Simulated animal fur rendered with Maxwell Render Suite 2.6. The latest point update to Next Limit’s physically correct renderer also includes a new particle primitive.

Next Limit has released an update to Maxwell Render Suite, its standalone physically based renderer, adding new primitives for hair and particles, improved displacement and a standalone Python editor.

In fact, there’s an awful lot new in Maxwell Render Suite 2.6, given that it’s officially a point upgrade.

The two new procedural primitives greatly expand the range of scene content Maxwell can render – in the case of hair, including that from Shave and a Haircut, Ornatrix and the native systems in 3ds Max, Maya and Cinema 4D; and particles generated by Max, Maya and RealFlow.

The update also brings in a new displacement algorithm, including vector displacement; faster motion blur; and a range of workflow enhancements, including file referencing for data in Maxwell’s native MXS format.

The Maxwell Render SDK also now includes a standalone Python editor and scripting examples, facilitating pipeline integration.

Maxwell Render Suite 2.6 costs $995 for a Standard licence, including five render nodes.

Read a full list of new features in Maxwell Render Suite 2.6

Tags: 2.6, displacement, fur, Maxwell Render Suite, Next Limit, particles, Python