Workflow
– FumeFX GPU* accelerated display has been integrated within the 3ds Max viewport. The new display includes volumetric shadows, proper geometry occlusion and instant shader feedback.
– The Data preview has been changed and allows user to choose voxel display size.
– New FumeFX toolbar that provides access to FumeFX and source creation as well as simulation control.
(*) supports 3ds Max 2016 and newer
Simulation
– With the new advection type in the arsenal, FumeFX can easily create fluid flows that minimize numerical losses even after 900 frames of animation.
– Simulation core redesign allows usage of complex geometry instead of using proxies without breaking the solver or causing instabilities.
– Smooth retiming regardless of simulation sub-steps and retiming scale factor.
– Depending on the scene setup, the latest version of FumeFX delivers up to 20% faster simulation.
– Ability to retime simulation during the Wavelet Turbulence pass.
– Vorticity II optimizations include faster calculations and lower memory requirements.
– Improved simulation scaling. Grids of different spacing will result in similar simulations. FumeFX 5 also improves scaling with CPU cores used in simulation.
I/O Subsystem
– The new lossy .fxd compression allows per-channel compression quality and mixing of lossless and lossy channels inside the same cache file.
– State of the art multithreaded .fxd I/O for ultra fast caches saving and loading.
– Load caches at user-defined reduced resolution allows artist easier viewport manipulation and rendering setup.
– Minimize grid during the cache saving produces smaller files that save faster and render faster.
– FumeFX 5 writes OpenVDB caches in a form that makes them easily readable inside the Arnold Volume Grid, Redshift grid and even Houdini. The FumeFX vdb cache will be correctly positioned which makes any OpenVDB workflow straightforward.
– Various OpenVDB caches optimizations and fixes.
Rendering
– Gridless Advection allows usage of exported velocities or 3D texture to create additional detail.
– Direct rendering support with Corona renderer.
Licensing
– A more affordable Workstation license.
– New rental options available. Pick from either a 1 year or a 3 month term depending on your project demands.
*** FumeFX 4.0 Licenses (including upgrades) purchased in March 2018 are eligible for free upgrade to v5.0.