Archive notice: This article was originally published on August 3, 2005. Links and embedded videos are preserved as part of the historical record.
Maxon is presenting three new products at Siggraph this year: Cinema 4D Release 9.5 differs from the version current to date with an improved workflow, a greatly expanded lighting system and the Sky sky generator. BodyPaint 3 Release 2.5 offers a redesigned user interface with easier
operation and new tools to quickly paint high-quality textures directly onto 3D objects. According to the manufacturer, the new Maxon Production Bundle was designed especially for high-end customers and, in addition to all current Maxon programs and modules, also includes full 16/32-bit support for all BodyPaint 3D painting tools, a high-end matte-painting tool, Renderman integration and also a Linux version.
Cinema 4D Release 9.5
The new Cinema version offers comprehensive innovations in the areas of lighting, rendering and workflow. The creation of high-quality lighting is made easier by light sources of any shape. Area lights and area shadows are now calculated up to four times faster, Maxon promises. The rendered images can
now also be output with 32-bit colour depth per channel, either as an HDRI or
OpenEXR file, and the transfer of
multipass compositings to Shake is possible. The new Content Browser is intended to help keep an overview of all 3D scenes, textures, materials or presets: Directories are searched and previews displayed in real time. Fullscreen mode offers a maximally large workspace with one click, and according to Maxon the comprehensively renovated baker generates textures or the new normal and UV maps with just a few mouse clicks.
Owners of the Advanced Render module receive two more new features: Ambient Occlusion enables more realistic shading without having to use Radiosity. Ambient Occlusion can be used either as a shader (scene-wide or object-specific) or as a baked texture. Sky is also a special feature – this toolset creates sky scenarios with 2D or 3D clouds, sun, moon and stars – either astronomically correct or manually manipulable.
A preview of the new version appears in DP 05:05, which will be available in stores from August 12.
Bodypaint 3D Release 2.5
Far-reaching improvements in terms of interface and workflow have been bestowed on Maxon’s 3D painting program: Users of 3ds max, Maya, Lightwave and Softimage XSI should now be able to texture even the most complex models at high quality faster and better than before in no time at all. Here too, the Content Browser and Fullscreen mode provide an overview. The HeadUp Display known from C4D and the quick command selection offer shorter access times to all tools. Through the ability to address individual layers and layer masks from Photoshop files, materials can be created and assigned even more easily, and N-gons are now also completely supported. With the Layer Shader, textures can be combined quickly and conveniently with filters and procedural shaders. The detachable projection plane offers convenience when placing finished image files on object geometry.
Maxon Production Bundle
According to the provider’s description, the Maxon Production Bundle combines all currently existing programs and modules with exclusive tools into an all-round tool for high-end studios.
In addition to the existing Maxon products, buyers of the package receive BodyPaint 3D’s 3D painting tools with full 16- and 32-bit functionality for editing HDRI or OpenEXR textures, the Projection Man matte-painting tool and connections to the Renderman renderers PRMan and Air. To integrate seamlessly into the pipeline of large studios, the bundle is also available as a Linux version and comes with a service contract that includes extended technical support and all future upgrades and new products during the contract period.
CINEMA 4D R9.5 and BodyPaint 3D R2.5 are to be delivered from September 2005; Maxon provides details on the Production Bundle on request. New customers who purchased a full licence of Cinema 4D R9.x or BodyPaint 3D R2.x after July 1, 2005, receive the described upgrades free of charge as part of the Grace Period.
