Archive notice: This article was originally published on March 30, 2012. Links and embedded videos are preserved as part of the historical record.
An Update for VFX Artists
A total of three major new features were added under Dynamics. The nHair module, which is a physically correct hair simulator, was added to the Nucleus framework and offers interaction with all other modules of the N framework for detailed simulations including self-collision. Selecting a 3D tuft of hair and then activating the nHair module triggers the simulation. The associated attributes allow everything to be controlled down to the smallest detail. Something has also happened in another Dynamics area.
Behind the now supported open-source AMD Bullet Physics engine is a system that combines soft bodies and rigid bodies. But that was not the end of the story.
To give performance another substantial boost, Alembic caching was integrated. According to Autodesk, Maya is also able to write to the Alembic format and read it again.
Simplified Workflows
The Shader Node Editor was greatly improved, allowing complex networks to be built in no time. Laborious searching is no longer required. Typing the first letters triggers a parameter/expression search and lists the possible results. For clarity, the nodes are displayed in minimized form, but that can be changed by expanding the node so that all slots become visible.
Viewport 2.0 was also revised and, as Autodesk announced, now works with even greater accuracy than before. File dependency(References) management was implemented with a simpler system. The Outliner window now contains a node that houses all dependencies beneath it. From there, all further tasks can be performed, such as checking how many references are present and whether they are loaded.
Significant Animation Improvements
HumanIK and the Animation Graph Editor were developed further. HumanIK now also works with custom rigs during retargeting.
To transfer animations between 3D characters, the offline ATOM (Animation Transfer Object Model) module is used. Existing animations are saved as a template, if necessary also with animation layers or various filters for limbs, which in turn can be transferred to a new character via the ATOM Import module.
Further information can be found here.
