Browsing Tag
shading
44 posts
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.
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.
RenderMan 27.2 adds USD and XPU updates
RenderMan 27.2 ships with USD, XPU and workflow updates aimed at production use.
5000 PBR materials, zero node wrangling
5000 PBR materials packaged for Blender Asset Browser, drag and drop, GPL licensed, priced for indies.
RealBlend brings mesh painting back to Unity
New Unity mesh painting tool targets Polybrush users with in editor vertex colour and mesh editing features.
Arnold adds lines, points and faster volumes
Arnold update adds NPR shaders and accelerates OpenVDB volumes up to five times in official tests.
DomeMaker 1.0 streamlines HDRI dome lighting for 3ds Max (V-Ray)
DomeMaker 1.0 converts Jonas Noell’s custom HDRI dome workflow into a one-click tool for 3ds Max (V-Ray). Expect instant viewport feedback, automated floor matching, water/wetness effects, and matched CPU/GPU rendering—priced at a studio-friendly $30.
MoonRay 2.15: Developer Joy with NUMA, GUI Control & Fisheye Finesse
MoonRay 2.15 adds a new regression suite (~400 tests), NUMA tuning, rdla_gui, per‑BSDF lightsets, fisheye FOV and TwoSidedMap—confirm stability before use.
![A blue, futuristic aircraft with robotic features displayed in a dark, industrial environment. The image features the text 'Marmoset Toolbag 5.02 [Beta Release]' above the aircraft, highlighting software branding. The background has a metallic appearance with grid lines.](https://i0.wp.com/digitalproduction.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/502-beta-socialsbanner.jpg?resize=380%2C250&quality=80&ssl=1)
Baking, Decals, Fog and a Smudge of Beta in Marmoset Toolbag
Marmoset launches the Toolbag 5.02 beta with new features for baking, painting, fog rendering and scene management.
Chaos Corona 13: AI, GPU & Cartoon Vibes
Corona 13 adds AI Enhancer, GPU rendering via Vantage Live Link, cel/outline shaders, Scatter Clusters, AI‑based asset variations, Firefly removal, VRScene import, Thin‑Film shader.
Mocha 2025.5: Faces, Frames & Focal Lengths
Mocha 2025.5 tracks faces, fixes mattes, solves 3D scenes with stationary cameras and adds batch export presets for speedier pipelines.
Blender 4.5 Beta: Nodes Get Nifty, Collada Gets the Boot
Blender 4.5 Beta brings new Geometry Nodes, USD and glTF upgrades, and drops Collada in 5.0. Here's what's new - and what’s going away.
Maxon Acquires Autograph: A New Chapter in Compositing Tools
Maxon welcomes the Autograph team from Left Angle, aiming to integrate their compositing expertise into its suite of creative tools,
3ds Max 2026.1: More Than Just a Modifier Update
3ds Max 2026.1 updates Push, Attribute Transfer and XForm modifiers, improves spline optimization and skin performance, and bumps OCIO to version 2.4.2.
Unreal Engine 5.6, Fully released. Still 60 FPS, still Smarter MetaHumans, and still possibly Fewer CPU Tantrums
Unreal Engine 5.6 brings integrated MetaHuman Creator, Control Rig Physics, 60 FPS optimization, and enhanced Sequencer tools for streamlined game development.
Nomad: Sculpting on Desktop
Nomad Sculpt enters free public beta on Windows, macOS and Linux - desktop edition includes all iPad features.
Fibric: Stitching Curves into Cloth—Procedurally
Fibric introduces a Houdini SOP-based toolset for procedural clothing creation using curves, featuring UV-ready, quad-based geometry and real-time rendering with Karma XPU.
Blender’s 2024 User Survey Results: The Good, the Bad, and the ?
Over 7,000 Blender users shared their thoughts in the 2024 survey, highlighting satisfaction levels and areas for improvement.
Ucupaint 2.3: Baking Bad Gets Better
Ucupaint 2.3 adds real-time Ambient Occlusion, rebake-all layers, and bakeable edge detect—because who needs sleep when you can have features?
Wrap Gen: Because Your Mesh Deserves a Hug
Wrap Gen for Blender lets you procedurally wrap custom geometry around objects using curves and geometry nodes—no manual tweaking required.
Free Fab? Epic’s Giving Away a Back Alley
Epic Games drops 50 modular 3D assets for Unreal Engine on Fab – for free. Think dumpsters, cables, trash bags, brick walls. It's exactly that.
LuxCoreRender 2.10: Back on Track with Cross-Platform Support and Python Integration
LuxCoreRender 2.10 reintroduces support for Linux, Windows, MacOS Intel, and now MacOS ARM, with updated dependencies and Python bindings for seamless integration.
RetopoFlow 4 Beta: Now With Less Pain Per Polygon
RetopoFlow 4 Beta for Blender is out - with improved usability, updated PolyStrips, and tighter integration. But it’s still a beta, so handle with care.
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.
Unreal Engine 5.6 Preview: Now with 60Hz Open Worlds and In-Engine MetaHumans
Unreal Engine 5.6 Preview introduces 60Hz open worlds, an overhauled animation toolset, in-engine MetaHuman Creator, and enhanced procedural workflows.
Melt Simulator for Blender: Gooey Goodness Without the Mess
CGMatter's Melt Simulator for Blender 4.3 introduces particle, instance, and mesh modes, plus UV advection and time-based melting triggers.
Free Plugin Connects Blender to Nuke – Without Alembic Detours
Free plugin bridges Blender and Nuke via FBX and OBJ – no Alembic or USD needed. Geometry and camera data flow directly into your comp.
HairFlow: Bad Hair Days Are Simulated Now
HairFlow simulates hair in Blender using simulation nodes—wind, gravity, collisions, even goosebumps. Realtime playback included.
Free Blender Clouds Shader Floats into Your Scene
A free Blender clouds shader by Thomas Marco lets you dial in stylised volumetric clouds via intuitive custom parameters – no add-ons or plugins needed.
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.
Normal Problem? Normal Solution: Free Blender Add-on “Shading Normal Editor” Now Available
Stylized shading made easier: "Shading Normal Editor" for Blender fixes normals for shading effects—free and ready for download.
SDF, UVs & STLs: Uniform 1.4 Goes All In
Uniform 1.4 introduces SDF modeling with full UV mapping, STL export for 3D printing, and new workflow tools for precise mesh editing and texture control.
EZ Tree: Your Next Tree’s Just a Click Away
Free, open-source, lightweight and Python-based: EZ Tree procedurally generates trees for 3D workflows – via GUI or command line.
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.
Neat Video 6.0.5: Noise Reduction Gets a Patch-Up
Neat Video 6.0.5 squashes bugs, improves GPU performance, fixes color channel issues, and updates presets – denoising stays smooth across video workflows, even in Resolve and Fusion 20
Corona 12 Update 2: Sunlight, Static Meshes & Setups
Corona 12 Update 2 adds support for Sun Directionality, static mesh export from Chaos Scatter, and a unified setup for the Corona Sky in 3ds Max and C4D.
Weight No More: Streamlining Blender’s Weight Painting with Robust Weight Transfer
Enhance your Blender workflow with Sent From Space's free Robust Weight Transfer add-on, simplifying weight painting and improving character rigging efficiency.
Express Delivery: Adobe, ComLine & the Speed of Content
Adobe and ComLine present Adobe Express as a fast-track content tool with Firefly AI and scheduling, live-demoed by Adobe’s Sven Brencher on April 29.
ICE.ART 2025.I: May Your Env Be Ever Procedural
ICE.ART 2025.I, the 3D Environment Conference, will return on May 21–22, 2025. The call for speakers is now open.
Blueprints & C++: Epic’s New Tutorial Series for Unity Devs
Epic Games releases a 5-part tutorial series with Enduring Games to assist Unity developers in transitioning to Unreal Engine, focusing on Blueprints and C++ integration.
Thinkbox MX Plugin Suite: Open-Sourced Magic in current 3ds Max Versions
Thinkbox MX Plugin Suite for 3ds Max is now available, showcasing a finely tuned open source solution that champions usability, simplicity, and stability in production pipelines.
Dirty Shader Hands? Use MatCaps!
A free tool for Blender lets you paint PBR materials directly in 3D Viewport—without UVs, nodes or shaders.
finalRender Free: A Renderer That Costs Nothing but Demands Something
cebas offers finalRender Free for 3ds Max users, featuring single-device rendering with CPU or GPU. Commercial use permitted; registration required.
Terrain3D 1.0: Godot’s Landscape Tool Levels Up
Terrain3D 1.0 for Godot Engine 4.4 introduces enhanced 3D projection, dynamic collision, and up to 10 LODs for foliage, optimizing landscape creation.