14 DAY TRIAL // Cross-platform 3D animation tool Autodesk Maya 2015 is available for download on Mac and Windows today featuring better simulation of photorealistic liquids, support in Viewport 2.0 for major effects, and lots of fixes and tweaks.
“Maya 2015 delivers on so many levels. From the small changes that make your everyday workflow smoother, to the new and exciting tools that will introduce you to a new way of working, Maya 2015 helps make dealing with complexity, simple,” according to the creators.
According to the “what’s new” PDF released by Autodesk publicly, “This release delivers powerful new toolsets across the board for artists tasked with creating complex, high-quality assets.”
Maya 2015 brings the Bifröst Simulation Platform, which enables new ways to simulate and render photorealistic liquids, while the XGen Arbitrary Primitive Generator allows creatives to use instanced geometry to create and hair and fur, foliage and vegetation, etc.
The update includes Geodesic Voxel Binding for skinning, which improves and eases up the process of binding complex geometry to joint skeletons.
Pixar's OpenSubdiv libraries are now supported, and users can expect to see enhanced Modeling tools and new UV options that accelerate performance.
Viewport 2.0 is supported for major effects, rendering, and texturing workflows. Artists can now work in a real-time environment with more performance gains, all while using the new ShaderFX editor to create and preview advanced HLSL, GLSL, and CgFX shaders.
For MacBook users in particular, you can now navigate in Maya using gestural input on the trackpad. Maya also supports the Wacom Intuos 5, Cintiq 24HD Touch, and Cintiq Companion, as well as the Apple Magic Trackpad and the Magic Mouse.
The Walk Tool allows users to explore their scene from a first-person perspective, much like in shooter games.
“You can create sets and big environments, and then activate the Walk Tool to move through your scene using game-like navigation controls,” says Autodesk.
By the looks of the official changelog, Autodesk must have fixed close to a thousand individual bugs in the software, so updating should be a no-brainer for existing users.
Windows requirements include a 64-bit Intel or AMD multi-core processor, 4 GB of RAM minimum (8 GB recommended), 2 GB of free disk space for installation, a certified hardware-accelerated OpenGL graphics card, a three-button mouse, and a supported web browser (Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox, Safari). On the Mac, users need 4GB of free space before installation can begin.