Tuesday, June 19th, 2012 Posted by Jim Thacker

Next Limit releases Maxwell Render 2.7


Grass rendered in Maxwell Render 2.7 by Hervé Steff of Meindbender.

Next Limit has released Maxwell Render 2.7, a free update to its physically based render engine.

The headline feature is a new grass generator comprising two separate primitives: a smooth curve, for use in close-ups, and a faster-rendering segmented curve, for use in the background of shots.

Other new features in version 2.7 include a new lossless compression system for Maxwell’s native file formats, which Next Limit claims can quarter the size of an MXI file; anamorphic bokeh effects; and a fluid blend material.

Priced according to goals
Maxwell Render 2.7 is available now for Windows and Mac OS X. A standard licence costs $995 and a node licence costs $245. Next Limit is also currently running a special promotion based on Spain’s performance in the Euro 2012 football championship (that’s ‘soccer’ to North American readers).

If Spain wins the championship, the promotion will be extended to 8 July – and with the side facing an underperforming French team in the quarter finals next week, things look good so far.

Read a full list of features in Maxwell Render 2.7