3ds Max 2009 New Features: mental ray

New mental ray features with 3ds Max 2009 and 3ds Max Design 2009:

ProMaterials
A new library of easy-to-use, physically based materials for mental ray based on manufacturing-supplied data and professional images. These materials give you fast access to commonly used real-world materials such as professional wall paint (glossy or matte finish), solid glass and concrete.

New mental ray Proxy Objects
A new primitive has been added that lets artists cache high-resolution meshes that be demand-loaded at render time. This saves memory, increases performance and allows the artist to render larger scenes.

Enhanced Production Shaders
A new lens shader enables mental ray to evaluate only those rays that intersect specified objects, a new matte/shadow material can capture indirect illumunination, and a new chrome ball shader can quickly create reflection maps.

Enhanced Per-object Render Settings
Additional object-level settings are available that allow more control over renders.

Improved Final Gather and GI
New final gather and GI only settings allow artists to quickly cache these types of maps for improved animation rendering.

New BSP2 Raytrace Acceleration
New, faster binary space partitioning acceleration improves large scene rendering performance.

New mental ray Render Elements
A new render element for extracting HDR data from Arch & Design materials and another new render element allows the user to define the type of data they would like to extract from the shader tree.
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3ds Max 2009 New Features: Biped

New Biped features with 3ds Max 2009 and 3ds Max Design 2009:

Hands Like Feet Option
You have the option to have Biped character's hands behave like feet (with regards to the ground plane). This simplifies the number of steps needed to create quadrapeds.

Working Pivot Rotation
You can rotate Biped objects around the Working Pivot, as well as the Pick pivot. This makes it easier to create animations such as a character falling to the ground.

Mirror Animation Options
You can mirror Biped animation while keeping the COM orientation intact.

Triangle Neck
You can link a character's clavicles to the the top Spine link, instead of the neck (similar to the Triangle Pelvis feature).
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3ds Max 2009 New Features: UV Texturing

New UV Texturing features with 3ds Max 2009 and 3ds Max Design 2009:

UV Spline Mapping
A new spline mapping feature can be used to map tubular and spline-like objects, such as mapping a road onto a terrain.

UVW Unwrap Improvements
Improvements have been made to relax and pelt workflows that streamline UVW unwrapping.
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3ds Max 2009 System Requirements

System Requirements for both 3ds Max 2009 and 3ds Max Design 2009:

The 32-bit version of 3ds Max 2009 is supported on the following operating systems:
Microsoft Windows Vista
Microsoft Windows XP Professional (SP2 or higher)

The 64-bit version of 3ds Max 2009 is supported on the following operating systems:
Microsoft Windows Vista
Microsoft Windows XP Professional x64

3ds Max 2009 requires the following browser:
Microsoft Internet Explorer 6 or higher

3ds Max 2009 requires the following supplemental software:
DirectX 9.0c* (required)
Some features of 3ds Max 2009 are only enabled when used with graphics hardware that supports Shader Model 3.0 (Pixel Shader and Vertex Shader 3.0). Check with your manufacturer to determine if your hardware supports Shader Model 3.0.

Hardware
At a minimum, 3ds Max 2009 32-bit requires a system with:
Intel Pentium IV or AMD Athlon XP or higher processor
512 MB RAM (1 GB recommended)
500 MB swap space (2 GB recommended)
Hardware-accelerated OpenGL and Direct3D supported
Microsoft Windows-compliant pointing device (optimized for Microsoft IntelliMouse)
DVD-ROM drive

Note: Apple computers based on Intel processors and running Microsoft operating systems are not currently supported.

At a minimum, 3ds Max 2009 64-bit requires a system with:
Intel EM64T, AMD Athlon 64 or higher, AMD Opteron processor
1 GB RAM (4 GB recommended)
500 MB swap space (2 GB recommended)
Hardware-accelerated OpenGL and Direct3D supported
Microsoft Windows-compliant pointing device (optimized IntelliMouse)
DVD-ROM drive
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3ds Max 2009 New Features: Rendering

Reveal Workflow
The new Reveal rendering system allows the user to visualize and manipulate a given region in both the Viewport and the Framebuffer. The rendered image Framebuffer now contains a simplified set of tools to quickly validate changes in a render. The user can optionally filter out objects, regions or processes to temporarly control quality vs. speed vs. completeness. Render speed can be controlled by toggling geometry translation, lighting calculation and image quality settings (based on what the user wants to update). Users can also auto-generate regions around selections and reuse temporary Final Gather maps at any time.

Photometric Lighting Enhancements
There are new types of area lights (circular, cylindrical), photometric web previews in the Browse dialog and Light UI, and improved near-field photometry quality and spot distribution. Also, distribution types can now support any emitting shape and the user can have their light shapes appear in the rendered image.

Updated Composite Map
The Composite Map has been redesigned. The map now supports multiple blending modes, color correction via the color correction map, opacity adjustments, reordering of images or layers, as well as hiding and deleting of layers. Users also have the option of replacing or creating alpha channels with any type of map, including procedurals.

New Color Correct Map
The new color correction map (separate from the new composite map) gives more options for independent correction of texture maps.

Review Enhancements
Using Review, multiple maps can now be simultaneously displayed in the viewport, for more accurate previewing. IES files and photometric light data can now be shown in the viewport, and support has been added for real-time shadowing of objects using mental ray Arch & design materials.
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3ds Max 2009 and 3ds Max Design 2009: What's the Difference?

The key difference between 3ds Max 2009 and 3ds Max Design 2009 is that each product is tailored specifically for customers in different industries. 3ds Max Design is for architects, designers and visualization specialists (it replaces Autodesk Viz). 3ds Max is for professionals in the gaming, film and television industries.

Both products share the same binary code, but they differ in the following ways:

• User Interface and application defaults are optimized for either visualization or entertainment workflows and pipelines to maximize productivity.
• 3ds Max Design features new Exposure technology for simulating and analyzing sun, sky and artificial lighting. 3ds Max does not contain this technology.
• 3ds Max includes a powerful SDK for developers to allow them to create their own plug-ins. 3ds Max Design does not contain the SDK.
• Tutorials and sample files will be customized to optimize the learning experiences of each customer group for each product.
• Documentation contains custom contect for each product.
• Icons and packaging for 3ds Max Design will be more closely aligned with Autodesk AEC solutions (AutoCAD, AutoCAD Architecture, Revit Architecture) for quick visual recognition. 3ds Max 2009 icons will remain similar to 3ds Max 2008 icons.
• Online documentation content will be tailored for visualization or entertainment customers.

The bottom line: If you work primarily in the architecture, civil engineering or manufacturing sectors, and do not need to create your own plug-ins using the SDK, choose 3ds Max Design. It has all the features of 3ds Max except for the SDK, and it includes the Exposure lighting analysis tool for assisting in LEED 8.1 certification.

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3ds Max 2009 New Features: Data and Scene Management

Here are some more new features of 3ds Max 2009:

Autodesk Mudbox Interoperability
Improved support for the OBJ file format, including more export options, facilitates importing and exporting of model data between Mudbox, 3ds max and ZBrush. Users can take advantage of new export presets, additional geometry options, including hidden splines/lines and new optimize options, to reduce file sizes and improve performance. There is also improved texture map handling and more import information with regards to face counts per object.

FBX Import/Export
Improved FBX memory management, data translation fidelity and new import options support interoperability between 3ds max, Maya and MotionBuilder.

Enhanced Scene Explorer
The functionality of the Scene Explorer (which was introduced in 3ds Max 2008) has been expanded. New advanced filtering options allow you to set and save more custom object lists and there are more options for how groups are displayed.
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3ds Max 2009 New Features: General and Miscellaneous

ViewCube Navigation
The new ViewCube navigation system is an on-screen, cube-shaped UI element that provides feedback about the current viewing angle in relation to model world coordinates. You can directly click on a face or rotate the ViewCube by clicking and dragging in order to change the view.

SteeringWheels Navigation
A new camera interface.

Edit Soft Selection
When using soft selection, you can interactively manipulate falloff, pinch and bubble directly on the screen. The cursor changes to indicate which values are being affected, and feedback is given directly on the object.

Enhanced Windows Vista Support
3ds Max now supports the Windows Vista Aero interface.

Object Metadata
Support has been added for object-level metadata. Metadata objects can be interactively created and populated with properties by the user through MaxScript and the SDK (Software Development Kit).

.NET Support
Support for .NET allows programmers to use Microsoft's high-level UI APIs to extend, for example, the Scene Explorer. The 3ds Max 2009 SDK ships with sample .NET code and documentation showing developers how they can take advantage of the development tools.
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Autodesk Announces ImageModeler 2009

Autodesk announced the release of ImageModeler 2009 at SIGGRAPH last week. This is the first Autodesk release of the software since they purchased it from REALVIZ. ImageModeler is used to create photorealistic 3D objects from photographs, including accurate 3D measurements.

Its features include:
New calibration engine
Generates a 3D model or scene using calibration points based on one or more panoramas or photos.
3D measurement
Using the ruler toolset, calculate real-world distances and angles between points, eliminating the need for complex laser measurements on site.
High-performance photo texturing
Get high-quality texture extraction with texture mapping that is a one-click, automatic process with built-in photorealism.
Friendly user interface
View source images as thumbnails.
Improved interoperability with Autodesk software
Works with Maya, 3ds Max, MotionBuilder, and AutoCAD.
Calibration
Automatic calculation of camera parameters (such as position and focal length)
Ability to supply a reference coordinate system and a reference distance (standard) to impose a global scale
Modeling
Interactive and intuitive modeling
Interactive editing of Pivot point
Constraint modeling (working planes, axis constraints)
Editable properties for each tool
Interactive help for a better understanding of the tools
Polygonal modeling
3D measurement tools (coordinates, distances, angles)
Texturing
Capture textures from original images and retouch them directly in Autodesk ImageModeler if necessary
Automatic unfolding of the 3D surface elements with minimization of distortion
Automatic split of the 3D scene into developing elements
Quality control of the generated textures
Input Formats Supported
TGA (.tga), Silicon Graphics(.sgi), PNG (.png), JPEG (.jpg, .jpeg), PICT (.pict), Portable Grey Map (.pgm). Portable Pixmap (.ppm), CINEON format (.cin)
Exports To Latest Formats
3ds Max (.max), OBJ, DWG, Maya software, STL (PC only), VRML, Export to COLLADA format (supported by Google Earth 1.4 mapping service), QuickTime VR

Video Demonstrations can be viewed at:
http://imagemodeler.realviz.com/photomodeling-software-products/imagemodeler/demonstration-software.html

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Autodesk Viz 2008 and 3ds max Design 2009: What’s the Difference?

With Autodesk Viz being discontinued (Viz 2008 being the last version) and 3ds Max Design 2009 being announced as its replacement, the question arises: What’s the difference between the two?

Here is a list of the major differences between Autodesk Viz 2008 and 3ds Max Design 2009:

3ds Max Design has free, unlimited integrated mental ray rendering software. Viz 2008 requires a license per seat.

3ds Max Design has up to 8 mental ray rendering satellites. Viz 2008 is limited to 2 satellites.

3ds Max Design has integrated mental ray rendering support for up to 512 cores. Viz 2008 is limited to 4 cores.

3ds Max Design has both 32-bit and 64-bit versions. Viz is limited to only a 32-bit version.

3ds Max Design has Review viewport improvements that allow you to preview real-time shadows, photometric lights, Arch & Design materials, and sun/sky system directly in the viewport. Viz requires you to render the scene to see these features.

3ds Max Design has 10 times the performance gains over Viz for scenes composed of tens of thousands of objects.

3ds Max Design has the new Reveal iterative rendering optimizations for mental ray that allow faster rendering of incremental changes or specific regions and objects.

3ds Max Design has enhanced DWG workflow with new memory management for handling large scenes, improved normal and material support from Revit DWG files, and new material support for DWG Solids.

3ds Max Design has the new Recognize scene loading technology for interoperability with Revit Architecture 2009, allowing cameras, geometry, materials and lights to be easily imported.

3ds Max Design has the new Exposure lighting analysis technology for assisting in LEED 8.1 certification.

3ds Max Design has ProBooleans (enhanced Boolean modeling tools).

3ds Max Design has the Scene Explorer for managing scenes with thousands of objects and exposing Revit metadata for objects imported from Revit.

3ds Max Design has a fully-rigged character animation system and library of motions (Biped).

3ds Max Design has particle systems for realistic water, smoke and special effects.

3ds Max Design has the Reactor real-time physics system.

3ds Max Design has the Cloth system for banners, curtains and clothes.

3ds Max Design has the Hair system for grass, fur and hair.

3ds Max Design allows sub-object animation (deformable vertices).

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Autodesk 3ds Max 2009 Service Pack 1 available for download

Autodesk released Service Pack 1 for Autodesk 3ds Max 2009:

• Autodesk 3ds Max 2009 Service Pack 1

Don't forget to download and read the accompanying Readme (PDF) file.

The below is taken from the download page:

Autodesk 3ds Max 2009 Service Pack 1 includes a number of fixes for Autodesk 3ds Max 2009 across several functional areas, including Biped, Customer Error Reports (CER), Custom Attributes, Edit Normal Modifier, FBX\Revit Shaders , Hair, Inverse Kinematics, Materials, Network/Command Line Rendering, Particles, Performance, Render Elements, Render to Texture, Revit Import, SDK, Spline Mapping, SteeringWheels, ViewCube, Viewport and XRefs.

IPv6 Maintenance Update - Backburner 2008.2 (IPv6 only)

3ds Max can now submit jobs to an IPv6 only Backburner network. You need the Autodesk 3ds Max SP1 update and this Backburner 2008.2 update for this to be possible.

Warning: This specific maintenance update version of Backburner is only supported in an IPv6 only network; all machines must only have IPv6 installed and not IPv4.

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Autodesk 3ds Max Design 2009 Service Pack 1 available for download

Autodesk released Service Pack 1 for Autodesk 3ds Max Design 2009:

• Autodesk 3ds Max 2009 Design Service Pack 1

Don't forget to download and read the accompanying Readme (PDF) file.

The below is taken from the download page:

Autodesk 3ds Max 2009 Service Pack 1 includes a number of fixes for Autodesk 3ds Max 2009 across several functional areas, including Biped, Customer Error Reports (CER), Custom Attributes, Edit Normal Modifier, FBX\Revit Shaders , Hair, Inverse Kinematics, Materials, Network/Command Line Rendering, Particles, Performance, Render Elements, Render to Texture, Revit Import, SDK, Spline Mapping, SteeringWheels, ViewCube, Viewport and XRefs.

IPv6 Maintenance Update - Backburner 2008.2 (IPv6 only)

3ds Max Design 2009 can now submit jobs to an IPv6 only Backburner network. You need the Autodesk 3ds Max Design SP1 update and this Backburner 2008.2 update for this to be possible.

Warning: This specific maintenance update version of Backburner is only supported in an IPv6 only network; all machines must only have IPv6 installed and not IPv4.

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Autodesk Design Visualization Products

Autodesk design visualization solutions provide advanced 3D modeling, lighting, rendering, and animation toolsets to handle the most challenging architectural, product, scientific, medical, or industrial projects. Turn design data into beautiful imagery and bring your presentations to life. Experience industry-leading connectivity and interoperability with Autodesk® 3ds Max® Design software and the industry-leading AutoCAD® and Revit® families of products.

Autodesk 3ds Max Design The award-winning Autodesk 3ds Max 3D modeling, animation, and rendering software is now tuned specifically for architects, designers, and visualization specialists. Autodesk 3ds Max Design 2009 introduces several key new features, including new Exposure™ technology for simulating and analyzing sun, sky, and artificial lighting. New rendering functionality includes the Reveal™ rendering toolset, which streamlines iterative workflows and gives designers dramatically faster finished renderings. The ProMaterials™ library offers a catalog of accurate manufacturer-related materials. Recognize™ scene loading technology significantly improves interapplication workflows with Revit 2009-based products through the accurate import of lights, materials, and cameras. The Creativity Extension for 3ds Max Design 2009 is now available to subscription customers.

Autodesk Maya Autodesk® Maya® software is an integrated 3D modeling, animation, and visual effects solution with roots in the film and games industries. The power of Maya for architects and designers lies with its flexibility for generating architectural forms and shapes. Architects are able to drive geometry via built‐in rules‐based modifications and constraints as well as creating their own rules with Maya’s powerful, embedded scripting language (MEL).

Autodesk Combustion Autodesk® Combustion® software adds comprehensive broadcast-quality motion graphics, titling, and visual effects to your design visualizations. You can quickly make color changes and lighting and texturing variations and composite 3D animations with live footage or images.

Autodesk Cleaner XL Autodesk® Cleaner® XL software is an industry-essential media mastering and media encoding solution for the Windows® operating system.

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