New add-on for Blender brings onion skinning layering into full 3D
the new “3D Onion Skinning” add-on for Blender gives you ghosted frames in 3D so you can see motion timing and spacing without flipping frames manually.
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World VFX Day 2025: Global Line-Up Revealed
WētāFX, ILM, Framestore, Adobe and more join World VFX Day 2025 this December, streaming live from London.
Houdini 21: Like good wine (Part1, VFX & Geo)
Houdini 21 polishes the chaos: production-ready MPM, neural surfacing, smarter Pyro, and Vulkan viewport upgrades: all taste-tested for real-world use. (Part 1 of ???)
Autodesk 3ds Max 2026.3: A modest update with key workflow tweaks
3ds Max 2026.3 arrives with more precise Conform modifier controls, dynamic material switching, USD workflow improvements and an updated Arnold plugin.
Moho 14.4 Goes on a Side Quest: 2D Meets Game Engines
Lost Marble’s Moho 14.4 “Side Quest” links 2D animation with game engines via glTF export, plus Smart Bones in 360°, smarter particles, and smoother strokes.
Xsens Rebuilds Its Link Mocap Suit With 4D Stretch
Xsens reinvents its Link suit: 4D stretch fabric, Wi-Fi 6E, one-click sensors, and fewer cables. mocap setups just got a lot less sweaty, or at least easier to keep (reasonably) clean.
Ucupaint 2.4.0 with alpha channel and decal-constraints
Ucupaint 2.4.0 adds dedicated alpha channel, decal-stick option, UI overhaul and faster VDM baking.
Phantom Media Group: Milk, Lola, Tippett, PhantomFX and Spectre Unite
Milk, Lola, Tippett, PhantomFX and Spectre now share a roof. Phantom Digital Effects forms Phantom Media Group to align global VFX talent.
City Life for Crowds: iCrowds Lands in Blender
iCrowds, the new Blender add-on from iCity’s creator, brings smart Sims-style crowds, seven simulation systems, and 100k agents to 3D production.
Das Element 2.2: Major Step Forward for Asset Management
The new Das Element 2.2 release strengthens 3D handling, adds dynamic permission controls and custom Python action hooks to make studio asset management even smoother.
Free WaveManager Brings Procedural Motion to Maya
WaveManager for Maya adds procedural wave motion to any rig via expressions: no keyframes, full control, free download.
Video Mocap: Reallusion’s AI Gets Moving
Reallusion adds online AI motion capture to iClone: Video Mocap turns footage into editable animation for $2.50 per clip.
FMX Turns 30 in 2026
FMX 2026 celebrates 30 years of digital media creation. Stuttgart, May 5–8, 2026. Theme: “The Road Ahead”. Book your rooms, time flies.
Mesh2Motion Update 6 Adds Explore Library and Rebuilt Rigs
Update 6 gives Mesh2Motion a new Explore Library, rebuilt Blender rigs, and smarter bones for birds, dragons, and quadrupeds.
3D Measure Master brings CAD-style precision to 3ds Max
The new plugin 3D Measure Master adds CAD-style measuring tools to 3ds Max, creating editable and renderable geometry for true 3D dimensions.
Flix 8.0: Foundry’s story hub gets serious about Storyboard Pro
Foundry’s Flix 8.0 tightens its Storyboard Pro link, retools shots UI, refines ingest monitoring, still “priced on request”, which probably means “too expensive”.
“Task Force Querlitz” Brings Adult Animation to ZDF
With Task Force Querlitz, screenwriter Simon Thummet, director Arne Hain and producer Sebastian Simon have achieved something rare:…
Retopoflow 4.0 for Blender
Orange Turbine’s Retopoflow 4.0 brings full Edit Mode integration in Blender and support for curves/NURBS/metaballs, but one tool is still missing in this release.
Unreal 5.7 Preview: PCG Grows Up, Foliage Gets Fancy
Unreal Engine 5.7 Preview is out. PCG hits production-ready, foliage goes Nanite, and MetaHumans get smarter, all free via Epic’s launcher.
Stitch Head!
“Stitch Head”: A charming animated adventure blending gothic charm, playful humor, and a heartfelt journey of self-acceptance, crafted by a team spanning multiple continents and pipelines.
Anastomia: Comparative Anatomy for Creature Artists
Human, horse, wolf, dog: Anastomia visualises their anatomy side by side, with sync, isolation, and pose features. Free in early access.
TD Meetup 21: VR, Quill & the Renaissance of Real-Time Storytelling
At TD Meetup #21, Dan Franke showed how Quill VR lets you literally paint, animate, and pivot scenes in real time—no rig, just hand and headset.
After Effects Gets Hands-On: Victoria Nece Shows Off Quick Offset & Co.
At IBC 2025, I talked with Adobe’s Victoria Nece about Quick Offset, Smooth Zoom, and 3D compositing in After Effects. It’s tactile, fast and oddly fun.
VIEW 2025: Program, Prices & Turin Tips
VIEW 2025’s packed programme mixes Pixar, ILM and AI sessions in Turin, with ticket prices from €186.55 and yes, eat a tramezzino.
VFX Job Application | FMX 2025 [LIMITED TIME]
Applying for jobs in visual effects, animation and gaming can be challenging, so let’s reveal the secrets that…
Your Screen, Now a Window: Former Meta Engineer Revives Head-Coupled 3D
Any laptop or phone screen can feel 3D now—no headset, no glasses. True3D just needs your camera and your head.
Pickify: Selection Sets Without Outliner Mess
Pickify gives animators hotkey-based selection sets in Maya—without clogging the Outliner. Free, minimal, and exportable.
Polishing Polygons: Animatrix Polisher for Maya
Sculpt, smear, polish: Animatrix Polisher adds direct mesh editing and non-destructive fixes to Maya for just 20 bucks.
Berlin Animates: FAB 2025 Full Daily Programme
FAB 2025, 26 to 28 Sept: Berlin screens 132 films, plus hands-on workshops and Japan focus. Here’s the complete schedule.
Godot 4.5: New Buffers, Better Access, More Control
Godot 4.5 ships with stencil buffer, shader baker, screen reader support, and dozens of workflow updates. Time to test before production.
TD-Meetup: Join us live, we talk about how VR Speeds Up Animation & Previz!
VR meets previs: Dan Franke shows how Quill VR fuels storytelling and rapid 3D iteration at the TD Meetup this thursday!
mGear 5.1 sharpens RBF Manager and patches Shifter
mGear 5.1 kills off Maya 2020 support. In return: RBF Manager v2.0, Shifter bug fixes, and a forked weightDriver. Test before deploying.
Howler 2026 lands: AI inpainting, Confetti particles and four-track audio for under $33
Howler 2026 reinvents the quirky painting app with AI image tools, particle effects and multitrack audio—and it’s still just $32.99.
USDSkel: Optimized Character Rigging
USDSkel is an OpenUSD component that supports scalable, manipulable, and interchangeable skinned characters. Wanna know more?
Clay 4.Doh Update Sculpts Blender Workflow
Rahul Parihar’s Clay 4.Doh update expands his Blender clay toolkit with new tools, modifiers, shader improvements, and perpetual free updates.
Houdini 21: SideFX pushes for production readiness across the CG pipeline
SideFX releases Houdini 21, promoting Apex, Vulkan, Otus, and major animation and rigging upgrades to production-ready status.
Your Phone, Blender’s Puppet: Blender Object Controller & Camera Controller Add-Ons now with Live View & World Tracking
Blender Object Controller and Camera Controller Beta receive updates: new UDP and live camera streaming, world tracking, timeline and keyframe controls, and more.
Houdini 21 : Otto, Otis, Copernicus and 300+ New Features. No, Really
Houdini 21 sneak peek: SideFX previews 300+ features: Otis solver, Otto rig, Copernicus, Vulkan viewport, full rigging and CFX overhaul.
Cascadeur 2025.2 Adds Motion Styles, Tangent Editing, and Automatic Fulcrum Detection
Cascadeur 2025.2 adds motion-style selection, viewport tangent editing, longer inbetweening and auto fulcrum detection.
Beyond Normal: A Creative’s Guide to Different Minds and Managing Neurodivergent Talent (Part 1)
Creative brilliance doesn’t come in one flavor—and in today’s VFX-landscape, understanding how your team thinks isn’t just good leadership, it’s critical infrastructure.
Rumba 2.0: No More Animators’ Elbow
Rumba 2.0 from Mercenaries Engineering launches, promising faster, artist-friendly Maya-compatible character animation and seamless USD, Alembic, and FBX support.
Berlin’s Animation-Only Festival FAB 2025 Returns: Japan, Stop-Motion, and 132 Films
FAB returns to Berlin in September 2025 with 132 films, Japanese guests, a stop-motion symposium, and six competitions at silent green Kulturquartier and City Kino Wedding.
Chaos Envision 1.1: Now with Smarter Traffic and Door Sensors—What Could Go Wrong?
Chaos Envision 1.1 adds traffic simulation, proximity sensors, batch rendering, and new material tools for streamlined architectural animation.
Animation for All: Reallusion AccuRIG 2.0 and Friends Keep Things Moving
AccuRIG 2.0 puts 4,500+ animations a click away. Reallusion’s animation and rigging ecosystem is picking up speed.
Game Boy Robot: When Nostalgia Gets a Quad-Based Makeover
Game Boy nostalgia meets quad-based hard-surface modeling in Benavidmark’s detailed 3D robot tribute—every production step dissected.
SDF Modeler 0.5.3: Sculpt, Blend & Trace – Refined Free SDF Concept Tool
SDF Modeler 0.5.3 adds push/avoid/emboss/deboss blends, spline curvature, 3‑axis mirror, export bugfixes and UI enhancements.
Maya’s Jiggle Assistant: PUPbuildDynamic Does Your Secondary Motion
PuppetSoul PUPbuildDynamic for Maya is a free add-on delivering real-time secondary motion and collision on joint chains—without FX overhead.
Crossbow: Workflow Automation for VFX & Animation
Four years of R&D, zero spreadsheets, no more copy-pasting shot status—Crossbow promises a less painful way to manage VFX and animation projects. In this interview, Jindrich Cervenka explains what Crossbow shoots, why it matters, and why you still need a mid-range GPU.
![A stylized blue cartoon character with big eyes and a wide smile, shown in a wireframe model. The background features a gradient from blue to purple, with text overlay indicating 'Blender [Addon] Rlg Creator [Beta]'.](https://i0.wp.com/digitalproduction.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Banner_Rig_Creator_A_free_Blender_add_on_for_creating_character_rigs.jpg?resize=380%2C250&quality=70&ssl=1)
Rig Creator Beta for Blender: Faces, Relationships, and a Fresh Start
Rig Creator’s beta rebuild adds facial rig, Relationship tool, overhauled bone generators, and English names—now free for Blender users.
Lola Post’s VFX Survival Guide on Walking with Dinosaurs
Lola Post’s Rob Harvey shares VFX details on Walking with Dinosaurs 2025: 800 shots, 200 artists, Unreal Engine for dinosaurs, and zero Jurassic Park liberties.
OpenVAT Adds VAT Encoding to Blender—Real-Time Asset Ready
OpenVAT encodes animated Blender geometry into VATs with normals, PNG/EXR output and real‑time engine support for Unity, Unreal, and Godot.
Reallusion’s CC4.54 & iClone 8.54 Let You Snag, Try and Buy Assets Without Leaving the App
CC 4.54 and iClone 8.54 bring in-app trial assets, instant DA Point checkout, and low-cost iContent licence for rapid prototyping.
Basefount Animcraft: One-Stop 3D Animation Library & Bridge
Animcraft is a collaborative 3D animation library/editor with re‑targeting, facial rigging, mocap, and DCC/engine connections across Standard and Advanced editions.
Crossbow Confidential: PFX’s Digital Dashboard Keeps ‘Locked’ Rolling
PFX marshals 60 artists, a lidar-scanned SUV and its Crossbow app to steer 750 shots for Locked through four months of frantic VFX.
![A blue, futuristic aircraft with robotic features displayed in a dark, industrial environment. The image features the text 'Marmoset Toolbag 5.02 [Beta Release]' above the aircraft, highlighting software branding. The background has a metallic appearance with grid lines.](https://i0.wp.com/digitalproduction.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/502-beta-socialsbanner.jpg?resize=380%2C250&quality=70&ssl=1)
Baking, Decals, Fog and a Smudge of Beta in Marmoset Toolbag
Marmoset launches the Toolbag 5.02 beta with new features for baking, painting, fog rendering and scene management.
Odyssey: Toons on the Unreal Engine Timeline
Odyssey is now free on Fab: 2D storyboarding and vector animation, baked right into Unreal Engine 5.6.
Chaos Corona 13: AI, GPU & Cartoon Vibes
Corona 13 adds AI Enhancer, GPU rendering via Vantage Live Link, cel/outline shaders, Scatter Clusters, AI‑based asset variations, Firefly removal, VRScene import, Thin‑Film shader.
Mocha 2025.5: Faces, Frames & Focal Lengths
Mocha 2025.5 tracks faces, fixes mattes, solves 3D scenes with stationary cameras and adds batch export presets for speedier pipelines.
WeFX Saddles Up for “1923”
From pristine scans to viscous blood foam: how 50 artists spent six months on 20 shots that make one horse’s final tumble painfully believable.
LiDAR Librarian: Cyclone 3DR Shelves Your Point-Cloud Clutter
Leica unveils Cyclone 3DR: an AI-powered LiDAR toolkit that spots, edits and recycles real-world objects straight from your scan.
Epic’s Face‑To‑Unreal: Android Gets Free Live Link Face
Epic’s Live Link Face Android beta now offers real‑time facial mocap to Unreal—requires Snapdragon 8 Gen1+.
Blender 4.5 Beta: Nodes Get Nifty, Collada Gets the Boot
Blender 4.5 Beta brings new Geometry Nodes, USD and glTF upgrades, and drops Collada in 5.0. Here's what's new - and what’s going away.
Topaz’s Web-Based Upscaler gets “Creative”
Topaz Bloom upscales JPG/PNG up to 8× in-browser. With diffusion-driven detail, prompts, five creativity levels and a free tier, it's built for CG and AI art.
AccuPOSE Infinity Expansion 4: Kids, Kicks & Caffeine-Free Chaos
Subscribers to Reallusion’s AccuPOSE INFINITY now get eight fresh AI motion models spanning playground high-jinks to full-contact kicks.
Pencil-Sharp Update: Cintiq 16, 24 and 24 Touch Hit 2.5K
Wacom rolls out Cintiq 16, 24 and 24 Touch with Pro Pen 3, 2.5K panels, silent chassis and bundled Clip Studio Paint EX.
Maxon Acquires Autograph: A New Chapter in Compositing Tools
Maxon welcomes the Autograph team from Left Angle, aiming to integrate their compositing expertise into its suite of creative tools,
MetaHumans Graduate: Ready for Unity, Godot, and the Fab Cash Register
MetaHuman is out of early access, baked into UE 5.6, licensable for Unity & Godot, and finally up for sale on Fab?
Maya 2026.1’s MotionMaker: AI Walks the Walk
Maya 2026.1 introduces MotionMaker, an AI-powered tool for rapid character animation, alongside Bifrost rigging and simulation enhancements.
3ds Max 2026.1: More Than Just a Modifier Update
3ds Max 2026.1 updates Push, Attribute Transfer and XForm modifiers, improves spline optimization and skin performance, and bumps OCIO to version 2.4.2.
RenderFlow 1.0: Pulze’s New Render Manager Steps Up
Pulze's RenderFlow 1.0 introduces advanced job submission, node monitoring, and automation features for VFX and post-production workflows.
Unreal Engine 5.6, Fully released. Still 60 FPS, still Smarter MetaHumans, and still possibly Fewer CPU Tantrums
Unreal Engine 5.6 brings integrated MetaHuman Creator, Control Rig Physics, 60 FPS optimization, and enhanced Sequencer tools for streamlined game development.
RailClone 7: Smarter Modeling in 3ds Max Starts Here!
RailClone 7 introduces 19 new spline features, new libraries, macro improvements, and more for smarter modeling in 3ds Max.
Nomad: Sculpting on Desktop
Nomad Sculpt enters free public beta on Windows, macOS and Linux - desktop edition includes all iPad features.
Digital Domain vs. the Nether Horde: Behind the VFX of Minecraft
When Warner Bros. enlisted Digital Domain to tackle the final battle in Minecraft: The Movie, they weren’t just signing up for blocks and shaders...
Silhouette 2025 Features: Compound Nodes, Matte Refine, and More
Boris FX Silhouette 2025 adds 3D scene support, AI-driven fixes, PowerMesh morphs, and node grouping - for roto, paint, comp, and hair without headache.
Pawn to VEX: Chess Comes to Houdini’s Viewport
Play chess in Houdini’s viewport using VEX-driven logic - no simulation needed, no rendering required.
Blender’s 2024 User Survey Results: The Good, the Bad, and the ?
Over 7,000 Blender users shared their thoughts in the 2024 survey, highlighting satisfaction levels and areas for improvement.
Rise FX saves christmas?
When Red One dropped last this year, audiences got get a holiday cocktail of Jumanji-style action (The director…
Step Into the Unknown: ‘Worlds Next Door’ Invites Digital Artists to Create and Collaborate
The Blender challenge Worlds Next Door starts June 8. Artists remix a template into looping shorts—no AI, transparent background required.
Wrap Gen: Because Your Mesh Deserves a Hug
Wrap Gen for Blender lets you procedurally wrap custom geometry around objects using curves and geometry nodes—no manual tweaking required.
Dogwalk: Blender’s Papercraft Pooch Takes Godot for a Spin
Blender Studio releases Dogwalk in early access, showcasing a papercraft-style micro-game built with Godot, emphasizing a streamlined Blender-Godot pipeline.
Continuum 2025.5
Continuum 2025.5 expands its AI arsenal with automated masking, 2D depth mapping, frame repair, and UV warping—plus 8K titling and smoother FX editing.
Core Dump: Maxon Terminates ZBrushCore & ZBrushCoreMini
Maxon discontinues ZBrushCore and ZBrushCoreMini. Support ends November 2024. Focus shifts fully to ZBrush/Ipad.
LuxCoreRender 2.10: Back on Track with Cross-Platform Support and Python Integration
LuxCoreRender 2.10 reintroduces support for Linux, Windows, MacOS Intel, and now MacOS ARM, with updated dependencies and Python bindings for seamless integration.
Rig It Like It’s Free: mGear 5.0 and UEGear 1.0
mGear 5.0 and UEGear 1.0 bring new features for Maya and Unreal Engine 5 - and both are free.
Edit: Microsoft’s Tiny Text Editor Sneaks into the Terminal
Microsoft's new open-source CLI editor, Edit, comes to Windows 11 - keyboard-only, small-footprint, and intentionally not Vim.
Hair Today, Cards Tomorrow: New 3ds Max Tool for Haircard Workflows
Hair Cards Tool for 3ds Max adds a non-destructive workflow for generating haircards with editing, baking and AO features.
ThinkingParticles 7.4: More Boom, Smarter Fluids, and Debugging You Can See
ThinkingParticles 7.4 adds an Explosion System, updated SPH solver, ME-L Markers for debugging, and full support for 3ds Max 2026.
Xsens Animate 2025: Now With 100% More Spine
Xsens Animate 2025 introduces native male and female anatomy models, a refined spine model, and experimental Auto Sensor Mapping for streamlined mocap workflows.
Maya Gets a Memory: Smart Model Editor Adds Real Construction History
Smart Model Editor brings non-destructive modeling to Maya – sort of. It works via scene graph nodes and updates interactively.
Unreal Engine 5.6 Preview: Now with 60Hz Open Worlds and In-Engine MetaHumans
Unreal Engine 5.6 Preview introduces 60Hz open worlds, an overhauled animation toolset, in-engine MetaHuman Creator, and enhanced procedural workflows.
BagaPie 11: Blender’s Node Wrangler Gets 20 New Tricks
BagaPie 11 introduces 20 new tools, including parametric generators for doors, windows, and bolts, enhancing Blender's modeling and scattering capabilities.
Nara: Now with More Sync, Less Scream
Filmlight’s Nara adds remote realtime playback sync, review-in-Baselight, and more versioning features for collaborative post and color workflows.
HairFlow: Bad Hair Days Are Simulated Now
HairFlow simulates hair in Blender using simulation nodes—wind, gravity, collisions, even goosebumps. Realtime playback included.
Dungeon Assets for Free: Fab.com’s New Drop for Unreal
Fab's new Dungeon Pack delivers 110 modular assets and props for Unreal Engine - and it’s free.
Free Rigs Attached: Learn Blender Rigging Fundamentals (Without Paying a Cent)
Free Blender rigging course breaks down constraints, parenting, bones and more. Hosted by CG Cookie and taught by animator Pierrick Picaut.
Free Blender Clouds Shader Floats into Your Scene
A free Blender clouds shader by Thomas Marco lets you dial in stylised volumetric clouds via intuitive custom parameters – no add-ons or plugins needed.
UDIM Planet: Free Globe Toolset Orbits Blender, Max, Maya, Houdini, Unreal and C4D
Free add-on "Figments UDIM Globe" maps UDIM textures to globe objects—UVs are auto-generated, PBR-ready.
Browser Cloth: Wiggle It Just a Little Bit
Finally, a cloth sim that runs in your browser and doesn’t crash your machine. Click, drag, wiggle—no download, just delightful chaos.
Kdenlive 25.04: Finally, Someone Gave the Timeline Some Respect
Kdenlive 25.04 brings AV1, OpenTimelineIO, better timeline tools, and updated keyframe management—but as always: check for stability before production use.