In a significant move for the compositing- community, Maxon has announced the acquisition of the Autograph team from Left Angle. As Left Angle winds down its operations, its staff, known for their expertise in modern compositing workflows, will join Maxon’s expanding family. Autograph, developed by Left Angle, was created with the vision to rethink compositing from the ground up, offering a modern toolset for motion designers and visual effects artists. The integration of Autograph’s technology and team into Maxon’s ecosystem is expected to foster innovation and development of new tools that cater to the evolving needs of artists and creators worldwide.(left-angle.com) For more information, visit Maxon’s official announcement: Maxon Welcomes Autograph Team Following Left Angle Transition.

And since we probably won’t be using the cool company name “Left Angle” anymore, here are some post which had that tag:

Autograph Starter: Free Motion Graphics Tool with a Twist

Autograph 2025: Sign Here for New Features

From the left..

The post Maxon Acquires Autograph: A New Chapter in Compositing Tools first appeared on DIGITAL PRODUCTION and was written by Bela Beier.

Already Covered: Virtual Production, 60 Hz Open Worlds & Wile E. Coyote

Before diving in: if you’re looking for details on enhanced virtual production tools, the new 60 Hz simulation capabilities, or how Wile E. Coyote now animates sans anvils in UE5.6, check our previous coverage. This article focuses on everything not already dissected there.

Performance Enhancements

Unreal Engine 5.6 introduces optimizations aimed at achieving stable 60 frames per second across modern platforms. Hardware Ray Tracing (HWRT) has been beefed up for faster Lumen Global Illumination and Reflection performance. CPU bottlenecks have been reduced, especially in scenes with high complexity. An experimental Fast Geometry Streaming Plugin handles large static geometry more efficiently. New device profiles help developers target performance baselines more easily.

Animation and Rigging Improvements

Control freaks rejoice: the in-editor animation toolset gets a polish. Motion Trails now offer arc editing, offset pinning, and custom visualization styles like Dashed, Heat/Speed, and Time-based overlays. The upgraded Tween Tools now support hotkeys for indirect control, Overshoot mode, and Time Offset sliders, turning keyframe fiddling into less of a mouse marathon. Control Rig Physics (experimental) introduces procedural physics into character rigs—turning bounce and sway from post-process cheat into actual rig behavior.

MetaHuman Creator Integration

The MetaHuman Creator is now integrated directly into Unreal Engine. Users can sculpt highly varied body shapes and assign complete outfits via the new Outfit asset type, which autoscales to fit any form. MetaHuman Animator now works with most webcams, smartphones, and even audio as input for real-time performance capture.

Sequencer and UI Enhancements

The Sequencer gets a usability upgrade, starting with a new Navigation Tool that untangles hierarchical chaos. Real-time Audio Scrubbing brings syncing dialogue and action closer to real-time accuracy. Meanwhile, the Viewport Toolbar gets new Quick Access Controls and Section Menus. The redesigned Content Browser makes finding and organizing assets marginally less painful. A Beta version of the Project Launcher UI rounds it out, with launch profile creation and management now less like an obscure mini-game.

PCG and Mocap Manager

Procedural Content Generation (PCG) tools now support inline constants in the Node Graph, enabling direct manipulation of values without detours. Multithreading support and GPU optimizations speed up execution. The PCG Biome Core v2 plugin accelerates biome creation workflows. For motion capture aficionados, the new Mocap Manager provides a fully integrated solution for recording, visualizing, and managing performance capture in-editor. Also new: Quick Render, which allows for one-click still or sequence rendering from the current viewport or camera.

Heads-up: Some features, especially those marked as experimental like Control Rig Physics and parts of the PCG workflow, should be carefully evaluated before integration into production pipelines. Stability isn’t implied – just hinted at with optimism. For full release notes and Epic’s official write-up, head to Unreal Engine 5.6 Release Notes.

The post Unreal Engine 5.6, Fully released. Still 60 FPS, still Smarter MetaHumans, and still possibly Fewer CPU Tantrums first appeared on DIGITAL PRODUCTION and was written by Bela Beier.

In October 2024, the Blender Foundation conducted its first user feedback survey, gathering insights from over 7,000 participants worldwide. The survey aimed to understand user satisfaction, demographics, and areas for improvement in Blender’s development.(Blender – Survey)

Demographics and Participation

The majority of respondents were between 19 and 35 years old, with significant participation from the United States, India, and Germany. English was the primary interface language for most users, followed by Chinese and Spanish. Interestingly, older demographics placed higher importance on Blender’s mission to provide free tools for content creation.

User Satisfaction

When asked about their satisfaction with Blender, 66% of users rated themselves as “very happy,” indicating a strong approval of the software’s capabilities and development direction.

Community Engagement

While the majority of participants did not have any Blender ID community badges, the “30 years” campaign badge was the most popular among those who did. This indicates a strong sense of community and engagement among long-term users.

First 3D Software Experience

The survey revealed a roughly even split between users who started their 3D journey with Blender and those who began with other software such as 3DS Max, Maya, and Cinema 4D. This diversity highlights Blender’s ability to attract both newcomers and experienced artists from other platforms.

Other 3D Software in Use

Blender may be the go-to tool for most respondents, but it’s far from the only one in their pipeline. According to the survey, over half of all participants use additional 3D software alongside Blender. The top mentions? Autodesk Maya and 3ds Max still hold ground, especially among users who migrated to Blender. Cinema 4D makes a strong showing, particularly in motion graphics-heavy workflows. Houdini appears frequently, mostly among users handling procedural content and simulation-heavy tasks. Unreal Engine, while technically not a DCC (digital content creation) tool, also ranks high due to its integration in real-time workflows and game development. This mix underlines Blender’s role not as a lone wolf, but as a highly cooperative tool within hybrid production environments.

Why Users Choose Blender

When it comes to motivations, the most common reason users gave for adopting Blender can be summed up in one word: freedom. The open-source model is more than a philosophical point—it’s a practical one. Survey participants value not just the zero-dollar price tag, but also the transparency of development and the availability of the source code.

The second most popular reason was Blender’s all-in-one workflow, meaning users can model, animate, shade, light, render, and even composite in one environment—without needing to jump between applications. Other motivators included the supportive community, the high cadence of new releases, and the sheer fun of using the software. Apparently, Blender is one of the few production tools that doesn’t make its users scream into the void—at least not daily.

The Top 5 Most Used Add-ons

Blender’s flexibility shines through its add-on ecosystem, and the survey’s data backs that up. Topping the list of most used add-ons is Node Wrangler, an indispensable tool for shader work that dramatically speeds up node-based workflows. Close behind is LoopTools, loved by modelers for its suite of mesh editing tools. BlenderKit comes next, serving as a library for ready-made assets, materials, and brushes—popular among users looking to speed up asset production.

The fourth spot is held by F2, which enhances face creation during modeling, particularly useful in low-poly workflows. Finally, Rigify rounds out the top five, giving animators a fast way to generate rigging systems without diving into manual bone hierarchy madness. Together, these five add-ons show what users actually rely on—not flashy plugins, but pragmatic tools that cut time and cognitive overhead.

Conclusion

The 2024 Blender user survey provides insights into the community’s satisfaction and areas for improvement. With a strong base of happy users and a commitment to free, accessible tools, Blender continues to be a leading choice for 3D artists worldwide. For more detailed results, visit the Blender Feedback Survey 2024 Results.

The post Blender’s 2024 User Survey Results: The Good, the Bad, and the ? first appeared on DIGITAL PRODUCTION and was written by Bela Beier.

Epic Games has released the Unreal Engine 5.6 Preview, now available for download via the Epic Games Launcher and GitHub. This preview introduces several significant updates aimed at enhancing the development experience across various domains.

The preview emphasizes the capability to create vast, high-fidelity open worlds while maintaining consistent 60Hz frame rates. This enhancement is geared towards delivering smoother performance in expansive environments.

Unreal Engine 5.6 features the most substantial update to its animation authoring tools to date. While specific details are not provided, this overhaul suggests a focus on improving the animation workflow for developers.

The MetaHuman Creator is now integrated directly within the engine. This integration includes capabilities for blending and sculpting MetaHuman bodies, improved visual fidelity, and new real-time workflows for the MetaHuman Animator.

Enhanced Content Browser and Viewport Layout

The introduction of Content Browser 2.0 and a new Viewport toolbar layout aims to streamline the development process, allowing for faster content creation and easier navigation within the engine.

Procedural Workflows for Expansive Worlds

Developers can now build expansive worlds more efficiently using enhanced procedural workflows. These workflows are designed to facilitate the rapid creation of complex environments.

Availability and Stability Notice

The Unreal Engine 5.6 Preview is currently available for download. However, as a preview release, it is still in active development and may be unstable. Users are advised to back up existing projects before testing the new features.

For more information and to download the preview, visit the official announcement.

The post Unreal Engine 5.6 Preview: Now with 60Hz Open Worlds and In-Engine MetaHumans first appeared on DIGITAL PRODUCTION and was written by Bela Beier.

Excerpt:

Weight painting in Blender is a critical process that assigns influence values to vertices, determining how much a bone affects them during animation. This technique is essential for creating smooth and natural deformations in character rigs. However, achieving precise weight distribution can be labor-intensive, often requiring meticulous manual adjustments.

Introducing Robust Weight Transfer by Sent From Space

To alleviate the challenges of weight painting, Sent From Space has developed the Robust Weight Transfer add-on for Blender. This tool is designed to streamline the weight transfer process, enabling artists to achieve smooth results with minimal effort.

Key Features of Robust Weight Transfer

The Robust Weight Transfer add-on offers a one-click solution for transferring weights from one mesh to another. This functionality is particularly beneficial when working with complex models or when integrating new mesh components into existing rigs. By automating the weight transfer process, the add-on reduces the need for extensive manual weight painting, thereby enhancing workflow efficiency.

Availability and Compatibility

The Robust Weight Transfer add-on is available as a free download, with a pay-what-you-want pricing model, allowing users to support the developer if they choose. It is compatible with Blender versions ranging from 2.9 to 4.1, accommodating a wide range of users. The download package includes versions tailored for different Blender releases, ensuring optimal performance across various setups.

Conclusion

In the realm of 3D modeling and animation, tools that enhance efficiency without compromising quality are invaluable. Sent From Space’s Robust Weight Transfer add-on for Blender exemplifies this by offering a streamlined solution to the often cumbersome task of weight painting. As with any new tool, it is advisable to test it thoroughly before integrating it into your production pipeline to ensure it meets your specific requirements.

The post Weight No More: Streamlining Blender’s Weight Painting with Robust Weight Transfer first appeared on DIGITAL PRODUCTION and was written by Bela Beier.