Soft8Soft ships Verge3D 4.5
Originally posted on 17 June 2022. Scroll down for news of the Verge3D 4.5 update.
Soft8Soft has released Verge3D 4.0, the next major version of its toolkit for converting 3ds Max, Blender or Maya scenes into browser-based 3D web applications.
The update adds a built-in texture compression system to reduce memory use on mobile devices, and refactors the installation process to separate the core application and demo scenes.
Convert 3ds Max, Blender and Maya scenes into interactive browser applications
Aimed at game development, e-commerce and online marketing, Verge3D converts Blender, 3ds Max and, most recently, Maya scenes into interactive content that can be viewed in a browser.
It integrates directly with the host application, enabling users to create 3D geometry, materials and animations normally inside the software, then export them in glTF format.
Interactive functionality can be added via JavaScript, either by writing code directly or by using Puzzles, Verge3D’s visual programming environment.
Being based on WebGL, the resulting interactive application should display natively in most web browsers, without the need for plugins.
Users can also publish projects as native iOS and Android apps, or Windows, Linux or macOS desktop apps.
New in Verge3D 4.0: structural and performance improvements
Verge3D 4.0 is largely an under-the-hood update, with key changes including an overhaul of the installation process to separate the core application from the demo scenes and user settings.
The change is intended to make it easier to update to new versions of the software.
In addition, Verge3D can now compress textures automatically when exporting a project – users have a choice of the UASTC and ETC1S algorithms – reducing memory usage by 4-6x.
The reduction in memory usage may be significant on mobile devices, particularly on iOS, where insufficient memory can lead to large scenes crashing.
Other changes include an unrestricted 360-degree rotation mode for the view camera, new demo scenes, and updates to newer versions of the underlying three.js and Google Blockly libraries.
Application-specific updates include support for line rendering of splines in the 3ds Max and Maya editions, and support for morph target animation in the 3ds Max edition.
Updated 11 April 2023: Soft8Soft has released Verge3D 4.3.
The update introduces support for order-independent transparency to resolve errors when rendering layered transparent objects, plus new WebXR options for creating controls for VR experiences.
Other changes since Verge3D 4.0 include support for the WebP texture format, the option to add PayPal payments directly to applications, and updates to Verge3D’s WordPress WooCommerce integration.
The software is also now available as an Ultimate edition, an “interoperable, all-in-one solution” that combines the existing Blender, 3ds Max and Maya editions, and all of Soft8Soft’s material packs.
Updated 27 November 2023: Soft8Soft has released Verge3D 4.5.
The update adds support for Boolean operations, making it possible to construct 3D models through Boolean union, substraction or intersection, and export them to glTF or USDZ format.
There are also new features for customising the look of web apps without having to edit code, with a new GUI for editing the preloader image, icons, annoations, buttons and metatext.
In addition, a new Style Contructor puzzle provides an intuitive way to create CSS rules.
The 3ds Max edition gets support for all of the Lightness/Advanced settings of the Color Correction map, while the Blender exporter is now “up to 10x faster”.
The previous release, Verge3D 4.4, was a workflow update, improving usability of the Puzzles Editor and App Manager, and adding support for composite products in WooCommerce.
Pricing and availability
Verge3D 4.5 is available for 3ds Max 2021+, Blender 2.91+ and Maya 2022+.
A personal licence costs $290, a team licence costs $990, and an enterprise licence – which gets you source code access – costs $2,990. Verge3D Utimate costs $3,990.
Read more about the new features in Verge3D on Soft8Soft’s blog
Editor’s note: in the light of Russia’s invasion of the Ukraine, readers may wish to know that Soft8Soft has its R&D office in Moscow, although the company is headquartered in Estonia.