3D Monthly News: Malicious .blend Files, Blender 5.0, Unreal 5.7, RenderMan 27.0 and More
0Article by Yuri Ilyin
As November comes to an end, this is a good moment to round up the key updates from the 3D world. Settle in with a coffee, there is plenty to unpack.
Stolen Blender Models Are Packed With StealC Malware
Troubling news came recently regarding the compromised .blend files discovered at certain 3D marketplaces: they had been infected with StealC malware on purpose.
Blender can execute Python scripts for automation and many more; it's a default language for Blender add-ons, after all.
The problem is, if the Auto Run feature is enabled with Blender, and in many cases it is, there is room for sheer abuse.
"Researchers at cybersecurity company Morphisec observed attacks using malicious .blend files with embedded Python code that fetches a malware loader from a Cloudflare Workers domain", posts the cybersecurity outlet BleepingComputer.
If a user opens such a compromised file, a multistage infection chain is launched starting with retrieval of two ZIP archives and culminating with the installation of StealC infostealer together with an auxiliary Python stealer, i.e. there are likely two pieces of malware that come together.
StealC's primary purpose is stealing, first of all, credentials to browsers and crypto wallets, both standalone and browser extensions, as well as targeting Telegram, Discord, VPN clients and mail clients.
The malware is notoriously elusive, despite being documented back in 2023. The latest variant has been completely ignored by security engines on VirusTotal, which makes it particularly nasty.
An extra problem is posed by the fact that 3D model marketplaces usually cannot scrutinize the code in user-submitted files, even though 3D assets should be treated like executable files.
So the best course of action is to disable Auto Run for Python scripts, or at least double-check 3rd party assets.
What is particularly interesting is that StealC had been served with a very complex rigged model of a NASA space suit, which was offered for free. This alone looked suspicious.
One of the malicious ZIP archives has an obnoxious name written in transliterated Russian, which suggests the origin of the campaign.
Blender 5.0
The fifth major iteration of Blender has arrived, and it looks like a new era for the famous free suite. There are tons of changes, big and small, with some aspects of the suite receiving a major overhaul.
The Geometry Nodes system appears to be the primary focus of the update: now it can be used to control not only meshes but volumetrics as well, courtesy of a new volume grid data type and 27 new nodes.
This will probably lead to new workflows, especially those related to fluids and other volumetric data.
Besides, it is now possible to use Geometry Nodes to manipulate Signed Distance Fields (SDFs): users can convert meshes or point clouds to SDF grids, then perform Boolean operations on them to quickly build up complex forms.
There are also six new Geometry Nodes based modifiers, like the new Array modifier, Scatter on Surface, Instance on Elements, and more. The rigging system also received the new Geometry Attribute constraint, so basically GeoNodes are a backbone of Blender now.
Both Cycles and Eevee renderers received some performance-increasing updates. Cycles' biggest change is a new way of volume rendering; aside from the new algorithm using unbiased sampling, support for NanoVDB has arrived, which should reduce memory usage.
Other than that, over 300 UI settings have been unified or removed, the color management system has been profoundly optimized, and more.
There are notable discontinuations, too: Blender 5.0 is not compatible with Windows below version 8.1, animation data from Blender 2.49 and older is no longer supported, and the same is true for pose libraries from Blender 2.93 and older. Support for LZO and LZMA compressed disk caches has been dropped in favor of ZSTD compression, plus there are many changes to the Python API which may bring compatibility issues.
Besides, Blender 5.0 no longer supports Intel Macs, and the minimum requirements for GPU rendering in Cycles have been increased; basically it now requires GeForce 900+ GPUs, while the minimum required Windows AMD GPU driver now is Adrenalin version 24.9.1 or Radeon Pro driver 24.Q4.
Check the full list of updates here.
World Creator 2025.3
BiteTheBytes has updated its flagship software World Creator to version 2025.3.
The World Creator is a GPU based terrain generation software for game development, motion graphics and VFX work. It enables artists to create terrain through a combination of procedural and manual workflows, like sculpting the basic 3D forms, then using filters to emulate erosion and sediment deposition, etc.
The resulting terrain can then be exported to game engines or 3D suites via OBJ, FBX and glTF formats, or as 2D texture maps, including height maps and flow maps. Thirty two bit EXRs are supported too.
World Creator 2025.3 adds such options as exporting terrain in ORBX file format for rendering in OctaneRender, a new bridge plugin for exporting scenes to Godot engine, as well as added support for HDRI renders.
For more details check the release notes.
Unreal Engine 5.7, RealityScan and RealityScan Mobile
Epic Games have released the production version of Unreal Engine 5.7, and also updated their desktop and mobile versions of RealityScan to versions 2.1 and 1.8 respectively.
The Unreal Engine version 5.7 is out now, and it carries a number of big deal new possibilities.
Firstly, Procedural Content Generation framework (PCG) promises to make it even easier and more efficient to create unique, large scale worlds that are both dynamic and visually rich.
In the update 5.7 PCG is branded production ready, and the new PCG Editor Mode carries a library of customizable tools built on the PCG framework. Plus, GPU support has been improved thanks to a number of performance optimizations.
Then there is the new Procedural Vegetation Editor, a graph based tool for creating customizable rigged vegetation. It is still in the Experimental (pre Beta) phase, however.
Besides Nanite Foliage, a new geometry rendering system is introduced for creating and animating foliage heavy environments for large open worlds that, notably, can be efficiently rendered on current gen hardware.
According to Epic Games' release notes, Nanite Voxels are used heavily here, effectively removing the need for extra level of detail models, etc.:
"Nanite Foliage... automatically and efficiently draw millions of tiny, overlapping elements that read as a solid mass at distance - such as tree canopies, pine needles, ground clutter, and much more - at stable frame rates without cross fades, pops, or the need to author LODs."
Also production ready now is Substrate, Unreal Engine's modular framework for authoring and rendering materials. It now offers inherent support for layered and blended materials.
Another big thing coming is MegaLights (Beta), enabling users to add a truckload of dynamic shadow casting lights to your scene.
There are also several improvements intended for use in virtual production, extended integration with MetaHuman and lots more.
Check out the developers' release notes here.
RealityScan 2.1 is a desktop photogrammetry suite (earlier known as RealityCapture). The most significant part of the update is the expanded support for Lidar based workflows, including the support of data imported from SLAM scanners, as well as importing ASPRS classes from point clouds in LAS and LAZ format. This allows automatic removal of any unwanted elements from the scan.
Also significantly updated are workflows automating, remote control to offload heavier tasks to different machines, and a new command line build for Linux servers.
RealityScan 2.1 is available for Windows 8 plus and Windows Server 2008 plus, the CLI build for Linux servers supports Ubuntu 24.04 and Fedora 39, and will require CUDA 3.0 compatible Nvidia GPU.
RealityScan Mobile 1.8 is a photogrammetry mobile app for Android and iOS. There is a multitude of new preset modes for capturing scans, automated background removal and new tools for manual cleaning up.
The scanned 3D data can be exported to 3ds Max, Maya, Blender, Cinema 4D and to Unity and Unreal engines.
The desktop version is free of charge for users with revenue less than $1M per year. The mobile version is completely free.
Substance 3D Painter 11.1
Adobe has released version 11.1 of its Photoshop for 3D, Substance 3D Painter.
The update brings forward a new Ribbon path allowing users to create patterns that deform along a curve defined by points on the surface of the 3D model. The Ribbon can also be used to write text along a curve. In more simple terms, instead of simply replicating the image on a path, the new tool deforms them to follow the curve.
3D projection modes in fill layers and effects now support symmetry, both radial and mirror. This opens a lot of room for newer workflows.
Under the hood, Substance 3D Painter switches from the ageing OpenGL API to Vulkan.
For more details refer to the release notes.
Corona 14 for 3ds Max and Cinema 4D
Chaos has released the 14th iteration of its production renderer Corona for 3ds Max and Cinema 4D.
Corona users now get access to new AI features in Chaos Cosmos and Chaos Cloud, the assets library and cloud collaboration platform. This means, among other things, the availability of AI Material Generator, the AI based tool for creating 3D materials and PBR textures from real world photographs.
Besides, Corona users get access to AI Upscaler available via Chaos Cloud, which allows them to increase the renders' resolution up to 4x.
Corona has also imported two key features from the recent iterations of V Ray, support for 3D Gaussian Splats and Night Sky system. The latter can be matched to a specific real world location, date and time. However, it is possible to adjust the position and brightness of the moon and stars manually as well.
An important Corona only update is its new Procedural Fabric Material that enables creation of custom woven fabrics without bitmaps. Fibers, weaves and displacement are all procedurally generated.
Corona is offered as rental only.
Refer for details to the developer's site.
Autodesk: 3ds Max 2026.3, Maya 2026.3, Arnold renderer
Autodesk this month updated both 3ds Max, Maya and Maya Creative to index 2026.3, as well as serving version 7.4.4 of its production renderer Arnold.
Max update, according to CGchannel.com, is fairly small, larger than 3ds Max 2026.2, though.
Improvements include new control for Conform Modifier, new animated material index in the Material Switcher index, so that it is possible now to swap dynamically between up to 9,999 materials, and updates to USD (Universal Scene Description) for 3ds Max, among them a new Asset Resolver, a tool to minimize errors when loading assets.
Maya and Maya Creative update looks to be more wealthy in regard to updated components.
Among the new features are Channel Sets for Graph Editor which helps to organize and share groups of channels for animation.
New Dynamic Geometry Attributes provide technical artists with advanced per vertex analysis tools that can be used to improve character deformation quality and easily identify problem areas in their rigs. It also helps with creating procedural effects like animated wrinkles.
In the Camera Sequencer for Maya, users now have access "to an expanded and more intuitive shot creation workflow". According to the docs, the Camera Sequencer now features a persistent tool group that consolidates all shot creation methods into one intelligent toolbar button, automatically remembering the user's preferred workflow and adapting its interface accordingly.
Bifrost 2.15.0.0 features the initial release of rigid body dynamics simulations along with fracturing and Boolean modeling operations. There are separate Bifrost Release Notes covering the improvements in detail.
LookdevX, which is a material authoring plugin for Maya, has also been updated. LookdevX 1.10 extends support for MaterialX documents.
Image and surface nodes from MaterialX documents are supported in the UV Editor now. Besides, there are a number of improvements to color management workflows. For more details check the release notes.
Finally, there are Arnold rendering engine improvements that cover visualisation of hair or iridescent surfaces, as well as new options for adding bloom effects to the Lens Effects Imager. It mimics a real world optics effect and strongly improves the realism of the scene if used the right way.
3ds Max's and Maya's integration plugins for Autodesk's Arnold renderer have been updated as well.
RenderMan 27 is out
Pixar has finally released RenderMan 27.0, touted as the most significant update in over a decade.
Reference: Elio - Disney/Pixar
The public release carries RenderMan XPU, a hybrid CPU/GPU render engine, ready for both final frame rendering and interactive previews.
First introduced four years ago, XPU is a faster alternative to RIS, RenderMan's CPU only architecture, for look development and interactive rendering. Among its capabilities are deep compositing, full support for Open Shading Language (OSL) display filters, mesh lights and interior volume aggregates.
RenderMan 27 is compatible with Windows 10 plus, macOS 12.0 plus and glibc 2.34 plus Linux (equivalent to RHEL 9 plus). Integration plugins are available for Blender, Houdini, Katana and Maya.
RenderMan XPU is supported on Windows and Linux and requires an NVIDIA Pascal GPU (GeForce 10 family) or newer.
For more details check out Pixar's release notes.
That wraps up this month's highlights. If you want to stay updated with the latest tools, releases and news from the 3D world, make sure to subscribe to the RenderHub Blog.