Eloi Andaluz Fullà has published a new video that attempts to clarify the indie licensing schemes for 3ds Max, Maya,  and Houdini. Watch it on YouTube. 

Stefan Krake has released hdRstr, a Houdini tool that allows for direct lighting from tens of thousands of lights with real-time frame rates directly inside the viewport. Learn more on Stefan Krake's website. 

A new tutorial has been release that explains how to use Ecotope, the first in a series of world-building tools that have been created with visual coding tool GraphN. The Ecotope tool is free to use and compatible with Maya and Unreal Engine. Watch it on YouTube. 

RedefineFX has announced a new commercial course for Phoenix FD featuring over 60 videos and 25 projects. Find out more on the RedefineFX website. 

Maxon has announced updates to several of its application including Cinema 4D R25, Trapcode Suite 17, VFX Suite 2, and the introduction of Redshift RT. (more...)

U-Render 2021.9 has been released with a new Sheen effect for materials. Find out more on the company's website and see a tutorial on YouTube

Cebas has announced the release of Thinking Particles 7. New features include a new Material Point Method (MPM) solver, a grid-based system that speeds up the physically accurate simulation of real-world material properties. According to the announcement, the solver is suited for simulating materials from "hydro fluids, rubber to rock solid metals".  In its first release the sand and snow material properties are supported by MPM, with more to follow. (more...)