With the first three months of 2024 done and dusted, what really happened in the months of January, February, and March?
Obviously a lot, but what actually mattered when we specifically look at the world of 3D? The answer is still quite a lot.
Fortunately, I’m here with a small slice of the major developments that occurred within the last three months. From software releases, media drops, and random fun tidbits, let’s give a quick rundown of all the interesting releases from the first quarter of 2024.
Software
Starting off with the easy section, the past three months have seen a couple of major software iterations, along with some spunky new pieces of code that are looking to leave their mark on the industry.
Blender 4.1
Blender is out with it’s latest update, bringing with it a small, but impactful slew of changes and new features. Everything from Geometry Nodes, the Cycles render engine, animation tools, and the compositor have gotten new features and upgrades. There’s actually so much that I can’t even get into the specifics otherwise we’d be here all night and day.
Here’s a link to the full list of features for you to check out:
Unreal Engine 5.4
The folks at Epic Games continue to absolutely drive innovation and cutting edge tech in the 3D industry by releasing the beta for Unreal Engine 5.4, a version that brings some older systems up to snuff along while optimizing existing features and introducing a couple of neat items.
Of course, this update also introduces the new Unreal Engine seat pricing model, wherein commerical non-game development users of the product are going to be paying a set fee for each instance they need. However, unless you’re making more than one million US dollars a year from the Unreal Engine, you have no need to worry about that fee.
Here’s a quick video by UnrealSensei to get you up to speed on all of UE5.4’s latest features:
EmberGen 1.1
The upstart VFX software released it’s latest update back in late January, reworking existing solvers and tacitly improving performance across the board.
For those not familiar with EmberGen, the software aims to be a indie-friendly toolset for producing particle and fluid effects for games and animations. Whereas the default software for these types of creations is SideFX’s Houdini, EmberGen aims to be accessible and lightweight, utilizing GPU performance in order to create as close to realtime effects as possible.
Unfortunately I’m not as informed on EmberGen as I’d like to be, however I do plan on incorporating it into my workflow once I’ve gotten a better grasp of Unreal Engine. For now though, take a look at JangaFX’s (EmberGen’s developer) CEO’s posting on the 1.1 update features:
Plasticity
As the new kid on the block, Plasticity is a DCC looking to capture the niche of creators looking for a CAD-like setting tailored for artists and developers.
Utilizing a NURBS based workflow, Plasticity exists to make detailing 3D models as easy as possible. The website technically claims to be utilizing the best of both NURBS and polygonal modeling, however it’s feature set looks more tailored to the former rather than the later.
Check out the homepage to see if this new DCC looks interesting to you:
Art Releases
Admittedly, I wasn’t paying too much attention for some of the lesser known releases this first quarter. School work and sharpening my skills in a community challenge had me hardcore focusing at my computer most of the time. Next quarter will hopefully bring a change of pace, although I’ll let you know how that may go next week…
Dune: Part 2
To the surprise of absolutely no one, director Denis Villeneuve delivered an epic sequel to his 2021 sci-fi hit Dune, inspired by Frank Herbert’s novel of the same name. Part 2 finishes adapting Herbert’s first book in the series, bringing an action packed ending that wowed audiences and critics alike. It’s safe to say that unless someone can bring their absolute A-game to another film, Villeneuve has all but locked down his accolades at next year’s Oscars.
As a quick aside, while Herbert’s story absolutely shines under Villeneuve’s interpretation, cinematographer Greig Fraser has delivered an absolute masterclass in creating stunning visuals. Every frame could be a painting, and will easily set Dune: Part 2 as the most visually stunning film of this year, if not this decade.
Eternal Ascent Community Challenge
As mentioned above, the month of February brought us another iteration of Clinton “Pwnisher” Jones’ 3D community art challenge, this time centered around an endless journey climbing an impossibly long set of stairs.
I made a blog post about my participation in the challenge, and what it personally meant for me, but I’ll end off this section with a link to the massive community compilation featuring every artist’s submission (my entry is at 3:13:12):
Random Tidbits
Lets end out this week’s newsletter highlighting some interesting pieces of media and content that I found that don’t necessarily relate to 3D.
Jonas Tyroller: Game Dev Perspectives
Jonas Tyroller is an absolute trove of funny, informative advice on game development. His latest video highlights the vast intricacies that everyone from indie developers to AAA studios face when attempting to create the piece of media we all know as “video games.” Even if you aren’t into game dev specifically, I can bet that you’ll be able to take some useful bits of advice for both self-management and creativity.
Matt Draper: FANTASIA Deep Dive
We all know and love Disney from their collection of beloved childrens stories, but did you know that they made not only one, but two love letters to animation? With the first releasing at the height of World War 2, and it’s sequel during the waning years of Michael Eisner’s tenure as CEO, FANTASIA captures the pure essence of animation from the twentieth centure. Set against classical orchestral pieces, these anthology films are beloved by animation enthusiasts across all ages for their vivid imagery and powerful scores.
Distant Horizons: Reinvigorating Minecraft
The classic cube-block game that launched back in 2009 has seen multiple peaks and lulls over the years, but a dedicated player base has kept the game alive and thriving. However, with Microsoft’s acquisition of Mojang some fans believed that parts of the initial magic were lost throughout the years. One mod (aptly named Distant Horizons) aims to recapture some of that, turning the once view-locked game into an expansive sprawling world.
Fayvn: Casual Vs Competitive Gaming
Have you ever noticed that gaming is different nowadays? Of course, AAA games themselves have begun to stagnate in both quality and innovation. Like the old adage goes, they just don’t make them like they used to. But going deeper than that, attitudes and philosophies have greatly changed in making games, multiplayer modes especially. It’s also worth mentioning that gamers have gotten real good. Like really, really good.
To The Next Three Months
That, was a lot more than I expected to write about. While some sections might have been lacking, hopefully I did a good job at pointing out some of the highlights of the past three months.
The internet has caused things to move much faster than they did in the past, and with the current tools that are being made availible to a wider and wider audience, we are bound to have much, much more to experience and digest.
Here’s to the next three months of 2024! May you bring as much awe, wonder, and inspiration as your first three.
Once again Adam you have done it, a wonderful post. Very insightful into the world of 3D!