Sitni Sati releases FumeFX 7.0 for 3ds Max
Sitni Sati has released FumeFX 7.0 for 3ds Max, the latest version of the effects plugin.
The update adds a GPU-accelerated ocean simulation system to FumeFX’s existing simulation capabilities, which include smoke, fire, liquids, cloth and soft-body dynamics.
A staple of 3ds Max-based visual effects pipelines for over a decade
First released in 2007, FumeFX quickly became a go-to tool for 3ds Max artists looking to create gaseous fluid effects like smoke, fire and clouds.
The software has been used by studios like Blizzard Entertainment, Blur Studio and Luma Pictures on a range of movies and game cinematics, including 2022 Indian blockbuster RRR.
Later updates added broader physics simulation capabilities, including particles, rigid bodies, soft bodies and cloth, and – most recently – small-scale liquid simulation.
FumeFX is also now available for Maya and Cinema 4D, but the 3ds Max edition remains the one to which new features are added first.
FumeFX 7.0: new NodeWorks Ocean toolset for large-scale ocean simulations
FumeFX 7.0 for 3ds Max introduces NodeWorks Ocean: a new ocean simulation toolset based on the NodeWorks framework that underpins some of FumeFX’s other simulation capabilities.
It generates large-scale, high-resolution ocean surfaces with “realistic, procedural” waves.
Wave generation uses spectrum models, with users able to layer multiple Ocean Spectrum nodes to combine wave sizes – for example, underlying swell with smaller wind-blown waves – blending between them with Perlin noise or height masking.
Supports foam, spray and bubble generation
Wave motion generates foam, bubbles and spray particles, which can then be rendered as Arnold points, adding realism to simulations.
The same nodes can be used to generate boat wakes, with bubbles rising toward the ocean surface behind the boat and gradually transforming into foam.
Ocean surfaces can interact with rigid bodies, soft bodies and particle systems
Ocean simulations can also interact with other types of simulation that use the NodeWorks framework, with the new Ocean Dynamics node providing two-way coupling between floating objects and the ocean surface.
As well as rigid bodies like boats or buoys, that includes Fibers for ropes or cables.
It is also possible place particle groups on the ocean surface and use them as sources for smoke or fire simulations: for example, to simulate burning fuel floating the water.
Particles can also be used to generate rain ripples on the ocean surface, adding detail without the computational cost of a full fluid simulation.
As with the other NodeWorks features, NodeWorks Ocean uses NVIDIA’s CUDA API, so you will need a compatible NVIDIA card for GPU acceleration.
Price and system requirements
FumeFX 7.0 for 3ds Max is compatible with 3ds Max 2020+ running on Windows 10+. Liquid simulation requires a NVIDIA Pascal GPU or newer (a GeForce GTX 10xxx or newer).
The 3ds Max edition of the software is available subscription-only. Workstation licences cost $365/year; additional simulation licences cost $95/year.
At the time of writing, neither the Maya or Cinema 4D edition has been updated to FumeFX 7.
Read an overview of the new features in FumeFX on the product website
Read a full list of new features in FumeFX 7.0 for 3ds Max in the online documentation
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