MAX Plugins.de News Archive

Archived Plugin News  –  October 2019
 

Plugin Update: Utilities

Changes for v3.07.26 are:
- Favorites have been moved to a separate TreeView panel
- Favorites can now contain any type of asset including materials
- Material libraries can now be stored in virtual directories such as Catalogs and Favorites
- You can now hide directories from TreeView by path, by name or masking using a wildcard
- Adds the ability to select multiple directories in TreeView
- Adds the ability to specify the color for folders in TreeView
- Opened directories are now auto-updated when changing files outside Project Manager
- Adds interactive synchronization of the folder tree when working in team mode
- You can now link files to each other in the Gallery
- Adds the ability to set your own previews for items in the Gallery
- You can now drag and drop items to Max directly from the Gallery
- Adds the ability to link multiple files with materials
- Adds the ability to store materials in the favorites
- Adds support for comments in Materials
- You can now set up multiple custom studios for batch rendering models and material libraries
- Batch rendered images are now automatically added to the Gallery
- The status bar now displays additional information about selected files
- The asset management form can now be opened directly from the status bar
- Adds the ability to delete a file from categories directly from the status bar
- You can now specify a path to a Proxy, which can be full or relative
- Files converted to Proxy now automatically link to the source file and are added to its gallery
- Adds a preview for ArchVision RPC animations
- You can now play animation previews for video files
- Adds the ability to store file-type filters for directories in the 'Textures' category
- The 'HDRI' category has been moved to the 'Textures' category
- Adds the ability to view any kind of asset in a separate window
- Adds the ability to mass-rename files and external links in the Asset Files tab
- User comments on files are now stored in the database
- The address box now has advanced navigation capabilities like the Windows Explorer
- You can convert descriptions and tags for 3D models from version 2 to version 3 in batch mode

Project Manager is available for Max 2014 to 202 and costs $75. A demo version is available here.


Plugin News: Joker Martini updates

John Martini has been busy recently, having released an update to his Helix Pro plugin, adding support for Max 2020, and releasing two new products: Tech Line and Clone Modifier Pack.

Tech Line offers the ability to easily create a mechanical, linear line with varied notches, segments, gaps, thickness and more. You have full control over the line, and can define custom meshes to use at segment intersections or as end caps for segments. It's available for Max 2012 to 2020 and costs $3.

The Clone Modifier Pack includes basic Linear Clone, Radial Clone, and Grid Clone modifiers which create copies of an object and incrementally translate, rotate and scale the input object. These modifiers allow you to animate the offsets and number of duplicates over time. You can also add multiple modifiers to create more complex results. This one is available for Max 2018 to 2020 and also costs $3.


Plugin Update: Particles

Changes for v0.16055 beta are:
- The tySelect modifier can now convert selections into Vertex Color channel values
- Improves the tySplineMesher modifier with new controls
- The tySplineMesher modifier can now deform any mesh along splines
- The Material ID operator now has the ability to seed values by time
- The Rotation operator facing average/closest now has forward vector options
- Adds an 'Extract splines' button to the tySplines object
- The Camera Cull operator can now perform proximity tests and can take any object as a culler
- Adds a 'Skip existing files' option to the PRT exporter
- Adds noise options to the gizmo mode of the tySelect modifier
- Adds orientation settings to the Spline Paths operator
- Fixes a crash in the Voronoi fracture operator if the input mesh had a null map channel
- Fixes a bug affecting texmap sampling accuracy
- Fixes a tySelect bug where it wouldn't always update the current frame's selection
- Fixes a crash that could occur during element extraction in the Birth Objects operator
- tySelect additive selection baking is now faster when other modifiers are above it on the stack
- Fixes a bug that could cause OpenCL to crash on successive runs
- tyFlow can now read FumeFX post-process/wavelet caches


New Plugin: Modifiers

This modifier allows you to store the the current status of the modifier stack, enabling you to collapse the modifier stack while keeping the history of the stack. You can choose to save the cached data in the scene file (which will make file size bigger), but if the stack requires heavy calculation, this modifier will make scene loading a lot faster. It could also be used for replacing the current mesh in the modifier-stack, so if you cache an object with this modifier and paste it as an instanced modifier onto other objects, that object will get the mesh from the modifier which is caching.


Plugin Update: Modelling

Changes for v4.0.9 are:
- New nested generators let you to connect an L1S or A2S node output to another generator input
- You can now use the materials from the source geometry
- New Quick Mesh preview mode allows you to instance geometry in the viewports
- New markers can be added anywhere on a spline and used to place geometry where you need it
- To support markers, generators now have new marker inputs
- You can now cap the open borders of sliced geometry automatically
- Composed items are now handled in a similar way to groups in Max
- Transform nodes are now applied sequentially, so changing the order can affect the transform
- When scaling and rotating within a single operator, scaling is now applied before rotation
- To make graphs easier to read, wires are now coloured according to what type of node is used
- Nodes can now be added to an existing wire simply by dragging a new operator from the list
- Alternatively, you can add a node to a wire by right-clicking and selecting Inset on Wire
- If you delete a node, the connection is now retained
- The Style editor now has a snap grid to help you layout your graphs
- It is now possible to select all children of a highlighted node using the Right-Click menu
- It is now much easier to clean up your graphs using the Select Unused option
- All nodes added to the graph now receive a unique name
- The index numbers for inputs connected to the Selector node are now shown on the graph
- Graphs are faster because modifications on non-connected nodes no longer trigger a rebuild
- The Macro tree has been reorganised and is now collapsed by default
- A new statistics window makes it much easier to benchmark performance and identify bottlenecks
- Includes several performance improvements to speed up style evaluation and rendering
- Nodes are now evaluated only when they have been triggered because a node has changed
- Performance has been improved for styles that use segments with exported parameters
- Adds several new variables to expressions
- Expands the attributes that can be controlled with expressions
- You can now use a Transform node to generate an empty segment
- The Selector operator has new modes to improve using spline attributes to choose geometry
- A new parameter allows the user to offset generators on the X-Axis
- RailClone Tools->'Separated Meshes' is now on by default
- Adds a mode to the Random node to trigger a new number per 'Generator'
- Improves control of padding
- The Macros library folder now can be defined using an environment variable
- Detection of circular references has been improved
- 'Free Object' mode with A2S Generators and 'Extend to XY Size' enabled has been improved
- For floating licenses, a license is now released on Max Reset
- Adds support for V-Ray 3.7

RailClone Pro is available for Max 2013 to 2020 and costs €220. A demo version is available here.


Plugin Update: Renderers

Changes for v1.3.4e are:
- Adds color correction settings input
- Adds a distance texture
- Fixes a crash with distance and bitmap textures
- Fixes incorrect GPU memory display
- Fixes incorrect rounded edges with motion blur
- Fixes missing prodution render when in offline mode

FStormRender is available for Max 2014 to 2020 and costs €20 per month. A demo version is available here.


Plugin Update: Modelling / Animation

Changes for v6.2.7.21101 are:
- Hair from Guides now interpolates strand rotations
- Symmetry now ensures that strand rotations are mirrored and that grounding doesn't affect them
- Brings back the legacy 'FK' brush algorithm when the 'Optimize Strand Geometry' option is off
- Fixes Edit Guides control points from affecting more than one vertex for zero influence radius
- Fixes backward compatibility for Frizz operator diagram behavior change in last version
- Fixes the FrizzOperator Amount Map not affecting all the hairs
- Multiplier now copies guide dependencies
- The legacy brush algorithm no longer changes segment angles which are not view aligned
- Fixes proxy meshes being flattened
- Fixes the hair displacement offset not being applied unless a map is also specified
- Scatter no longer causes errors with input hair which has invalid surface dependencies
- Fixes symmetry not working with propagated strands
- Scattered propagated strands no longer produce errors
- Loading a subset of hairs with varying point count no longer causes instability and crashes
- Changing propagated strand count no longer causes incorrect clump assignment
- Fixes the Edit Guides amount parameter not having an effect on strand rotations
- Fixes points too close to each other causing issues with Frizz

Ornatrix is available for Max 2014 to 2020 and costs $599. A demo version is available here.


Plugin Update: Texturing

Changes for v3.0.3 are:
- Fixes an incorrect Unwrap default setup
- Fixes an autostart bug
- Show bitmaps now works on objects with a checker
- You can now save the Unwrap modifier setup in Settings
- Fixes a critical loader bug on some systems

UV Tools is available for Max 2013 to 2020 and costs $20.


Plugin Update: Import / Export

Changes for v2.12.0.4 are:
- Adds support for the Stadia platform
- Improves FBX to Granny converter to handle converting multiple takes to multiple animations
- Improves FBX to Granny converter to correctly convert the FBX default skeleton
- Adds handling of large display/font scaling values in Windows in Granny exporter UI
- Fixes a few issues with the included Visual Studio project files
- More documentation improvements

Granny Exporter is available for Max 2009 to 2020, and is part of the Granny Toolkit which costs $17,500.


Plugin Update: Import / Export

Changes for v4.2.0 are:
- Adds CorVex Spline, a parametric shape to create splines from specified sections of CorVex nodes
- Adds several new Material ID options for CorVex nodes that are using the multi-floor setting
- Fixes a MAXScript error when assigning a spline to a CorVex node that caused a dependency loop
- Adds support for CorVexSpline to both CorVex and PropLine nodes
- Updates PropLine to have better support for BorderSpline
- Updates PropLine macros to work on PropLine nodes that have modifiers
- Updates some visgroup functions in Visgroup Manager to call forcecompleteredraw()
- Adds a button to Visgroup Manager to create Visgroups from current scene layers
- Adds a new button to Visgroup Manager to delete the selected visgroup
- Adds a Visgroup Manager option to delete all empty visgroups
- Adds VMF Exporter support to export Visgroups (instead of Layers) as visgroups into VMF
- Adds VMF Exporter support for exporting objects into multiple visgroups
- Adds VMF Importer support for objects to import to multiple visgroups instead of just one
- Updates the VMF Importer to cache instance import paths and Container definition paths
- Adds a new setting to choose between Visgroups or Layers for exporting into VMF visgroups
- Adds support for TAR (Terri's Auto Radar) in Wall Worm (must have TAR installed to work)
- Updates Starter Kit brush generation to use CorVex if installed for generating brush entities
- Adds Day of Defeat tools to Starter Kits
- Adds a Tonemap Setup button to Starter Kits
- Moves Border Spline from the generic Splines category to a new cetegory called 'Wall Worm'

Wall Worm Pro is available for Max 2012 to 2020 and costs $50.


New Plugin: Import / Export

This collection of scripts allows you to easily copy and paste geometry and common attributes across 3D applications, perfect for quick iterations between them, without concerns about file management.

Currently, the following applications are supported:
- Modo
- Lightwave
- Blender
- Maya
- Houdini
- C4D
- Rhino
- Sketchup
- 3ds Max
- XSI
- Moi3D
- ZBrush
- Substance Painter
- 3D-Coat
- Unity
- Mari

This seems to have been around for a while now, but I only just found out about it. It really is incredibly useful in a production environment using multiple 3D programs.


Plugin Update: Utilities

Changes for v3.98 are:
- Fixes CoronaBitmap texturemaps from CoronaNormal texturemaps being ignored
- Fixes an issue when converting cameras to VrayPhysicalCamera in Max 2016-2020 with V-Ray 3.3
- Removes the *.exe installer from the distribution archive to fix antivirus issues

V-RayMtl Converter is available for Max 2013 to 2020 and costs $24.


Plugin Update: Particles

Changes for v0.16052 beta are:
- The tySelect modifier can now select by particle proximity
- The Displace operator now offers a texmap-independent noise displace mode
- The Voronoi operator now shows fracture progress in the status bar
- Fixes issues with tySelect mesh mode that were affecting accuracy and performance
- Triggers with identical channels in a tyActor no longer override each other
- Fixes a crash that occurred in tySelect if Mesh selection sub-object was set to faces
- Fixes 'On event entry' timing modes not triggering for particles looped back to the event
- Fixes a long-standing bug causing overall PhysX indeterminism after PhysX binds were broken
- Turning on collision sphere display in the Collision operator no longer resets the flow
- Fixes a bug where tySelect in gizmo-plane mode was performing inverted selections by default


Plugin Update: Renderers

Changes for Beta 3.00 are:
- Updates Cycles to parity with Blender 2.80
- CPU and CUDA renders now use the same tile size
- CUDA renders now require GTX 600-series or newer GPU
- Roughness values are now interpreted differently for most materials
- Adds support for combined CPU/CUDA renders
- Subsurface Scattering / Principled BSDF materials now support random walk subsurface scattering
- Principled BSDF now has Emission and Alpha inputs
- Adds a render parameter to limit transparent bounces
- Base roughness is now applied correctly with the Autodesk Physical Material
- Anisotropy now works for the Principled BSDF material
- Falloff selection is now applied correctly with the Subsurface Scattering material
- Normal maps can no longer be applied to the Transparent material


Plugin Update: Modelling

Changes for v2.1.1 are:
- Fixes an issue displaying the UI in Max 2019 and 2020
- Fixes a window list error when using the 'Undo' button

Fast Housing is available for Max 2017 to 2020 and costs $25. A demo version is available here.


New Plugin: Texturing

This commercial MAXScript contains a number of easy to use UV mapping tools for Archviz and more. UV Tools works on multiple objects with the same Unwrap modifier, it can work on an Unwrap sub-selection, it doesn't need the UV Editor to be open, and it is fast, reliable and undoable.

Features include:
- Move and rotate textures in the Max viewport
- Align U or V axis to edge end or center
- Move, scale and rotate UV's using numerical values
- Rotate textures by element length
- Get UV scale from another polygon
- Rescale UV's to any units value or to real-world mapping
- Random UV flip, rotate, offset, scale
- Use 4 preinstalled checker textures or add your own textures
- Relax all or selected polygons in the viewport
- Equalize texel density to min, max or average
- Show bitmaps on selected objects or selected polygons
- Apply planar mapping with the aspect ratio of the bitmap texture
- Create a flat object from mapping
- Transfer sub-selections from Unwrap to Editable Poly and vice versa
- Hide selected polygons to get access to occluded areas
- Many useful UV operations
- Customisable GUI
- Assign any UV Tools action to a hotkey or toolbar button
- Combine actions to create complex one-click mapping operations

UV Tools is available for Max 2013 to 2020 and costs $20.


Plugin Update: Renderers

Changes for v2019.1.1 - 8.10 are:
- Fixes a crash with standard particles using extended geometry support in the Octane modifier
- Fixes missing updates when changing volume ramp and other textures
- Updates IES lights, adds double sided, cast shadow, visible on diffuse and specular

OctaneRender is available for Max 2013 to 2020 and costs $619. A demo version is available here.


Plugin Update: Utilities

Changes for v1.7.3 are:
- Rendering with a default shader-ball or a custom shader object has been vastly improved
- The custom shader object is now only moved if the option 'Reset position' is used
- Holding down the 'ESC' key now stops the script from executing
- Adds a 'Reset all settings to default' button to the 'About/Config' menu
- Some other small tweaks and minor UI changes
- Fixes 'Manage External Files' selection in the desktop app
- Minor bug fixes and stability improvements to the desktop app


Plugin Update: Import / Export

Changes for v2.15 are:
- The App Manager can now be launched without running 3ds Max
- You can now uninstall Verge3D using the standard Add or Remove programs function of Windows
- The automatic plugin configuration now works for non-English versions of Max
- All example apps in the App Manager were renamed to not include 'Max' at the end
- Camera targets can now be animated, parented to other objects or moved via Puzzles
- Puzzles for accessing game controllers have been successfully implemented
- The Farmer's Journey game has been updated to use gamepad controls alongside the keyboard
- The new puzzles can also be used in VR mode providing additional controls from VR devices
- The Add HTML Element puzzle now provides a choice of where the new element will be created
- Adds a png/jpeg switch to the take screenshot puzzle
- The load sound puzzle now accepts the URL parameter as a variable
- All of the sound puzzles' names were shortened
- The picked / hovered object puzzles can now be inserted directly in the logic comparison puzzle
- The fit option of the texture from text puzzle now works better with short text lines
- The puzzles Assign Material and Get Material now work with multi-material objects
- The Library entries were updated to reflect the changes in the recently updated puzzles
- The middle mouse button now pans the editor workspace even when it is pressed over a puzzle
- Fixes all outdated / missing links and screenshots throughout the Reference
- Some puzzles' names, toolbox order and look were also tweaked
- Adds documentation for the puzzles which were previously missed or referred to Wikipedia
- Adds support for standard glTF files, so WebGL apps can now be created with other exporters
- Adds a new Create Environment puzzle for adding image-based lighting and backgrounds
- When loading a glTF file without a camera, Verge3D creates and positions a replacement camera
- Adds the source code for the App, Annotation, AnnotationControl and Preloader classes
- The default fullscreen button can now be styled with CSS classes
- Fog can now be enabled for the scene via JavaScript
- Procedures defined in Puzzles are now callable directly from JavaScript
- A series of optimizations were introduced to make .gltf and .bin files more compact
- Preloader progress is smoother thanks to asynchronous shader compilation and asset processing
- The trial watermark was shortened and links to the explanatory page about the trial limitations
- When updating, your license key is now applied automatically if not expired
- The App Manager now informs you of new updates (both stable and preview) with a notification
- Fixes some bugs with morphing
- Morphing is now supported for multi-material objects
- Fixes the rendering error with transparent objects when screen-space refraction is enabled
- Fixes a lighting bug when screenspace reflection or refraction is enabled
- Fixes an issue with the set/get rotation puzzles sometimes producing incorrect angles
- Fixes non-UTF-8 encoded html/css/js files in a project causing the App Manager to crash
- Removes the faulty blurriness when rendering materials with zero roughness
- Fixes memory leaks when post-processing effects are disabled

Verge3D is available for Max 2015 to 2020 and costs $290. A demo version is available here.


Plugin Update: Particles

Changes for v0.16051 beta are:
- tyCurveControls are now clamped at [-1,1] which allows for negative soft selection values
- Adds a right click option in tyCurveControl to snap points to various rounded y values
- Fixes a bug where particles sent to another event could potentially leak through a collider
- Fixes animation in deforming or moving meshes in a tySelect not updating the selection


Plugin Update: Modelling

Changes for v1.4 are:
- Adds a Snap Step to Scene Units
- Adds a viewport marker to show the where the script measures the Percentage/Distance from
- Adds a hotkey ('D') to change the starting point

miauu's Scalpel is available for Max 2017 to 2020 and costs €9.