Pulldownit 6.5 for Maya gets neat new non-destructive workflow
Thinkinetic has released Pulldownit 6.5 for Maya, the latest version of its shattering and dynamics plugin for visual effects and game development work.
It’s a big update, introducing a new non-destructive workflow in which artists can update the geometry or shatter pattern of the model being fractured after a simulation has been run.
It is also now possible to shatter referenced objects.
A well-established destruction plugin for 3ds Max and Maya
First released in 2009, Pulldownit is a destruction plugin for 3ds Max and Maya, with toolsets for pre-fracturing geometry, then simulating how it breaks apart under impact.
The software is used in game development, previz and visual effects, on titles including Santa Monica Studio’s God of War Ragnarök, and the Call of Duty and The Last of Us franchises.
Pulldownit 6.5 for Maya: new non-destructive workflow makes it easier to iterate on sims
The major change in Pulldownit 6.5 for Maya is the new non-destructive workflow, which Thinkinetic first rolled out in the 3ds Max edition of the plugin last year.
It enables users to run a dynamics simulation, then modify the geometry of the object being fractured or update its shatter pattern, and have the dynamics update.
The change should make it much easier to iterate on the look of simulation, with users able to make changes quickly, then revert them if they don’t like the results.
Shattering now also works on referenced objects
The update also introduces support for shattering referenced objects.
The change should help users keep the size of scene files down, by splitting assets out into separate files, then referencing them in the main scene.
It’s also possible to use the new non-destructive shattering workflow on referenced files.
Other new features
Other changes to the shattering toolset include a new option to use the current shatter pattern as the base from which to re-fracture the geometry.
The dynamics toolset gets a new option to resize fracture clusters.
There are also a number of UI updates: you can see a list via the links at the foot of the story.
Pricing and availability
Pulldownit 6.5 is compatible with Maya 2022+ on Windows and macOS only.
At the time of writing, the 3ds Max edition has not been updated to version 6.5. Pulldownit 6.0 for 3ds Max is compatible with 3ds Max 2021+.
The software is rental-only. Node-locked licences cost €290/year (around $340/year), and floating licences cost €360/year ($420/year).
Read an overview of the new features in Pulldownit 6.5 for Maya on Thinkinetic’s blog
Read a full list of new features in Pulldownit 6.5 for Maya
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