Maxon has done it again, catapulting the world of animation and VFX into a new realm of possibilities with its latest September release. It’s like a blockbuster movie where the sequel outshines the original. From impressive enhancements in Cinema 4D to the introduction of a host of new features in Redshift, this release is an all-you-can-eat buffet for editors, filmmakers, visual effects artists, and creators alike.
Cinema 4D 2024: The Powerhouse
Cinema 4D 2024 is a testament to Maxon’s commitment to providing unmatched speed and performance. The software’s new core propels it to over twice the speed of previous versions. The Rigid Body Simulations – a welcome addition to Cinema 4D’s Unified Simulation System – interact with all simulation types, from soft bodies to Pyro.
The Pyro workflow has also gotten a significant boost. Artists now have more precise controls to direct their simulation and ensure it matches their vision. The ability to emit Pyro from particles, thinking particle geometries, and matrix cloners opens up the door to create filmic scenes with fire, smoke trails, explosions, and even beautiful fireworks in the night sky.
Add to this the new Vertex Normal tools and modeling tools which give artists full control over adjusting vertex and polygon normals and handling complex tasks with ease. The revamped Node UI with its new Notes feature for direct annotations, and you have a tool that is not just powerful but intuitive.
Red Giant 2024: The Creative Enabler
The Red Giant 2024 updates are nothing short of a creative explosion. Trapcode 2024 introduces the Combustion feature for creating realistic thermal dynamics directly in After Effects. The unique Stroke from Parent emitter type option allows artists to create seamless traces behind a parent particle.
VFX 2024 brings dramatic enhancements to lighting control and Real Lens Flares. The 2D+Distance feature allows artists to add dimension to their scene by altering the distance of the light source in Z-space. Real Lens Flares gets a performance boost, enabling artists to work faster at a lower resolution while still delivering high-quality final renders.
Magic Bullet 2024 simplifies color correction and offers over 30 new presets for everything from film looks to fashion films and vlogging. Universe 2024 further fuels creativity with over 50 new presets for video editors and compositors.
Redshift: The Game Changer
Redshift 3.5.19 comes with several exciting updates like the MatCap shader’s additional adjustment parameters for creating simple, stylized renderings. The Distorter node now supports 3D distortion using Maxon Noise, allowing artists to distort surface effects on a mesh without distorting any other shader parameters.
The software also introduces Basic Jitter Node support in Blender, offering a quick way to vary shader attributes across a large number of assets. Plus, rendering on multi-core CPUs is faster thanks to the concurrent running of render buckets.
Capsules: The Artist’s Toolkit
The latest Capsules include a new spline modifier for simulating wires and ropes, 50 new Redshift materials, a pack of Laubwerk trees and plants, and 16 Home Decor models. The assets are tailor-made to help artists kickstart their projects and bring them to life.
All-New Maxon One: September 2024
Maxon’s September release offers a universe of enhancements and new features that elevate the creative process. It’s not just about making work easier for artists. It’s about empowering them to bring their most audacious ideas to life. It’s about making the impossible possible. And if this is what Maxon has in store for us now, one can only imagine what the future holds.
