Thinkinetic releases Pulldownit 4 for Maya
Thinkinetic has released Pulldownit 4 for Maya, the latest version of its shattering and dynamics plugin.
The update speeds up the rigid body dynamics solver by up to 30%, and adds new options to use any polygonal object as the source for a fracture pattern, and to transfer patterns from one object to another.
New Voronoi shattering options and jagginess controls
The first major update to Pulldownit since 2014 – although there have been a number of smaller releases in between – version 4 updates the plugin’s Voronoi shattering system.
It is now possible to use any polygonal object as the source for a fracture pattern: for example, to simulate effects where one object punches through another, leaving a hole with the same outline.
Users can also transfer fracture patterns between objects, making it possible to carry out look development and simulation independently on an asset, or to transfer data from a low-res proxy to a hi-res model.
Pulldownit’s Jagginess system, which generates fine detail on fragments, is now independent of the mesh density of the object being shattered, resulting in fewer artefacts on lower-resolution meshes.
There are also now options for softening the resulting jagginess, or generating it only in areas that have been broken by a simulation, resulting in much lighter meshes for real-time work.
New dynamics options and performance boosts
New dynamics features in Pulldownit 4 include an option to set fractured objects to break apart at a specific frame in a simulation, as well as when struck by another object.
It is also now possible to bake selected fracture objects within a scene, with the rest continuing to be driven by the simulation. The baked objects can still interact with those being driven dynamically.
Performance has also been improved across the board: Thinkinetic claims that the dynamics solver is now up to 30% faster and requires 50% less RAM when caching simulations.
Pricing and availability
Pulldownit 4 for Maya is available for 64-bit Maya 2015+, running on Windows XP+, Mac OS X 10.6+ or Linux. New node-locked licenses cost €395 (around $490); new floating licences cost €495 ($615).
Read a full list of new features in Pulldownit 4 for Maya on Thinkinetic’s blog