy.

You can create splines using:
- Ortho mode: constrains drawn lines to the horizontal or the vertical
- Polar mode: constrains cursor movement to predefined angles
- Freehand mode: create points without any constraints
- Arc mode: create an arc that is a part of the current spline
- Use the command line or dynamic input fields to enter coordinates and all other commands

miauu's Polyline is available for Max 2010 to 2015 and costs €15.

To celebrate their milestone release of Thea v1.4, Solid Iris Technologies have not only launched a new website, they are also offering a 40% discount on their Thea for 3dsMax renderer. Full details can be found here.

Thea for 3dsMax is available for Max 2009 to 2015 and normally costs €395. For a limited time you can purchase a license for €245. A demo version is available here.

Changes for Build 1896 are:
- Fixes Infinity Shader regressions
Bug-fixes

Changes for v1.4.02.124.1255 are:
- Adds extra render limits to Presto
- Adds a workaround to avoid crashes when zooming Active Shade
- Fixes compatibility issues with the Material Converter and Max 2015
- Faster and more secure unload of IR
- Zoom is now supported over Active Shade
- Fixes a problem with point caches
- IR now limits resolution in Demo instead of rendering in grey
- Re-Light is now enabled for Presto
- Render channels (render elements) have been reorganized
- Mask is now supported on all engines
- Fixes a working pivot problem with instances

Thea for 3dsMax is available for Max 2009 to 2015 and costs €395. A demo version is available here.

Changes for v2.12 are:
- Bug-fixes

Flatiron is available for Max 2010 to 2015 and costs €299. A demo version is available here.

Changes for v3.0 are:
- Adds support for ProBooleans

One-click Mass Booleans is available for Max 2009 to 2015 and costs $5.

Changes for v3.1.0.9 are:
- Fixes a crash when setting 'Mesh from strands' inherit UV option before applying modifier
- Hair from guides segment interpolation now uses closest guide algorithm
- Fixes guides on spline modifier producing flipped guides
- Edit guides no longer selects wrong guides after deleting selection
- Many internal changes

Ornatrix is available for Max 2009 to 2015 and costs $499. A demo version is available here.

Changes for v2.11.2 are:
- Logins are now passed correctly to the CmdRC if a password is specified
- Paths with backslashes are now handled properly
- Fixes the frame step setting in Max

RenderPal is available for Max 9 to 2015 and costs €49 per node. A demo version is available here.

I wish all of the MAX Plugins.de visitors a Happy New Year, and all the best for the coming year!

I won't be able to update the site much for the next few days, but from the middle of next week everything will be back to normal.

Dave