Discreet ships 3ds max 5. (product spotlight).(Product Announcement)

Discreet is now shipping Version 5 of 3ds max, its popular 3D animation and modeling software. The new 3ds max features enhancements designed specifically for the film, game development, and design visualization markets. For film, the software offers improvements in workflow, including better integration with Discreet editing and post-production programs such as flint and inferno. Rendering upgrades include enhanced global illumination methods aimed at producing subtle, elegant, and accurate lighting that provides a more natural look for both previsualized and completed animations.

"On the animation side, one of the greatest features is the new track view, says Laszlo Sebo, technical director at FranticFilms in Winnipeg, which is currently using 3ds max 5 to create effects for the feature films X-Men 2 and The Core. "The track view basically allows you ...