Archive notice: This article was originally published on June 6, 2018. Links and embedded videos are preserved as part of the historical record.
Pixar’s Hydra Architecture
Probably the biggest feature in this update is the new viewport, which Foundry has now built on Pixar’s Hydra technology. It is already being used enthusiastically in-house at Pixar and is also part of the Open Source Universal Scene Description technology.
The main reason for the change is pure performance, which has been improved considerably as a result. Especially when it comes to large scenes, the new viewport is supposedly up to 10 times faster than its predecessor.
The Usual Suspects in Katana 3.0
As in probably every update, Foundry also has general workflow and performance improvements to show with the latest version of Katana.
This also brings other small design aspects, such as more artist-friendly transform handles and a comprehensive API, should anyone’s fingers be itching for custom object drawing or manipulators. The UI has also been made prettier.
3Delight on Top
Incidentally, the new version also comes with 3Delight as a plug-in for integrated rendering free of charge. It can simply be installed directly together with Katana 3.0 and is then ready for immediate use. The details can be read HERE.
You can find all the more detailed information about the update HERE.
