Unity Technologies has released a free library 300 materials common, with a focus on automotive and transportation. The set includes several kinds of leather and fabric, opaque and transparent plastic, car paint, chrome, glass, bare metal surfaces and more. This library provides a convenient way to quickly prepare models for visualization and is especially well suited for automotive and transportation applications. Find out more on Unity's blog. 

SiNi Software has released a preview video for Ami, a new asset manager for 3DS Max that is due out in public beta next month. 

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Chaos Group has announced the release of V-Ray Next for SketchUp, compatible with the 2016 to 2019 versions. (more...)

Ziva Dynamics has announced academic licensing for Ziva VFX, its advanced character simulation software. Qualified users can now purchase the tool For $60/year.  Ziva VFX Academic licenses are fully featured and will receive the same access and support as other Ziva products. They are available for any fully accredited institution, student, professor or researcher. Find out more on Ziva Dynamic's website. 

FXhome has announced that its full line-up of video tools is to be updated before the end of February, with new versions of Ignite and IMerge available now. Here's a breakdown of what to expect: (more...)

Xolotl Studio has released a plugin for Substance Designer that allows the user to import OBJ files as nodes or as bitmaps. It is currently available for Windows at $15 with Mac and Linux promised soon. Find out more on Gumroad.

Trimble has announced the latest version of Sketchup as well as a shift to a rental-based licensing strategy. (more...)

Quixel has released a short tutorial by Wiktor Öhman demonstrating how to create a stylized planks material using Mixer. Watch it on Youtube.