, by Katie Adams | Productfocus
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We get the lowdown about the soon-to-be-released 3ds Max 2015 Extension 2 from Eddie Perlberg, Senior Product Manager, Autodesk
1) From a development standpoint, what goes into an extension release? How does Autodesk decide on new features and release timing?
Evolving technology and customer feedback impact how we build our extension releases, as well as when we release them. We want to ensure that artists have prompt access to the tools, templates and workflows they need to keep up to date with technology developments and new formats, and the extension releases allow us to do that throughout the year.
There’s a lot of R&D that goes into each extension, and we’re continually reviewing community forums and customer feedback 365 days a year. We gather valuable insight about new features that customers want to see in the products, which we use to help shape the extensions. As far as timing, our team works at an incredible pace to bring the extension releases to subscription customers quickly.
For example, this year in August at Siggraph, we released 3ds Max 2015 Extension 1, which heavily focused on new features for animation and graphics, with support for Pixar’s OpenSubdiv libraries, as well as a CreateSet modifier and Crease Explorer for creating complex topology in less time. Extension 2, which we’re announcing at Autodesk University this year, is a little more focused toward the design audience with integration for Revit and SketchUp; however, the combination of both Extension 1 and Extension 2 have brought many important new capabilities that both audiences can draw upon.
2) What’s new in 3ds Max 2015 Extension 2, and which features do you think will impress artists the most?
to try out the template based workflows and new design workspace with heads-up functionality. This helps make 3ds Max more discoverable and efficient. Other big updates include enhanced Revit and SketchUp integration. A new Revit importer allows users to import Revit data into 3ds Max up to 10 times faster than before, and with much cleaner geometry, while faster SketchUp imports enable architects and designers to take their SketchUp designs to the next level.
The addition of dual quaternion skinning to Extension 2 also accelerates the skinning and animation process for artists for the creation of better skinned characters with more realistic deformations in less time. Users can now also paint the amount of influence skinning will have on a surface, so they can use it where they need it and taper off to linear skin weighting where they don’t.
Additionally, creating high-quality animated visualizations, animatics, and cinematics is simpler now with a new Camera Sequencer. Designers and animators can easily cut between multiple cameras, trim and reorder animated clips nondestructively—leaving the original animation data unchanged while enabling greater creative flexibility.
A new design workspace in Extension 2, which follows a task-based workflow, offers easy access to object placement, lighting, rendering, modeling and texturing tools in 3ds Max 2015, simplifying the import of design data to quickly create high-quality stills and animation.
3) Why did Autodesk choose to integrate these features into Extension 2, and what new capabilities do they bring to artists?
3ds Max has always balanced design visualization and 3D animation; users span across industries, from architecture to film and games. Timing Extension 2 with an event like Autodesk University, a highly focused design conference, offers a natural opportunity to highlight the new capabilities, which include:
Template based workflows allow artists to create and access numerous files to start their scenes. This way, settings like assigned renderer or scene units can be saved to a file and quickly accessed.
Design Workspace offers new 3ds Max users a heads up display of some of the key functionality they need to quickly create compelling design visualizations and animations. By organizing and displaying these often used tools, the experienced artist will become more efficient with fewer clicks to achieve amazing results.
Improved Revit import interoperability will increase the performance and fidelity of bringing Revit models into 3ds Max.
Camera Sequencer provides every 3ds Max user the ability to set up and render multiple cameras in sequential order with unique scene settings associated with each. This new functionality not only manages the rendering of several camera angles and movements into one logical dialog, but it extends that ability to also control elements per camera timeline.
Dual Quaternion Skinning has been a highly request feature in our Uservoice forums. Specifically for the art of character rigging, it allows 3ds Max users the ability to paint influence into the envelope of their character to prevent unwanted deformations as it moves or bends.
Updates to the SketchUp importer will support newer SketchUp files.
4) What new developments do 3ds Max artists have to look forward to in the next few years?
The 3ds Max development team has renewed its commitment to reaching out to the 3ds Max community to listen and prioritize our efforts to provide real solutions to users. We are excited to continue delivering value and efficiency for the near and long term. As our team continues to grow, the talents and experiences of the designers and developers, in conjunction with the direct input of our customers, is helping drive the future of 3ds Max.
5) How do customers get access to 3ds Max 2015 Extension 2?
We try to make it pretty straightforward. Extension 2 will be available for download to our subscription customers on or after December 17th, 2014.
6) What are some cool projects that 3ds Max users have created lately?
Culver City-based Blur Studio has worked on some incredible projects including “Thor: The Dark World,” “The Amazing Spider Man 2” and “The Elder Scrolls Online.” Most recently they used 3ds Max to help create 56 minutes of animation for Microsoft’s “Halo: The Master Chief Collection” anniversary release. Blur recreated amazing cinematic sequences from “Halo 2” and the work is stunning. They designed highly realistic characters, effects and environments. The ambitious feature film scale production was completed under a very tight timeline using 3ds Max.
Big Studios is a boutique motion graphics studio based in Toronto, Canada and home to a talented creative team who has won 5 Emmy awards, the most recent one for their work on an “MLB Tonight” opening for MLB Network. Since 1999, 3ds Max has been a key part of their workflow for projects ranging in scope and size – from graphics packages for Turner & CBS to Monday Night Football on ESPN.
7) Are there additional resources and training materials available to get caught up to speed on the new features in the extension release?
We have a number of resources available for anyone interested in learning about Extension 2, 3ds Max 2015 or even 3D animation in general, including the 3ds Max YouTube learning channel we host, which features free videos and tutorials.
And, if you’re looking for in-depth tutorials on specific techniques or features, we have you covered with our community site AREA. On AREA you can find out everything from how to work with OpenSubdiv to taking a master class with industry luminaries. Or, if you’re just looking for inspiration, AREA houses a number of free downloadable textures, shaders, plug-ins and fun extras from the community that you can access here: http://autode.sk/1woQaKj.
Related links
Autodesk
3DS Max
Blur Studio
Big Studios
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