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07.04.2026

Open Light: Procedural HDR Lighting Without the Texture Archaeology

Open Light is a new tool that generates procedural HDR light textures. It builds softboxes, gobos, Kino Flo style sources and other modifiers as 32-bit EXR or HDR files, with support for ACEScg and resolutions up to 4K.
2 minute read
A bright red and white beach ball floats playfully on the sparkling turquoise water of a swimming pool. The gentle ripples create dancing reflections on the surface, while a lush palm leaf hangs overhead, adding a tropical feel to this serene outdoor space.

Real Caustics for Blender

Real Caustics bakes water caustics into textures so your shots keep moving while your render times do not.
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A digital artwork depicting a futuristic cityscape illuminated by colorful lights, featuring a prominent logo of a crystal ice structure. Text overlays announce 'THE 3D ENVIRONMENT CONFERENCE' and the website 'www.ice.art'.
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A vivid promotional banner for Fusion Studio 20 featuring bold, 3D text that says "FUSION" in shiny gold. The background showcases a dramatic, fiery explosion, surrounded by interconnected topics like "multi-layer workflows" and "deep image compositing," emphasizing its advanced features.
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A sleek black control panel featuring multiple dials and buttons designed for color grading, labeled as the DaVinci Resolve Micro Color Panel. The panel is showcased over a vibrant graphic background, including colorful waveforms and a logo for Blackmagic Design.
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Recent Articles for Subscribers

Even a 2017 iMac will run several instruments with OmniScope.
8 minute read

Nobe OmniScope is a Live Act now!

OmniScope LivePack turns your scopes rig into a live-friendly sidekick, with SDI out, Livegrade hookup, and recordings that behave. Really? We run it through its paces!
A promotional banner for FMX 2026, featuring the text 'The Road Ahead' along with event dates: 'On site May 5-7', 'Online & On Campus May 8', 'On Demand May 9 - June 9'. The background shows a sunset over a cityscape.
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Promotional graphic for FMX 2026, featuring a futuristic landscape with floating rocks and a bus. The text highlights the event details, including dates and formats: May 5-7 on-site, May 8 online, May 9-June 9 on demand.
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A highly detailed 3D rendered face of a male figure showing an expressive facial expression. The image features the text 'MetaHumans come to Blender' prominently displayed, along with a button labeled 'Buy Now,' all set against a dark background.

MetaHuman DNA add-on for RBF editor

Character DNA 0.6.2 brings an RBF pose editor for MetaHuman body correctives plus automatic DNA backups, and it targets newer Unreal and Blender builds.
An aerial view of a city skyline featuring various tall buildings and urban structures, accompanied by the text "We create 3D cities" and the logo "vndn" in stylized font.
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A low-angle view of modern skyscrapers reaching toward a twilight sky, with the text 'vrbn' and the tagline 'We create 3D cities.' prominently displayed in white. The buildings are surrounded by a serene blue atmosphere.
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A software interface displaying a 3D visualization of an explosion simulation. On the left, a 3D model shows the explosion in bright colors. The right side features detailed parameters for rendering, including density, temperature, and other settings.

VDBRender for Nuke

VDBRender renders OpenVDB volumes inside Nuke with deep output, AOVs, lighting presets, and a free MIT licensed codebase.
A screenshot of video editing software displaying a cityscape with buildings, a road, and a clear sky. The interface shows various tools and graphs for color correction and audio editing at the bottom and side panels.

Boris FX welcomes Vegas Pro

Vegas Pro gets a new owner and a fresh 2026 release, with offline AI, new titling, and ProRes RAW support landing right out of the gate.
A modern living room featuring a light-colored sofa with cushions and books on a side table. A glass bottle sits on another table, while a figure stands nearby, wearing glasses. Bright natural light filters through large windows with sheer curtains.

Chaos Vantage 3 update 2 adds Toon

Toon shading meets splats and VDB export in Vantage, while Enscape 4.17 quietly tidies DLSS, lights, and exports. Less drama, more frames.
A sleepy cat curled up on a soft surface, detailed interface elements from a video editing software visible on the right, displaying color correction settings and playback tools.

ONYX Ai Matte for OFX hosts

ONYX Ai Matte targets fast alphas in OFX apps with prompts, tracking, trimap refinement, and published RTX only system limits.

A man with short hair sits with hands clasped, smiling confidently next to a collage of images showcasing fire, landscapes, spherical objects, textures, and a house model. The background features the text 'das element Asset Library Software'.
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A man in a black shirt stands in front of a grid of images showcasing various assets including fire, landscapes, a house, and a trailer. The background features the logo of 'das element' with the tagline 'organize, tag & find'.
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3ds Max 2027 is here.

3ds Max 2027 adds Smart Bevel, Noise Plus, and Field Helper, plus faster modifiers and a cleaner viewport for daily scene wrangling.
Netflix Animation Studios ALab Copyright 2025 Netflix, Inc. All rights reserved. - A cluttered animation studio workspace featuring various tools, a desk with computer screens, shelves filled with materials, and colorful artwork displayed. The scene reflects a creative environment dedicated to animation production.

OpenUSD v26.03 gets the SPLATS

OpenUSD v26.03 brings native Gaussian splats, a reference renderer, and WebAssembly builds, plus real pipeline speed and rigging work.
A close-up of a gray horse with a shining coat, set against a blurred landscape. Text overlay reads 'WHAT’S NEW IN MAYA + 3DS MAX' in bold yellow and white letters.

Autodesk ships Maya 2027

Maya Creative gets most of Maya 2027, while Maya 2027 adds Smart Bevel, USD tools, MotionMaker horses, and deeper Bifrost perks.
A digital interface showcasing ATLUX software features, with menus for Gaussian Splatting and visualization options. In the background, a 3D scene displays numerous cameras arranged around a central figure, highlighting a virtual environment for 3D modeling.

VINZI Atlux λ arrives on Fab

Atlux λ is now on Fab, bringing a virtual photo studio and one click renders to Unreal Engine, plus Mac support.

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A digital artwork depicting a futuristic cityscape illuminated by colorful lights, featuring a prominent logo of a crystal ice structure. Text overlays announce 'THE 3D ENVIRONMENT CONFERENCE' and the website 'www.ice.art'.
A digitally enhanced image of a young woman smiling, with a wireframe overlay of her face, set against a colorful backdrop of hanging accessories and lights.
Boris FX
A stylized character in a suit performing an action, illustrated through a sequence showing his movement from standing to throwing a stack of poker chips. A gauge below indicates the action's speed, with a wooden table in the foreground.
Reallusion
A low-angle view of modern skyscrapers reaching toward a twilight sky, with the text 'vrbn' and the tagline 'We create 3D cities.' prominently displayed in white. The buildings are surrounded by a serene blue atmosphere.
An advertisement featuring a smiling woman in front of a colorful backdrop, promoting a 30% discount on the Blackmagic PYXIS 6K camera. The camera is prominently displayed with pricing details beside it.
Promotional graphic for FMX 2026, featuring a futuristic landscape with floating rocks and a bus. The text highlights the event details, including dates and formats: May 5-7 on-site, May 8 online, May 9-June 9 on demand.
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