Significant quarterly release adds new and improved artistic creation tools, export capabilities, general interoperability and improved user experience
Paris, France – April 24, 2019 – E-on software, a leading global developer of software for the creation, animation, rendering, and integration of natural 3D environments in the computer graphics, VFX, architecture, and gaming industries, today announced the immediate availability of the Spring 2019 Release (code name R2) of its VUE and PlantFactory software.
The updated free trial versions of its VUE and PlantFactory software are also immediately available.
Key New Features in VUE R2
Clouds and OpenVDB
•OpenVDB clouds now supports import options
•Added mapping option for OpenVDB clouds
•Added cloud modulation for MetaClouds and OpenVDB volumes
•OpenVDB grids users can export (1)
•Saving OpenVDB files is greatly optimized
•Multi-threaded cloud export (1)
Gamma handling
•Improved gamma management by creating new Natural Film Response filters (andimproved auto-exposure)
•Ask how to update gamma for old scenes: Convert using new settings or apply a gammatweak.
Integration and Export (1)
• [Plugins] Added compatibility with 3ds Max 2020, Maya 2019, and LightWave 2019.
• [Plugins] Improved render speed in all host applications whenever there are spectral clouds, texture anti-aliasing, or Boolean operations.
• When exporting heightmap, default image precision set to16bits for every image format (including PNG).
• Allow changing of some post-processing options in the plug-ins (including artistic gamma tweak).
• [Import/Terrain] automatically center non-geolocated altitude rasters instead of popping up centering dialog
Path Tracer
• Added support of displacement mapping
• Added support for camera backdrop
• Added support for texture map repeat modes (repeat, mirror, or once)
• Added generalized support for backlight and highlights
• Added support for highlight color output
• Added support for 2-sided materials
• Added support for texture mapped luminous output
Performance
• Improved default OpenGL polygons limit
• [Mesh_IO/animation] Faster reading and writing of deformable meshes (eg. imported Alembic meshes)
• Vastly reduced slow-downs when background draw thread is disabled
• Noticeably improved responsiveness for large scenes
• [MacOS] Improved various process speed using multi-thread computation: skybox computation for OpenGL preview, function adding for terrain editor, various computation: marching cubes, symmetrical objects, terrain slope computing, compute bounding box for terrains
• Improved render scene preview responsiveness when there are numerous materials in the scene
• [Graph Nodes] Optimization of about 5 percent on blur and slope/convexity nodes
Substance
• Added Substance cache mechanism
• Hide channel Substance parameters when detected
• Speed up Substance previews
• Handle 4-dimension Substance parameters
• Display Substance parameter groups
UI/UX
• Updated filter dialog
• Made the scrolling smoother in the parameters area for published parameters when the graph is heavy
• Dynamically applied torus and metablobs options in scene preview
• Added ability to load objects from the scene in EcoSystem materials
• Added ability to load scene objects in EcoPainter
• Zoom where the mouse is in graph view; handle slowdown key, allows smaller zoom.
• Grouped materials in a sub-menu
• Added the ability to copy/paste images in the material and function editors (from the pop-up menu)
• [Material Editor] Added automatic opening of image browser when switching to mapped picture mode
• [Material Editor] moved material's render options to a separate dialog
• Added the ability to delete material layers from the pop-up menu (in the world browser and material editor)
• [Material Editor] top part can now be resized (to enlarge the list of layers)
• [UI/Mac] Multi-monitor setups: lift limitation to horizontal-only arrangements
• [Browsers] New shortcut Alt+click on "Load..." buttons allow users to bypass VUE's content browser and jump directly to the OS native browser just once
Key New Features in PlantFactory R2
Gamma handling
• Improved overall gamma management
Integration and Export (1)
• Added "Single Texture Per Material" baked export mode
• Improved procedural texture baking
• Enhanced the "top transition" blending function of segments by extrapolating the parent shape
• Improved exported material names
• Added running color algorithm when exporting texture maps, fixing seams for low mips
Path Tracer
• Added interactive path traced preview (ideal to monitor PBR shader authoring, for instance)
Substance
• Added Substance cache mechanism
• Hide channel Substance parameters when detected
• Handle 4-dimension Substance parameters
• Display Substance parameter groups
UI/UX
• Enhanced preview contrast by reducing GI contribution by half
• Added filter 2D new points using the last clicked point and always find a place to add them (even when far away of the curve)
• Added ability to zoom where the mouse is in graph view; handle slowdown key, allows smaller zoom.
• Reworked UDIM export to allow sort by material
• Improved filter editor interface
• Added invert front and back option in flower node
• Fixed polygons count when using Auto LOD (show the count for the actual LOD)
• Added the ability to close the flower top geometry
(1) Export and Integration plugins are only available in Professional and Enterprise solutions
Plant Catalog Collection Update (2)
This spring release also offers a new batch of 15 HD and LD - botanically accurate - vegetation species, including:
• Succulents: Carnegiea Gigantea, Cordyline Australis, Echinocactus Grusonii, Yucca Brevifolia, Yucca Elephantipes, Yucca Rostrata
• Palms: Rhapis Exelsa, Trachycarpus Fortunei
• Climbers and Ground Covers: Hedera Helix wall climber, Hedera Helix grownd cover
• Bushes: Hedera Helix 'Erecta', Plectranthus Scutellarioides 'Vulcan'
• Broadleaf trees: Koelreuteria Bipinnata, Melia Azedarach, Plumeria Rubra pink
(2) Plant Catalog compatibility is currently in Enterprise solutions only
New Features Videos are located at https://info.e-onsoftware.com/features
The full release details are available at https://info.e-onsoftware.com/release-notes-april-2019
Availability
The new update is available for download as a free software update for all registered users of VUE and PlantFactory solutions. Users will find the software update and the plant catalog download links on their user account page (under the Software Center tab).
The Spring 2019 trial versions are also immediately available at no charge from https://info.e-onsoftware.com/try .
All VUE and PlantFactory software titles are available in English, French and German and perform under all versions of Windows 7, Windows 8, and Windows 10 (64 bit only), and Mac Intel (64 bit) for MacOSX 10.13+.
More information on VUE and PlantFactory is available at:
https://info.e-onsoftware.com/vue and https://info.e-onsoftware.com/plantfactory.
About e-on software
E-on software is the leading developer of solutions for the creation, animation, rendering and integration of natural 3D environments (VUE, PlantFactory, CloudFactory Ozone and Carbon Scatter). E-on software products are used worldwide by the film, television, architecture, game, science, educational and entertainment industries.
E-on software products were used in feature films such as "Dr. Strange," "Kubo and the 2 Strings," "Jupiter Ascending," "Minions," "Guardians of the Galaxy," "The Croods," "Dragons 1&2," "Hunger Games," "Hugo," "Tintin," "Super 8," "Thor," "Avatar," "Clash of the Titans," "Sucker Punch," "Despicable Me 1&2," "The Wolf Man," "2012," "Lovely Bones," "GI Joe – The Rise of the Cobra," "Land of the Lost," "Terminator 4, "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button," "Indiana Jones 4," "Monster Vs Aliens," "Australia," "The Spiderwick Chronicles," "KungFu Panda," "Pirates of the Caribbean 2" and TV series such as "Spartacus," "Smallville," "Battlestar Gallactica," "Caprica," "Stargate Atlantis," "Stargate Continuum," "The Vampire Diaries" and more. Read more on these stories in e-on software's Spotlights section: https://info.e-onsoftware.com/meetourusers
E-on software was founded on the premise that powerful graphics tools should never get in the way of the designer's creativity. By investing significant resources in research and development, e-on software is able to deliver cutting-edge, user friendly technologies that produce stunning digital nature scenery.
In 2015, e-on software was acquired by Bentley Systems and now operates as an internal venture subsidiary.
E-on software is based in Paris, France. For more information visit https://info.e-onsoftware.com/
About Bentley Systems
Bentley Systems is a global leader in providing engineers, architects, geospatial professionals, constructors, and owner-operators with comprehensive software solutions for advancing the design, construction, and operations of infrastructure. Bentley users leverage information mobility across disciplines and throughout the infrastructure lifecycle to deliver better-performing projects and assets. Bentley solutions encompass MicroStation applications for information modeling, ProjectWise collaboration services to deliver integrated projects, and AssetWise operations services to achieve intelligent infrastructure – complemented by comprehensive managed services offered through customized Success Plans.
Founded in 1984, Bentley has more than 3,500 colleagues in over 50 countries, more than $700 million in annual revenues, and since 2012 has invested more than $1 billion in research, development, and acquisitions. www.bentley.com
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Bentley, the "B" Bentley logo, Be, VUE, PlantFactory, LumenRT, MicroStation, and ProjectWise are either registered or unregistered trademarks or service marks of Bentley Systems, Incorporated or one of its direct or indirect wholly owned subsidiaries. All other brands and product names are trademarks of their respective owners.
Supporting Resources
New Features Videos are located at https://info.e-onsoftware.com/features
The full release details are available at https://info.e-onsoftware.com/release-notes-april-2019
Logo for download - pdf
For more information about VUE, visit www.info.e-onsoftware.com/more-info-vue
For more information about PlantFactory, visit www.info.e-onsoftware.com/more-info-plantfactory
