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The latest Maxon release offers Apple M3 optimization, streamlined workflows, and more

Written by RedShark News Staff | Feb 22, 2024 12:00:00 PM

Maxon has rolled out Redshift optimization for Apple’s M3 family of chips, improved C4D workflows for Adobe Substance 3D, USD, and glTF, and a new Substance materials library.

Maxon has a slew of new updates to several products included in its bundled  Maxon One subscription.

This month’s release brings substantial performance enhancements for systems running on Apple’s M3 family of chips by leveraging Apple’s support for hardware-accelerated ray tracing in Redshift, resulting in ‘lightning-fast’ renders and better interactivity. Additional enhancements include an updated Cinema 4D Asset Browser with seamless Adobe Substance 3D support, enhanced glTF and USD export, new Houdini plugins for Redshift, as well as expanded options for working with Unreal in Cineware. 

There’s also a new library of 40 Substance materials distributed in partnership with Adobe. Indeed, as part of this, Maxon is currently offering a limited-time offer to get Maxon One and Adobe Substance 3D at a special discount price. Check out its buying page for all the different options.

Here’s the full list of new upgrades:

Redshift 3.5.24

This release includes support for the next-generation GPU that represents the biggest leap forward in graphics architecture ever for Apple silicon. Other notable features of this release include bug fixes, enhanced stability as well as improvements to the appearance of ramps, and additional features in Houdini.

Redshift now supports Apple’s hardware-accelerated ray tracing technology on M3 devices.

Improved interpolation in the ramp node allows for crisp lines between stepped gradients. 

New Houdini plugin featuring a whole lot of quality-of-life improvements.

Maxon Cinema 4D 2024.3

This release offers artists improved connections with essential tools that streamline workflows and enhance file format compatibility to simplify access to your digital assets. 

An upgraded Asset Browser now enables you to preview animated assets by hovering over them directly.

Asset Browser includes comprehensive support for browsing and adding Adobe Substance 3D materials. 

Exported glTF files now include skin deformations.

USD export now incorporates support for PSR animation.

More robust connection between Cinema 4D and ZBrush, featuring Matcap and Dynamic Subdivision support in GoZ.

Capsules

In partnership with Adobe, this release includes a library of 40 Adobe Substance 3D materials. 

Materials are available in the Cinema 4D Asset Browser.

Materials feature a number of parameters that can be modified to create a variety of realistic surfaces.

The library includes a wide range of materials from duct tape to modeling clay.

Cineware

Work even faster with more flexibility in your workflow, quickly and easily importing and managing your Cinema 4D files in Unreal Engine.

Significant performance improvements to the Datasmith Direct Link for Cinema 4D. (Note: only works with Unreal Engine 5.0 and beyond and requires Cinema 4D 2023.0 and beyond.)

The transfer of animations has been updated, further enhancing the feature set of the plugin.