VFX Forum is reporting that the VFX branch of BECTU has given formal notice to MPC’s management that the Compositing Department at MPC are unionising, and will be applying for union recognition. You can read the story on the VFX Forum blog. We will keep a close eye on this story in the days to come, and will report back on any changes we hear about.

Side Effects Software has released Houdini Engine for Epic Games' Unreal Engine 4. The plugin lets artists load Houdini Digital Assets built using Houdini’s procedural node-based workflow into the UE4 editor with parameters and controls that can be manipulated to create custom results. More on .

For those who feel the inclination to depart from reality Buenos Aires-based studio 3DAR has produced a short film that explores the upcoming risks of Virtual Reality. The short was written and directed by Federico Heller. Watch it on Vimeo.

A nice water explosion video has been created recently by Chaos Group's Ivaylo Katev to test Phoenix FD's mist simulation capabilities. Watch it on Vimeo.

New features in The Foundry's 3D painting software include: (more...)

Thinkbox Software has released its cross-platform tool for converting particle and point cloud data to geometry. Sequoia can ingest or export data in nearly any format required, enabling seamless integration within established pipelines. Once a 3D mesh has been generated, additional features allow for smoothing and decimation to reduce triangle count. (more...)

Chaos Group has announced the availability of its rendering engine for Autodesk's Revit building design software. Currently in public beta testing, V-Ray for Revit brings the renderer's well known technology to every stage of the design process, allowing to use its tools for VR output, materials and environments. Revit cameras, lighting, and materials are all supported for easy adoption. (more...)

New features in Playsys' standalone tool for easy creation of photometric lights include: (more...)