In nuce: Epic Games has made a December collection available for free on its online marketplace. This can be seen in a blog post from 6 December on unrealengine.com . The collection mainly contains environment graphics that are suitable for creating fantastic-looking scenes. This free promotion runs until the end of December. The two videos below show two of the downloads in action: the Gothic temple (by Angel Fernandes) and the stylised nature environment (by Studio Kobo).

Gothic Temple Ruins Environment in Unreal Engine UE4

Stylised – Dynamic Nature Trailer (Unreal Engine Marketplace)

In toto: There are a total of six downloads, which will be offered free of charge on the online marketplace for the entire month.

• Hospitality Pack: Contains customisable models that can be used to design restaurants, bistros, kitchens or general dining areas, for example.
• Gothic Temple: Material Artist Angel Fernandes createdthis Gothic temple during quarantine. This model is also customisable.
• Platformer – Stylised Cube World Vol. 1: This package can beused to generate box-shaped worlds, as gamers know them from Minecraft or Roblox.
• Stylised – Dynamic Nature: The download scope of this package includes stylised outdoor objects – including plants, rocks, bodies of water and clouds: Plants, rocks, bodies of water or clouds.
• Stylised Truck Pack (Stylised Truck Pack): Here, users are provided with a stylised truck that comes in three different visual get-ups.
• Hand Painted Environment: If you opt for this, you will receive many environmental objects (such as buildings, ruins and plants), which have been prepared in a cuddly The Settlers look.

Click further: If the current free offer is too mundane for you, grab the assets for the technology demo The Matrix Awakens, which gave Trinity and Neo a Matrix-green glow (Digital Production reported on 12 April this year).

The post Free December collection at Epic Games! first appeared on DIGITAL PRODUCTION and was written by Patrick Poti.

In nuce: Lightmap, the software developer from the United Kingdom, has made available: a 25-part package consisting of HDRI maps and a 6-part package for HDR area light textures. The highlight: the packages are completely free of charge.

In toto: The maps were created with HDR Light Studio, the lighting design software from Lightmap. The 25-piece package is intended to simulate the lighting mood of a real studio shot. The package is intended for portfolio renderings and product visualisations. The 6-part HDR area light textures, on the other hand, are intended to imitate real light sources. The two packages, which are available as EXR files, can be used in the common digital content creation tools – for example in: Cinema 4D, 3ds Max or Unreal Engine. The download is possible without registration. Use for commercial projects is permitted.

Click further: Both the 25-part HDRI maps package and the HDR area light textures in six parts are available for download at lightmap.co.uk . Digital Production last reported on Lightmap’s HDR Light Studio software on 8 February 2021 , when Xenon Drop 2 was released.

The post download 25 HDRI Maps and 6 HDRI Area Light Textures for free first appeared on DIGITAL PRODUCTION and was written by Patrick Poti.

In nuce: The online asset shop KitBash3D has released a download package that can be used to enhance science fiction projects: Mission to Minerva.

In toto: The download package contains over 90 free, customisable 3D models, which are provided in FBX and OBJ file format and are suitable for the representation of cargo ships, terraformers and other sci-fi vehicles. The package was released as part of the Mission to Minerva Challenge (more information below). To download the package, it is necessary to register for free at KitBash3D. Fun Fact: As the antithesis of Mars, Minerva represents the goddess of defensive warfare.

System requirements: To get the most out of Mission to Minerva, your Artists workstation should have the following specifications:

• CPU: 6-core processor
• GPU: 8 GB VRAM
• RAM: 32 GB
• Hard disc space: 15 GB per kit

Click to continue: Mission to Minerva can be downloaded from kitbash3d.com . If you are interested in the challenge , you can submit your project until 2 December this year (see also the video below). The jury is made up of employees from ILM, Riot Games, CD Projekt and other well-known companies.

Mission to Minerva 3D Challenge Launch Trailer

The post Free kitbashing package for sci-fi projects released! first appeared on DIGITAL PRODUCTION and was written by Patrick Poti.

In nuce: travelling expenses for the foreign shoot in Dubai, the IT specialist is working on the equipment, the coffee machine needs to be fed with new capsules – and then spending money on plug-in gadgets? Well, show business isn’t just about show, it’s about business (and that means costs). AWS Thinkbox (Amazon Web Services Thinkbox) has made its software solutions (including Deadline, Draft and Krakatoa) freely available – at no cost to users. The corresponding blog post states that Thinkbox’s tools make the work of VFX studios easier, naming well-known companies such as Framestore, Pixomondo and Scanline among the studios that use Thinkbox tools.

What will change for existing customers? Existing Deadline customers simply continue to use the software until the current licence expires. Users can then continue to use Deadline free of charge – without a licence. The latest versions of Krakatoa, Frost, XMesh and Stoke are also available for free download. Users can also download software licences for Sequoia free of charge – from the so-called floating licence portal.

What can the AWS Thinkbox tools do? An overview of what the software offering can do is provided below.

• Deadline: Allows users to manage render farms and optimise the resources of their computers
• Draft: This is used to perform simple post-render compositing tasks
• Krakatoa: a toolkit for volumetric particle rendering
• XMesh is used for caching meshes
• Frost: This allows users to generate meshes from particles – namely a single mesh
• Stoke: is a tool for particle simulation

Click further: All further information on the free software solutions from AWS Thinkbox in the corresponding blog post by Senior Product Manager Bharathi Muthukrishnan. Interested users can download the desired software from the corresponding AWS Thinkbox download page .

The post AWS Thinkbox makes VFX tools available for free! first appeared on DIGITAL PRODUCTION and was written by Patrick Poti.

In nuce: the warehouse’s double doors swing open. An ornithopter, a motorised dragonfly in spaceship format, is parked inside the hall. Or not – because you don’t have the assets to raise warehouses or similar buildings? Annoying! The ProductionCrate team has come to the rescue with its free download package, publishing 3D industrial models for your creative project.

What is included in the download package? The download package contains numerous ready-made builds. The assets range from industrial platforms and warehouse scaffolding to small items such as pipes, hoses and buttons. According to the description, the package is primarily intended for users who are working on large-scale architecture (e.g. a warehouse, exhibition centre or the Tower of Babel). The assets are compatible with Blender, Cinema 4D, Maya, Houdini and 3ds Max. The ProductionCrate team states: Users can utilise the package for both commercial and non-commercial projects

Click further: All further information on “Modern Industrial Pack | 3D Models” at rendercrate.com.

The post Free download package for environment design released! first appeared on DIGITAL PRODUCTION and was written by Patrick Poti.

In nuce: Darktable 4 is released – the free software with which users can edit and manage (RAW) image files. Darktable 4 is available for Windows, Max and Linux. According to developers, the successor Darktable 4.2 will be released by the end of the year.

What does Darktable 4 have under the bonnet? We take a look at the sparkling features of the latest version of the image editing and management software.

• Revised user interface: The display of all modules has been standardised
• Define target colour: For colour and exposure adjustment (useful if users want to adjust colour and brightness reproduction between several images in parallel)
• Filmic function in version 6: If users change the brightness of a colour, the selected saturation value is retained
• Improved white balance
• Improved reconstruction of highlights
• Improvements regarding colour and exposure correction
• Overall, Darktable 4 should be more performant

Click further: Interested parties can find out everything else about Darktable 4 in the corresponding blog entry or the release note.

The post Available free of charge: Darktable 4 released! first appeared on DIGITAL PRODUCTION and was written by Patrick Poti.

In nuce: Pilgway releases 3DCoatPrint – free software that allows users to create models for 3D printing.

What can 3DCoatPrint do? The software works with voxel modelling, which – according to the product description – should make it relatively easy to get started with the software. According to the developers, 3DCoatPrint has all the sculpting and rendering functions that are also included in the 3D modelling tool 3DCoat. You can find out exactly what 3DCoat is below. One shortcoming of 3DCoatPrint, however, is that the resolution when exporting project files is capped at 40,000 triangles. If your project created with 3DCoat Print is to be a 3D print or a rendered image, the software can also be used for commercial projects.

What is 3DCoat? 3DCoat is the software that Pilgway was previously known for among users. We first reported on it on 5 July 2022, when version 2022.35 of 3DCoat was released. At that time, we also said that 3DCoatTextura offered a viable option for users with a manageable budget.

Click further: All further information about 3DCoatPrint. The following video gives you a quick overview of the functions available with the release of 3DCoatPrint.

The post Pilgway publishes 3DCoatPrint! first appeared on DIGITAL PRODUCTION and was written by Patrick Poti.

In nuce: This open-source 3D anatomy atlas informs you – layer by layer – about the human body. The whole thing is called “Z-Atanomy” and is particularly suitable for 3D artists who specialise in human anatomy. First of all: “Z-Atanomy” is currently in the beta phase – the full release is scheduled to go online in September of this year.

What downloads are available? In total, the 3D anatomy atlas is available for download in four versions. Z-Atanomy” has also been integrated into the website environment at z-atanomy.com/atlas and can therefore also be accessed from there.

• For Blender: Either for the Windows or Mac/Linux operating system
• As an app for Android handsets: For Android 11 (or previous versions) and for Android 7 (or previous versions)

Clicked on: So, if you want to learn more about anatomy, click over to z-anatomy.com . The following videos will show you the app’s range of functions and explain how to use them.

The Open Source Anatomy

How to use Z-Anatomy

The post Free 3D anatomy atlas available! first appeared on DIGITAL PRODUCTION and was written by Patrick Poti.

In nuce: The girls and boys from Renderpeople GmbH recently released their new 4D people. What does that mean? The following: The new models are volumetric people that can be used to visualise any 3D project.

Click further: Renderpeople have made a free version available for download for those who want to familiarise themselves with the 4D people first. The video below promotes the digital 4D people from the DCC pipeline! You can find all further information on the 4D people from Renderpeople GmbH at 4dpeople.com .

4D People – The Future of 3D Content

The post Milestone for the Renderpeople! first appeared on DIGITAL PRODUCTION and was written by Patrick Poti.

In nuce: 3D modeller Alex Vanzhula has published a kitbash for Houdini 18.5. The asset library can also be used for commercial projects.

What does “Kitbash for Houdini” contain? The package includes assets such as screws (nuts), pipes and other miniature metal. Thanks to these mini-assets, it should be easy to add details to your 3D models. You can also add your own assets and customise the associated thumbnails according to your own preferences. incidentally, “Kitbash for Houdini” was previously part of the “Modeler” tool – also from Alex Vanzhula. With the release of Modeler 2022, however, the kitbashing assets were removed as a separate download.

Click further: Get Alex Vanzhula’s attractive asset package at gumroad.com.

The post Free asset package with small parts first appeared on DIGITAL PRODUCTION and was written by Patrick Poti.

In nuce: ActionVFX releases a free, 49-piece collection consisting of snow textures. The only payment required is your data. If you want to download the collection, you have to register with ActionVFX.

What does the texture collection offer? According to the description, the collection is primarily aimed at those working with matte painting, VFX recordings and motion graphics. The snow textures include those with footprints, tyre or bicycle tracks. Also included are those that depict traces of snow on roofs or the handrail of a banister.

Which file format? The collection is available in 16-bit PNG file format, including alpha channels, and in a resolution of 2,048 x 1,080 pixels. There is also one in 4K format, but this is part of a paid asset collection.

What is Action VFX? It is a platform that offers you a high-quality collection of VFX assets. If you are looking for high-quality assets at reasonable prices, you should risk a click.

Click further: The video right here below demonstrates the snow flurry that awaits you in the 49 parts of the asset collection. Ready to click the download button ? For an insight into how the girls and boys at Action VFX go about supplying you with high-quality stock footage for your visual effects projects, click on the video below, in which the makers give you some interesting insights – or visit actionvfx.com directly.

FREE Snow Textures Now Available | ActionVFX

ActionVFX – The Best Stock Footage for Visual Effects

The post ActionVFX provides you with free snow textures first appeared on DIGITAL PRODUCTION and was written by Patrick Poti.

As promised on page 92 of the current DP: And here are the files directly from the Blackmagic Design Ursa Mini Pro 12K for download: 5GB zip archive (via Dropbox). If you want to know what the settings were, you can see this in the metadata of the files. Have fun watching – the material is neon lights and night-time kiosks (also with good unhealthy neon light).

And if you haven’t had anything to do with Braw yet: There‘ s a free player, directly from BlackMagic – download it here. (Pro tip: Reboot Windows. Helps. Really now.) If you don’t want to register, you don’t have to – just click on “Download Only” in the input mask at the bottom left. If you want to do it all in Premiere, you can get a Braw plugin – for example the Braw Studio (as a trial version) from Autokroma, which also includes a BRAW Player & Windows Explorer Thumbnails Installer.

The post Night falls with the Ursa Mini Pro 12K! first appeared on DIGITAL PRODUCTION and was written by Bela Beier.

Blackmagic has published its Fairlight Audio Guide for DaVinci Resolve 17, free of charge and as a PDF. The practical training guides you through the audio areas of editing, sweetening, recording, mixing and mastering. You will be familiarised with workflows that even experienced audio professionals have used to create impressive soundscapes.

You can get The Fairlight Audio Guide to DaVinci Resolve 17 here. Other free training books from Blackmagic include The Beginner’s Guide to DaVinci Resolve 17, The Editor’s Guide to DaVinci Resolve 17, The Colourist Guide to DaVinci Resolve 17 and The Visual Effects Guide to DaVinci Resolve 17. Just click onBlackmagic and have a read.

The post Fairlight Audio Guide | Manual first appeared on DIGITAL PRODUCTION and was written by Patrick Poti.

(Not) Between Two Fernes

The VFXer Between Two Pines has released a package with five free looping animations – these are steam and smoke animations in OpenVDB format. According to Between Two Pines, use for commercial projects is permitted.

The smoke clouds and steam squadrons can be loaded into all VDB-capable tools, such as Blender and Houdini – and then rendered out with Arnold, OctaneRender, Redshift or V-Ray. On Gumroad you can smoke yourself – possibly squatting between two pine trees? – in.

FREE – Steam & Smoke ||| SET_002 – OpenVDB

The post Smoke animation | Free of charge first appeared on DIGITAL PRODUCTION and was written by Patrick Poti.

The assets are provided in the native ZBrush-ZBP format and, unlike 2D alphas, should deliver clean results even with lower density meshes. A video tutorial for proper use on YouTube is also included. The ten free assets are part of a larger commercial package of 137 ZBrush 3D alphas available for purchase in Vang’s Gumroad store.

To download

The post 3D Alphas for ZBrush available free of charge first appeared on DIGITAL PRODUCTION and was written by Bela Beier.

The included models are .objs with DDS textures and optional .jpg files:

• Tie Fighter
• Imperial Corridor Pieces
• Luke Lightsaber
• Obi-Wan Lightsaber
• Darth Vader Lightsaber
• R2-D2
• BB-8
• X-Wing
• Tatooine Water Vaporator

You can download the package from Video Copilot here. It is 417 MB in size.

In keeping with this, we are currently running a prize draw for the film “The Force Awakens”. If you send us the correct solution by 11 May, you might soon be able to call the film your own in your home cinema!

The post Free “Star Wars” 3D model pack! first appeared on DIGITAL PRODUCTION and was written by Mirja Fürst.