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Top News: the most relevant updates for post, VFX, and real-time production. Releases, acquisitions, funding, major industry moves, and deadline-relevant changes, curated for impact and practical relevance rather than volume. Fast to scan, links to sources, minimal fluff.
Max Ultra MCP puts AI agents inside 3ds Max
Max Ultra MCP gives AI assistants a local, tool-based route into live 3ds Max scenes, with scene inspection, MaxScript, viewport and render control.
ArmorPaint 1.0 swaps Haxe for C
ArmorPaint 1.0 swaps Haxe for C, trims memory use and adds local AI, UV tools, sculpting and broader interchange.
Datacolor expands Spyder Checkr card system
Datacolor adds standalone grey and white balance cards plus Photo and Video card decks, extending Spyder Checkr’s modular colour workflow.
Baselight 8: The feature list is the easy part
FilmLight explains why Baselight 8 adds mastering-focused audio tracks, a new linear-light grain model, Color Crosstalk, Color Correlation and ML-assisted Groups View.
Free Glass Distortion Node for Blender
A free Blender compositor node creates patterned-glass distortion from grayscale textures, with masking and five supplied patterns.
Media Composer 2026.8 Changes Shared Projects
Avid opens supported third-party Shared Projects in Enterprise, closes old NEXIS emulation in 2026.8 and adds multicam transcript automation.
OBSBOT Meet Flip Review: Finally, a Webcam That Knows How to Shut Up
The OBSBOT Meet Flip is tiny, genuinely portable and physically private. Add very good 4K video and surprisingly mature software, and this may be the travel webcam we have been waiting for.
Digital Anarchy for the Adobe UXP Rewrite
CEP panels still run, but their comfortable retirement is approaching. Jim Tierney explains what UXP migration really costs.
Adobe Puts a Prompt Layer Across Pro Video
Premiere gains in-timeline generation while After Effects turns plain English into native project work. Adobe’s bigger shift is the interface itself.
Resolve 21.1 Adds MCP and Finally Gets Presets
Resolve 21.1 brings MCP, overdue Inspector presets, deeper Fusion tools and a Python move that turns Studio into an automation heavyweight.
Fridays for Fusion: Lens flares, node by node
LFTools turns Fusion lens flares into modular node graphs, with procedural irises, bitmap elements, global controls and a $10 preset pack.
ICE.ART 2026.II agenda is set
ICE.ART 2026.II has its final agenda: three online evenings covering animation, virtual production, architecture, materials and realtime worlds.
EDGY Cuts Mesh Damage in C4D and Blender
EDGY cuts chips, cracks, craters and breaks into closed Cinema 4D and Blender meshes while leaving the original object untouched.
tyFlow 2.100 Adds PhysX Vehicles
tyFlow adds PhysX vehicle rigs to 3ds Max, plus 3DGS interchange for Max 2027+ and a lower-VRAM Inferno advection mode.
Finally, EIZO does OLED: CG3200X
EIZO finally gives ColorEdge an OLED panel, with 1,000 cd/m² maximum luminance and unusually transparent control over ABL behaviour.
Open-Source Photogrammetry Gets Friendlier
Simple Photogrammetry GUI bundles an open-source reconstruction stack behind a friendly UI, now with beta AMD/HIP support and useful logs.
PostPro Analytics Counts Creative Work
PostPro Analytics logs project activity across nine Mac creative apps and turns it into local dashboards, CSV reports and billing evidence.
Softie Adds XPBD Collisions to Blender
Softie combines fast Geometry Nodes deformation with an experimental XPBD mode for soft contact, self-collision and interactive sculpting.
Command Frame: After Effects macros without writing scripts
Command Frame turns After Effects actions into reusable command chains. The duller and more repetitive the job, the more sense it starts to make.
Blackmagic Adds Script Hooks and Pre-Record
Resolve gains script access to timeline selections and render settings, while Cinema Camera 6K gets up to 10 minutes of pre-record.
LUT Tuner Makes LUTs Tunable in Resolve
Excerpt: Cutpoint Labs turns edited .cube LUTs into adjustable Resolve DCTLs, complete with fit metrics, range controls and an inverse workflow.
Fridays for Fusion: Mug Advanced Halftone
Mug Advanced Halftone brings configurable print screens, jitter, palette reduction and RGB misregistration to Resolve and Fusion via Reactor.
Project Manager 4.01 speaks asset search
Project Manager adds local AI text search across 30-plus languages, reference-image search and a 12-language interface for 3ds Max libraries.
Media Plane adds nonlinear editing to Maya
Gizmify brings clip editing, retiming, compositing and scripted reference workflows directly into Maya with the beta Media Plane Editor.
Hearing Voices: What can AI in DaVinci Resolve 21 do for you?
We have been looking into transcription and subtitles from audio before, but Resolve 21 has added background processing and more AI in this field. Like going the other way, from text to audio, or from one voice to another. Are these features production-ready?
Armature 2 automates character rigging
FabricatorStudio's Windows app combines local AI and geodesic skinning with manual rig tools, USD hand-off and a free indie licence.
Fridays for Fusion: Free InPaint Macro Tackles Cleanup
InPaint adds a matte-driven cleanup helper to Reactor for Fusion shots where cloning falls apart on gradients and uneven surfaces.
EIZO ColorEdge CG3100X review: Is this the last great IPS monitor?
Four months with EIZO’s 30.5-inch DCI-4K flagship reveal a superbly uniform, silent IPS monitor that leaves very little room for excuses.
Blendkit expands to Maya, Godot and Rhino
Blendkit opens its asset library to Maya, Godot and Rhino through free open-source plugins, although the integrations remain early-stage software.
KitBash Buys ArtStation and Sketchfab
KitBash acquires ArtStation and Sketchfab from Epic. Nothing breaks today, but another chunk of the 3D ecosystem now has one owner.
Let’s talk to the Caddis developer.
Digital Production spoke with developer Mike Gaynor about the creation and implementation of Caddis.
ZEISS LensCore is here
ZEISS explains how LensCore recreates physical lens behaviour inside Nuke, supports custom lenses and fits into professional VFX pipelines.
Autodesk Sets Mudbox End-of-Sale Dates
Autodesk ends annual and monthly Mudbox sales on November 7, 2026; Media & Entertainment Collection 2027 is the last collection to include it.
AccuFACE 2 Grand Launch: Professional-Grade Facial Mocap for CC5 HD Characters
Reallusion's AccuFACE 2 adds GPU facial tracking, CC5 HD mapping, non-linear curves, AMD support and a wider iClone mocap pipeline.
Workshop: Building a Real-Time Location
A practical workshop on reconstructing real locations in Unreal Engine, using Sonagraf’s Yoyogi project to explain each production decision.
MoonRay’s First ASWF Release Adds MaterialX
MoonRay’s first ASWF release adds MaterialX map graphs, HdMoonRay integration and production-focused lighting, volume and stability work.
Sequoia 2026.5 Unifies Spatial Panning
Boris FX Sequoia 2026.5 adds one panner for stereo, surround and ADM/Atmos mixes, plus ARA, video and export workflow updates.
Volinga brings 4D Gaussian Splats to Unreal
Volinga converts animated PLY sequences into compact NVOL assets for real-time 4D Gaussian Splat playback in Unreal Engine 5.8.
Maverick Render 2026.1 Adds Cutaways
Maverick Render 2026.1 adds non-destructive cutaways, web spinners, fSpy matching, broader undo and a refreshed CUDA and OptiX core.
Autodesk Flow Studio adds 3D Editor and Canvas
Autodesk adds 3D scene direction and a node-based Canvas to Flow Studio for more controllable AI-assisted filmmaking.
RenderMan 27.3 Adds MaterialX to XPU
Pixar’s RenderMan 27.3 adds native MaterialX and initial Cryptomatte support to XPU, plus stylized-look, hair and volume updates.
Golaem opens Houdini and Unreal bridges
Autodesk has published Golaem’s Houdini and Unreal cache bridges under Apache 2.0, with procedural loading, Layout edits and no geometry bake.
Mixos paints PBR in the browser
Browser-based PBR painter Mixos supports mesh imports, layer masking, 4K paid exports and a 2,669-material CC0 library.
Cascadeur 2026.2 Adds Animation Layers
Cascadeur 2026.2 previews additive animation layers, easing controls, localised UI packs, environmental posing and Python workflow updates.
Reallusion Opens RTX Render Beta
Reallusion’s RTX Render beta brings path tracing, physical materials, lighting and colour controls to iClone 8 and Character Creator 5.
Animates Suite tunes Blender keys
Blender animators get key selection, retiming, Key Amp, onion skins, editable motion paths and world-space locks in one add-on.
How much Intelligence in DaVinci Resolve’s AI?
DaVinci Resolve 21 spots faces, cats and chaotic slates. We tested how smart IntelliSearch really is before the RAM starts sweating.
3DCoat 2026.11 Lets the Nodes Loose
The final 3DCoat 2026.11 release brings GPU node texturing, sculpt-time look development, voxel lattices and a sizeable modelling overhaul.
AutoRemesher Final Goes MIT
AutoRemesher reaches its final release under MIT, adding target quads, CLI operation and builds for Windows, macOS and Linux.
LaCie 8big Pro5: The Big Box
Fast, vast and decidedly audible: we tested the 192 TB LaCie 8big Pro5 with RAID 50, Thunderbolt 5 and real production workloads.
InstaMAT adds 2D UV painting
The July update brings 2D UV painting, UDIM handling, faster rebakes and fresher DCC support for texture-heavy work.
CameraMatch Adds Cinema 4D Workflow
CameraMatch AutoSetup v6 now supports Cinema 4D, adding automated camera matching for photomontage and archviz workflows.
Maya 2027.2 trains MotionMaker
Maya expands MotionMaker with custom model training, horse animation, cleaner path tools and wider DCC updates for artists.
3ds Max 2027.2 Adds Editable Splats
3ds Max 2027.2 brings editable 3DGS workflows, Points, Point Instance, Arnold 7.5.2 support and USD path diagnostics.
Dehancer Brings Film Dirt to SCRATCH
SCRATCH users get Dehancer’s OFX film-emulation stack, with camera profiles, film stocks, print films and analogue damage for tasteful decay.
TXTRCast syncs Photoshop to Blender
TXTRCast syncs 2D paint strokes from apps such as Clip Studio Paint and Photoshop into Blender, with GPL-3.0 code and Windows-only limits.
das element 2.3 speeds library browsing
Version 2.3 adds AVIF import, popularity data, gallery navigation and CLI fixes aimed at large studio media libraries.
InstaLOD Extends Geometry Toolchain to C4D and Omniverse
InstaLOD's July update adds two host integrations, adaptive quad topology, folder conversion, scene merging and import-axis control.
D5 3.1 Turns Design Reviews Interactive
D5 Render 3.1 adds interactive presentations, ACEScg, seasonal vegetation and embedded D5 Lite workflows for Rhino and Revit.
“Comp” enters public alpha
Comp enters alpha on Windows and Apple silicon, with an optional AI worker and a firm warning against production use.
3DF Zephyr 9 Adds Gaussian Splatting
3DF Zephyr 9 integrates Gaussian Splatting and adds map tiles, faster photoconsistency, improved navigation and new export options.
CityEngine 2026 expands Python and streets
CityEngine 2026 brings its Python 3 API out of beta, improves CGA authoring and adds more precise street editing tools.
Thinkbox MX reaches 3ds Max 2027
Krakatoa, Frost and XMesh community builds now cover 3ds Max 2018 to 2027. Stoke remains capped at 2026 for now.
Nukepedia Rebuilt, nuBridge Reloaded
An interview with Nukepedia founder Frank Rueter, one of the long-standing Nuke community voices, about the platform rebuild, nuBridge and the next steps for 2D Compositing tools.
Matcha maps photo refs in Maya
Matcha for Maya manages reference cameras, projects photos onto models, paints masks and exports organized PSD stacks.
Krokodove: a massive expansion of Fusion and Resolve’s creative arsenal
Nodes on hyperdrive. A huge new toolset for motion design and visual effects in DaVinci Resolve and Fusion Studio.
ICE.ART 2026.II Gets September Slot
ICE.ART 2026.II is scheduled for 8-10 September online, with 3D environment topics across games, VFX, GIS and AEC/BIM.
FilmLight fl-enhance: Baselight Tools Escape Into Python
FilmLight’s fl-enhance repository brings Baselight and Daylight scripts, shaders and FLAPI tools to GitHub, including LUT wrapping, ACES EXR transcoding and colour utilities.
Overgrown targets an open feature pipeline for Blender
Blender Studio is pushing Overgrown as a feature project with production logs, tools and docs, funded first through subscriber growth.
Fairlight Live 1.0 Goes Final
Blackmagic’s live audio mixer reaches 1.0 with ATEM USB, Core Audio, ASIO, SMPTE 2110, ASAF and free software pricing.
Roji Goes Deep on USD Rendering
Roji beta registration is open for a nodal USD workflow with MaterialX lookdev, Hydra review, path tracing and AI render support.
FloorGen 2 hits the C4D boards
C4Dzone’s FloorGen 2 creates procedural floors, wall coverings, tile layouts and baseboards inside Cinema 4D for €27.
ARRI ALEXA 35 Live Xtreme adds 8x SDI HFR
ARRI's ALEXA 35 Live Xtreme outputs HFR over SDI for live production, keeping slow motion inside the same camera pipeline.
PR2XML Turns .prproj Into a Service
PR2XML converts Premiere project metadata online, previews timelines in the browser and sells export downloads via a €75 lifetime license.
Beeble adds SDR to HDR on the web
Beeble’s SDR to HDR tool converts short 8-bit clips into 16-bit ACES EXR sequences with masks, prompts and credit-based cloud processing.
Seamlessifier Rips Photo Textures
Seamlessifier turns photo snippets into seamless PNG textures, atlases included, with useful knobs and some honest rough edges.
Real Clay and Digital Ice Cream at Uber Eck
Clay sculptures, photos, Houdini MPM and Redshift made Kayak’s Greek ice cream statues melt on cue. Real dairy was less cooperative.
Boris FX Buys iZotope
RX and Ozone get a new roof at Boris FX, while licenses and support stay active. Post now has more audio in the tool shed.
Ancient Relics, Modern Splats
Ten free splats bring statues, ruins and dinosaur skulls into Octane and After Effects, complete with captured texture and scene lighting. Or, whatever you use Splats for.
Houdini Rigging: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Start Loving APEX
For anyone tired of character setups held together by hope, version notes and one dangerous checkbox, Houdini 21 promises a paradigm shift. By decoupling mesh, rig logic, animation and execution through KineFX and APEX, SideFX is taking another run at the holy grail of procedural rigging. But can it deliver a fast and intuitive workflow?
Adobe Sampler 6.0 Adds OpenPBR
Substance 3D Sampler 6.0 adds OpenPBR defaults, preset material templates, USD material export and updated HP Z Captis capture tools.
Docking an iPhone or M5 Mac
The hardware On the physical side, the Prodock is a sturdy box made of metal, which should be…
RealityScan 2.2 Widens GPU Support
RealityScan 2.2 widens accelerated reconstruction, adds mixed GPU use, 360 camera workflow notes and scan-life fixes.
Optics 2026.5 gets more photo hosts
Optics 2026.5 plugs into three more photo hosts and adds analog burns, face masks, particles and a Victorian pet preset pack.
Reallusion Unlocks Limitless Creation: iClone Personal Debuts Alongside AI Studio Official Launch
iClone Personal replaces the trial with free access, AI Studio goes public, and 500 AI Points sweeten the 3D-to-AI rabbit hole.
DaCaPo Opens DCP Authoring Beta
DaCaPo bundles DCP authoring, OV/VF versioning, subtitles, KDMs and verification into a desktop tool for cinema delivery. Give the Beta a Spin!
Asus ProArt 16 USV: A Laptop-Sized Production Monitor
The ASUS ProArt PA16USV LED-Monitor, a 15.6-inch 4K HDR portable display that incorporates a 12G-SDI marks a significant pivot for ASUS into hardware that explicitly targets on-set workflows and DIT (digital imaging technician) monitoring tasks rather than solely desktop creative use. But is it any good?
Here comes Houdini 22
2 hours and 18 minutes. That is almost exactly the runtime of the first Matrix film, and exactly the duration of the Houdini 22 release keynote. So yes, this promises a rather chunky package of new features and improvements.
Godot 4.7 turns up HDR
Godot 4.7 goes practical: HDR output, rectangular lights, mobile builds, XR work and editor polish. Less fireworks, more knobs.
Arri LUKA lights Unreal previs
ARRI LUKA puts virtual fixtures, camera logic and Lumen rendering inside Unreal Engine. Previs gets less guessy.
Beeble Canvas gets a Topaz split
Canvas now compares Topaz upscales in-node, adds 30 plus generation models, Markdown notes, magnetic snap, and describer updates.
The Right Colours Without a Computer
SpyderPro exports a 33-point correction LUT, but you want one compact converter to apply it between SDI gear and an HDMI display.
Unreal Engine 5.8 Tidies Up
Unreal Engine 5.8 brings production-ready rendering, virtual production and simulation tools, alongside experimental systems for digital crowds, terrain and character animation.
SMPTE Opens Its Standards Library
SMPTE has opened its complete standards catalogue, giving engineers and developers free access to current and future documents.
EDIUS 11.50 Patches Exports Faster
EDIUS 11.50 repairs parts of finished exports, transcribes locally and adds practical timeline tweaks. The new crossgrade even lowers the entry price.
RadialZ Gives ZBrush a Brush Wheel
RadialZ turns the ZBrush brush library into cursor-side wheels, reducing palette trips and keyboard gymnastics.
Blender Roadmap Puts Plans in One Place
Blender gets a central Roadmap for active projects and recent features, giving artists and studios a clearer view beyond release-note excavation.
MPC Joins The Mill
MPC and The Mill become one global studio, combining commercial production and film VFX under The Mill name.
Using C4D’s Axis Tool in a Product Viz workflow
SilverwingVFX shows how he handles object axis in his Cinema 4D studio workflowthat ensures a fast and fluent process even with challenging and unoptimized computer aided design imports.
Sneeze Brings a Browser Engine to Spatial 3D
Sneeze applies the browser-engine model to spatial services, combining multi-origin 3D scenes, WASM isolation and proximity discovery.