Das Element 2.3.2: Cleaner Ingest and Reverse Playback
Das Element 2.3.2 adds reverse playback, MTL support and CPU thread controls, while fixing ingest, RAW proxies and metadata.
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Pipeline
174 posts
ICE.ART 2026.II agenda is set
ICE.ART 2026.II has its final agenda: three online evenings covering animation, virtual production, architecture, materials and realtime worlds.
Beat 2.0 Links Script Planning to Set
Beat turns screenplay breakdown, shot planning, set diagrams and shoot-day tracking into one local-first Mac workflow.
Open-Source Photogrammetry Gets Friendlier
Simple Photogrammetry GUI bundles an open-source reconstruction stack behind a friendly UI, now with beta AMD/HIP support and useful logs.
PostPro Analytics Counts Creative Work
PostPro Analytics logs project activity across nine Mac creative apps and turns it into local dashboards, CSV reports and billing evidence.
Media Plane adds nonlinear editing to Maya
Gizmify brings clip editing, retiming, compositing and scripted reference workflows directly into Maya with the beta Media Plane Editor.
Sisir Free Hair Grooming Tool
Free standalone grooming for Windows adds guide styling, procedural controls, masks, DCC bridge scripts and Alembic export.
Ripple Pro for 3ds Max
Ripple Pro brings modern ripple, wake and rain controls to 3ds Max, without relying on its ageing built-in modifier stack.
Open glTF Roundtrip Lands in 3ds Max
Khronos releases a free open-source glTF 2.0 importer and exporter for 3ds Max, with PBR, compression, animation and extension support.
Nukepedia Rebuilt, nuBridge Reloaded
An interview with Nukepedia founder Frank Rueter, one of the long-standing Nuke community voices, about the platform rebuild, nuBridge and the next steps for 2D Compositing tools.
FilmLight fl-enhance: Baselight Tools Escape Into Python
FilmLight’s fl-enhance repository brings Baselight and Daylight scripts, shaders and FLAPI tools to GitHub, including LUT wrapping, ACES EXR transcoding and colour utilities.
Overgrown targets an open feature pipeline for Blender
Blender Studio is pushing Overgrown as a feature project with production logs, tools and docs, funded first through subscriber growth.
Blender Roadmap Puts Plans in One Place
Blender gets a central Roadmap for active projects and recent features, giving artists and studios a clearer view beyond release-note excavation.
Mush3D 3.0 Adds Soft Tissue Tools
Mush3D 3.0 adds pose-trained corrections and tetrahedral soft tissue simulation for artists polishing cached character animation.
Massive Crowd Sim gets a free 101-edition
Massive 101 goes free for non-commercial use, with watermarked renders and a forum-based license login. Great for learning, risky for deadlines.
Maya 2027.1 adds OTIO to Sequencer
Maya 2027.1 lands with OTIO in Sequencer, LookdevX projection tools, and more Bifrost and USD housekeeping. Patch it, test it, then trust it.
Scene Auditor Pro targets Blender bloat
Scene Auditor Pro maps Blender datablock dependencies, flags orphans and duplicates, and pushes a safer cleanup workflow for big scenes.
PolygoFlow Dash asset manager goes free on Fab
Free Dash asset manager lands on Fab: browse local assets across UE5 projects, tag up to 1000 assets a month, and use smart collections.
Blender 5.2 LTS targets texture-heavy renders
Blender 5.2 LTS adds a Cycles texture cache that builds .tx tiles and loads only what the render needs. Less VRAM waste, more scene headroom.
Abstract brings native InstaMAT and InstaLOD on Linux
Abstract has released public preview Linux builds of InstaMAT and InstaLOD, adding native support for RHEL-compatible production environments, Blender and Maya integrations, GPU acceleration, and automation-friendly deployment.
Autodesk Flow Studio adds AI Rigging and Neural Layer for character workflows
The Flow Studio update introduces automated rigging, video-driven animation, neural rendering enhancements, and export to Maya, Blender, and Unreal.
FMX 2026 adds animation, lens talks and of course AI
New sessions span performance animation, AI workflow debates, and lens science, with cloud and software partners joining the mix. Just three weeks until FMX! Wuhu!
![A visually engaging scene featuring the word "SWITCHX" in a modern font, overlaying a group of people in dynamic poses at a beach during twilight. The tagline reads, "SWITCH [ANYTHING]. KEEP WHAT MATTERS."](https://i0.wp.com/digitalproduction.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/beeble-switchx-hero.png?resize=380%2C250&quality=70&ssl=1)
SwitchX API for video transformations in YOUR pipeline
Beeble has launched the SwitchX API in public beta, exposing its browser-based image and video transformation workflow through REST. The API supports uploads, generation jobs, polling, webhooks, 720p and 1080p output, and a more detailed alpha workflow than the launch text initially lets on.
dy Install Libs adds Library Manager to Houdini
dy Install Libs ships Library Manager for Houdini, turning library installs into clicks instead of JSON wrangling.
VINZI Atlux λ arrives on Fab
Atlux λ is now on Fab, bringing a virtual photo studio and one click renders to Unreal Engine, plus Mac support.
Forest Pack 9.3.5 broadens collisions
Forest Pack 9.3.5 spreads collision checks everywhere, adds .pmat in the Library Browser, and gives Effects new camera-aware tricks.
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.
Abstract ships InstaMAT 2026 Curves Brushes
InstaMAT 2026 adds editable curve painting, smarter symmetry, and fresh mesh masking, plus pricing tweaks that matter for teams and freelancers.
FMX 2026 program goes live
The FMX program is live for the 30th edition, with RENO pipeline lessons, generative video craft, and European collab on Predator: Badlands.
OpenPBR BSDF reference code from Adobe
OpenPBR BSDF reference implementation for Substance is public as a small library with prepare, sample, eval, pdf API and multi-target compilation.
On a Mission: Creating “NO ONE’S LIGHT”
No One’s Light is what happens when you start with 50 sci-fi ideas, delete 47 of them for survival reasons, and end up with a five-minute animated short that still looks like an alien planet got a proper art department. Blender handles the world building and Geometry Nodes chaos, CloudRig keeps characters bendy instead of broken, and Nuke ties it together before final grading at HFF München.
How Pixar Cheats a Skunk Tail
Kranzler talks Hoppers grooming and shading, including a layered wet-fur look and why skunks got a “cheated” tail.
VFX School Closes and Leaves the Lights On
For those who don’t know the school: The VFX School was an online training platform focused primarily on…
A World Divided: Shaping a Global WWII Epic at Overmind Studios
125 shots, six episodes, and a two-person team. VFX lead Tobias Kummer explained how Overmind Studios delivered geographic transformations, period cleanup, atmospherics, and a nuclear blast for A World Divided, built on disciplined templating and automation in Fusion.
RenderMan 27.2 adds USD and XPU updates
RenderMan 27.2 ships with USD, XPU and workflow updates aimed at production use.
SynthEyes 2026 Speeds Up
SynthEyes 2026 adds a Mocha-powered affine point tracker, real-time GeoH previews and expanded USD support to cut solve iteration time.
FMX 2026 spotlights fire, fur and pipelines
FMX 2026 adds Wētā FX, Pixar and Illogic Studios sessions, plus new Premium Partners AMCRS, Accenture Song VFX and AYON.
Foundry buys Griptape to “orchestrate AI”
Foundry acquires Griptape to add "AI orchestration" to Nuke and broader VFX pipelines.
PFTrack update tidies Maya and LiDAR workflows
PFTrack update refines Maya export, LiDAR error handling and Survey Solver node logic for Studio and Enterprise users.
Katana 9 deepens USD and previews Hydra 2
Katana introduces UsdSuperLayer, new USD lighting and material nodes, and alpha Hydra 2 viewer support.
One click exports and zero patience for menus from Blender to Unreal, Unity and more.
A free Blender add-on offers fast exports to Unity, Unreal and Godot using collections and selection logic.
MetaTailor adds engine bridges and less FBX fatigue
MetaTailor 2.5 introduces official engine bridges and workflow updates for realtime character clothing pipelines.
Animate re-animated
The King is dead, long live the King: Adobe caves, and Animate remains available with support and fixes, but no new features.
Adobe pulls the plug on Animate at last
Adobe has confirmed the end of life of Adobe Animate, setting clear dates for sales, access, and support wind-down.
Infinity Hotel: Endless Rooms, Endless Renders
HFF Munich’s VFX students built Infinity Hotel, a hybrid short film merging live action with CGI, LiDAR scans, and Dolby Atmos sound.
Blender LTS patches, still no surprises
Blender 4.5.6 LTS and 4.2.17 LTS deliver bug fixes only, confirming Blender’s long term support policy for production use.
Foundry locks in full subscription future for 2027
Foundry drops perpetual maintenance: from 2027, all Nuke, Mari, and Katana users will be on subscription only.
CardCutter turns texture into Nanite meshes
CardCutter for Blender 4.0+ generates Nanite-optimised meshes from texture masks for Unreal Engine foliage and decal pipelines.
Marvelous Designer adds indie pricing, quietly
Marvelous Designer introduces a discounted indie licence with defined revenue limits and feature parity.
Cinebench 2026: Benchmark therapy
Cinebench 2026 updates the classic benchmark with full GPU support and new SMT tests. Time to see if your workstation is still worth its power bill.
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.
Rendering the Inferno at RiseFX: The Lost Bus
128 shots, 15 sequences, and GPUs on the brink: RISE FX’s Oliver Schulz explains how his team built the burning world of The Lost Bus.
Autodesk launches Maya 2026.3 & Creative 2026.3
Maya 2026.3 packs Bifrost rigid bodies, Graph Editor channel sets, Flow connectivity, and an upgraded USD asset resolver.
Foundry Opens Nuke 17 Beta: New 3D System, New Variables
Nuke 17 Beta modernises its 3D system, adds a Variable framework and revamped annotation tools: compositors can now test them all.
The Cube Moved: Go for the Chaos (Ad) Vantage
Architecture Illustrators and Visualizers test Chaos Vantage for a narrative short and accidentally build a moving house. Unbox proves real-time previz can tell stories, not just sell floor plans.
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.
Blender 4.5 LTS lands
lender 4.5 LTS arrives with studio-grade support; the Blender survey shows where users stand; and Blender 5.0 beta is already here, so its time to plan your upgrade.
Photoshop 27.0: Now with Harmonise, Upscale & Firefly Video
Photoshop 27.0 is official. You get Harmonise, Generative Upscale, Firefly video export, and selectable AI models. Test before rollout.
Momo: Of Time, Turtles, and Technical Wizardry
VFX Supervisor Michael Wortmann on how RiseFX built the fantasy of Momo: almost entirely on location, with 280 shots and the best turtle in the business.
ICE.ART 2025.II recordings now live for free
All talks and panel recordings from ICE.ART 2025.II are now live online: set aside a free weekend and dive into environment, historical racing,, city simulation, film nostalgia (including dinosaurs) and Unreal workflows.
Deadline 10 enters maintenance mode for studios
AWS Thinkbox will put Deadline 10 into maintenance mode on 7 Nov 2025: no new features, just fixes. Studios should plan migration to Deadline Cloud.
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.
HFF Munich Hiring: Two Half-Time Heroes Wanted
HFF Munich’s VFX department wants two new tech minds—one for the pipeline, one for IT. Expect creative chaos, cool people, and excellent surroundings!
One Toolbag to Rule Your Clicks
William Faucher’s EasyToolbag trims the fat from Unreal Engine 5 workflows with one-click helpers, shortcuts, and smarter viewport tweaks.
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.
Sharper, Faster, Smokier: FumeFX 7.1 for 3ds Max
FumeFX 7.1 delivers faster warps, Alembic point clouds, and smarter VDB handling in 3ds Max. Less waiting, more burning.
Eight Hands, One Brush: Mari 7.5 Beta Paints on All Fronts
Multi-Paint lands in Mari 7.5 beta. Eight channels, one stroke. Texture transfer, image grouping, and faster backups follow. Test before trusting.
Python for Artists Cohort starts soon
Repetitive tasks kill time. Python kills repetitive tasks. DP author Alexander Richter teaches scripting for Maya, Houdini, Nuke, and more.
VEGAS Pro 23 Boosts Engine, Streamlines Colour-Grading, Modernises Interface
TL;DR: VEGAS Pro 23 adds ARM-native support, GPU Core Engine, refreshed UI and flexible licensing. Now with both perpetual and subscription pricing.
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.
Chaos Vantage 3.0 beta lands with USD, MaterialX and Gaussian Splats
Vantage 3.0 beta is here: USD, MaterialX and Gaussian Splats mean Chaos’ real-time GPU renderer finally speaks modern pipeline standards.
KitBash3D and Greyscalegorilla merge
KitBash3D and Greyscalegorilla merge: R&D speeds up, asset libraries grow, tools expand. Users should see no price or support changes.
RV 2025: Onion Skin, Live Review, ARM Macs
RV 2025 arrives with Live Review (Beta), ARM64 macOS support, and onion skin annotations.
Matching Your Moves: Inside Vision Age VFX
Vision Age VFX specialises in high-end matchmove and rotoanim. Workflows, QC, case studies, and technical tips from Tunisia’s camera tracking experts.
Here’s Character Creator 5 — Now in Hero-Quality, MAya-Friendly, MetaHuman-Friendly, and Armed with ActorMIXER
Reallusion launches Character Creator 5 featuring HD subdivision, upgraded facial animation, ActorMIXER Pro, and integration with Maya, Marmoset, and Unreal.
Houdini 21 Finally Lands: The Buzz Is Over, Time to Actually Use It
SideFX has released Houdini 21, adding rigging, CFX, VFX, lookdev, terrain, and Copernicus updates. The hype is over; time to test in production.
AI Render for iClone & CC with ComfyUI Integration, Available in Open Beta
Reallusion announces the open beta of AI Render, a completely free plugin that bridges Reallusion’s intuitive 3D software, including Character Creator and iClone—with ComfyUI, the open-source, node-based interface widely regarded as the gold standard for customizable AI visual generation.
These Are the Clones You’re Looking For: Hoplite VFX Fires Up ‘Star Wars: The 212’
Hoplite VFX trades stormtrooper aim for clone trooper precision in Star Wars: The 212. Producer Maurine Fauvert reveals how a two-artist side project turned into a full-blown studio production, complete with Move AI mocap, Blender’s GPU power, and some very unlucky troopers.
Maya 2026.2: Lighter Wolves, Smarter Motion, and One Less Excuse to Skip MaterialX
Maya 2026.2 boosts MotionMaker AI, enables MaterialX in LookdevX, brings Arnold GPU Toon shading, and makes Bifrost mandatory. Check docs for full details.
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.
Frank Rueter’s Quest to Stop Nuke Knowledge from Disappearing
Nukepedia’s origin: How Frank Rueter launched the community’s Nuke tool repository and why the relaunch matters in 2025 - and what is coming to nuBridge?
DJV 3.0 Returns: Free VFX Review Tool Gains Timeline & USD Support
DJV 3.0 revives its open-source VFX viewer with OTIO timelines, USD playback, OCIO color management, and multi-track audio under a BSD license.
Substance 3D Designer 15 arrives
Substance 3D Designer 15 arrives with a new real-time/path-tracing renderer, in-viewport post FX, and direct scene-based material editing.
![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.
Parrot Sample: Engine Switch from Unity to Unreal Without Headaches?
Parrot Game Sample offers annotated Blueprints, C++, feature parity and walkthroughs to simplify engine migration.
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.
3DCoat 2025 with Node-Based Sculpting and RealityCapture
Pilgway ships 3DCoat 2025 with a Node Room, RealityCapture photogrammetry, new Hotkey Manager, UI themes, Soft Booleans and Smart Hybrid tech.
The Hungarian Dressmaker – by PFX
Not every historic drama is created equal - "The Hungarian Dressmaker" rebuild a world barely out of reach of living memory, and we got a chance to talk to PFX artists and artisans about rebuiling 1940' s Bratislava and Biskupice
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 scanning for Everybody!
Scanner veteran Lawren Bancroft-Wilson gives us a look behind the curtain on Lidar Scanning for VFX and Post.
The Survivor: A Study in Character-Driven Look Development
At FMX, we met a few students from "PIXLVISN " - and since we never looked at what they are doing, it is high time to do so!
Free Mech, Fully Armed: SideFX Drops Rigged & Ready Model for UE5
SideFX releases a free, fully rigged and animated mech model, optimized for Unreal Engine 5 and ready for animation, rigging and FBX workflows.
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.
Cinemon 1.0: Signal Correction Done Right
Cinemon 1.0 is here. Color pipeline analysis, waveform monitor, and Scopes — now out of beta and ready for your iPad workflow.
TD Meetup 15: Open Source Pipeline Plex
Plex is an Visual Effects, Animation and Games pipeline that manages critical workflows during production.
Syntheyes 2025: ML-powered masks, batch processing and more…
Boris FX has just releases the latest version of its 3D Tracking and Matchmoving software, Syntheyes. Boris FX traditionally tries to utilize technology from its other software solutions in its various products, and Syntheyes is no exception, including Mask ML in the 2025 release.
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
FilmLight sends your frames!
FilmLight’s Nara simplifies media workflows and improves collaboration. And you don't even need to have Baselight in your pipeline! The latest version enables seamless progress reviews, approvals, and compliance processes—all without proxies. Interested?
A Wrapping Revolution: Wrap 2024.11 & Wrap4D Unveiled
FaceForm updates Wrap and Wrap4D with enhanced node graph features, new brush tools, and a comprehensive blend rig pipeline for 3D scanning professionals.