HappyPolygon

Is the Displacement a shader or a bitmap ?

From what I understand from all this is that the premultiplied method does not keep a separate Alpha map of the image. This means that it encodes the Color and Alpha channels on the same bitmap, hence the name as the process of embedding the alpha map has already been done before previewing/opening the image. The straight one is like the raw data. You have two separate data structures, the color and alpha separate. It gets multiplied to process/view correctly by multiplying the corresponding values after the fact. With this you don't have to extract the alpha map if you need it as it is already available.

Asked ChatGPT, gave this answer R: 255, G: 0, B: 0, A: 0 R: 0, G: 0, B: 0, A: 0

Original title: Severance TV Series, 2022–, TV-MA, 50m Director: Ben Stiller Creator and writer: Dan Erickson Stars: Adam Scott, Britt Lower, Zach Cherry Genre: Drama, Mystery, Sci-Fi, Thriller Plot: Mark leads a team of office workers whose memories have been surgically divided between their work and personal lives. When a mysterious colleague appears outside of work, it begins a journey to discover the truth about their jobs. Fun Facts: Due to a shortage of soundstage space, production designer Jeremy Hindle had to create different areas of the severed floor by rearranging the hallway sets and using VFX to lengthen them. The opening running sequence of season 2 was accomplished with a mixture of elements: a man running with a camera with Adam Scott, a treadmill, VFX to extend hallways/merge shots and a robotic camera rig that moved so quickly around Scott's head that he had to rehearse his movements very specifically to avoid potential injury. Intro created by Oliver Latta Software used: Houdini SideFX Houdini Maxon Cinema 4D Pixologic Zbrush Nuke

Golaem 9.2 The main change is that you no longer need a license to use the feature set from Golaem Lite, the old lower-priced edition of the software for layout artists. Users with a subscription to the Media and Entertainment Collection can now use the Golaem Lite features on as many machines as they want. In addition, the old watermarked Personal Learning Edition has been replaced with a standard 30-day Autodesk trial version. Golaem 9.2 is compatible with Maya 2022+ on Windows 10+ and CentOS, RHEL, AlmaLinux and Rocky Linux 8. Golaem is available as part of Autodesk’s Media & Entertainment product bundle, which is available rental-only. Subscriptions cost $335/month or $2,700/year. https://www.autodesk.com/collections/media-entertainment/overview https://help.autodesk.com/view/GOLM/ENU/?guid=glm_golaem-92-20250326 Maya 2026 and Maya Creative 2026 Unlike Autodesk’s recent annual updates to Maya, it does not introduce any complete new toolsets, but there are updates throughout the existing core functionality, including 3D modeling, retopology, shading, animation and simulation. There are also updates to Maya’s integration plugin for Autodesk’s Arnold renderer, and a new Animate in Context feature for users of Autodesk’s Flow Production Tracking platform. Autodesk has also released Maya Creative 2026, the corresponding update to the cut-down edition of Maya for smaller studios. For asset development, Maya’s Boolean node gets a new Volume mode. Unlike the existing Mesh mode, the source objects are converted to volumes before computing the Boolean operation, then the output is converted back to polygonal geometry. Autodesk pitches it as a quick way to block out organic models like creatures and characters. Other changes to the modeling toolset include the option to set scale units when importing or exporting models in STL format for 3D printing. For texturing, the main change in Maya 2026 is that OpenPBR is now the default surface shader. Support for the open material standard, intended as a unified successor to the Autodesk Standard Surface and Adobe Standard Material, was originally added in Maya 2025.3. In addition, LookdevX, Maya’s plugin for creating USD shading graphs, has been updated. LookdevX for Maya 1.7 features a number of workflow improvements, particularly to publishing, and support for relative file paths when exporting MaterialX documents. Other changes include an experimental new generative textures API, making it easier for TDs to integrate third-party generative AI services into LookdevX by creating C++ or Python plugins. Maya’s Substance plugin, for editing procedural materials in Substance format inside Maya, has also been updated, although there aren’t many details about what’s new in Substance 3.04. Maya 2026 also features performance and workflow improvements to the new ML Deformer. Introduced in Maya 2025.2, it uses machine learning to create a fast approximation of complex deformations, enabling users to take characters with complex, slow-to-process rigs and train the deformer to represent the deformations they generate in the character mesh. In Maya 2026, it is possible to visualize the difference between the source and target meshes as a heat map to help troubleshoot output, using a new display option, Apply Mesh Compare. The update also makes the training process more customizable, makes output less noisy, and improves performance: load times are “40 times faster”, and disk space usage is “80% reduced”. Other changes relevant to animators include the option to export Playblasts in .webm format. Bifrost for Maya, Maya’s node-based framework for building effects, gets a significant update in Maya 2026, with Bifrost for Maya 2.13 adding a new FLIP solver for liquid simulation. It was already possible to use it to simulate liquids by meshing the output of the MPM solver, but the workflow was better suited to granular and viscous fluids, whereas the FLIP solver is better suited to large-scale water simulations. The new FLIP solver is described as “largely similar” to the older Bifrost Fluids plugin, but shares the same framework as other simulation types, like smoke, fire and granular materials; and the node graph provides more flexibility than Bifrost Fluids’ menu-driven interface. Bifrost Fluids is still included with the software as the implementation in Bifrost for Maya lacks some of functionality from BOSS, Bifrost Fluids’ ocean surface toolset. Other changes in Bifrost for Maya 2.13 include updates to its work-in-progress procedural character rigging system, updates to texture baking, and 20 new node types. Maya 2026 also ships with an updated version of the integration plugin for Autodesk’s Arnold renderer, with MtoA 5.5.0 introducing support for the Arnold 7.4.0.0 core. Key changes since the release of Maya 2025.3 include a new transmission_shadow_density parameter in the OpenPBR Surface and the Standard Surface shaders, to control the look of shadows cast by transparent objects, as shown in the image above. Global Light Sampling (GLS) now takes material glossiness into account, which “greatly enhances” render quality, especially in scenes with many small lights. Arnold’s support for ID matte-generation system Cryptomatte has also been improved, with a new internal implementation adding GPU support, and improving performance on CPU. Other changes include improvements to MaterialX and USD support, to the implementation of OpenPBR, and to the MtoA plugin itself and the Arnold RenderView in Maya. However, Arnold 7.4 is a compatibility-breaking update, so shaders, procedurals, and other plugins compiled against older versions of Arnold will need to be recompiled. USD for Maya, Maya’s Universal Scene Description plugin, has also been updated. USD for Maya 0.31 improves lighting workflows, adding support for light linking, and the option to control lighting by looking through a selected light source. Other changes include support for USD cameras in Render Sequence, the option to search for USD prims in the Outliner, and to add or remove USD schemas in the Attribute Editor. Maya 2026 also integrates more closely with Flow Production Tracking, Autodesk’s production-management platform, previously known as ShotGrid. Originally announced last year, the new Animate in Context feature makes it possible to view shots surrounding the active scene directly in Maya. Animators and other shot-based artists can now scrub between their own work and that of other artists, helping to ensure that the changes they make preserve the continuity of the edit. The feature is available on Windows and Linux only, and is still officially in beta. Autodesk has also released Maya Creative 2026, the corresponding update to the cut-down edition of Maya aimed at smaller studios, and available on a pay-as-you-go basis. It includes most of the new features from Maya 2026, with the exception of the updates to Bifrost for Maya. In related news, Golaem, the Maya crowd-simulation plugin that Autodesk acquired last year, is now commercially available again. Autodesk includes it in the release notes for Maya 2026, but it’s a separate purchase, and requires a subscription to the full Media and Entertainment Collection, not Maya alone. You can find more details in our story on Golaem 9.2, the current release. Maya 2026 is available for Windows 10+, RHEL and Rocky Linux 8.10/9.3/9.5, and macOS 13.0+. The software is rental-only. Subscriptions cost $245/month or $1,945/year, up $10/month or $70/year since the previous update. In many countries, artists earning under $100,000/year and working on projects valued at under $100,000/year, qualify for Maya Indie subscriptions, now priced at $320/year, up $15/year. Maya Creative is available pay-as-you-go, with prices starting at $3/day, and a minimum spend of $300/year. https://www.autodesk.com/customer-value/me/maya https://help.autodesk.com/view/MAYAUL/2026/ENU/?guid=GUID-BAF59B47-E24F-4F87-9B77-ABE78D3F8268 3ds Max 2026 In the 3D modeling tools, the Vertex Weld modifier has been updated to support Spline objects as well as Mesh objects. Using Vertex Weld to close a spline means that it is still possible to apply further modifiers to the spline, including Extrude, Bevel, or Bevel Profile, and “still have a successful result”. There is also a new three-point method for creating spline Rectangle objects, which enables the object to be created at angles other than world-aligned right angles. 3ds Max 2026 features updates to the software’s retopology plugins, including the new Flow Retopology plugin introduced with 3ds Max 2025.2 last July. It mimics the functionality of the existing Retopology Tools, but makes it possible to submit retopology jobs to run in the cloud, rather than on the user’s machine. The current version, Flow Retopology for 3ds Max 1.2, is now bundled with 3ds Max 2026, and the usage limit has been raised from 30 to 50 cloud retopology jobs per month. Version 1.6 of the Retopology Tools plugin itself updates the Mesh Cleaner Modifier, and reduces processing time when using the ReForm algorithm. For texturing, the main change in 3ds Max 2026 is that OpenPBR is now the default material. Support for the open material standard, intended as a unified successor to the Autodesk Standard Surface and Adobe Standard Material, was originally added in 3ds Max 2025.3. There are also three new Open Shading Language (OSL) maps, including the Perlage map (above), which creates grooved circular patterns like those found inside antique watches. The Substance plugin, for editing procedural materials in Substance format inside 3ds Max, has also been updated, with Substance 3.0.5 making it possible to import materials from the online Substance 3D Assets library directly into 3ds Max’s Slate Material Editor. For animators, the changes in 3ds Max 2026 are very similar to those in 3ds Max 2025.3: more bugfixes to the CAT and Biped toolsets. There are also more performance updates to key modifiers, including the Array, Conform, Displace and Skin Modifiers. 3ds Max Fluids have been updated for a processing speed improvement of “up to 10%”. Other general quality-of-life improvements include a new Preserve Stack Position toggle to return to the modifier previously selected for an object before selecting a new object. The Create section of the Command Panel gets a new Object Search widget. 3ds Max 2026 also ships with an updated version of the integration plugin for Autodesk’s Arnold renderer, with MAXtoA 5.8.0 introducing support for the Arnold 7.4.0.0 core. Key changes since the release of 3ds Max 2025.3 include a new transmission_shadow_density parameter in the OpenPBR Surface and the Standard Surface shaders, to control the look of shadows cast by transparent objects, as shown in the image above. Global Light Sampling (GLS) now takes material glossiness into account, which “greatly enhances” render quality, especially in scenes with many small lights. Arnold’s support for ID matte-generation system Cryptomatte has also been improved, with a new internal implementation adding GPU support, and improving performance on CPU. Other changes include improvements to MaterialX and USD support, to the implementation of OpenPBR, and to the MAXtoA plugin itself and the Arnold RenderView. However, Arnold 7.4 is a compatibility-breaking update, so shaders, procedurals, and other plugins compiled against older versions of Arnold will need to be recompiled. 3ds Max’s Universal Scene Description plugin has also been updated, with USD for Maya 0.10 adding a new Layer Editor for managing USD layers, and support for light linking. The plugin is also now bundled with 3ds Max, rather than being a separate download. 3ds Max 2026 is compatible with Windows 10+. It is rental-only. Subscriptions cost $235/month, up $10/month since the previous release, or $1,945/year, up $70/year. In many countries, artists earning under $100,000/year and working on projects valued at under $100,000/year qualify for Indie subscriptions, which now cost $320/year, up $15/year. https://makeanything.autodesk.com/3dsmax https://help.autodesk.com/view/3DSMAX/2026/ENU/?guid=GUID-5E7810B6-59DF-434E-AB24-BC2A452C715C MotionBuilder 2026 MotionBuilder 2026 extends USD-based workflows, USD support having been introduced last year in MotionBuilder 2025. When loading a USD stage file, the animation contained in the file is now retained, and will be rendered. A new animatable frame offset property in the Python API makes it possible to retime or time warp the motion. There is also a new button in the UI to reload USD stage proxies, and a corresponding property in the API. Workflow improvements include a new shortcut key to force-select previously unselectable objects, and support for extended function keys – [F13] and beyond – as keyboard modifiers. There is also a new SDK property to control whether HUDs are exported in FBX files, and some API properties have been renamed for clarity. MotionBuilder 2026 is available for Windows 10+ and RHEL and Rocky Linux 8.10/9.3/9.5. It is available rental-only, with subscriptions costing $2,225/year, up $80/year since the previous release. https://help.autodesk.com/view/MOBPRO/2026/ENU/?guid=Whats-New-MotionBuilder-2026 Photoshop 26.5 Photoshop 26.5 is a minor workflow update, redesigning the Adjustment Presets layout. Changes include a new tabbed layout, new icons, and the option to organize presets into groups, including by dragging and dropping. Photoshop 26.5 is compatible with Windows 10+ and macOS 12.0+. In the online documentation, it is also referred to as the March 2025 release or Photoshop 2025.4. The software is rental-only, with Photography subscription plans that include access to Photoshop now starting at $239.88/year. Single-app Photoshop subscriptions cost $34.49/month or $263.88/year https://helpx.adobe.com/photoshop/using/whats-new/2025-4.html 3DGS Render 3.0 Based on research published in 2023, 3D Gaussian Splatting is a new 3D scanning method. Like photogrammetry, it begins by generating a point cloud of a 3D object or scene from a set of source photos, but rather than converting the point cloud to a textured mesh, it converts it to gaussians, using machine learning to determined the correct color for each. The result is a high-quality and potentially fast-rendering 3D representation of the object or scene being scanned. An increasing number of 3D scanning tools now support 3D Gaussian Splatting, one obvious example being Kiri Innovations’ own Kiri Engine. However, native support for 3DGS data in CG applications is currently limited, although it has recently been implemented in both V-Ray and D5 Render. 3DGS Render is intended to address some of the “pain points” with existing workflows, making it possible to manipulate 3DGS scan data inside Blender like a standard 3D object. The add-on converts 3DGS data imported on PLY format into an object that can be transformed, scaled, rotated or duplicated like conventional geometry. The scan can then be lit and rendered inside Blender, although currently only using Eevee, Blender’s real-time renderer, not Cycles, the main production renderer. 3DGS Render 3.0 makes it possible to retexture 3DGS scans by painting onto them directly, as well as by editing shader properties. You can see the workflow briefly in the video at the top of the story: as well as painting solid colors, it it is possible to paint through an image texture. 3DGS Render also now automatically generates UV maps when importing 3DGS data, making it easier to texture using standard Blender workflows. The update also lets you convert standard polygonal meshes to 3DGS – the reverse of what most people will currently be doing, we imagine, but it may open up new workflows in future. In addition, it is now possible to export face edits and transformations, like changes of scale and rotation, made inside Blender when exporting 3DGS data to other DCC applications. There is also an experimental new feature for baking modifier effects to improve performance, the option to apply animated effects to 3DGS data having been added in 3DGS Render 2.0. 3DGS Render 3.0 is compatible with Blender 4.2+. It’s a free download. The source code is available under an Apache 2.0 license. https://rdk2hgu4np.feishu.cn/docx/H07Nd01YQoVdLFxCftDclzo9nTh https://github.com/Kiri-Innovation/3dgs-render-blender-addon Arnold 7.4.1 Arnold 7.4.1 makes it possible to use the toon shading features – the Toon shader itself, and the Contour filter – when rendering on the GPU, as well as on CPU. The GPU implementation is currently limited to direct lighting only, so it does not support reflections, refractions, or indirect lighting, in addition to the standard limitations on CPU. The update also improves render performance, particularly in complex scenes with a lot of procedural instancing. The new options.procedural_instancing_optimization flag “usually produces speedups between 1-2x, but for sufficiently complex scenes the speedup can be significantly larger”. According to the release notes, Activision’s new Caldera USD data set (shown above), which is based on a map from Call of Duty: Warzone, renders a full 18x faster. Parallel scene initiation also now scales better with CPU cores, reducing time to first pixel on many-core machines. In addition, rendering photometric (IES) lights and mesh lights using Global Light Sampling now generates higher-quality results for the same render settings and render times. In the comparison images in the release notes, the difference is particularly striking on a motion-blurred mesh. When rendering USD data, Arnold now uses Hydra by default to handle the translation from USD, which makes the resulting render consistent with its Hydra render delegate. Arnold 7.4.1 also introduces a new HTML-based interactive viewer for render statistics. It displays render stats – such as frame render time, render time by category or by node, memory usage, and texture usage – in a visual format, making it easier to troubleshoot performance bottlenecks. All of Arnold’s integration plugins have been updated to support the new features: 3ds Max: MAXtoA 5.8.1 Cinema 4D: C4DtoA 4.8.1 Houdini: HtoA 6.4.1 Katana: KtoA 4.4.1 Maya: MtoA 5.5.1 If you’re using 3ds Max 2026 or Maya 2026, both of which were also released this week, be aware that these aren’t the versions of MAXtoA and MtoA included with them, which support Arnold 7.4.0, the previous version of the renderer. MtoA 5.5.1 also adds support for OpenVDB point data in the aiVolume node, enabling Maya users to import VDB files that contain point data and render them as Arnold points primitives. Arnold 7.4.1 is available for Windows 10+, RHEL/CentOS 7+ Linux and macOS 10.13+. Integrations are available for 3ds Max, Cinema 4D, Houdini, Katana and Maya. GPU rendering is supported on Windows and Linux only, and needs a compatible NVIDIA GPU. The software is rental-only, with single-user subscriptions costing $55/month, up $5/month since the start of 2025, or $415/year, up $15/year. https://help.autodesk.com/view/ARNOL/ENU/?guid=arnold_core_7410_html Mudbox 2026 The release notes read, in full: “Welcome to Mudbox 2026. This release includes minor updates.” Although Autodesk did previously put out more substantial releases, Mudbox 2026 is now the fifth consecutive annual update with no new features listed in the release notes. The firm said that it was “committed to the development of all [of its] tools, including Mudbox” but that it could not comment on future releases. However, while Autodesk raised the prices of most of its Media & Entertainment products in January, the price of Mudbox actually dropped, at least for a monthly subscription. The monthly rental cost fell from $15/month to $10/month, although the price of annual subscriptions remains unchanged. Mudbox 2026 is available for Windows 10+, RHEL/Rocky Linux 8.10/9.3/9.5, and macOS 13.0+. The software is rental-only, with subscriptions costing $10/month or $100/year. https://help.autodesk.com/view/MBXPRO/ENU/?guid=Mudbox_ReleaseNotes_release_notes2026_html ZBrush 2025.2 The main changes in ZBrush 2025.2 are to ZModeler, its polygonal modeling system for creating base meshes and hard surface models. The update adds snapping options when inserting edge loops, making it possible to snap the new loop to the centers of the polygons into which it is being inserted, or to user-defined points. There is also a new Selection Action Mode for “quick polygon selection”, and the option to store commonly used features as presets. The new functionality was developed while integrating ZModeler into ZBrush for iPad 2025.3, the new iPad edition of the software, included in ZBrush subscriptions. Users of Redshift, Maxon’s production renderer, the CPU-only version of which is now available with ZBrush subscriptions, get “18+” new materials. The Redshift material attributes have been updated to match the standard Redshift materials available in other DCC applications compatible with Redshift. ZBrush 2025.2 is compatible with Windows 10+ and macOS 11.5+. It is rental-only. ZBrush subscriptions cost $49/month or $399/year. https://support.maxon.net/hc/en-us/articles/15780513877788-ZBrush-2025-2-0-Release-Notes

That's an old plugin... I don't know why he made those videos now. The effect is still possible with the cloner. The plugin offers some flexibility and ease but it's still possible to do that without it. In his demonstration there's a Mix and Match plugin in the Extensions tab but I couldn't find it in his website, maybe it's something he's still working on

What is that ? The self-destruct sequence ? I've never heard anything like that before. Do other applications have similar functionality ?

There are some very interesting new features. Particles have an extensive list of new functionalities from which the following stand out. The Field-driven density distribution of particles is highly appreciated along with in-built noise shaders for both distribution and emission. Density control shaders and Fields is something I've been asking for MoGraph for years. Finally it can be achieved through particles. Noise Sampling for Color and Data Mapper https://help.maxon.net/c4d/en-us/Content/Resources/Images/2025-2_Particles_NoiseSampling_01.mp4 https://help.maxon.net/c4d/en-us/Content/Resources/Images/2025-2_Particles_NoiseSampling_02.mp4 Neighbor Search algorithm for Flock, Predator Prey and Blending Similar to the geometry density coloring effect I've been asking. Some Scene Node Capsules are now directly available with other primitives from drop-down menus. This was something I was actively arguing about from early versions of Scene Nodes as it was a closely UX-related issue. Things were pointing to parallel ecosystems of the same tools being developed under the same application or tools that were not that easily accessible that would inevitably lead to confusion or frustration among new and old users. It wasn't too long ago you could finally make capsules accessible from custom pallets but that required from users to know how to do that and as SceneNodes was so actively characterized as experimental or system for advanced users, people would prefer staying away from it missing some key features that were not that hard to use after all. Personally I extend my custom Layout with capsules supported by the OM every new version. Now the Line Spline is available along with the Break Spline, Branch Spline (which is an easier MoSpline Turtle), Catenary Spline, Dash Spline, Electric Spline, Partition and Pulse Spline. What I don't know is if they re-developed those tools in C++ or if they are just links to the node implementation with modernized icons to fit with the rest of UI. Well, there are still some argument about what should be characterized as a Generator what as a Modifier and what as a Deformer... For example the Branch Spline is more fitted to the Generators club as it does create additional splines on top of the original but I guess they run out of ideas on how to represent it with a new icon to avoid confusion with the MoSpline... Which leads to other old arrangement arguments like why don't we just have new features part of older tools as modes... For example the Branch Spline as Mode of the MoSpline... Break, Dash, Partition and Pulse modes of a single spline deformer/modifier or Wrap, Shrink Wrap and Spherify as modes of a single deformer... Looking forward to seeing all distribution nodes as modes in the Cloner and Blue Noise as a mode of the Push Apart Effector. New mode for the Look at Camera expression I always thought this to be an old remnant from earlier C4D versions... I never used it because I achieved the exact same effect using the Target tag... I still don't know what the difference between them is... Some unfortunate translation issues: Weird title, not available in English (fixed the next day) https://help.maxon.net/c4d/en-us/Default.htm#html/OFPBLEND-FP_BLEND_OBJECT_OUTPUT.html MAXON ONE capsules are not documented... Bad marketing as other users don't know what they are missing Things that we saw in the teaser video but they are not documented (yet) Constellation Generator (Plexus effect) Liquid Simulator (yeah... the thing that should be teased the most was not)

03/04/2025 Join us for an exciting livestream about the new features in Cinema 4D 2025.2 and Redshift 2025.4 with Elly and Noseman from the Maxon Training Team.

Fun facts: The text was AI generated. I did not expect a reference to the CEO by name. Later I asked for an interview. It wasn't an elaborate prompting at all, I asked three times all and all. I was clear of my intensions so it knew it was supposed to be an April Fools article. I asked for C4D screenshots for the next version... It kept drawing Blender elements on them. Curiously there's a repeating pattern that resembles a mix of the old logo of the Blue Pearl with the splash screen of R21 (see last two images) I removed the AI image from the article the next day just because it was too cursed... I later thought I could make the YT image to link to a Rick Roll video but it was too late. The Rocket Lasso image is a manipulated version of the S26 I asked for a new C4D logo but it refused, there must be a limit of 3 generated images per day I guess. The Chamferer icon is the CV-Chamfer icon. I designed the Spline SFD icon by templating the Spline Mask icon. I planned this prank 4 days in advance. Spline SFD, Chamferer, Outliner and Field Distribution are all real but not as versatile to construct as they are presented. I did not expect the Spline SFD to be that fast in viewport. The Field Distribution was the most time consuming as I had to construct an XPresso rig to manipulate 4 coencentric Torus Fields from the radius of the visible Spherical Field... real pain in the a$$ and didn't manage to link the Inner Offset to the radius of the inner most Torus to make it more believable. Fortunately I didn't have to spend extra time to recreate the UI of the Cloner as I had already done this a week earlier as a future sugggestion for MAXON.

Do you have the "Render Perfect" option enabled under the Sphere's attributes ? I think that's what is wrong with it

Maxon Unveils Game-Changing Cinema 4D 2025 Update: Enhanced Modeling, Texturing, and Scene Nodes March 31, 2025 – Los Angeles, CA – Maxon has officially announced the highly anticipated Cinema 4D 2025.1.4 update, promising groundbreaking new features that will redefine the 3D animation and motion graphics industry. This latest iteration of Cinema 4D introduces significant improvements to modeling, texturing, Scene Nodes, and animation workflows, ensuring a more seamless experience for artists. Official Statement from Maxon’s CEO “Cinema 4D 2025.1.4 is not just an update—it’s a revolution. We’ve listened to our users and implemented features that streamline workflows, accelerate creativity, and push the boundaries of what’s possible in 3D design. Our latest enhancements to modeling, texturing, and Scene Nodes will empower artists like never before.” — David McGavran, CEO of Maxon Key Features of Cinema 4D 2025.1.4: 🔹 Enhanced Parametric Modeling Tools – New and improved parametric objects offer greater control, including advanced spline editing and interactive beveling. 🔹 Advanced Scene Nodes 2.0 – A major update to Scene Nodes introduces a more intuitive interface, expanded procedural modeling options, and real-time performance boosts. 🔹 Improved UV Packing and Unwrapping – A completely reworked UV workflow includes automated packing, distortion minimization, and island grouping for better texturing efficiency. 🔹 Neural Render Engine (NRE) – Cinema 4D now features an AI-powered render engine that reduces render times by up to 90% while maintaining photorealistic quality. 🔹 Real-Time Path Tracing – A fully integrated real-time path tracer allows users to see near-final renders directly in the viewport. 🔹 Auto-Rigging AI – Character animation just got easier with an intelligent rigging system that auto-detects joints and optimizes weights instantly. 🔹 HoloC4D VR Integration – For the first time, users can sculpt, animate, and render in a fully immersive VR environment. 🔹 Redshift Cloud Render – A new cloud-based rendering system allows users to offload heavy render jobs and access high-performance GPU farms directly from Cinema 4D. 🔹 Deepfake MoGraph Generator – A new AI-assisted tool that generates realistic face animations from a single image input. 🔹 AI-Assisted Material Suggestion – The new AI-driven material engine suggests realistic textures and shader settings based on your scene context. Spline SDF Smooh blending of 2D splines. Outline Capsule Unlimited number of oulines with the new Outline Node and capsule Chamferer The new Chamferer generator brings non-destructive, parametric editing on individual spline control points Field Distribution Cloner Mode Fields can now be used to place children instances by mapping the hierarchy of the children to the intensity of the field. Release Date and Availability Cinema 4D 2025.1.4 will roll out as a free update for all Maxon One subscribers starting April 1, 2025. Perpetual license holders will have the option to upgrade at a discounted rate. For more details, visit www.maxon.net. Exclusive Interview with Maxon’s CEO, David McGavran Q: What was the main focus for Cinema 4D 2025.1.4? David McGavran: “Our primary goal was to refine and enhance the tools that artists use daily. We wanted to create a more intuitive and efficient experience, whether it's through procedural modeling, advanced texturing, or improved rendering. The new Scene Nodes 2.0 is a huge leap forward, allowing artists to build complex structures with ease.” Q: How does this update compare to previous ones? David McGavran: “While every update brings innovations, this one focuses on practical enhancements that improve workflow speed and creative flexibility. We've also made significant improvements to UV workflows, Boolean modeling, and dynamic simulations based on user feedback.” Q: Can you give us a sneak peek into the future of Cinema 4D? David McGavran: “Absolutely. We are already developing features for Cinema 4D 2026 that will push procedural modeling even further. Expect deeper Redshift integration, better scene organization tools, and an overhaul of particle simulations. We're also exploring more real-time collaboration features to make remote workflows even smoother.”

Well.... I've asked (and still asking) for a Helix 2.0 with myltiple modes like Logarithmic. Archimedian and Double but primitives won't ever change in fear of compatibility break with older projects. But you could try it just on a Symmetry Object ...

But Alembic is supposed to support re-timing... simple animation offset. What kind of re-timimg do you want ?

Dash The full version of Dash is intended to let artists to build complex environments without having to navigate the Unreal Editor’s interface, working primarily in fullscreen mode in the viewport. It provides readymade behaviors – accessible by typing natural-language search terms into a floating prompt bar – for common scene-building tasks like ‘create terrain’ and ‘apply water’, plus scattering tools for dressing environments. As well as game development, Dash can be used for offline work: for example to create animations, visual effects projects or architectural visualizations in Unreal Engine. You can read more about its features in this story on Dash 1.9, the current release. Polygonflow has now updated the trial version of Dash so that artists can use part of its toolset for free indefinitely. You can now use all of the features for free for 14 days, after which point you have access to the content browser, but not other functionality like object scattering, physics or material blending. The change makes Dash a more fully featured free alternative to Unreal Engine 5’s native Content Browser, with support for asset tagging, and fuzzy, semantic and Boolean search. You can read about its functionality – much of which was added in Dash 1.9, and which makes it quicker to search large collections of UE5 assets – in the online release notes. Dash also integrates with Fab, Epic Games’ online marketplace, and comes with libraries of free IES lights and CC0 assets from Poly Haven. Dash is compatible with Unreal Engine 5+ on Windows 10+ only. Free licenses work in demo mode for 14 days, providing access to the full toolset; then in free mode indefinitely, providing access to the Conent Browser and AI assistant only. https://www.polygonflow.io/try-dash CharMorph CharMorph is a successor to previous open-source Blender character generator MB-Lab – itself a community fork of the popular Manuel Bastioni Lab. Both have now been discontinued: Manuel Bastioni Lab in 2018, and MB-Lab last year, with development work moving on to CharMorph following the release of MB-Lab 1.8.1. According to the development team, CharMorph reimplements “most of MB-Lab’s features”, and uses the same base meshes and character morphs, but does not contain any of MB-Lab’s code. CharMorph makes it possible to create custom 3D characters by starting with one of the base 3D characters included with the software and applying morphs to modify it. The morphs have to be baked destructively before the character is rigged, although it is possible to export them in advance, making it possible to keep iterating on a character design. It is also possible to use CharMorph to modify an existing imported 3D character, including those with different topology. Exported characters can be rendered with Eevee, Blender’s real-time renderer, or Cycles, its main production renderer: you can find more details in the online documentation. Although it lacks some of the features from MB-Lab, such as auto-modeling, CharMorph has a number of advantages over its predecessor, listed on the project’s GitHub page. Key benefits include support for Rigify, Blender’s modular character rig creation system, including for facial rigs, and real-time fitting of clothing. It is also possible to set skin and eye color directly, and displacement is done at material level rather than using the Displace modifier, making it possible to preview the effect in Eevee. But perhaps most significantly, it is possible to use characters generated with CharMorph in any kind of commercial work, including closed-source games. Whereas the base character from MB-Lab is licensed under an AGPL license, CharMorph has three alternative base characters with Creative Commons licenses: either CC-BY attribution licenses, or in the case of the Vitruvian character added in the latest update, a full CC0 license. In a story on BlenderNation, the developers comment that they aim to provide character models that can compete with those from closed-source solutions like Character Creator or Daz Studio, “achieving the level of quality seen in blockbuster movies and next-gen video games” As well as the Vitruvian character, CharMorph 0.4 features a number of other improvements, including the option to download characters or update the add-on directly within Blender. The development team says that it now plans to extend the software beyond humanoid characters, making it possible to create animals and other creatures. CharMorph is compatible with Blender 4.4. It’s a free download. The software is open-source: the source code is available under a GPLv3 license. The individual base characters are available under a range of licenses: the new Vitruvian character is CC0. https://blendercharacterproject.org/ https://github.com/Upliner/CharMorph Yeti 5.2 The update adds two new nodes for resolving intersection issues: Plume, for resolving feather-feather and feather-geometry intersections, and Resolve, for fiber intersections. Other new features include cross-platform file path mapping, following a similar convention to the Arnold renderer, and a new C++ API for evaluating Yeti graphs. The previous 5.1 updates were primarily bugfix releases, and to add support for the current versions of Maya and the supported renderers. Yeti 5.2 is available for Maya 2024+, running on Windows 10+, and RHEL and Rocky Linux 8.5. Indie licenses – one perpetual node-locked workstation licence and one render licence – are available to artists with revenue under $100,000/year, and cost $329. Studio licenses – one perpetual floating workstation licence, plus five render licences – cost $699. Further packs of five render licences cost $399. https://docs.peregrinelabs.com/release-notes Zen UV 5.0 New features in Zen UV 5.0 include the Zen UV Touch Tool, which makes it possible to perform common operations like moving, scaling, rotating or snapping UV islands more quickly by manipulating them directly in Blender’s UV Editor, using an intuitive-looking gizmo. There is also a new Auto Unwrap operator, which provides a bridge to Ministry of Flat, Quel Solaar’s free standalone Windows-only UV unwrapping tool. Workflow improvements include a new Zen Sync operator, which preserves edge and face selections when switching between working modes. There are also new options for selecting intersecting or stretched faces, new control options in the trimsheet tools, and updates to Zen UV’s native UV unwrapping algorithm. Zen UV 5.0 is compatible with Blender 4.0+. A single-user license costs $39. The update is free to users of version 4.x. https://zenmastersteam.github.io/Zen-UV/latest/changelg/release_note_5.0.0/

Darker background. It's supposed to be space after all.

Maybe I'll do it using Xpresso... boole switch on editor and renderer visibility