Blender 5.3 Brings Gaussian Splats Home
Blender 5.3 brings Gaussian Splats into the core app, with native import, Geometry Nodes access and rendering across Workbench, EEVEE and Cycles.
Browsing Tag
OpenUSD
27 posts
Redshift 2026.9 Tightens the Bolts
Redshift 2026.9 adds Houdini 22 support, broader USD workflows and leaner render preparation, while clearing out a useful pile of production bugs.
Marvelous Designer 2026.1 Rips Seams
Seam ripping, brush pinching, blend-shape animation and camera interchange give Marvelous Designer finer control over cloth and hand-offs.
UV Flex 0.3 Adds Spline UV Deformation to Blender
UV Flex 0.3 adds interactive split, merge, reshape and spline controls to Blender's UV Editor, including falloff and 2D IK.
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.
InstaMAT Guided Scatter Controls Rock Patterns
InstaMAT’s Guided Scatter steers tile-based rock patterns with masks, vectors, scale maps and collision controls; Abstract also reports SOC 2 compliance.
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.
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.
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.
Cascadeur 2026.2 Adds Animation Layers
Cascadeur 2026.2 previews additive animation layers, easing controls, localised UI packs, environmental posing and Python workflow updates.
MoonRay Renderer joins ASWF as hosted project
MoonRay lands at ASWF as a hosted project, keeps DreamWorks engineering support, and gets a July Open Source Days keynote slot in Los Angeles.
Foundry expands Nuke Stage for LED walls
Nuke Stage now plays NotchLC, handles Gaussian Splats, logs on-set metadata in a Vault, and pushes USD scene edits into real time LED wall playback.
Maxon Autograph 2026 is here
Maxon Autograph went free for individuals, learned USD, and picked up OpenFX. Nice.
Spark Story at NAB
Spark Story promises rapid previs from browser to iOS, with scripts, OpenUSD assets, and Gaussian Splats. NAB gets the first hands-on.
3ds Max 2027 is here.
3ds Max 2027 adds Smart Bevel, Noise Plus, and Field Helper, plus faster modifiers and a cleaner viewport for daily scene wrangling.
OpenUSD v26.03 gets the SPLATS
OpenUSD v26.03 brings native Gaussian splats, a reference renderer, and WebAssembly builds, plus real pipeline speed and rigging work.
Autodesk ships Maya 2027
Maya Creative gets most of Maya 2027, while Maya 2027 adds Smart Bevel, USD tools, MotionMaker horses, and deeper Bifrost perks.
Unity ships Unity Studio for in-browser 3D
Unity Studio is out, bringing no-code 3D editing in the browser, link-based sharing, and a clear per-seat price with storage and bandwidth caps.
OctaneRender 2027.1 alpha goes neural
OctaneRender 2027.1 alpha chases cleaner viewports, smarter lights, and more USD. Test it like it is spicy, because it is.
AOUSD Releases OpenUSD Core Specification 1.0
The Alliance for OpenUSD publishes the first ratified core standard defining composition, data models, file formats, and compliance for OpenUSD.
USDSkel: Optimized Character Rigging
USDSkel is an OpenUSD component that supports scalable, manipulable, and interchangeable skinned characters. Wanna know more?
Nuke Stage: Foundry Introduces a Virtual Production Tool
Foundry introduces Nuke Stage, a virtual production tool designed for real-time playback, live compositing, and integration with industry-standard formats.
OpenUSD 25.02: Technical Tweaks for the Speedy Frame Wrangler (Yes, Really)
OpenUSD 25.02 refines API calls, performance, and stability with a suite of focused technical improvements.
Prism Pipeline, the second
The technical requirements of animation and VFX productions are increasing every year - I don't have to tell you that. In most projects, a variety of tools are used to achieve the desired quality. In order to complete these increasingly complex projects within the specified deadlines, more powerful pipeline tools are also required.
Here comes OpenUSD
USD seems to be catching on - Pixar, Adobe, Apple, Autodesk and Nvidia have launched the "Alliance for Open USD" together with a branch of the Linux Foundation
Vision Series Covers Maya USD Workflows
The Source Awakens session examines Maya USD, MaterialX and OpenColorIO workflows for collaboration across artists and studios.
