Interactive Data Visualization announced new versions of its flagship line of vegetation generating products — SpeedTree® Studio 6.1.1 and SpeedTree® Cinema 6.1.1. SpeedTree delivers beautiful, amazingly natural real-time trees and plants for movies, animations and architectural renderings. New version brings unwrapped models with texture generation, 64-bit support, faster wind computation, mesh optimization, fewer branch seams, multiple point cache improvements, and camera-facing leaf support. Interactive Data Visualization improved GUI with new navigation options, background image support, and viewport rendering options. 

Some month after releasing version 2.7, NVIDIA has prepared new 2.71 version of PhysX plug-ins for 3ds Max (2009-2012) and Maya (2009-2012). As usually also this updates bring many improvements and fixes some bugs. New PhysX plug-ins for 3ds Max fix a HW check issue for old driver causing crash for some users such as fix the crash with previewer, waving flag sample. This release also increases contact buffer for PhysX 3.x. New PhysX plug-ins for Maya brings toolbar improvement by switching to single click pops up menu instead of right click. Double click executes default behaviour. 

Exocortex Technologies announced the immediate availability of Exocortex ImplosiaFX , a new custom shattering plugin for Softimage. Exocortex ImplosiaFX enables advanced customizable fracturing/shattering as well as robust, fast and scalable CSG boolean operations. ImplosiaFX builds upon the powerful ICE Modeling framework introduced in Autodesk Softimage 2012 and is fully compatible with the rigid body simulation features of Exocortex Momentum. 

Some days ado we published info about immediate availability of 3ds Max plugin FiberMesh to Splines from Marius Silaghi. Now Marius has released another plugin for 3ds Max Projection Painter. Projection Painter is a script for 3DS Max which allows you to send a view of your model in your favorite painting application to paint its textures then project them back on to your model. This plugin can be mostly used when you what to paint your 3d model in your favorite painting application or when you want to paint with your normal map on. According to Marius you will have the benefit of working in your familiar painting environment with your favorite brushes at the speed you are used to.