Verge3D 2.6 for 3ds Max Released

Version 2.6 of Verge3D for 3ds Max is out with some useful features and critical bug fixes. For this release we significantly accelerated export, made Verge3D work with different system units, introduced new puzzles for configuring applications and creating your own preloader, supported horizontal limits for the camera and redesigned the default application cover for nicer sharing in social media.

Exporter and integration

Composite map is now supported that allows for mixing colors and applying transparency maps. This also includes the support of various blending modes found in the settings for that map.

Horizontal rotation limits for the camera are now supported along with vertical rotation limits.

Different System and Display Unit Scales are now supported (not only meters).

The export has been significantly accelerated (up to 2-3 times) as a result of some critical parts of the exporter rewritten in C++ programming language. Particularly, the Industrial Robot demo is now exported in 3.5 seconds instead of 5.6 s on a low-end computer, while the Farmer’s Journey demo is exported in just 14 seconds instead of 45 seconds!

Finally, the bump map is now supported for physical materials too.

Web Player

We have updated the Open Graph metadata for the default Player app so that a nice cover is now shown when a Verge3D app link is shared in social media or blogs.

Puzzles

The Puzzles editor now consists of 2 tabs/workspaces. The main tab contains puzzles that are interpreted after the first scene is loaded. The puzzles in the init tab, however, will run before Verge3D engine is even initialized.

A new puzzle is available in the init tab that allows for deeper customization of an application, namely setting the scene path to load a compressed scene (.xz file), enabling the default fullscreen button, making the background transparent and allowing to take screenshots from an app (the screenshot puzzle itself is in our plans).

The second new puzzle configures the preloader. You can design your own preloader with HTML or by using some web development software and it will be updated according to loading progress. As such, you now have an unlimited range of options, whether it is filling up your company logo with color, displaying a progress bar and/or mere counting the percentage.

Be sure to backup and re-create your apps with App Manager in order to gain the access to the new initialization puzzles. See the Updating section in the Beginner’s Guide for more details.

Bug fixes

We fixed the crash in 3ds Max 2015 and 2016 when meshes with the modifiers UVW Map and Editable Poly are present in the scene.

Another bug fix is related to annotations that were visible behind the camera. Also, PBR roughness now works properly on iOS.

In closing

Let us know your opinion or send us a bug report on the forums.