PolyDesign3D has released PolySnow Plus, a major update to its super-cool 3ds Max plugin for adding particle-based snow or snow meshes to 3D scenes for visualisation, motion graphics or VFX work.

The release adds a range of features, including a new brush-based workflow for sculpting the snow surface, new options for creating fluffy snow and icicles, and improves performance significantly.

Add a realistic snow layer to 3D scenes semi-automatically
First released in 2018, PolySnow enables users to add a realistic layer of snow to 3ds Max scenes.

The initial releases, which we covered in this story, made it possible to let particle-based snow settle naturally on surfaces, or paint snow meshes in manually.

Later updates added the option to extrude a snow layer from upwards-facing geometry, providing a quick way to cover large scenes; and to deform the snow mesh with tracks and footprints.

New in PolySnow Plus: new brush-based sculpting workflow, icicle object, and huge speed boosts
To that, PolySnow Plus adds SnowSculpt, a new brush-based modifier that enables users to sculpt the snow surface freehand – the video above shows it in use to create realistic patches of snowmelt.

There are also new procedural modifiers for generating fluffy-looking snow, or adding noise to the snow surface; and a new icicle object that adds customisable icicles to downwards-facing surfaces.

The plugin is also now C++ based rather than a MAXScript, greatly improving performance: some snow-generation operations now run over 500x faster, if the video above is representative.

You can find a full list of the plugin’s tools and modifiers via the link below.

Pricing and system requirements
PolySnow Plus is available for 3ds Max 2016+. It costs $79. The previous MAXScript version costs $59, and is still being actively supported, but will not receive new features.

Read more about PolySnow Plus for 3ds Max on the CGTrader store

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