Archive notice: This article was originally published on September 2, 2014. Links and embedded videos are preserved as part of the historical record.
The most important features of Massive 7.0 are more efficient character animation, improved rendering, animation and user-interface functions, optimised support for Arnold and Maya, and four-times-faster rendering speed. It also now supports V-Ray Displacements, and Massive’s Dynamic Hair and Fur can now be rendered with V-Ray. According to Massive Software, the IK solver can also be used much more flexibly in version 7.
Character Animation
With version 7, animators can now connect their rig to Massive animation, making keyframe animation with Massive possible. Once a simple Massive Agent version has been created, a walk cycle or lively animation can be created in minutes rather than hours. With various agent variables provided by the new Blend Character Tool, an animator can direct their character through a scene.
Maya and Arnold Support
Massive is more compatible with Maya in version 7, as it now supports X, Y, Z joint scales as well as every type of Maya curve interpolation. The tool is now also supposed to support the Arnold renderer seamlessly – a feature that is said to have already been used for "Hercules", "Edge of Tomorrow" and "Gravity". Arnold’s strength, photorealism, can thus be applied to crowd animations with several hundreds of agents.
All further information about Massive 7.0 can be found here.
