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GLB3D Monthly News: Maya, Blender 4.5, 3ds Max, C4D & 3DCoat Updates
0Article by Yuri Ilyin
June is almost through, so we decided to look back at the news that really matters. Get yourself a coffee - the digest is reasonably large.
Autodesk Drops 3ds Max and Maya 2026.1 Updates
Both received significant new features.
3ds Max 2026.1, for example, got a new Attribute Transfer modifier, which enables a non-destructive workflow for tasks like transferring normals, UVs, and vertex colors; previously, this would have required scripting.
Also updated is the Push modifier, now featuring new controls such as normal relaxation, collision handling, and an axis multiplier.
The Xform modifier expanded the number of transformation modes to four, enabling transformations in local space, world space, or relative to another object in the scene, in addition to the original behavior.
The Arnold renderer is updated as well. Check the release notes for extra details.
Meanwhile, Maya has received an AI-based animation tool called MotionMaker. Described as a new generative system designed for creating movement animations, it acts as an animation clean-up and inbetweener on steroids.
Bifrost for Maya gets the new Rigging Module Framework that provides a flexible structure and data types for assembling individual rig parts into production-ready rigs. There are also updates in liquid and foam simulation, as well as closer integration. Bifrost parameters can be edited directly from Maya's Attribute Editor, for example.
One more important update: the FBX format now supports the OpenPBR standard, allowing for the exchange of OpenPBR materials between various suites.
Arnold for Maya had been updated to version 5.5.2 as well. Arnold for Maya has been updated to version 5.5.2 as well. Check the release notes for more.
Blender 4.5 Entered Beta
The upcoming release of the free 3D suite appears to be a big deal. Geometry Nodes now support external file imports, and the new Format String node allows sequence loading. Previously an experimental feature, the Point Cloud Object is going to be fully supported. In fact, it already is.
Edit Mode now includes key tools like transforms, selection overlay, and the Set Attribute operator; altogether, it's a big move toward manual control over procedurally generated content.
There is a major (no jokes here) improvement in Lights too. They now support Exposure, Temperature, and Normalize settings. Previously, temperature could only be set with an external Blackbody node.
Last but not least, Blender now supports Vulkan, the next-gen graphics API superseding the old-time OpenGL. Vulkan offers better performance, lower overhead, and improved multi-core CPU usage.
Check out this X post for details.
Beta is available for download here.
Meanwhile, development of Blender 5.0 has been announced, and the Alpha version has already been posted.
Bloom the Zoom
AI is everywhere these days, occasionally way out of its place. Sometimes, though, it is just where it is needed. Topaz Labs' Bloom, a new web-based AI-powered image upscaler, seems to fall into the latter category.
Bloom supports PNG and JPG formats and offers upscaling of up to 8x. It also delivers detail enhancements courtesy of its custom diffusion models.
The developer says that Bloom does "creative upscaling," which allows users to add details based on the content of the image, like ripples on the water, small color variations on vegetation, etc. It can also be prompted to do specific things.
Bloom is offered only as a web application. There is a free tier limited to ten upscales per month, while the paid plan removes any limitations.
Topaz also offers two other AI-based upscalers: Photo AI and Gigapixel, for processing and restoration of photographic content.
Check out Topaz Labs' website for extra details.
Pilgway Releases 3DCoat 2025 and the Budget-Friendly 3DCoatTextura
3DCoat 2025 offers a new Node Room for sculpting, photogrammetry tools (integrated with RealityCapture/RealityScan), Soft Booleans for voxels, a Surface Array tool for sculpting, and a Normal Map to Mesh converter (a rock star option!).
For more details, check the 3DCoat website.
In addition, the software now supports drawing tablets from major vendors like Wacom, Huion, XP-Pen, and Surface Pro.
3DCoatTextura is far more limited in its capabilities, but what it has goes strong. Check it out here.
Scan and Get Real
RealityScan, formerly RealityCapture, photogrammetry software, hit version 2.0. Along with the update came AI masking for separating the object from the background (removing one tedious procedure, provided the AI works as promised), and a Quality Analysis tool that helps identify areas needing better camera coverage or additional post-processing. There is now support for aerial LiDAR point clouds in several formats.
It is also capable of converting an unstructured point cloud to a structured point cloud by generating virtual cameras via various techniques.
For details check out the development site.
Decals Time!
Marmoset Toolbag dropped version 5.02 in beta with quite a few new tools. These include texture baking directly from a low poly mesh, Decal Layer, and Decal Projection for Vectors. Brush presets can be dropped onto the mesh to add a new decal layer, making decal addition quite a cakewalk.
Check out this thread by Joe Wilson, product designer at Marmoset, where he showcases some new capabilities in action.
Maxon Released Cinema 4D 2025.3 and Redshift 2025.5
Each update introduces new features, bug fixes, and general improvements.
The most important improvement in Cinema 4D is the new liquid simulation type that extends particle simulation into a GPU-based liquid system via a modifier. Liquid particles can also be created with the new Liquid Fill emitter, while Liquid Mesher allows for generating and refining surfaces from liquid particles.
Redshift 2025.5 features a new Ambient Occlusion AOV with built-in AO shading parameters, support for NVIDIA 50xx series GPUs, and support for USDZ rendering.
Check out details at Maxon's site.
Esri Updates CityEngine 2025.0 with Street Designer and New Licensing
There is a sudden uptick in city generators for Blender. Esri updated its CityEngine to version 2025.0, adding a dedicated Street Designer for creating complex road configurations of any type. Aside from that, the software's licensing model has changed, ditching single-product annual subscriptions.
Ashlee Alaniz, technical artist, produced a 'megacity generator' based on Blender's geometry nodes. While this particular project is extraordinary, Ashlee's other works are mind-blowing as well, check them out here.
LaLastly, there is Hothifa Smair's procedural city generator for Blender, iCity, which has been updated to version 1.5. According to the developer, it's a massive update with highway tools, terrain editing, and a new export system.
Geometry nodes certainly open a lot of possibilities, and there is no shortage of magnificent large-scale projects utilizing this tool. Buildings and city generators are just some of them.
