Last month, in this space, we looked at some of the latest news coming from Luxology, which is turning 10. This month, we continue with news from the animation business, specifically looking at the latest announcements from Maxon and NewTek.
In late December, Maxon launched the “2.0” version of its Cineversity Website (www.cineversity.com), an educational resource for those looking to improve their Cinema 4D skills. The new Website is home to more than 2,000 tutorials that can be searched and filtered, helping artists easily navigate to their specific areas of interest.
Maxon’s Paul Babb spoke with Post just prior to the site’s relaunch and says the update marks an ambitious effort that has been in the works for more than a year. Many of the tutorials found on the Cineversity site — somewhere around 500 — are available for free. There is also a subscription service available for artists who want complete access to all of the educational resources. The paid membership is initially $295, and $95 per year thereafter.
NewTek was also working to release Version 11 of its LightWave animation software before the year ended. VP, head of 3D development, Rob Powers, points to some of the release’s highlights, particularly enhancements that were made to LightWave’s Viewport Preview Renderer. Color, lighting and surfacing changes now update in the VPR in realtime.
PS3 Move support has been introduced to LightWave, allowing artists to use the controller to quickly create animated moves. In addition, NewTek has opened its SDK to allow for use with any current or future Human Interface Design (HID) controller. Other highlights include powerful instancing features, a new flocking system, new fracture tools, Python scripting, stereo camera improvements, and an assortment of pipeline interchange tool, including those that add support for ZBrush GoZ.
Post will be staying on top of these new releases as they hit the market.