Chaos Czech has released a new tutorial explaining how to use the Corona MultiMap to quickly and easily create variations in materials. Watch it on YouTube

Bondware Inc, the parent company of Renderosity.com, has announced the acquisition of Poser from the previous owners Smith Micro. Find out more on Bondware's website. 

Boomer Labs has released Superblob beta, a new meshing plugin for 3DS Max. Features include 5-10 times speed improvements over Max's native BlobMesh, smoother meshes, improved normals, an integrated relax and push function, TyFlow support and more coming soon. Find out more and download the beta from Boomer Labs' website. 

Happy Digital has released Autohedge, a new plugin for 3DS Max and V-Ray dedicated to the creation of hedges, bushes, shrubberies and more. It works by parametrically filling any shape closed mesh with leaves and branches. Included are materials and presets for 18 hedge species. Autohedge costs $149 for a perpetual license or $249 for a bundle that includes Autograss. A rental bundle that includes the two plugins is also available for $19 per month. Find out more on Happy Digital.

Lumion has released an update to its real-time 3D software for architecture. Version 9.5 adds several new objects and materials including 52 new wood and brick materials, 14 leafless trees and shrubs, 96 forest wood objects (like twigs, trunks, logs, punk woods, stumps, etc.) and 25 potted plants. For more information visit the Lumion blog. 

Adobe has released a first look at Fresco, the new digital painting application for tablets that aims to reproduce real media like watercolours, chalk, paint and more using its AI system Sensei. Fresco (formerly known as Gemini) is currently in closed beta for the iPad. Watch the demo on YouTube. 

Red Giant has announced VFX Suite, a set of 9 tools for keying, tracking, cleanup, and visual effects compositing for After Effects. The nine tools are as follows:  (more...)

Ian Failes has published an interview with Rémi Bèges, the creator of a new application called Nexture that allows artists to add minute details to models by "combining the neural network with a custom image synthesis algorithm to transfer details from a reference pattern bank onto CG texture maps." Read it on Befores&Afters.