Chaos Group Releases Phoenix FD 3.0 for Autodesk 3ds Max

Today, Chaos Group announces a major new release of its versatile, all-in-one fluid dynamics plugin, Phoenix FD 3.0 for 3ds Max. Frequently used to simulate realistic water, fire, and other fluid effects for multiple television series such as Game of Thrones and The Flash, Phoenix FD has been significantly upgraded for fast-paced productions. With its new FLIP liquid solver and improved smoke and fire solver, Phoenix FD is now more powerful and able to bring more realism to visual effects projects.

Phoenix FD 3.0 for 3ds Max has been given a full makeover, with new intuitive controls, presets and GPU-accelerated previews, making it a fast and easy way to tackle tight deadlines. The new Phoenix FD integrates seamlessly into Autodesk 3ds Max and renders with V-Ray, Chaos Group’s industry-standard lighting and rendering solution.

“Phoenix FD is like a Swiss Army knife for effects. It can handle everything from flaming arrows and drops of water to erupting volcanoes or an armada of ships,” said Svetlin Nikolov, Phoenix FD Team Lead at Chaos Group. “It’s a handy tool that is fast and easy to use without being overly technical.”

“Phoenix FD is our go-to tool for fluid simulations,” said Joern Grosshans, VFX Supervisor at Mackevision. “When working on the new season of ‘Game of Thrones’, we needed the wakes coming off the CG ships to look as realistic as possible. Phoenix FD proved to be reliable, fast, and seamlessly integrated into 3ds Max. It was exactly what we needed.”

Highlights of Phoenix FD 3.0 for 3ds Max include:

Ocean simulations

• Infinite ocean – Create infinite ocean waves that never repeat.
• Ocean & beach waves – Seamlessly transition from procedural ocean waves to simulated beach waves.

Advanced simulations and controls

• FLIP solver – Enables faster, more realistic liquid simulations for splashes, sprays, foam, mist and waves.
• Improved fire and smoke solver – Realistic smoke and fire with natural rolling motion and fine details can be created without increasing resolution.
• Cascade simulations – Create a series of simulations that trigger and interact with each other.
• Refine existing simulations – Add detail and increase resolution without changing simulation shape or behavior.
• Simulation retiming – Speed up or slow down simulation playback, perfect for slow motion effects.
• Custom emission sources – Use a wide range of emission sources including animated meshes, texture maps, particles and more.
• New forces – Influence simulations with forces like wind, spline follow, and mesh attraction.

Pipeline and compatibility

• Compatibility – Compatible with top industry tools such as Alembic, Krakatoa, Stoke MX and OpenVDB.

Pricing & Availability

Phoenix FD 3.0 is available now for Autodesk 3ds Max and is a free upgrade for all Phoenix FD 2.x customers. A Phoenix FD 3.0 for 3ds Max Workstation license is $830 and includes one floating user license and one floating simulation license. Additional simulation licenses are available for $210. Contact [email protected] for volume discounts.

For more information, visit www.chaosgroup.com/phoenix-fd/3ds-max.

 

Chaos Group is a worldwide leader in computer graphics technology, helping artists and designers create photoreal imagery and animation for design, television, and feature films. Chaos Group specializes in physically-based rendering and simulation software used daily by top design studios, architectural firms, advertising agencies, and visual effects companies around the globe. Today, the company’s research and development in cloud rendering, material scanning, and virtual reality is shaping the future of creative storytelling and digital design. Founded in 1997, Chaos Group is privately owned with offices in Sofia, Los Angeles, Baltimore, Seoul, and Tokyo. For more information, visit: chaosgroup.com.