Sitni Sati releases FumeFX 7.1 for 3ds Max
Sitni Sati has released FumeFX 7.1 for 3ds Max, the latest version of the effects plugin.
The update speeds up Fume FX’s Render Warps algorithm, for art directing simulations; and makes it easier to exchange simulation data with software like Houdini and EmberGen.
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 7.1: performance and workflow improvements to key toolsets
Although it’s less than two months since FumeFX was last updated, FumeFX 7.0 itself was focused around a single new feature: the new ocean simulation toolset.
In contrast, FumeFX 7.1 focuses on updates to existing toolsets, and on improving compatibility with other tools used in VFX pipelines.
Faster, more accurate new Render Warps algorithm
Key changes include a rewritten algorithm for Render Warps, used to art direct effects by making adjustments to completed simulations rather than re-running them from scratch.
The new algorithm is optimized for standard 3ds Max modifiers like Bend, Taper, Twist, Skew, and Stretch, and computes “approximately five times faster” while generating sharper results.
The original sampling-based algorithm is still supported for backwards compatibility, and is actually still used for the 3ds Max FFD modifier.
Better integration with Houdini, Maya and JangaFX software
FumeFX 7.1 also improves integration with other effects software, like Houdini, Maya’s Bifrost toolset, and JangaFX’s real-time simulation tools EmberGen and LiquiGen.
When exporting simulation caches from FumeFX’s NodeWorks environment, it is now possible to export point clouds and particle shapes directly in Alembic format.
The resulting caches can be loaded directly into Houdini without matching attribute data.
For importing simulation caches from other software, it is now possible to import Alembic point clouds, making it possible to import particles from apps like Houdini and LiquiGen.
Import of VDB files from apps like Houdini and EmberGen has also been streamlined, with a new Y-Up option, and Fume FX now populating channel names automatically.
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 a full list of new features in FumeFX 7.0 for 3ds Max in the online documentation
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