According to Maxwell this is not just an update for Maxwell Render but complete rewritten, redesigned plugin for Modo R2. Because the changes Maxwell warn his user that the Maxwell Render parameters saved with previous versions are obsolete. The main concept of the renderer is still the same; center of the plugin interface is the Maxwell Render plugin windows. This was completely reorganized to make it more compact, clear and user friendly.

Cebas made available for download unlimited-time trial version of finalRender™ 2 forMaya for free. This version offers full functionality, all features and very fast rendering speed. All registered users can download this version from the download page at Cebas website. The render engine is based on standalone Stage-2 core, what means that it enables work with multiple applications. And by the way company such as Walt Disney are using this render engine so it’s worth to try.

Phonenix FD is now available for 3DsMax 2012 in the download section for ChaosGroup. Phoenix FD (fluid dynamics) it’s a grid based simulator for fire and smoke. It combines a grid based simulator with outstanding rendering capabilities. In addition to the usual uniform fluid behavior, Phoenix FD is capable of simulating a whole array of additional processes like pressure decay, thermal radiation cooling and mass-temperature dependence.

Source and full article: ChaosGroup

Pixar Animation Studios released his Academy Award®-winning RenderMan Pro Server software version 16.0. According to Pixar, this release should represent some „break-through „in Pixar’s rendering technology offering many of new possibilities, enhancements, and performance gains to speed up your workflow.