BROOKLYN, NY — Kickstand (www.kickstand.tv), creator of the StretchMesh plug-in for Autodesk Maya software, has launched a campaign to evolve StretchMesh Surface Deformation software into Open Source technology. By making the source code available to the 3D community, Kickstand opens the door for artists working in Maya to incorporate the surface deformation technology into their 3D workflow.
The StretchMesh Open Source initiative also allows programmers and developers of software programs such as Autodesk 3DS Max and Softimage, NewTek LightWave, Luxology Modo, and Maxon Cinema 4D to incorporate advanced surface deformation functionality in future product releases.
Kickstand invites the 3D community to support the StretchMesh Open Source campaign by visiting: http://www.indiegogo.com/StretchMesh-for-Autodesk-Maya.
The surface deformation plug-in is designed to seamlessly integrate with Maya 3D modeling and animation software and introduces new techniques into the character pipeline. The tool gives polygonal geometry a "stretchy" quality for better control over the movement and skin elasticity of 3D modeled characters. StretchMesh takes advantage of multi-threading in Maya software.