Due to a letter from the tax people a couple of days ago, I am now desperately looking for any work that might be going. I'm a generalist specialising in product shots, TV commercials and technical animations, but I will try my hand at just about anything except characters / game stuff. Remote contracting would be ideal unless you happen to be around my area of Germany.

I've updated the gallery at my website with the most recent stuff from the past year or so, there's links to online versions of most of the projects. If you want to get in touch, just use the email link above, or use the contact page at Animation Design.

Changes for v0.5.7 are:
- Adds support for scaled skeletal animations
- Updated to support Oak3D v0.5.7

Changes for v0.5.7 are:
- Updated to support Oak3D v0.5.7

Changes for Build 21.04.2012 are:
- Fixes a crash when an object doesn't have a UVW map
- Fixes a crash when an object doesn't have a maratis material
- Adds support for free / target cameras
- Support for skinned meshes is almost complete
- Adds support for Max 2011 (32-bit and 64-bit) and 32-bit Max 2012

Changes for v7.0.3 are:
- Fixes an error in the network protocol management library
- Fixes the Dispatcher and Console not handling frame ranges >= 1000000
- Fixes a glitch with the buttons in the affinity mask calculator
- Fixes the Dispatcher sometimes crashing on soft restarts or shutdowns
- Fixes the SQL Server driver not handling columns with sizes >= 512 bytes
- Fixes memory leaks in the web server when sorting instance columns from a web browser

Muster is available for Max 8 to 2012 and costs $80 for a single node. A demo version is available here.

Changes for v3.0 are:
- Adds support for Max 2013 (32-bit and 64-bit)
- Adds support for Solidworks 2012

SolidWorks Importer is available for Max 2009 to 2013 and costs $150. A demo version is available here.

Changes for v2.30.01 are:
- Adds support for Max 2013 (32-bit and 64-bit)
- Adds support for the new shading features of Hair&Fur in Max 2013
- The VRayOrnatrixMod now supports Ornatrix 2.0
- Adds a 'Matte for reflection/refraction' option to the VRayWrapperMtl material
- Adds a 'Matte for reflection/refraction' option to the V-Ray object settings
- V-Ray RT and V-Ray RT GPU now support motion blur
- V-Ray RT GPU now has a CUDA engine in addition to OpenCL (64-bit builds only)
- Adds crop/place options to VRayHDRI
- Adds output and curves rollout to VRayHDRI
- VRayOrnatrixMod now supports Ornatrix thickness maps
- vrimg2exr now supports RLE compression method for OpenEXR files
- The V-Ray VFB ICC color correction now respects the gamma value in the Color Mapping settings
- Adds support for motion blur of V-Ray mesh lights
- Adds the possibility to specify a preview mesh for the vrayMeshExport MAXScript function
- Reduced memory usage and increased speed for dynamic geometry in specific situations
- Increased the default cache size for VRayPTex textures
- V-Ray scene converter now converts IES lights and mr sun/sky in a Daylight system
- V-Ray RT GPU now supports sub-pixel filtering
- V-Ray RT GPU can now use full resolution textures
- Adds a V-Ray RT GPU option to specify material texture bit depth
- Fixes V-Ray materials saved using Realistic viewport preview not showing up in D3D viewports
- The hair radius in VRayOrnatrixMod is no longer clamped
- Fixes invalid material colours in VRayHairInfoTex
- Fixes occasional crashes with the VRayHairMtl
- Fixes a crash when creating a VRaySimbiontMtl in the material editor in Max 2012
- Fixes crashes with Particle Flow and motion blur
- Fixes crashes with motion blur on meshes with changing topology
- VRaySoftBox texture now works in V-Ray RT
- The VRayHDRI 'Reload' button now works in V-Ray RT on Max 2009
- Fixes an occasional V-Ray RT crash when closing the ActiveShade window
- V-Ray RT no longer crashes when scrubbing the time line with the ActiveShade window open
- Disabled VRaySun lights no longer illuminate the scene in V-Ray RT GPU
- Textures in the V-Ray environment slots now show up in the Asset Tracker
- Fixes an occasional crash with VRayLensEffects
- The V-Ray DR spawner now works without administrator privileges
- Fixes VRayEnvironmentFog problems with scaled mesh gizmos
- Fixes interface issues when switching between different VRayEnvironmentFog effects
- Fixes VRayShadowMap artifacts when rendered with VrayEnvironmentFog
- VRayProxy sequences loaded with '#' characters now render with motion blur
- Fixes a VFB problem when render effects were enabled and 'Render to memory frame buffer' was off
- The 'Show V-Ray VFB' command now works even if the VFB is minimized
- Fixes a UI freeze if compare mode was turned on in the VFB and you tried to render
- A closed VFB history no longer re-opens on the next render
- Fixes artifacts in reflection render elements when using VRayPtex textures
- Fixes an imapviewer slowdown when merging light maps
- Fixes a VRayColor2Bump issue with large render resolutions
- Fixes possible cracks when using the VRayDisplacementMod

V-Ray is available for Max 9 to 2013 and costs $1350. A demo version is available here.

Changes for v3.7.3 are:
- Adds support for Max 2013 (32-bit and 64-bit)

Changes for v1.4.0 beta are:
- Adds support for Max 2013 (32-bit and 64-bit)
- Offset Y now works properly on closed splines
- Geometry->Mirror can now be used when the Y Offset is zero
- The object is now only rebuilt when the spline is modified
- Adds MAXScript access to the version used to create/edit the RailClone object

RailClone Pro is available for Max 9 to 2013 and costs €180. A demo version is available here.

Changes for v3.9.0 beta are:
- Adds support for Max 2013 (32-bit and 64-bit)
- Adds animation maps
- Adds probability curves for rotation/scale
- Improved the creation window
- Adds MAXScript access to the version used to create/edit the Forest object
- 'Geometry->Get Size From Library' is now a global value and enabled by default
- 'Forest Color->Range' has been renamed to 'Random Strength'
- The default value for 'Random Strength' is now 100%
- 'Camera->Limit to Visibility' is now disabled by default
- 'Camera->Back Offset' now defaults to 10m
- 'Bound Checking' is now local for each Area
- Adds 'Falloff->Invert Curve' option for Areas
- Adds 'Object->Scale' option for Areas
- Adds a new type of Area: Forest, which lets you use a Forest object as an Exclude area
- Tree Editor items in Custom Edit mode are now rescaled when the Geometry List is modified
- The parameters 'Tree Editor->Width/Height' are no longer needed and have been removed
- 'Tree Editor->Creation Tools->Reference by Areas' was obsolete and has been removed
- 'Tree Editor->Properties->Geometry ID' selector has been replaced by a combo list
- Fixes a crash bug in Mental Ray when using nested Forests
- Fixes some parameters of the Surface Area not being applied
- Fixes the Surface Area occasionally being disabled in UV mode
- Clustering on UV Surfaces now works in any plane
- The Forest object is now rescaled properly when changing units
- The Library Browser now correctly scales the 2D models for all units
- Selecting a model from the Library Browser no longer modifies the Probability value
- The viewport is now properly updated when selecting items in Custom Edit mode
- Fixes a potential crash bug with Snap operations
- Switching from Generate to Custom Edit mode now preserves the Bound Checking behaviour
- Fixes a minor issue with mapping channels greater than 1
- Zero size items no longer trigger a geometry warning in V-Ray
- The Distribution Map is now visible in the Asset Tracker

Forest Pack Pro is available for Max 9 to 2013 and costs €180. A demo version is available here.

This is pretty much identical to the Shellac material, except it uses the Photoshop lighten algorithm to combine two materials.

It was originally written for Rune Spaans while he was working on the film Troll Hunter, where it was used for adding reflections to skin and glass objects.

Changes for v2.01 are:
- Adds support for Max 2013 (32-bit and 64-bit)

iCube R&D Group have posted some images of an upcoming plugin called AutoWrinkles, which is a geometry modifier designed for fast and easy creation of secondary deformations. It looks like beta-testing is just starting, and there's no indication of when it might ship.

Changes for v1.21 are:
- Updates the exporter to work with v1.21 of the NeoAxis SDK
- A full changelog for the SDK can be found here

Changes for v0.8.0.11759 are:
- Fixes some bugs in Py3dsMax.AtTime
- Overhaul of the installer to simplify the install experience
- Removed the installers for Qt-Dev and Classmaker
- Unified the various uninstallers into a single uninstaller
- Rebuilding installers is possible again

Changes for v2.5.13 are:
- Adds 93 wall materials

V-Ray Material Presets Pro is available for Max 2010 to 2012 and costs €110.

Changes for v10.5 are:
- Adds support for Max 2013 (32-bit and 64-bit)
- Adds multiple Vue camera import
- The Vue sun can now be linked to any directional light
- You can now add roll to spline keypoints using the local rotation gizmo
- Adds spline resampling
- You can now stack EcoSystem instances on top of each other
- The Rock Convexity material node changes the look of rocks based on their geometry
- New TerrainFractal 2 node adds optional stratification
- Deeper customization thanks to new Python functions
- Various network rendering improvements
- Many other improvements

Vue 10.5 xStream is available for Max 2008 to 2013 and costs $1495. A demo version is available here.

It's that time of year again when I put in a plug for the End User Event 2012, which is taking place again this year in Utrecht (Holland). On May 31st and June 1st you get the chance to meet up with people from all over the world who are doing incredible things with Max and other M & E products.

The two days consist of a large number of talks on subjects ranging from film work to architectural visualization, rendering theory to visual effects breakdowns, and much more. The list of speakers this year is once again like a 'Who's Who' of the 3ds Max world. The program, which is now pretty much final, can be found here, and covers a wide range of subjects. There should be something for just about everyone in there.

Aside from the calibre of the speakers, the best part of the event is that they are all available for a chat between sessions in the bar (did I mention that the event is held in a pub?). If you can make it there, I can pretty much guarantee that you won't regret it. And if you see me there, make sure you say 'Hello'!

Edit: I just found this promo video on YouTube, it looks like even aliens are going there now :o)

Changes for v3.17.13 are:
- Fixes some problems with derivative maps and parallax mapping

Changes for v2.9.5.0 are:
- Adds support for Softimage 2013
- Fixes a crash when replacing conditionals referred to by certain embedded transitions
- Fixes a bug in the 64-bit version of the Physique extraction code
- Fixes name propagation when switching transition and conditional types
- Fixes N3DS enum size
- Adds wchar_t to the list of basic types for auto-doc
- Removed a patch no longer necessary for the Max normal material
- Exposed GrannyEnsureCameraSeesPoint
- Adds an OS X Version of the Maya 2013 plugin

Granny Exporter is available for Max 6 to 2013, and is part of the Granny Toolkit which costs $17,500

Changes for v1.2.4 are:
- Adds support for Max 2013 (32-bit and 64-bit)

Changes for v1.0.12.0 are:
- Adds support for Max 2013 (32-bit and 64-bit)
- Fixes a potential crash when an image has less colors than the number it tries to extract
- Fixes distributed rendering V-Ray spawner crash when bitmap can't be located by the render slave
- The whole image is now used for color extraction, including very large images
- Fixes no colors appearing when reducing the number of colors to zero
- Adds max colors extracted information

Color Extract is available for Max 2010 to 2013 and costs €29. A demo version is available here.

Changes for v1.0 are:
- Adds support for Max 2013 (32-bit and 64-bit)

Changes for Build 20120427 are:
- Adds support for Max 2013 (32-bit and 64-bit)
- Adds Unicode support

Photo Studio Pro is available for Max 2009 to 2013 and costs €199. A demo version is available here.

Changes for Build 20120427 are:
- Adds support for Max 2013 (32-bit and 64-bit)
- Now uses the BDSF shader from Autodesk
- New IBL light shader environment
- New IBL light shader rectangle
- Some bug fixes

Shader Utilities Pro is available for Max 2009 to 2013 and costs €149. A demo version is available here.

Changes for SP4 are:
- More stability and improved interoperability with MassFX (Max's own NVIDIA PhysX)

ThinkingParticles is available for Max 2010 to 2012 and costs €1595. A demo version is available here.

I've just uploaded the BlurBeta plugins recompiled for Max 2013. I haven't had very much time to test them, so if you notice anything wrong, please let me know. You can grab the zip file with all of the plugins here.

With one exception, these are all straight recompiles with no changes. The exception is BlurPartForce, which I've updated to work with MassFX. Two plugins are still missing from the zipfile: L-System Object and MultiBlend. These need some major changes due to Unicode support in Max 2013, and I haven't got them finished yet.

If any of the plugins I'm recompiling are useful to you, please consider pressing the Donations button on the left, as all of this work is being done in my spare time.

Changes for v0.3 beta are:
- Adds support for Max 2013 (32-bit and 64-bit)

Changes for v1.2 are:
- Adds support for Max 2013 (32-bit and 64-bit)

Ky_Trail Pro is available for Max 6 to 2013 and costs €89. A demo version is available here.

Changes for v0.3.48 beta are:
- Blender now has color on models in vp
- Adds override material feature to Blender
- Adds preload Blend/Post/Final file to Blender
- Due to separation of sun and sky, sun is now turned off by default in Blender
- Blender now won't open NOX in case of missing emitters on scene
- Adds 'Reset all' buttons in NOX for Blend/Post/Final settings
- Adds 'Redraw final' buttons in NOX to the Post and Blend tab
- Fixes a bug in NOX with crash when opening texture dialog for aperture/obstacle

Changes for v2.4.2 are:
- Adds support for Max 2013 (32-bit and 64-bit)
- Adds support for reparenting bones by using the 'Exported Parent' setting
- Adds the 'No Parent' object setting as a complement to the 'Exported Parent'
- Fixes Max and OgreMax from holding onto unnecessary object settings and material references
- Adds support for the Architectural material type
- Adds support for the shininess map on a Standard Max material
- Modified export of transparency for the Standard material type
- Modified the way Standard material's 'Filter' and 'Subtractive' transparency are exported
- Fixes a bug with sky dome size not being scaled by scene scale
- Fixes a bug with submesh texture coordinate settings sometimes being mapped incorrectly
- Fixes a bug with Max sometimes crashing on close

OgreMax is available for Max 8 to 2013 and costs $250. A demo version is available here.

Changes for v1.70 are:
- Adds support for Max 2013 (32-bit and 64-bit)

This version of Flatiron is available for Max 2010 to 2013 and costs €299. The previous version is still available for user of Max 9 to 2009. A demo version is available here.

This is my monthly news entry to let people know that I am always available for 3D work (I don't just run this site, and I don't earn any money from it).

My main areas of work are commercials, industrial and technical animation, as well as programming and scripting. All of the relevant information can be found on my other site Animation Design, along with some videos of my work to give you an idea of what I can do. So if I can help out at all, just let me know.

If you are a plugin developer with source code for plugins that you don't develop anymore, it would be great if you could get in touch with me. I would be glad to recompile as many old plugins as possible to stop them from disappearing for ever. Just mail me to let me know what sort of stuff you've got.

On a side note, this is how the Messiah:studio plugins got recompiled for Max 9 to 2012, as well as all of the Sisyphus plugins, so it's worth sending stuff my way :o)

Dave

The news from previous months can be accessed by clicking on the 'Plugin news archive' link in the menu.