MAX Plugins.de News Archive

Archived Plugin News  –  February 2007
 

Plugin Update: Import / Export

Changes for v0.4b are:
- Fixes sum-materials of Multi/Sub-Object material types not being exported correctly
- Adds a trap for invalid face material ID's
- Fixes mirrored bones (no right hand rule) being exported incorrectly


Plugin Updates: Footools for Max 9

John Burnett has recompiled 6 of his Footools plugins for Max 9 (32-bit only), which I know will make a few people very happy :o) He has also made the source code available, so if anyone would like to compile them for 64-bit Max 9, now is your chance.

The recompiled plugins are:
- BindPoints
- ForceViewer
- InfoTexture
- NullHelper
- UVW to RGB
- Warp Texture


New Plugin: Modifiers

MorphX2 is an additive/corrective morph modifier which allows artists to create morph targets that can go on top of any other modifier in Max, allowing 'fixer' shapes to be created far more easily than with the traditional 'Morpher' modifier.


New Plugin: Import / Export

This is a beta version of the Shockwave W3D exporter that was missing from Max 9. The final version should be available soon.


Plugin Update: Render Effects

Changes for v3.5.2.1 are:
- An initialization bug caused by a compiler problem has been fixed


Plugin News: Particle Flow Tools: Box#1 demo

Orbaz Technologies, Inc. have updated their download page with the demo version of Particle Flow Tools: Box#1 for Max 9 (32-bit and 64-bit).


New Plugin: Import / Export

Firevector Atmoweld allows Max to export geometric data to LightWave Object Files (LWO2). It supports exports to LightWave3D v6.5 to v9.0 and Luxology Modo 100 to 202. Firevector Atmoweld can export geometry, texture coordinates, smoothing groups, materials, texture information and advanced scene information, as well as converting vertex data to the LightWave3D coordinate system. It can also convert standard materials, and has basic support for LightWave8 Surface.

Firevector Atmoweld is available for Max 5 to 8 and costs $79.95. A demo version is available here.


Plugin Update: Animation

Changes for v3.33 are:
- Tweaked skin exporter
- Fixes FK-Twist bone extracting bug
- Fixes MAXScript API document to show parameter types

Puppetshop is available for Max 8 and 9, and costs $249. A demo version is available here.


Plugin Update: Import / Export

Changes for v0.2b are:
- Fixes bug where floating point numbers were output in user's regional locale format
- Fixes hidden bones and meshes being exported
- Fixes bug where a bone who's parent is not exported had its position and rotation misplaced
- Fixes a problem with invalid vertex weights
- Exporter no longer over-writes a file with nothing if Cancel button is pressed


Plugin Update: Import / Export

Changes for v0.11.0 are:
- No changes, just a recompile for Max 9 (32-bit and 64-bit) by Stjepan Stamenkovic


Plugin Update: Render Effects

Changes for v1.12 are:
- Fixes a bug with the stamping transparency value
- The #frame value now renders the correct frame number on network renders


Plugin Update: Utilities

Changes for v3.9063 are:
- Auto build paths now work
- Horizontally scrolling a listview now works as expected
- Adds support for changes in Final Render SP3

This version of RPManager is available for Max 9 (32-bit and 64-bit) and costs $300. A demo version is available here.


Plugin News: Redviewer 1.4 open beta

Redway3d have announced the launch of the open-beta testing for Redviewer 1.4, which comes with a lot a new features from better hardware coverage to depth of field including VRay 1.5 support.

If you are interested in beta-testing the new version, download it here (no registration) and feel free to interact with the development team and other users in the beta-forum.


Plugin News: Kaldera and Texture Layers for Max 9

Mankua have announced that Kaldera and Texture Layers are now available for Max 9. They don't say if there are versions for 64-bit Max 9, and Turbosquid don't seem to update their ACAP store, so there is no new information there either. When I find out, I'll post it here.


Plugin News: Modifiers

Feeling Software have announced that they are no longer going to support the PhysX Utilities for Max, concentrating instead on the development of the Maya version. The plugin, originally developed by Stan Melax, is still available for download along with the source code.


Plugin Update: Import / Export

Changes for v0.10.0 are:
- Recompiled for Max 9 (32-bit only)

This is actually an older version than the plugin for Max 8, but at least someone was kind enough to recompile it.


Plugin Update: Particles

Changes for v1.05 are:
- Adds support for Max 9 (32-bit and 64-bit)

Particle Flow Tools: Box#3 is available for Max 6 to 9 and costs $495. A demo version is available here.


Plugin Update: Miscellaneous

Changes for v1.1.1.0 are:
- Adds copy preview bitmap to clipboard (CTRL+C)


Plugin Update: Render Effects

Changes for v3.5.2 are:
- Adds MAXScript access to the list of sources


Plugin Update: Renderers

Changes for v0.996b are:
- Max viewport intergration is completely re-designed to a completely WYSIWYG workflow
- Automatic background scene updates
- Adds new options for the Light Atmosphere entity
- Adds new options for the Spot Light entity
- 'Cast Shadow' and 'Receive Shadow' flags are now supported for the Spot Light entity
- Increased rendering performance for objects with more than one sub-material ID
- Publishing process memory managment has been optimized for large scenes
- The Application Editor is now a standalone window
- Adds an 'Overwrite existing file?' requester
- Adds publishing to WWW Data Package
- Specular highlights no longer appear in lightmap shadows
- Max 9 version no longer crashes
- Max 9 entities are now updated correctly
- The warnings dialog has been improved

Click-VR Visualizer is available for Max 5 to 9 and costs €980. A demo version is available here.


Plugin Update: Import / Export

Changes for v3.02 are:
- Fixes a couple of minor bugs


New Plugin: Import / Export

This plugin exports Max scenes to source reference and animation sequence SMD files for use with Half-Life 2. It supports standard and multi/sub-object materials, editable mesh and editable poly geometry, skin and physique modifiers and, when using skin, using helper nodes such as dummies as bones. Also allows exporting a sub-range of an animation and exporting the sequence backwards.

The exporter is for 32-bit Max 9 only.


New Plugin: Utilities

The purpose of BlueCherry is to bring you closer to the power of mental ray for Max 8+ by automating many of the tedious or confusing tasks of setting up renders. This includes features such as Ambient Occlusion, Final Gather, Global Illumination, and HDRI lighting. By making these features automatic, your renders will gain a sharper clarity that typically could only come from a deep understanding of mental ray.

BlueCherry key features are:
- Intuitive and clear interface
- Easy-access help pages for every feature
- Instant results
- Fast, easy installation
- Extensive documentation
- Great value

BlueCherry is available for Max 8 and 9, and costs $15.


New Plugin: Animation

Craft AutoZoomCam automatically zooms in and out on a specified object, keeping it the same size all the time. Use Craft AutoZoomCam to follow animated objects that are otherwise hard to keep in focus.

Craft AutoZoomCam is available for Max 6 to 9 and costs $99. A demo version is available here.


Plugin News: Illustrate! for Max 9 beta update

David Gould has released another update of the beta for Illustrate! v5.4 for Max 9. Registered beta testers can download it from the beta page.

Changes for beta build 6 are:
- An objects visibility also affects the objects line opacity


Plugin Update: Animation

Changes for v3.32 are:
- Adds a new Dog Leg setup (fk-ik blending and snapping supported)
- 'Export to Max Bones' can now also duplicate the skinned mesh to the animated Max bones

Puppetshop is available for Max 8 and 9, and costs $249. A demo version is available here.


Site News: BlurBeta plugins...

I've just updated all of the links for the BlurBeta plugins, because it would seem that Blur have removed them from their server. I've now uploaded all of them to my server, so the links work again. Dave


Plugin Update: Import / Export

Changes for v1.03 are:
- Adds support for Max 9 (32-bit only)


Plugin Update: Import / Export

Changes for v5.08 are:
- Adds support for the placement of shapes larger than PathEngine's query shape range constraint
- Fixes a bug with object names corresponding to base obstacles not being passed for error reports

groundExport is part of the PathEngine SDK, and is available for Max 6 to 8. A basic license for the SDK costs €4000.


Plugin Update: Animation

Changes for v3.31 are:
- Made improvements to the Site License system
- Re-compiled Max 9 plugins to support Site License (previously only supported by Max 8)

Puppetshop is available for Max 8 and 9, and costs $249. A demo version is available here.


Plugin Update: Import / Export

Changes for v2.7.0.15 are:
- Too many to list, the whole change-log can be found here

Granny Exporter is available for Max 5 to 9, and is part of the Granny Toolkit which costs $12500.


New Plugin: Miscellaneous

AM_BatchRender helps you to render multiple pre-saved scenes. It's especially useful if you want to render what you've done during the day overnight. It has a 'report file' option which will record the render time for each scene in the render-list and an option to shut down the computer after rendering.


Plugin Update: Import / Export

Changes for v1.4 are:
- Adds full Shader Model 3.0 support
- Adds instancing support
- Adds new Pre- and Post-TnL cache efficiency measurement
- Faster capture
- Fixes low accuracy of Wavefront .OBJ texture coordinates
- Minor fixes and enhancements in verbose code
- Fixes installer using wrong directory for Max 9 plugin
- Adds support for applications using multiple direct3D devices


Plugin News: Illustrate! for Max 9 beta update

David Gould has released an update of the beta for Illustrate! v5.4 for Max 9. Registered beta testers can download it from the beta page.

Changes for beta build 5 are:
- Visibility values are multiplied by the material to get final opacity, so you can fade objects on / off
- Fixes a crash when right-clicking while painting using the 'Illustrate! PaintOn' modifier


Plugin Update: Import / Export

Changes for v2.0 are:
- Adds support for Max 9 (32-bit and 64-bit)
- Key reduction improvements
- Improved rotation/orientation accuracy
- Improved scene/composition export from Max to AE
- Adds scene/composition import from AE to Max
- Adds fast clipboard export option
- Adds UVW coordinate support for AE helpers
- Adds corner creation method for AE helper layers
- Helpers are now 2-sided and include orientation arrow

MAX2AE is available for Max 6 to 9 and costs $230. A demo version is available here.


Plugin Update: Import / Export

Changes for v0.2.15 are:
- Fixes a bug with texture coordinates


Plugin Update: Import / Export

Changes for v1.0.79 are:
- The active viewport/camera is now selected by default in the exporter
- Only visible viewports are now shown in the export dialog
- Adds support for motion blur (both global and per-object)
- Adds support for KML files
- Adds the city list in the physical sky settings
- The controls for handling date and time are now friendlier
- Render time increased to max (1000000 minutes)
- Fixes the roughness value in the metal material wizard not being taken into account
- Fixes the range for the SSS absorption parameter (0 - 1000)
- Fixes the range for the SSS scattering parameter (0 - 1)
- The film ISO parameter now only takes integer values
- The F-Stop parameter now uses a single decimal place
- The 'screen mapped' option was removed from reflection, refraction and illumination IBL channels

Maxwell / Max users will automatically receive a version update notification when they launch their Max plugin and therefore don't need to go to the download site to get the updated plugin. Other users can visit the regular customer download page to download the latest Max plugin.


Plugin Update: Animation

Changes for v2.11 are:
- Fixes playback issue with audible phoneme audio cues within Max 9

Voice-O-Matic is available for Max 6 to 9 and costs $349. A demo version is available here.


New Plugin: Modelling / Animation

LBrush is designed to be a fast and effective tool for creating facial animation and target sculpture. The animation tool and the sculpture tool are integrated into a single modifier for fast and effective workflow, though shapes can also be imported / exported to other tools within Max. It is not a morph tool, it requires much fewer targets to create smooth animation, it interpolates cleanly and doesn't need ease-in or ease-out graphs, which vastly simplifies the process of animation.

LBrush is available for Max 7 to 9 and costs $395. A demo version is available here.


Plugin Update: Import / Export

Changes for v2.0 are:
- Adds support for Max 9 (32-bit only)
- Adds support for the latest Quicktime 7.x.x SDK

maxVR.qt is available for Max 4 to 9 and costs $195. The update costs $95 and can be purchased at the cebas shop.


New Plugin: Animation

Craft Missile is a plugin that simulates projectiles like missiles and rockets. This tool enables you to create a realistic and life-like animation of the motion of these projectiles. The high-poly model used for rendering is linked/parented to the Craft Missile dummy, inheriting the path of motion. Craft Missile can be used together with other Craft Director Tools.

Craft Missile is available for Max 6 to 9 and costs $295. A demo version is available here.