CGNetworks Product Special ::
Discreet 3ds max 6 revealed!
By: Dan Diaz :: Page 1 | Page 2 | Page 3 | Page 4

Discreet has begun shipping 3ds max 6 today, the latest version of its award-winning professional 3D modeling, animation and rendering package. CGNetworks is pleased to provide this exclusive, in-depth preview of the software and what it has to offer.

New features in 3ds max 6 software include an advanced schematic view for complex scene management; integrated mental ray 3.2 renderer; a new event-driven particle system; reactor 2 stuntman dynamics; unmatched design workflow with Autodesk solutions through .DWG import/export with ObjectARX support; vertex painting; enhanced modeling and skinning tools; HDRI support; performance optimizations designed in conjunction with Intel Corporation; and extensive focus on enriching the reliability of existing features. The release also incorporates a new CD-ROM complete with software from strategic partners such as Criterion Software RenderWare Visualizer, Bionatics EASYnat, Okino Computer Graphics PolyTrans OpenFlight, and ArchVision.

New features in 3ds max 6.

SCHEMATIC VIEW
Reworked from the ground up, the Schematic View is a node-based scene graph giving users access to object properties, materials, controllers, modifiers, hierarchy, and non-visible scene relationships such as wired parameters and instancing. Schematic View also allows for background images, loading/saving of setups, and automatic arrangement of nodes based on physical scene placement (makes arranging nodes for character rigs easy). A host of filtering options and full exposure to MAXscript gives users flexibility for getting the exact information they need from Schematic View, and extensibility for custom views.

VERTEX PAINT
Extending its already-comprehensive set of Vertex Paint capabilities, 3ds max gives Game Artists and Level Editors an easy to use solution for painting and editing color and custom attribute information onto any of the 99 channels of information available per vertex using a host of tools.
Interactively resize brushes, apply new coloring (or tint existing levels), and paint game-specific attributes right onto the model (such as surface friction and damage values). The Vertex Paint Modifier now functions as a “Paint Layer“ – multiple layers can be applied, supporting many of the Photoshop-style blending modes analogous to digital painting.
Vertex Colour Opacity is also animatable, allowing users to change the opacity of a Vertex Paint Layer over time. Game artists can now explore combinations of additive radiosity lighting interactively, in a manner that lets them see how this effect will be implemented in-game.

MULTI RESOLUTION MESH
The MultiRes Modifier now supports all 99 map channels per vertex, ensuring existing map channels and coordinates are preserved when generating Lord’s.

SCHEMATIC VIEW - node-based scene graph. All the bones have a note that are above the image. In this scene, all the nodes in the Schematic View are automatically arranged based on the object's world-space coordinates.

VERTEX PAINT - Interactive, layer-based vertex and attribute painting tools bring game artists much more fluid ways of defining lighting and in-game data using up to 99 channels of vertex information.