Massive Software is now offering a key advancement of the companys Academy Award-winning 3D animation system for AI-driven characters and digital stunts with Massive 2.0. The 2.0 release adds such features as Smart Stunts?, fully anti-aliased viewing of agents and scenes, facial blend shape support, new motion tree workflow and a host of updates that streamline and speed the softwares overall operation and UI.
Since it enabled epic-level crowd creation on THE LORD OF THE RINGS trilogy, Massive has been adopted by many top film, television and commercial visual effects and production studios to meet the challenge of producing realistic CG crowd and stunt animation with anywhere from hundreds to hundreds of thousands of digital characters. Massive 2.0 brings a number of new technologies to Massives celebrated autonomous agent simulations while significantly improving the ease with which artists learn and use the application.
Highlights of Massive 2.0 include:
* Facial blend shape animation Produce hero-quality animation using Massive with new blend shape animation for characters placed close to the camera. Also, blend shape animation can be imported into Massive.
* Agents now have a memory Create more realistic behavior with Massive agents that now remember things and base their actions on what theyve seen and experienced.
*Active motion tree technology Improved workflow for controlling the actions of Massive agents using interactive motion trees.
* Full Massive Smart Stunts? functionality Create dynamic digital stunts based on motion capture.
* Agents can paint Use our new agent painting tool to create foot prints, ant trails, wakes of ships and more.
* Audible agent sound Massive agents have always been able to hear and make sounds. Now the users can hear the sounds they make, too, enabling better interaction when designing agents.
* Full-scene anti-aliasing Cleaner, clearer interactivity and previews all the time in Massive with agents and scenes that are anti-aliased in the main View window.
* More efficient rendering Speed rendering of Massive scenes through improved rendering technology.
* Superior hierarchical placement Populate a siege tower with characters and place multiple copies of the entire hierarchy at one go.
* Animated background imagesLoad animated background images into a camera.
* Enhanced tutorials Master Massive quickly with our new learning materials.
Massive 2.0 enhances how artists work with the toolset, said Stephen Regelous, founder and product manager, Massive Software. 2.0 allows users to more easily tap into the complete range of Massive functionality, including Smart Stunts. In addition to improved workflow for hierarchical placement and motion trees, and a new memory component in Massive agents, users will find a greater operability and improved look and feel.
Permanent interactive licenses are priced at $18,000 plus $4,000 per year for updates and support. Additional licenses can be leased as needed for $2,000 per license per month, including support.
Based in Auckland, New Zealand, Massive Software (www.massivesoftware.com) is a leading developer of artificial intelligence-based 3D animation systems. Included in the software is its Smart Stunts feature, Ready-to-Run Agent Library and Massive Live realtime animation system. Massive is used by leading digital production and effects studios, including Weta Digital, The Mill, Animal Logic, Rhythm & Hues and Digital Domain. In 2004, Massive was honored with a Scientific and Engineering Award from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, and with a Technical Innovation Award at the 3D Awards in Copenhagen.
Bill Desowitz, former editor of VFXWorld, is currently the Crafts Editor of IndieWire.
