Changes for v2.3.0 are:
- Adds support for more stairs based on user feedback
- Adds support for stairs with more than two landings
- You can now have plans with over one hundred steps
- The handrail is now more flexible
- You can now make curved staircases with angular stairs
- You can now build a handrail and landing complex

Create Stairs is available for Max 2009 to 2014 and costs $20. A demo version is available here.

Changes for SP14 are:
- Fixes compatibility issues with Fur and Hair Farm for Max 2013
- Fixes an issue with the camera correction modifier

Additionally, Cebas have released a trial version that works with Max 2013 and 2014. Restrictions are no distributed network rendering support, image output is watermarked, and finalToon only works when finalRender is set to be the main renderer. Details on the trial version can be found here.

finalRender is available for Max 2009 to 2014 and costs €995 (Standard) / €1295 (Studio Edition) / €495 (finalToon). A demo version is available here.

Changes for v2.4.7 are:
- Adds support for the Ogre 1.7.x mesh and skeleton XML formats
- Fixes a bug with export of Raytrace material's 'Diffuse' parameter

OgreMax is available for Max 8 to 2014 and costs $250. A demo version is available here.

Changes for v2.1 are:
- Adds support for Max 2014
- Adds support for V-Ray 2.41 for Max
- Adds support for V-Ray RT CPU
- Adds a new mesher
- Adds Ocean surface tools
- Adds the ability to render particles in point mode
- You can now resimulate the particles without resimulating the grid
- Adds resimulation with increased resolution
- Adds wavelet turbulence
- Adds foam patterns
- Adds a new less dissipative advection method
- Adds a smooth option (post process)
- Splash birth condition has been changed to produce splashes at more suitable positions
- Vertex movement of animated geometry can now affect the simulation
- Simulation is now faster
- Simplified liquid control
- Fixes rendering with DR when interpolated frames are involved
- Fixes bad frame interpolation with adaptive grid
- Fixes instability when a body goes underwater in a high-res grid
- If a solid object goes through a jammed wall, it no longer opens a 'hole'
- Fixes a crash when rendering a liquid with sss2 material
- The velocity render element now exports the visible velocity
- The discharge is no longer scaled and can now be used as a percentage for brush mode
- The particle sources (PF, TP, etc) now emit phoenix particles

Phoenix FD is available for Max 9 to 2014 and costs €700. A demo version is available here.

Sorry about the lack of updates recently, I've got a couple of major deadlines looming and haven't had much spare time to post news. Hopefully this will change soon!

On Wednesday I'll be leaving for the EndUserEvent in Holland, so if any readers are coming along, make sure you say 'Hi!'. If you're not coming along, you'll be missing one of the best get-togethers for 3D users in Europe, so think about coming along next year.

Dave

Changes for v13.1.1 are:
- Adds support for Max 2014

Craft Director Studio is available for Max 6 to 2014 and costs $1242. The add-on tools from the package are also available as single purchases. A demo version is available here.

Changes for v2.2.2 are:
- When uninstalling, you are now asked if the preferences file should be deleted
- Preferences are now saved in the latest update
- NLM no longer crashes when closing Max 2012 and saving changes to the scene
- Searchbar now reacts to enter being pressed when docked

Nested Layer Manager is available for Max 2009 to 2014 and costs €12. A demo version is available here.

Changes for v5.1 are:
- New and improved next generation material caster
- Massive speed-up with multicore support
- New and improved Normal Caster and Normal Calculator
- Updated API documentation
- General bug fixes

Simplygon is available for Max 2009 to 2014. Pricing is available on request. A demo version is available here.

Changes for v1.002 are:
- Fixes the 'Copy Keys to Script' rotation offset
- The Auto Updater is now delayed by 1 second
- Fixes Auto Update

Animators Tool Kit is available for Max 2010 to 2014 and costs $25. A demo version is available here.

Changes for Build 1816 are:
- Bug-fixes

Changes for v0.97 are:
- Fixes a bug with adding a new catalog
- Fixes an issue with setting a profile size
- Enlarged the size of thumbnails
- Adds the ability to auto-check for updates

Sweep Profile is available for Max 9 to 2014 and costs $10.50. A demo version is available here.

ATK is a compact suite of modular tools to rig, copy and manipulate animation in a few clicks, without plugin dependency. A powerful built-in macro-sequencer makes it easy to combine 27 devices in concert. Each tool can be instanced, so you never have to play memory games with your settings. You can create a palette of tools and save them as presets for later.

ATK gives you per-object control with an integrated parametric system dubbed 'Prism'. Use curves to set weights, timing, transforms and much more. Cherry pick the order of distribution or use several automatic sort methods including distance, volume and hierarchy.

Animators Tool Kit is available for Max 2010 to 2014 and costs $25. A demo version is available here.

Changes for v3.0 are:
- Adds conversion of Max (Design) procedural and mix maps into regular bitmaps
- Adds conversion to standard materials with bitmap gathering for seamless workflow to eg. Unity 3D

Autodesk Material Converter is available for Max 2011 to 2014 and costs €59.

I thought I'd post this again, because it rolled off the front page at the beginning of the month...

For all of you that are based in Europe, take a look at the EndUserEvent site. This is one of the best CG events of the year, and it's taking place again at the end of June in Utrecht, Holland.

It's not a huge event, which is a big plus, and it takes place in a pub, which is an even bigger plus. They have some great speakers this year, and they will also be in the pub most of the time, ready for a chat. I'll be there again this year, and I'm doing a talk for the first time, which will be good for my nerves :o) Good thing it takes place in a pub!

Registration has opened up, and for the amount of talks you get from some big names in the industry, it really doesn't cost that much. Hopefully some of you will come along, and make sure to say 'Hi' if you see me.

Changes for v2.1.8.0 are:
- Improvements to the palette view
- Improvements to scroll bars in tree and palette views
- Internal restructuring
- Minor documentation updates

Zookeeper is available for Max 2009 to 2014 and costs $249. A demo version is available here.

Changes for v2.2.8.0 are:
- Fixes a crash when adding Ox Mesh From Strands modifier to Ox Strand Propagation modifier
- Fixes a crash when collapsing a hair stack, adding modifiers and rendering with mr prim
- Fixes occasional errors while brushing hair in Edit Guides modifier
- Numerous internal changes and documentation updates

Ornatrix is available for Max 2009 to 2014 and costs $499. A demo version is available here.

Changes for v3.18.2 are:
- Fixes a problem with height maps that was allocating more memory than the required
- Removed TIFF's warning dialogs
- Fixes a problem exporting JPEG XR / HD Photo / WDP files
- Fixes a bug that was causing the FBX mesh importer to be loaded incorrectly
- Adds a button to reset all of the 3D viewer's textures
- The OpenRL map renderer in CPU mode now renders the AO ca. 30% faster
- The OpenGL driver with mkktspace's 'compute biNormal in the pixel shader' option now syncs better
- Adds 'close' and 'set defaults' buttons to all the render map's options
- Fixes a bug that was delaying rendering being cancelled by the user
- Recompiled documents with LibreOffice 4.0.3
- Recompiled using the latest libraries

Changes for v1.2.0.9 are:
- Adds support for Max 2014 (64-bit only)
- Some bug-fixes

MultiScatter is available for Max 2008 to 2014 and costs €200.