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.
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Autodesk Maya
640 posts
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.
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.
Gear 5.0 Beta 6: Rigging Tool Gets 2026-Ready
mGear 5.0 Beta 6 brings Maya 2026 support, improved guide templates, updated Shifter components, and new logic for picker selection.
The First Look at Character Creator 5: Prelaunch Offer Starts NOW
Reallusion is set to redefine real-time 3D character creation with the upcoming launch of Character Creator 5 (CC5) this summer. Key updates feature HD character bases, enhanced shaders, and an advanced facial animation system.
Maya 2026: Is Golaem the Lone Star in a Sparse Update?
Autodesk's Maya 2026 introduces Golaem integration, but offers minimal other enhancements, leaving users questioning the value amid rising subscription costs.
Trailmakers from Denmark!
Game trailers should make you interested in the game, obviously, and since we can't wait for Trialmakers 2, the trailer did its job - so, we are talking to the creatives behind the trailer!
HandCraft Pro: Giving Animators a Hand – Literally
Animator Tal Minks introduces HandCraft Pro, a Maya plugin that captures hand movements via webcam, offering an alternative to traditional motion capture methods.
Mufasa heads to MPC
The Prequel of a remake of a animated movie, based on a Shakespeare play... and still worth watching! We got a Chance to talk to Audrey Ferrara, MPCs VFX Supervisor for Mufasa
Pulldownit 6 for Maya: Shattering Expectations with New Features
Pulldownit 6 introduces the Edge Fracture Tool, enhanced dynamic long cracks, and improved performance for instanced shapes in Maya.
Import-Maya-Shaders: Bridging Maya and Blender
Tired of re-creating shaders from scratch? Import-Maya-Shaders offers a free solution to convert Maya's aiStandardSurface shaders to Blender's Principled BSDF—just don't expect it to handle your shader spaghetti.
WRetargetTool: Free Animation Retargeting Tool for Maya
Discover WRetargetTool, a free and adaptable animation retargeting solution for Maya, focused on simplifying character animation and mocap transfer.
Autodesk Launches Bifrost for Maya 2.11
Autodesk unveils Bifrost for Maya 2.11, offering Artists enhanced tools for procedural effects, USD support, and a better integration for fluid simulations.
C&R.me – post-production in the cloud
It's been a few years now since the term "cloud" has gone from buzzword to hype to working reality - but so far there are
very few tools that can do everything in the cloud. Sure, some tools have access or even their "own clouds", but wouldn't an "everything in the cloud" solution be better?
The easy Cloudrendering?
There are many, many companies offering cloudrendering services – and most tell you how you can tweak everything, you have all the control –
and therefor you also need a TD and DEEP pockets, because the first time the bill from the cloud infrastructure arrives, it’s going to be massive.
Our Universe of… Houdini?
Who would have thought that one of our favourite documentaries seen this year would come from Bristol?
Ballerina: CGI-Fantasie mit C4D, Character Creator und iClone
Behind every ballet performance are ... Character Creator, iClone and Cinema 4D?
Autodesk releases Maya 2024
Autodesk has released Maya 2024. The updates include enhancements to the Retopology toolset, a new USD-based material autthoring and new brush-based workflows for sculpting animation curves. Also new: native Apple Silicon support, the Bifrost multiphysics plugin and the MtoA plugin for the Arnold renderer, which run on M1 and M2 processors.
A sheen of simplicity
Playing an instrument when you’re in the profession of animation helps – especially in regard to timing. For Animation Director Andrew Overtoom, it’s the guitar.
Autodesk releases Maya 2023.3!
Particularly worth mentioning are: workflow improvements for animation tools and updates for the Arnold, Substance and USD plug-ins.
New version of the physics simulation software Bitfrost released!
Autodesk updates Bitfrost - and advances the open-source integration of Bitfrost-USD.
Who should use the Aurora renderer from Autodesk?
It is aimed at artists who work with Universal Scene Description (USD). What other functions does the real-time path tracing renderer offer?
Ragdoll Dynamics is released in version 3.0!
Does the plug-in for Autodesk Maya create more creative freedom for artists? According to the developer, Weta, Sony Pictures Imageworks, DNEG and others swear by the little helper.
Strange New Worlds in Norway
When we talked about the Virtual Production of Strange New Worlds, we only talked about one side – the interiors and strange
planets. But Star Trek is called STAR Trek –
so who made the Spaceships?
Many new video tutorials for Autodesk Maya!
The YouTube channel Maya Learning Channel can help. This listicle bundles eight current tutorials - on Bitfrost, volumes and more.
The Wild Wild Witcher
Grabbing two Bafta (British Academy Television and Craft) Awards in 2022,
the second season of "The Witcher” has tons and tons of eye candy. Winning in the categories Make-Up & Hair and Visual & Graphic Effects, this colossal fantasy saga is filled to the brim with magic effects – but who did put the magic on the screen?
Version 2.0 of the BeeHive reviewing tool is released
Glassbox Technologies releases the latest version of its real-time editing & reviewing software - tailored to the needs of virtual production.
With these plugins, Maya and Unreal Engine merge together!
Unreal Live Link 2.1 has been released! This makes it easier to work in Autodesk Maya and Epic's Unreal Engine at the same time.
Autodesk Maya is released in version 2023.2
The focus of the latest version is: Polished workflow for animation and rigging - in addition to improvements for important plugins!
A new Maya for occasional users?
Maya Creative is aimed at the on-and-off user of Autodesk Maya - with a wide range of functions. Payment is processed via Autodesk Flex.
Back to the 70s – Cloud Atlas
Review: In DP 02 : 2013, we tracked down the mega-production Cloud Atlas - with export director Tom Tykwer and the Wachowski siblings in the director's chair. How did Rise manage the massive visual effects of the three-hour epic - and how did the VFX artists transform today's Glasgow into the San Francisco of the 1970s?
Release: V-Ray 6 for Maya
Chaos Group is back with the latest version of the renderer - and with new functions such as geometric tiling, procedurally generated clouds and new shader profiles. Available for Windows, Mac and Linux.
Autodesk releases Maya Bonus Tools
"Hooray!", shout Maya users - because the new bonus tools for the popular DCC tool have been released. The free script & plugin collection includes tools for modelling, UV editing, character rigging and more.
Stream Maya animations directly in the Unreal Engine!
This video tutorial demonstrates how artists can transfer Maya animations to the game engine in real time thanks to the Live Link plugin!
Autodesk organises the Virtual Vision Series!
From 3 August to 4 August: At the remote event, game developers and VFX houses will get the Autodesk toys out of the pipeline - and get going: Visions for the future, or regressions in love with the past?
Radeon ProRender 3.4 – These are the new functions
AMD releases version 3.4 of its free GPU renderer - for Blender and Maya. Are the new functions convincing?
V-Ray 6 goes into open beta!
Healthier than beta-carotene? Pump the open beta of V-Ray 6 into the pipeline now - and discover what 3ds Max users can expect.
Chaos releases Phoenix 5.0!
Better than the replicator from Star Trek? The latest version of the liquid simulation software for 3ds Max and Maya will get you wet. But: frustrated by unfinished features?
Version 7.0 of Multiverse | USD released!
You want the "Universal Scene Description" for Autodesk Maya? Then it might be worth taking a look at this great tool from J Cube!
Maya, 3ds Max, Bifrost and Arnold Updates
Autodesk updates Maya, 3ds Max, Bifrost and Arnold with USD, Unreal Live Link, glTF, retopology, solver and rendering improvements.
RS Build Kit 2 released
With this Python tool for Autodesk Maya, you can perform powerful mesh, layout, import, export and curve operations.
World of Warcraft | Workshop Report Wednesday
If you want to decorate fantasy worlds with your art design, you should start up Autodesk Maya and Marmoset Toolbag 3 now!
Deepfake with Autodesk Maya!
Want to shock your audience at the next video conference with a lifelike Tom Cruise mask? Then fire up Maya now and download DeepFace Live!
Stylised Studio Apartment Workflow
Environment artist Emily Cheung explains a stylised apartment built with Maya, Substance Painter, Unity and Unreal Engine.
UDIM tool for Maya released
Do you dread working with UDIM files? Then check out this tool - and polish up your UV workflow at the same time.
ACES Colour Management in Maya
Two Autodesk tutorials explain Maya's default ACES workflow and colour picking within the application's colour-management system.
Maya 2022.3 Expands Morph Workflows
Maya 2022.3 adds morph retargeting, mirrored deformation, tangential constraints, GPU jiggle playback and sculpting updates.
AMD Updates USD Hydra for Blender 3.0
AMD's USD Hydra plugin adds Blender 3.0 support, while a separate Maya plugin provides viewport rendering.
Modelling a Vintage Ticket Dispenser
Pulkit Jain explains a Maya, Substance and Marmoset workflow for a vintage ticket dispenser built to practise subdivision modelling.
Noisy Night, Senseless Stuff
Review: In DP 01 : 2017, we discovered the true spirit of Christmas with the animated musical "More Stuff" from London. But how is Brexit affecting everyday animated life?
Renderpeople Adds Rigged 3D People
A detailed look at Renderpeople's expansion from ready-to-render scanned people to rigged 3D characters, including topology, skeletons, facial controls and workflow trade-offs.
Puppeteer Rigging Tools for Maya
Adrian Chirieac released Puppeteer, a Maya rigging and animation toolkit inspired by Richard Lico's space-switching workflow.
Autodesk Maya 2022.2 Updates Solidify, USD and Bifrost
Maya 2022.2 added Solidify scaling, file-list and Script Editor improvements, plus stability and workflow updates for USD and Bifrost.
Polygonflow Ectotope Brings Node-Based Object Scattering to Maya
Polygonflow released Ectotope, a node-based object-scattering tool for Maya distributed through the GraphN visual programming library.
Gnomon Workshop Covers Facial Blendshapes in Maya and ZBrush
Derrick Sesson’s five-hour Gnomon workshop explains FACS-based facial blendshape creation with Maya and ZBrush.
USD | Article
From Chaos Group: Universal Scene Description - in the flow of time, or fishing in the mud?
Autodesk Introduces Flex Pay-as-You-Go Licensing
Autodesk Flex introduced token-based, 24-hour product access as an alternative for teams that use some Autodesk applications only occasionally.
Maya BOSS Tutorial: Creating Large-Scale Ocean Simulations
Sam Biddle demonstrates how to build large bodies of water with Maya’s Bifrost Ocean Simulation System, followed by Autodesk’s four-part BOSS series.
Bifrost 2.3 Adds Real-Time Feedback and Simulation Improvements
Autodesk Bifrost 2.3 introduced real-time feedback, virtual sliders, adaptive volumes and upgrades for simulation graphs, Aero, MPM, Alembic and OpenVDB.
Maya 2022.1 Adds Guided Onboarding and Interactive Tutorials
Autodesk Maya 2022.1 introduced a welcome screen, search, interactive tutorials and quick tours to help new and experienced users.
Ragdoll Dynamics Brings Transform-Based Physics to Maya
Ragdoll Dynamics launched in early access as a transform-based Maya physics solver for character, cloth and hair-style motion.
Lego Builder Tool | Maya
Creative mobility with the Bat(man)mobil: collecting blocks with Brickit!
TearKnit FX Brings Procedural Fabric Tearing to Maya
UnPLUG Tools released TearKnit FX 1.0, a Maya tool for creating procedural, physically convincing fabric tears.
Chaos Phoenix 4 Adds Active Bodies and Massive Wave Force
Chaos Phoenix 4 for 3ds Max and Maya introduced Bullet-based Active Bodies collisions, smoke colour absorption controls and Massive Wave Force.
Zoo Tools Pro 2.5 Expands Its Modular Maya Toolkit
Zoo Tools Pro 2.5 updated Andrew Silke’s Python-based Maya framework with revised animation tools plus improvements to modelling, texturing and lighting.
UV Kit 2.0 Automates UV Workflows in Maya
Rocket Square’s UV Kit 2.0 introduced a redesigned interface, automated UV unfolding and layout, and support for Maya 2022.
Pulldownit 5.0 Accelerates Destruction Workflows in Maya
Thinkinetic’s Pulldownit 5.0 for Maya promised simulations and scene loading up to twice as fast, plus more accurate surface cracking along curves.
Maya Bonus Tools Add SpeedCut and Extrude Instance Mesh
Autodesk updated the free Maya Bonus Tools collection with SpeedCut, Extrude Instance Mesh and additions for modelling, UV editing and character rigging.
Autodesk Outlines VFX and Production Sessions for FMX 2021
Autodesk’s FMX 2021 programme covered next-generation VFX, Bifrost, USD, 3ds Max retopology, remote collaboration and industry education.
Gnomon Workshop Covers Lighting, Shading and Texturing
CG artist Adrien Vallecillas teaches material realism, lighting, shading and texturing with Maya and Redshift in a two-part Gnomon workshop.
Autodesk Moves Licences to Named Users
Autodesk prepared to replace serial-number access with named-user licensing, assigning subscriptions to individual user identities.
Unreal Dismemberment System Targets Games
Regan Ware’s Unreal Engine dismemberment system accepts character assets from 3ds Max, Maya, Blender and other DCC tools.
Autodesk Updates Maya, 3ds Max and MotionBuilder
Autodesk’s 2022 releases add USD, Python 3, animation and rigging updates, Arnold 6.2, security tools and MotionBuilder workflow changes.
Autodesk Extends Multi-User Trade-In Terms
Autodesk extended eligibility for its 2:1 multi-user trade-in offer to qualifying renewals through August 2023.
Gnomon Teaches Python Jaw Rigging in Maya
Arturo Coso’s four-and-a-half-hour Gnomon workshop builds a jaw rig in Maya and automates parts of the process with Python.
Gnomon Workshop Builds a Photorealistic 3D Prop
Babak Bina’s three-hour production tutorial builds a photorealistic gas torch using Maya, Mari and V-Ray.
Tutorial: Rendering Metallic Surfaces in Maya and Arnold
Arvid Schneider demonstrates modelling, anisotropic shading and final rendering for metallic surfaces in Maya and Arnold.
Animcraft 1.1 Brings Reusable Animation Workflows to DCCs and Game Engines
Animcraft builds reusable animation libraries and transfers keyframe or motion-capture data between major DCC applications and game engines.
Autodesk Ends Physical Media Orders and Moves Fully to Downloads
Autodesk discontinued orders for physical installation media in December 2020 as it completed the move to digital delivery.
Tutorial: Creating Groomed Fur for a 3D Chipmunk
Student artist Seonghyeon Park explains the grooming workflow behind a detailed 3D chipmunk character.
Rumba 1.0 Introduces Real-Time Character Animation for VFX Pipelines
Rumba 1.0 offers geometry-based character manipulation, onion-skin posing and integration with existing Maya pipelines.
Tutorial: Stacking Modelling Deformers in Maya
3dWithAnAccent demonstrates a Maya workflow that recreates stacked 3ds Max modelling deformers using shape nodes and mesh connections.
Autodesk Expands Previous-Version Access to Five Releases
Autodesk expanded previous-version rights for subscribers and maintenance customers to include up to five earlier releases.
Tutorial: Recreating Stacked 3ds Max Deformers in Maya
3dWithAnAccent demonstrates how Maya shape nodes can reproduce a stacked-deformer workflow familiar from 3ds Max.
Maya 2020.4 Delivers Major Bifrost and Arnold 6.1 Updates
Maya 2020.4 expands Bifrost with curve support, fields and scattering, while Arnold 6.1 adds imagers and nested dielectrics.
Tutorial: Creating Hair Textures for Games in Maya
Sathish Koththolla presents a one-hour Maya tutorial covering a hair-texture workflow for game characters.
Creating Dreadlocks with Maya XGen and 3ds Max
Hazel Brown demonstrates a dreadlock-creation workflow using Maya XGen, 3ds Max, xNormal and Photoshop.
Building a Stylised Goth Girl in Maya and ZBrush
Carlos Adrian Gonzalez Villagomez demonstrates a stylised character workflow spanning Maya, ZBrush, Arnold, XGen, Photoshop and Substance Painter.
Sculpting Alice in Wonderland’s Caterpillar in ZBrush
Surface artist Yan Blanco demonstrates how to recreate Alice in Wonderland’s Caterpillar using ZBrush, Blender, Substance Painter and Photoshop.
GS CurveTools v1.1 Expands Procedural Hair Creation in Maya
GS CurveTools v1.1 for Maya provides tools for curve-controlled hair cards, tubes, braids and other procedural grooming elements.
M.A.R.K.13 on Producing Ritter Rost
Holger Weiss discusses M.A.R.K.13’s work on Ritter Rost, its production pipeline, regional film funding and Stuttgart’s animation industry.
Autodesk Explains Perpetual Licence Trade-In
Autodesk outlined the benefits of moving from legacy perpetual licences to its subscription model.
Autodesk Releases Maya 2020.3
Maya 2020.3 adds Bifrost 2.1, Motion Library updates, Script Editor improvements, revised painting and skinning tools, and FBX Standard Surface import.
Baya Exports Blender Scenes to Maya
Baya transfers polygonal Blender models to native Maya .ma files, including shading data, soft edges and custom vertex normals.
Vision Series Covers Maya USD Workflows
The Source Awakens session examines Maya USD, MaterialX and OpenColorIO workflows for collaboration across artists and studios.
Phoenix FD 4.3 Speeds Particle Preview
Phoenix FD 4.3 adds force tuning, faster particle previews, viewport displacement previews and quicker probabilistic fire and smoke shading.
ShadeIt 2.0 Expands Maya Shader Library
ShadeIt 2.0 for Maya adds new shaders, a revised interface and a material library designed to work without prepared UVs.
Autodesk Expands 3ds Max and Maya Indie Licences
Autodesk expanded lower-cost 3ds Max and Maya Indie licences to 46 countries for qualifying users and small studios.