Blender 2.68 ships
Open-source 3D package gets new modelling tools, improved smoke sims, up to 30% render speed boost.
Sunday, July 21st, 2013
smoke
Sitni Sati ships FumeFX for Maya
Leading gaseous fluid simulator now available for Maya as well as Max. Runs on Windows and Linux.
Monday, May 27th, 2013
Videos: the best of Siggraph 2013's technical papers
Our pick of the best CG research covers hair capture, smoke sims - and even fixes for bad handwriting.
Wednesday, May 22nd, 2013
Katana and mocha creators win technical Oscars
Other Sci-Tech Academy Awards go to Weta, DreamWorks and the tech behind Blender's smoke system.
Wednesday, January 16th, 2013
Watch 26 of Pete Draper's 3ds Max video tutorials
Updated: see a new batch from the VFX expert, including a three-hour tutorial on simulating a tornado.
Monday, January 7th, 2013
Video: create a volcano in Houdini with PyroFX
Tame the elements with Scott Keating's 35-minute video on using Houdini 12's new dynamics tools.
Monday, June 18th, 2012
Autodesk calls for entries for its 2012 animation reel
Send in work created in any Autodesk DCC or Gameware app, and see it shown at Siggraph 2012.
Tuesday, June 5th, 2012
Videos: technical advances from Siggraph 2012
See the coolest research on show: from new fluid sims to a tool to turn your doodles into artists' drawings.
Wednesday, May 23rd, 2012
Sitni Sati releases FumeFX 3.0 for 3ds Max
Update to gaseous fluid simulator adds per-voxel controls, new space warps. Maya version due this year.
Thursday, April 12th, 2012
Phoenix FD for Maya enters beta testing
V-Ray for Maya users can sign on for early access to Chaos Group's formerly Max-only fluid simulator.
Tuesday, March 6th, 2012
Video tutorial: create visual effects for Unreal Engine 3
Discover how to set up smoke effects with UDK and 3ds Max in this 20-minute video from Ubisoft's Maxime Deleris.
Thursday, May 19th, 2011
Chaos Group's PhoenixFD moves into liquid simulation
New 1.2 update adds liquid-simulation toolset to promising new 3ds Max smoke and fire engine.
Wednesday, December 15th, 2010
Autodesk releases updates to 3ds Max, Maya, Softimage
Advantage Packs add iray renderer for 3ds Max; Composite, MatchMover and multiphysics for Softimage.
Thursday, September 30th, 2010