Software giant Maxon has just released all the news on the latest innovations and features that have been added to its products and tools. Maxon normally releases these at NAB – but we’ve been treated to the updates a little bit early this time around.
Maxon’s vision is always artist focused and is centred on enabling them to create more than ever before and to do this faster than was ever previously possible. What began as Cinema 4D has since been expanded with the likes of Redshift, Red Giant, and ZBrush. All of these are packaged into one incredible offering called Maxon One. Today, we see improvements across a range of these individual apps. (Want to start creating? Check out our guide to the best laptops for 3D modelling.)
Cinema 4D - Particles
(Image credit: Maxon)
It all began with Cinema 4D, and it’s exciting to see that a brand new particle system has been developed and released. This has been one of the most common requests from the community, and it’s great to see that Maxon has not only listened but also delivered.
The particle system, which is completely physically based, has been in development for a number of years. It will enable artists to bring their scenes to life and set up simulations based on physically accurate properties. This particle system is integrated into the entire simulation system, which makes it possible to generate particles from soft bodies and pyro. A great example of the latter is the possibility of creating sparks out of a fire.
These particles are also GPU accelerated for super fast rendering of the effects. This is not only ideal but also essential for fine-tuning parameters and getting the effect you want.
Redshift - Non-photorealistic rendering
(Image credit: Maxon)
This type of toon style rendering is becoming increasingly common across all renderers, and it’s great to see Redshift following suit. Highly stylised rendering output enables artists to add a whole new feel to their animations and create breathtaking cartoons.
The inclusion of contour modes and toon material nodes gives users everything they need to create stylistic results with a unique visual appeal. Aside from cartoons, Maxon hopes to provide the necessary tools to architects who want to create simple renderings that allow for client feedback without having to generate photorealistic renderings.
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Red Giant - Geo
(Image credit: Maxon)
This is a brand new tool for AdobeAfter Effects artists to help them get started in 3D. It lets artists texture and light objects directly in 3D without having to learn a dedicated 3D DCC, which would potentially be overwhelming for most.
The compositing workflow allows for casting shadows on ground planes and adding branded content onto screens in a scene
Maxon One - Capsules
Capsules are Maxon's production ready assets that are shipped every single month to enable artists to get up and running with the scenes as quickly as possible. Materials are also included so they’re ready to render right out the box. The latest release includes ivy generators as well as more commonly used items, including wood flooring and plants.
Price
Cinema 4D + Redshift is available for £74.39 per month, with Redshift available on its own for a reduced price of £19.30. If you’d like Red Giant for After Effects, then you’ll need to buy a monthly subscription at £49.50. And if you’d like everything in one package, then Maxon One is available for a monthly subscription of £99.89. All of these subscriptions are billed annually.
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Daniel John is Design Editor at Creative Bloq. He reports on the worlds of design, branding and lifestyle tech, and has covered several industry events including Milan Design Week, OFFF Barcelona and Adobe Max in Los Angeles.
