[ Free Vray scene ] – If you have a boat, a yacht or anything else and want to render it on the water, perhaps Charles Hollemeersch’s plugin is for you.

Already a few years ago Charles realized this fantastic plugin that – simply – adds a geometry “sea”.

INSTALLATION

Unzip the contents of this zip file into the [maxfolder]/plugins directory, so for example: c:\3dsmax6\plugins

Then just go to Create> Geometry> Hollemeersch.NET and select the object OceansWaves. Then click anywhere in the scene to create it.

You see a surface that immediately gives the idea of “sea”. Fantastic?  Try now to operate the button of animation… isn’t it super fantastic? yeees!!!

There are various parameters that can be set as the height of waves, wind speed, the speed of movement, the type of crimp and the number of subdivisions (which adjusts the level of detail of the object).

This parameter – the number of subdivisions – is the sore point. OceanWaves uses a large number of polygons (70,000> subd = 7 / 2,000,000> Subd = 10) and is easy ultizzando a subdivision even higher standard should be a PC crash for lack of memory. (Mine is gone crash to 11).

Here the plugin link and my scene, just tu test it! 3ds max + vray 1.5 -Enjoy them!

• OceanWaves – Plugin
• Free Scene: Teapots in the ocean

Ivy Generator is a free useful plug in to generate complex foliage.

Generating trees and foliage is usually something difficult but it’s very important to give a realist aspect to exterior renderings.

Have a look on this nice tutorial to learn how to make a luffa farm with Ivy Generator. It’s a videtutorial during 28mins… nice to learn it.

• Luffa farm – Ivy Generator
• Download Ivy Generator
• Buy Tree 3d models

Simcloth3 V1.52 is out!

The famous free plugin made by Chaosgroup is available to download in 64bit version.

I like very much this plugin because it’s free… in spite of everything the results are very good. 3d studio has a module inside and Reactor plugin to simule clothes, but sometimes it’s good having a strong alternative.

• Download the new Simcloth3 V1.52
• Buy Cloth 3d models

Ozone 3.0 is out!

It’s a plugin for Lightwave 3D, Cinema4D, 3ds Max, Maya and XSI for the realistic simulations of skies and atmospheric effects.

Ozone is a standalone plugin, therefore is not necessary to have the software Vue, even if it could work with it perfeclty.

• For more informations have a look at Ozone Website
• Buy and download Sky Textures

If you think that working with 3d models is only for expert users, able to use very sophisticated software like 3d studio max, maya or something like that… you are wrong!

It’s finishing the time for super smart guys using complex parameters to render wonderful images… because more and more often new softwares are appearing: softwares very simple can help you to create and integrate 3d object using Photoshop Plugins!

After the plugin “Enzo” it’s time to know Strada 3d!

Now you can have the Power of Strata tools working directly with Photoshop. With the new Strata 3D[in] plug-ins you can:

• Match 3D Objects to Photographs
• Build and Edit 3D Layers
• Render Photoreal 3D Layers
• Create a 3D Object from Photos
• Generate Live 3D Web and PDF pages from Photoshop Layouts

The official site is very informative and you can find many videotutorials explaining all the features of this useful Photoshop Plugin.

Specificly the products are three:

• Strata Foto 3D in
• Strata Design 3D in
• Strata Live 3D in

Each one responds to specificly needs… Each pack costs 149$: it’s good if you think about the possibilities… and now… ehm… sorry.. I’m going to try the demo!!!

• The stacking procedure in the rigid body solver is now up to 4 times faster, is more stable, and several problems relating to increase of energy during the process have been solved. There is also more stability with constraints in collision, and a new scripting function to detect collision between keyframed rigid bodies. The spline emitter and daemon emitter manipulation have also been improved

• A new tool has been added to reset the transformation matrix of a node. It is a shortcut of setting the position, rotation and angles of the node to their initial values.

• A new tool has been added to reset the transformation matrix of an object, whilst preserving the vertices at their current positions.

• A new command line option “-reset” has been added. When this option is enabled the scene is reset before the simulation.

• A new system script from Mark Stasiuk at Fusion CI Studios has been incorporated to normalize the age of the particles. This script will re-set the ages of particles from absolute values (seconds) to normalized values (0 at birth to 1 at death). Normalized age is the standard input for particle rendering in 3D packages.

• Several environment variables have been added to improve and smooth the integration of RealFlow in company pipelines.

• The functionality of OBJ files has been improved in this version to make axis conversions, needed to keep the geometry unchanged under different axis setup.

Some other interesting informations about RealFlow:Cinema 4D Plugin

Technologies is also happy to announce that an updated version of the Cinema4D plug-in for both Windows and Mac is now available for download. The plug-in is compatible with versions 8.5, 9.6 and 10 for Windows and 8.5ppc, 9.5ppc, 9.6ub and 10ub for Mac.

Improved RealFlow 4 Website

For further details of the new features, improvements, and a full bug fix list, please download the release notes from the RF4 download area…. and you’ll notice that the official site – RealFlow – has been revised and revamped completely.

Enjoy it!

I hope you liked my article about PSD2Mat so today I’m going to write something about another very useful plugin: PSD Manager.

PSD manager is a plugin produced by Cebas for 3d Studio Max/Viz that allow to export a layered rendering directly in a Psd file format: one channel in one layer… ready to be opened with Adobe Photoshop.

Typical situation: You have your layered rendering with diffuse channel, refractions, reflections, some meterial ID ect.. If you are rendering for an animation probably these frames will be computate with After Effects, Combustion, Shake or something else.

But if you are working for a still image then you can use Photoshop to compose your image. Using PSD Manager no more time will be spent to create a psd file manually!Psd Manager will create it automatically.

To appreciate the power of compositing have a look on this composited brushteeth, after everthing will be clear! Here some link to learn more about Psd Manager:

• PSD Manager
• Video demo

Psd Manager is produced by Cebas. Purchase it for 150$.

Yes, these purple figures are poors Biped, used as a guines pig, testing Reactor parameters: watch the fun video!

To be precise it’s not a Biped you can find in Character animation 3ds module, but it’s a Ragdoll of Cat animation toolkit.

I found this video some month ago and I would to propose it: very, very amazing. But how could you realise that? Simple: just learn Reactor, lol.

If you already tried to use Reactor to simule clothes I’m sure that you thinking Reactor is too complicated: too parameters, too options… you’re right! In fact to simulate clothes I suggest other oriented plugins like Simcloth: it works fine and it’s free.

With Reactor you can create a lot of dynamics, include all about cars and wheels. If you are thinking to learn Reactor here some interesting links:

Don’t forget that the expert in Dynamics simulations is an important professional figure.

FumeFX, a great plugin produced by Sitni Sati, is a powerful Fluid Dynamics Engine designed for the3d simulation and rendering of realistic fire, smoke, explosion, and other gaseous phenomena. It’s versatility, robustness, and intuitive workflow make it a perfect solution for even the most demanding tasks in the computer graphics industry.

The core in named VoxelFlow and it allows to reproduce physical phenomenons dividing the space in cubes called Voxels. Every cube is exposed to many forces and his movement is the result of a combination of physical forces, such as buoyancy, gravity, and pressure, and user defined forces.

No more details for now, just you know that the last release works for V-ray and FinalRender too! So interesting isn’t it?

But, how it works? Could I see some video showing me the basic settings?
YES of course!!

From a chinese Blog, I found for you an informative tutorial about FumeFx plugin… here the links:

• Fume FX: Video tutorial – Very nice!
• Official site: Fume FX

Enjoy it and leave here some comment!

OceanWaves is a very, very interesting plugin to simulate…. Ocean Waves, obvious!

It’s created by Charles Hollemeersch and it’s incredible how it get a ocean model so similar from the real ocean waves!

This 3D Studio Max plugin adds a new geometry object which generates a statistically generated ocean wave suface. It allows you to set parameters like wind direction and strength, required detail, … to control the aperance of the sea surface.

This is the same technic used in the movie “Titanic” to generate the ocean.

It’s so simple to use: this 3D Studio Max plugin adds a new geometry object which generates a statistically generated ocean wave suface.

I think you could be surprised how simple and how incredible is this plug-in, so I encourage all of you to downlaod and try it… only try it once and you’ll love it.

• OceanWaves Plugin

PS for Charles:
I esteem you and your work. It’s awesome… congratulations.

There’s no just english sites to find a great educational material, but you can find in many parts of the world people producing excellent tutorials.

This time we’re going to Spain!

Few years ago, Pedro Saiz Bilbao realized a very informative pages about V-ray and its settings. Many examples, many images, many experiments.. I love his work: very, very useful.

This tutorial has been wrote for V-ray 1.49 but it’s valid too. I often use it to remember details or settings values. Check and add it to your bookmarks!

• V-ray panels in deep

A reader ask to me why the RPC (Rich Photorealistic Content) doesn’t project shadows using V-ray.

Yes, it’s right. There’s some problem using both RPC and V-ray. When I had the same problem I must retouched the render with Adobe Photoshop. That was the only solution I found.

But not any RPC Archvision library has the same bug. There’s same collection that works fine, for example the Cars.

Anyway if you already completed your work and RPC doesn’t project shadows I suggest to “repair” it with a little postproduction (with Photoshop for example).

I think this is the best and fast way.

Besides if you want to get a more photorealistic renders I suggest to try different solutions like 3d low-poly people, for example Axyz-Design.

It allows a free download to try the models so… enjoy it!

• Axyz Design: Free 3d models – Low Poly

It’s very easy to use it, you just need to download it, starting 3d studio max and go testing changing all the parameters with fantasy!

The V-ray parameters aren’t not so different from the last scene, the most important change is the sun position. As in the reality the color of the sun changes with the inclination, so you have a darker scene with more orange colors.

I’ve changed Vraysun multiplier and color mapping too. Here some information about the settings. Read in bold the parameters I changed:

N° of lights_ 1 | Vray Sun intensity_ 1,0 | Color Mapping_ HSV Esponential (1,4-1,2-1) | GI Enviroment _ Skylight (1.0) | Time to render_ 1′ 43″ (640×480)

Download Vray sunset
[3ds 8 - V-ray 1.5RC3]

If you are interested in free V-ray scenes to download find they in Vray category!

In the last file I showed you how to set VrayDisplacement to obtain realistic grass or carpets. It’s a good solution for middle camera shots.

But how can do if your grass is really near to the camera? You need more details to obtain a realistic render, so it’s time to use Vray Fur!

if you need more information about V-ray fur you could have a look to the official V-ray guide: Vray Fur.

If you need same nice tutorial to understand how to create a grass with vray fur have a look here: Vray Fur tutorial

If you want a very nice scene (xp Style!) to just clic “render”…  download my gift!

Free Scene: Grass with Vray Fur
[ 3ds 8 - vray 1.5 ]

Photoshop tutorial. If you want to render any kind of frosted glass, you have to think about to notable increase of rendering time.

My personal solution is to render “normal” glasses with our render engines, and after abtain any kind of glass playing with Photoshop. You could be make many kind of Glasses in few seconds!

A software like Photoshop could be very, very helpfully to refine scenes: stop to make 3d images directly with your 3d studio max or Maya… think your render as a first part. The second one will be the photo retouch!

Follow this great tutorial:

• Glass with photoshop

There’s no doubts: Modeling Nurbs is the best solution if you are going to model objects, especially all objects made by industrial production.

I don’t know how many times did you try to model a cell phone, usb pen, ipod or something like that. There are many sinouos surfaces and smoothed edge! I watched around the web many tutorials and videotutorials to learn how to model edges using poligonal modeling.

In spite of everything I think this method it’s not the best one. And I’m sure you will think the same after you will see how nPower tool works!

nPower has so powerful tools to manage Nurbs that you will love to model nurbs surfaces. (I know you hate nurbs!..lol)

I was strucked by “Fillet” option: Very powerful and flexible. Selecting an edge you can choose its fillet value, and if you change this parameter you can see smoothed edge changing realtime in the viewport!

nPower Videotutorial

• Advanced Construction Tutorials
• Power Solids Basic Tutorials
• Power NURBS Basic Tutorials
• Power NURBS Primitives Tutorials

In Advanced Construction Tutorials I especially suggest to watch:

• Car modeling Tutorial
• Modeling a Phone

For more details:

• nPower Software – Official site

Enjoy it!

Scanline VFX is a visual effects society, based in Berlin, specialized in Cg fluid simulations: their effects are really awesome!

I think lot of you wached the movie Poseidon: there are very realistic scenes in cg fluid animation and this work is made by Scanline VFX!

Here a really amazing video very famous for all of you who works in CG: If you don’t know it I’m sure you’ll be surprised…

Now I’m sure you are thinking: How can I do it? What software I have to use?

If I’m not wrong, Scanline VFX uses a their own software, but generally we can say these animations need very complex algorithm, and sometime the time to calcule is long… but it’s so actractive, isn’t it?

Well.. could I suggest something? Real Flow!

• See RealFlow by Next Limit
• Video Tutorial Real Flow

Fluid animation is so amazing, isn’t it?

Recently Tom Hudson updated his very famous script Greeble 9.

With the arrival of new 3d studio 9 Tom Hudson prepared the updated version working with last release of 3d studio max.

If you don’t know yet Greeble, it’s very useful to increase easly scene’s details and it’s perfect modeling city landscapes, spaceship, death stars etc… You can find more news on his web site.

• Download script here: Greeble 9 – Tom Hudson
• See this Greeble City

Don’t miss V-Ray demo reel presented at last Siggraph. There are important 3d artist like Christopher Nichols (the author of important Gnomon dvds training)… but that’s not all, there are same commercials, movies, 3d animations.

Very hight quality cg video, enjoy it.

• Click here to see Vray – demo Reel

One of must important things to create a good scene and a good render is light settings.

If you are starting with Vray or if you want to know other methods to set V-ray you have to visit vray templates page!

3 different basic scene already setted for free.

• Download Vray templates scene

This kind of image is very, very popular, created with vray or maxwell render, final render or mental ray… that’s no important thing. The detail is very high but it’s no hand made of course!

Years ago Tom hudson wrote a very useful plugin for 3d studio max named Greeble.
It’s very easy to use: you just have to create a box and after you apply a new modifier Greeble. Et-voilà, les jeux sont faits!
Useful for generating random details for spaceship models, cityscapes, death stars..

• Download Greeble plug in

• YouTube video A city with Greeble

[tags]plugin, 3d studio max, 3ds, greeble[/tags]