Thinkbox Software releases Frost MX 2.0
Thinkbox Software has released Frost MX 2.0, the latest version of its tool for meshing large 3ds Max particle systems, improving V-Ray compatibility, and “nearly doubling performance” over previous releases.
A heavyweight VFX tool for meshing particle or point cloud data
First released in 2011, Frost is a compound geometry object for 3ds Max that can be used to generate a single mesh from particles, vertex clouds, object positions, or point data files – or a mix of the four.
The software has been used on a range of ads and movie projects by firms including Blur Studio, Prime Focus and Unit Image.
Faster, and better integrated with V-Ray
Version 2.0 doesn’t greatly extend the functionality of its predecessor: there’s a new Region of Interest option, which limits viewport meshing to a custom bounding box, but that’s pretty much it.
However, it does improve both workflow and pipeline integration significantly.
First up is the improvement in performance: Frost MX 2.0 offers “up to twice the speed in particle meshing modes”, according to Thinkbox.
Then there is improved integration with Chaos Group’s V-Ray renderer, which enables “customisable particle scattering for distributing and rendering millions of mesh instances in Custom Geometry meshing mode”.
Frost’s new V-Ray Instancing mode uses dynamic memory allocation to minimise memory overheads when working with high numbers of instances, and supports all existing custom geometry features.
Other changes include a new dedicated Frost menu bar within 3ds Max’s main menu, making it quicker to access Frost’s key features. You can read a full list of changes via the link below.
Pricing and availability
Frost MX 2.0 is available for 64-bit editions of 3ds Max 2012 and above. New workstation licences cost $495, including unlimited rendering licences. The V-Ray functionality requires V-Ray 3.1+.
Thinkbox Software is also working on a new Maya version of Frost, which is now in closed beta.
Read a full list of new features in Frost MX 2.0 on Thinkbox Software’s blog