Autodesk launches next generation updates for 3D tools

Autodesk launches next generation updates for 3D tools

Autodesk unveiled a number of feature-laden updates to its portfolio of 3D tools for artists working in the fields of film viewing, television, games and design. New solutions in Maya, 3ds Max, Bifrost e Arnold debuted this week, adding next-generation workflows that accelerate artists' work and help creative teams deliver high-quality visual effects and animated content with greater ease and efficiency.

“Whether it's to improve the user experience, simplify virtual production workflows, integrate open standards or enable artists to manage complex projects, our goal is always to help artists and studios deliver a incredible work that pushes the boundaries of what's possible, ”said Eric Bourque, VP, Engineering. "Our latest updates to Maya, 3ds Max, Bifrost and Arnold put robust tools and workflows, and the ability to collaborate and share data more seamlessly, in the hands of creative teams around the world."

Maya

Focused on helping artists work faster by raising the bar of creativity at each stage of the pipeline, this update adds more power to Maya's already robust set of animation, modeling and rigging tools. Autodesk continues to build rich USD workflows in Maya, including a brand new integration with the visual programming environment, Bifrost.

  • Unreal Live Link for Maya: Stream Maya to Unreal animation data in real time with the Unreal Live Link plug-in, ideal for virtual production and game development.
    2D Blue Pencil Drawing Tools: Draw 2D sketches on scenes directly in the window in a clean and non-destructive way. Building on Maya's Grease Pencil tool, this new toolset allows users to draw poses over time, define motion arcs, mark shots, and add annotations and comments for review.
  • Cache playback improvements- Experience faster scene playback with new cached playback support for the Jiggle Deformer and Bullet Solver.
  • Animation performance updates- Evaluation toolkit now includes a new invisibility evaluation mode and a Reduce graph reconstruction option for animation workflows.
  • USD through the Maya toolset: This update integrates USD into Bifrost for the first time, allowing Maya to be used almost anywhere there is a USD implementation in the pipeline, from familiar Maya workflows to procedural Bifrost workflows. Support for USD in the Channel Box has also been improved, speeding up the editing process for layout and assembly, while the Attribute Editor makes it easier to distinguish between USD and Maya data. Manipulate large USD datasets faster with in-window point capture performance, edit attributes while preserving changes with a new USD lock feature, isolate 'select' to focus on where work is being done in a scene, and displays materials in the window with new MaterialX Support.
  • Improved Boolean workflows- Create and edit Boolean operations in fewer clicks with Boolean node enhancements and Boolean stack options that make it easy to edit meshes in real time and preview changes in scenes. The Boolean toolset has also been extended with five new operations, providing additional flexibility when generating complex shapes.
  • Updated modeling tools: Maximize efficiency with Retopologize tool enhancements, faster manipulation of mesh compounds, QuadDraw performance improvements, and more.
  • Rigging improvements: rig with greater precision using a new normalization option in the component editor; improvements to the Solidify, Morph and Proximity Wrap deformers; better display of the deformer weight; a new Manage Pins menu for UVPin and ProximityPin nodes that adds support for curves; and better support for GPU override.
  • An advanced user experience: new in Maya? Get up and running faster with new interactive tutorials. With the user experience first, Autodesk has also added a tablet API setting for pressure sensitive pen tablets, Script Editor updates, and viewport support for unlimited lights. A faster rendering experience with the latest version of Arnold and updates to the Create VR immersive design tool further complement the version.

    Check out what's new in Maya and check out the Maya Learning Channel on YouTube to find out more about the latest updates.

3ds Max Retopology Tools - Data Propogation

Max 3ds

New support for glTF, flexible modeling tools, and productivity improvements that save artists a lot of time are just some of the 3ds Max updates that push the creation of modern assets forward.

  • GITF support: Easily publish resources directly to gITF 2.0, the standard 3D format for web and online stores, while maintaining visual quality. A new glTF material preview also allows you to open glTF assets in the viewport and see precisely how they will look when exported to different environments outside of 3ds Max.
  • Retopology tools 1.2Process large and complex mesh data even faster with a new preprocessing option in ReForm's retopology tools, allowing users to generate high quality results without preparing modifier meshes. This update also allows you to propagate existing mesh data such as smoothing groups, UVs, normals and vertex color into the new Retopology mesh output.
  • New work pivot tools- A set of new pivot work tools improve modeling, animation and rigging workflows, including tools to adjust pivot position and orientation, interactively realign axis orientation, easily add Pivot and Grid Helper, and even more.
  • Automatic backup improvements- Focus on completing tasks with less disruption through improvements to the automatic backup system and a new automatic backup toolbar in the default user interface.
  • Faster rendering experience with Arnold: 3ds Max includes the latest version of Arnold, adding powerful tools for managing complex projects, customizing pipelines, and delivering high-quality rendering. Enhancements to occlusion selection: Generate occluded vertex, edge or poly component selections faster than ever, even on dense polygonal models of millions of triangles.
  • Smart Extrude: Edit Poly modifier now includes Smart Extrude partial merge / subtraction functionality and support for non-planar quad and n-gon cutting.
  • Unwrap UVW keyboard shortcuts: Work faster when creating and manipulating UV data with the new keyboard shortcuts in the Unwrap UVW modifier.
  • Compressed scene file saving performance: Compressed scene files are now saved twice as fast as before.
    Python 3.9: 3ds Max ships with Python 3.9.7, which boasts improved quality and performance.
  • Filter updates by view: Advanced users now have access to all the new functions in MAXScript for filtering by view and can perform multiple selection of items in the Filter by View dialog.

Visit 3ds Max What's New and the 3ds Max Public Roadmap for more information on these updates.

Bifrost USD

Bifrost USD

Bifrost

The latest updates to Bifrost's procedural toolset allow artists to deliver stunning, lifelike graphic effects in a fraction of the time. USD is now integrated, and improvements to the Aero and MPM solvers make it easier to create complex simulations.

  • Bifrost USD: Pixar's Universal Scene Description (USD) is now fully integrated with Bifrost, allowing teams to apply Maya USD capabilities from traditional workflows to Bifrost USD for procedural workflows. Use USD data as input, create USD data as output, and automate USD data processing for next generation production pipelines.
  • Low-level knots: Virtually any USD workflow can now be implemented and automated in Bifrost, as Bifrost's low-level USD nodes are the USD API.
  • High-level compounds: Bifrost USD also includes high-level compounds, which are particularly useful for scattering and instance, and perform common operations such as converting Bifrost data to USD and vice versa.
  • Aero Solver improvements: The robust Aero tool benefits from new improvements to field mapping, scalability and stability.
  • MPM solver improvements: Simulates with confidence with improved MPM stability and MPM cloth updates. Interpreted automatic gates control tear thresholds, allowing the use of fields or data on vertexes to mark areas that tear more easily.
  • Color picker: Enjoy more interactive controls with a new color picker tool, integrated with Color Management.
    Multiple cursor selection: Adjust multiple cursors at the same time via the multiple select feature.

Full details can be found in the Bifrost release notes and Maya What's New.

Bifrost

Arnold

With new tools for consistent, high-quality denoising, growing USD workflows, and enhanced interactive rendering, Arnold's latest updates allow artists to manage complex projects, customize their pipelines, and render with blazing speed.

  • OptiX 7 Denoiser: Produce photorealistic results on GPUs with NVIDIA's OptiX 7 Denoiser, which supports consistent denoising of multiple AOVs, essential for compositing workflows.
  • Triplanar Shaders: Projects a texture from all six sides without using a UV map.
  • USD improvements- Manage instances more efficiently with improvements in USD procedural and Hydra Render Delegate, which now supports environment, background and ramp shaders with linked colors.
  • Interactivity improvements: Benefit from an optimized user experience when interactively rendering a scene, including advanced imagers and atmosphere shaders on GPU and CPU, and increased interactive GPU rendering with fixed minimum frame rates when working with more complex scenes.

Visit What's New from Arnold to learn more about the latest updates.

The newly updated Maya, 3ds Max and Arnold are now available as standalone subscriptions or with the Autodesk Media & Entertainment Collection. Bifrost is available for free download as an extension for Maya. Comment, share and connect with other community members, as well as Autodesk experts in new products and industry groups on AREA.

autodesk.com

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