Is AdonisFX 2.0 the new Ziva VFX?
Inbibo has released Adonis FX 2.0, a major new version of the modular anatomy framework that it hopes could fill the gap in the market left by the demise of Ziva VFX.
The add-on – originally for Maya, but now also for Houdini – lets VFX and games artists build up soft tissues for characters and creatures in layers, with separate solvers for muscle, fat and skin.
As well as the new Houdini plugin, version 2.0 adds self-collision detection, anisotropic muscle simulation, and improves performance so that artists can work interactively in real time.
A replacement for Ziva VFX for soft tissue simulation in VFX and animation pipelines?
Unity’s decision to discontinue the Ziva tools, including soft tissue plugin Ziva VFX, left Maya artists without a simple off-the-shelf solution for adding skin and muscles to 3D characters.
Adonis FX could be that solution.
First released last year, the modular anatomy framework lets rigging artists add physically simulated soft tissues to characters in layers, with separate solvers for muscles, fat and skin.
The simulations can be coupled, so that the motion of one layer believably influences others.
The software comes with machine-learning-based tools for tasks like muscle placement, to accelerate the setup process, and aims to compute a production-quality simulation in seconds.
Inbibo’s core staff themselves have experience in VFX production, with founder and CTO Marco Romeo having previously been Lead Creature Software developer at MPC.
As well as having been used at MPC, Adonis FX has been adopted at Sony Pictures Imageworks: according to CTO Mike Ford, the software has already “proven itself” at the studio.
AdonisFX 2.0: available for Houdini as well as Maya
Although AdonisFX was originally only available for Maya, version 2.0 extends that to Houdini, with the Houdini plugin becoming officially production-ready.
According to Inbibo, rigs built in one application work identically in the other, enabling studios with hybrid Maya/Houdini pipelines to transfer characters between applications more easily.
You can find more technical details in the company’s online FAQs.
Faster, more realistic simulations
In addition, AdonisFX 2.0 improves the quality and performance of simulations.
The update introduces self-collision detection, to prevent muscle interpenetration in extreme poses, and directional behavior for muscle fibers, to generate more realistic deformation.
Inbibo doesn’t put a figure on the performance improvement, but says that the software is fast enough for artists to be able to scrub the timeline and see tissue sims update in real time.
Price and system requirements
AdonisFX 2.0 is compatible with Maya 2023+ and Houdini 20+ on Windows 10+ and CentOS 7+/RHEL 8+/Rocky Linux 8+.
The software is rental-only. Indie subscriptions, for artists earning under £100,000/year, cost £25/month ($33/month) or £250/year ($332/year) per node-locked license.
Pro subscriptions cost £110/month ($146/month) or £1,100/year ($1,464/year) per node-locked license, and £150/month ($199/month) or £1,500/year ($1,997/year) per floating license.
Read a full list of new features in Adonis FX 2.0 in the online changelog
Read more about Adonis FX on Inbibo’s website
Have your say on this story by following CG Channel on Facebook, Instagram and X (formerly Twitter). As well as being able to comment on stories, followers of our social media accounts can see videos we don’t post on the site itself, including making-ofs for the latest VFX movies, animations, games cinematics and motion graphics projects.