Discreet and Alias announced new versions of their high-end 3D graphic tools at the Annual SIGGRAPH Conference on Computer Graphics and Interactive Techniques.Discreet 3ds Max 8
Discreet has launched version 8 of its 3DS Max suite focussed on character animation and asset management plus modelling/texturing and development tools for large teams. 3DS Max 8 includes all of the features added in version 7.5, which were only made available to member's of Autodesk's subscriptions scheme. These include cloth, hair and fur tools and version 3.4 of the mental ray rendering engine.
Autodesk® 3ds Max® 8 software provides new asset management, character development, UV mapping, and scripting tools. See the full feature set of 3ds Max 8
Alias Maya 7
Even Alias announced version 7 of its Maya suite. Maya 7 features a redesigned render layers function, which lets multiple versions of objects, including materials, lights and cameras, post processes like Maya Fur and Paint Effects, be managed in a single scene file. Render layers can be rendered with any renderer integrated with Maya, including the latest mental ray for Maya. this better prepares renders for output to their compositor like Photoshop or Flash.
Newtek Lightwave 9
LightWave 3D version 9.0 features Modeling Tool Subset in Layout, Adaptive Mesh subdivision based on visibility and distance to camera, Particle surface shading system, Environment instancing on surfaces, etc. LightWave 3D version 9.0 is expected to be available in the 4 th quarter for US$795.00 for a single user license.
Updated 8/16/05 - Maya 7 software is now available for purchase from www.alias.com. Maya 7 makes animating characters faster, easier, and more accurate. The software also delivers new polygonal modeling and UV tools that round out Maya's modeling feature set. In addition, it gives artists illustration and specialized visual effects tools, including a new Toon Shader; advanced render layering technology; and faster, more seamless connections between Maya and other key production software.
Download Links
Download a free 30-day trial Autodesk 3ds Max7 - The Autodesk 3dsMax 8 trial also available for download now. You can also download the Videos of 3ds Max 8 Features. Autodesk 3ds max 8 software will sell for US$3,495. The upgrade cost from 3ds max 7 to 3ds max 8 will be US$795. You can win a Autodesk 3ds Max 8 training DVD if you download 3ds Max8 from Autodesk website.
Character Development, Advanced Modeling & Texturing, More Comprehensive Development Framework and Complex Data and Asset Management (dealing with scalability, collaboration and scene complexity) are the four specific areas of focus where Discreet will address the present and future demands of increasingly complex 3D production environments.
Maya 7 will ship in August but a Maya® Complete Personal learning edition is available for download. Version 7 ships with a manual, running to nearly 600 pages, dealing entirely with the program’s new features.
Maya’s main disadvantage when compared to its rivals is that it’s always been just a little more techy. When other packages have offered preset libraries, Maya has forced you to build your own.