New features available in Vue 9.5 xStream include:
- Interactive Texture Placement: a new texture manipulation gizmo allows texture maps to be rotated and scaled interactively, directly on the mesh. Users can now place and rotate textures to any position, angle and scale and preview the result in real-time. (Watch this feature in action on Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2yg7xB_Vgys )
- Fast Hybrid Depth of Field: Vue 9.5 features a new hybrid 2.5D algorithm to allow depth of field (DOF) to be rendered 4 times faster than traditional DOF methods.
- Advanced Cloud Control: editing, animating and cloud rendering performance greatly improved. Cloud restriction zones allow users to include and edit out specific cloud regions. The new cloud offset animation capability produces breathtaking renders of clouds sweeping over terrains and other scene objects. (Watch this feature in action on Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mhwex8HkCpc )
- Multiple UV Layers: support for models containing separate UV layers (e.g. diffuse, bump, specular, noise, dirt, etc) is now included for better compatibility with other 3D applications. - Atmospheric Relighting: the Vue relighting functionality was extended to allow adjustment of all ambient and indirect lighting.
- GPU Accelerated Anti-Aliasing: Vue will now use the additional processing power of the GPU to accelerate the anti-aliasing of thin polygon meshes.
- MDD File Format: Vue 9.5 now supports the MDD file format which allows morphed meshes to be captured as exact geometry for each animation frame.
- Improved EcoPainting: in 3ds Max and Cinema4D, EcoSystem painting on native objects is now done through the entire brush (instead of just the brush center). This results in much more accurate control of the painted instances.
- Custom Star Maps: custom “deep space” maps can be loaded as an alternative to the standard Vue stars. Users can even load images of distant constellations.
- Many other improvements such as vector quantization node, frame labeling, velocity pass in render buffer, composite layers for matte shadow and reflection materials also added. A complete and detailed list of features will be made available at the time of final release.
