Maxon: Cinema, BodyPaint

today announced Cinema 4D 9.5, BodyPaint 3D 2.5 and a new production bundle exclusively for studio visual effects. Cinema 4D v9.5 features improved workflow, lighting and rendering enhancements and "Sky", a tool which lets users easily create atmospherics. BodyPaint 3D v2.5 provides optimized workflow with new tools to assist users in creating high quality textures by painting directly on 3D models. The Maxon production bundle includes the latest versions of Cinema 4D, BodyPaint 3D plus other high-end production tools such as 16/32-bit 3D painting tools, Renderman Output, matte painting tools and a Linux version. CINEMA 4D R9.5 ($700) and BodyPaint 3D R2.5 ($750) will be available September as free upgrades to all purchases after July 1st, 2005.

Maxon says the Cinema 4D Release 9.5 offers dramatic improvements in lighting, rendering and workflow. "Lighting setup has been simplified, while more lighting possibilities exist with lights that can take any shape. Area lights and area shadows, crucial to realistic-looking scenes, now render up to four times faster than before."

The company says that images can be output in 32-bit/channel color depth as HDRI or OpenEXR, and that multipass renderings now can be output directly as compositing files for Shake. A new Content Browser offers users an overview of projects and presets -- saved and organized in realtime locally or on the server. Release 9.5 also features a full screen mode, which quickly offers the maximum amount of working space as well as a reworked Baker lets users create textures, normal maps and UVs with just a few clicks of the mouse.

Owners of the Advanced Render module can expect additional new features Release 9.5, including Ambient Occlusion and SKY. Ambient Occlusion enables users to create and quickly render more realistic shadows. Ambient Occlusion can either be rendered or baked as a texture. The Advanced Render 2.5 also features "SKY," which Maxon describes as "an elaborate but easy to use tool set that lets users create breathtaking atmospherics with just a few clicks of the mouse."

BodyPaint 3D Release 2.5

The stand-alone version of Maxon's 3D paint tool BodyPaint 3D R2.5 features a wide range of improvements in workflow. Users of 3ds max, LightWave, Maya and Softimage XSI can now create high-end textures for complex models faster and more effectively than ever. The new full screen mode and Content Browser deliver users an excellent overview of their projects; other workflow improvements borrowed from CINEMA 4D include the Heads-Up Display to view and adjust scene data within the viewport and a one-touch customizable menu offering access to most application functions.

The latest version of BodyPaint also improves import functions. Importing models from any application streamlined with new support for n-gons; in addition, users can now apply individual layers and masks from .psd files as textures. The layer shader allows multiple images, layers, filters and procedurals to be mixed into a single texture, while detachable projection layers allow users to fit an existing texture over geometry.

MAXON production bundle

The new flagship Maxon Production Bundle offers a combination of Maxon products and services targeted specifically for studio users. It contains the complete, current Maxon product line as well as advanced tools for studio visual effects including a complete Linux version; 16- and 32-bit support for all BodyPaint 3D paint tools; integration of Renderman-compliant renderers such as PRMan and Air; and Projection Man, a specialized tool set for the generation of digital matte paintings. The Production Bundle also expands Maxon's free technical support with a service contract that includes free upgrades and future products. (Pricing and ship date were not available on the Production Bundle.)

by MacNN Staff