Autodesk Releases Latest Versions of Its Offerings

Each release includes an array of new features and enhancements to help studios and artists manage modern workflow demands. 

Autodesk Flame 2017

The Autodesk Flame Family 2017 releases advance the art of finishing with new tools and workflows that connect color and VFX, and numerous user-requested improvements. 

• Camera FX scene-based tools enable the creation of sophisticated 3D composites in Action. Powered by algorithms from the Stingray game engine, artists can use these highly interactive VFX tools for ambient occlusion, realistic reflections, and depth of field without slowing interactivity. 
• Connected color workflow introduces a new level of integration between VFX and proven color grading. This new workflow brings color grading information from Autodesk Lustre directly into Flame’s node-based compositing environment and maintains a live connection so that composites can be rendered and seen in context in Lustre. This collaborative workflow allows artists to rapidly finish high-end projects by moving seamlessly between compositing, VFX and look development tools.
• Color management enhancements to Flame, Autodesk Flare and Autodesk Flame Assist allow users to quickly standardize the way a source’s colorspace is identified and processed.
• User-requested enhancements include improvements to desktop reels, conform and timeline workflow, batch, media panel and the UI. 

Autodesk Maya 2016 Extension 2 

Building on a strong Maya 2016 release, extension 2 adds new capabilities for creating 3D motion graphics, a new rendering workflow and tools for artists that allow them to create and animate characters faster and easier than ever. 

• New motion graphics tools bring a procedural, node-based 3D design workflow directly into Maya. Combining powerful motion graphics tools with Maya’s deep creative toolset allows artists to quickly create sophisticated and unique 3D motion graphics such as futuristic UIs, expressive text, and organic animation and effects.
• Updated render management makes segmenting your scenes into render layers easier and faster, giving artists more control . 
• Character creation workflows with a new quick rig tool and shape authoring enhancements that allow artists to create, rig and animate characters faster. Additional updates include: improvements to symmetry and poly modeling, UV editing, animation performance, rigging, the Bifrost workflow and XGen; a content browser; deep adaptive fluid simulation and high-accuracy viscosity in Bifrost; and XGen hair cards. 

Autodesk 3ds Max 2017 

Freeing up more time for creativity, 3ds Max 2017 offers artists a fresh new look as well as modeling, animation and rendering enhancements, including: 

• A new UI with support for high DPI displays expands the array of monitors and laptops users may run the software on while correctly applying Windows display scaling.
• Autodesk Raytracer Renderer (ART) a fast, physically-based renderer, enables the creation of photoreal imagery and videos.
• 3ds Max asset library, available via the Autodesk Exchange App Store, offers quick access to model libraries; simply search assets and drag and drop them into a scene.
• Additional updates include fast form hard surfaces; UV mapping, object tool and animation productivity enhancements; a scene converter for moving from one renderer to another or to real-time engines; and tighter pipeline integration via an improved Python/.NET toolset. 

Autodesk Flame Family 2017, 3ds Max 2017 and Maya 2016 extension 2 are available starting now.