Powered by a new end-to-end multi-threaded architecture, update is designed to deliver an easy and logical workflow to artists.
J Cube has announced the release of Multiverse USD 6.5, an industry USD solution for Maya, including interchange with other DCCs and rendering. The release features a new procedural USD data importer with auto-sync for round trips between USD and Maya; unified rendering support with the addition of Redshift; full support for USD asset resolution, USD v20.08 integration, embedded Hydra path tracing viewport powered by 3DelightNSI; new documentation; updated Python API; and advanced integration for Apple Metal.
Building on the widely successful adoption of version 6 with its end-to-end multi-threaded architecture, Multiverse has progressively added new features such as improved writing of USD data, better UX, and extended inter-op workflows for motion-capture with Vicon Shogun and for FX with Houdini Solaris. Interchange possibilities with other DCC apps have increased with Blender, Unreal and Unity. Rendering has also been extended to include Redshift, Renderman and VRay. Finally, macOS integration has improved with Metal API integration and support of iOS and AR workflows in the Apple ecosystem.
New in Multiverse 6.5.0 -- Procedural Importer with Synced Layering:
Multiverse enables users to non-destructively author, layout and look-dev complex 3D scenes with layering, compositions and overrides. Stream interactively to Hydra-based viewports for previews and playback. Inter-op with USD-ready DCC apps and game engines. Render procedurally with low TTFP with all major production rendering engines.
Designed to deliver an easy and logical workflow to artists users under tight work deadlines and budgets it features UI and UX that are clear and well thought. Ready for deployment in production environments of any scale, with a Python API that is straightforward to use and integrate, abstracting the vastness of the USD APIs.
Multiverse USD is available in two versions:
- Pro — with mission critical support services to meet the most demanding production needs,
- Free — fully featured, indie-friendly, commercially usable, and completely free: its only requirement being connected to the internet.
Highlights of Version 6.5:
- USD Data Importer — Added support for importing USD data from a loaded Multiverse Compound directly from the MEOW interface. Currently supports polygon meshes, transforms and cameras. Imported data is fed from a Multiverse compound preserving animation and changes to the resulting Maya objects can be written back to USD as sparse overrides.
- Auto-sync Imported Data Back to USD — Sparse overrides written from imported objects can be automatically added as a new layer into the original Compound node allowing for a full data round trip from Maya/ Other D to USD, into Maya and back to USD.
- Redshift Support — Added support for rendering with Redshift on Windows and Linux. Featuring complete support for all Redshift primitives: polygons, hair, point clouds and instancing / point instancing of any of the previous types. All motion blur methods are supported too: velocity, acceleration, linear and deformation motion blur. All Multiverse overriding methods for attributes and materials are supported.
- Improved VRay Rendering —Improvements on VRay rendering are available with this version.
- Integrated Path Tracing Viewport with 3DelightNSI — Added out-of-the-box integration of the 3DelightNSI rendering library in the Multiverse Hydra NSI viewport on Windows, Linux and macOS. This offers unlimited threaded rendering, watermarkfree in the Maya viewport and allows to render any scene, with the only actual limit being the system’s memory.
- Layers Muting — Added support for muting layers in a Multiverse Compound. This allows to easily inspect the result of the composition of different combination of layers and in offers a friendly way to assemble layered setups with e.g. sparse overrides.
- USD Asset Resolver Support — Added support for USD asset resolvers. Along with the legacy file-based approach, Multiverse can now resolve asset paths using an USD asset resolver. User can choose the ArDefaultResolver plug-in or provide a custom resolver of their own.
- Ability to Select Ancestors from Marking Menus — Added ability to select hierarchy ancestors for the currently selected item in the viewport via Maya Marking Menu.
- USD 20.08 Support —Version 6.5.0 of Multiverse have updated USD libraries to version 20.08, this provides the latest USD support on all Maya versions and platforms.
- New Documentation —New documentation which works both online and offline in addition to offer a better search and a more consistent readability.
- No Temp Files when Rendering — This version of Multiverse no longer writes temporary files when rendering. This has been updated for all supported renderers.
Pro Version features now available in 6.5:
- Added support for rendering with VRay GPU. Introduced in v6.4.3
- Added support for framing the currently selected item. Introduced in v6.4.3
- Added new marking menu to create a transform override on the currently selected item. Introduced in v6.4.3
For additional information visit the J Cube-Multiverse website.
Source: J Cube
