Beaverton, Ore. - E-on software has announced the availability of its Carbon Scatter for Maya and Cinema 4D software plug-ins, which are offered free to users of Carbon Scatter Multi and Multi-CE.
Carbon Scatter is a solution for creating complex, detailed populations using the native instancing technologies of Autodesk's 3ds Max and Maya, and Maxon's Cinema4D. Carbon Scatter integrates e-on's patented EcoSystem algorithms inside the end user's favorite 3D application, enabling the population of native scenes with millions of instances and rendering them with the user's renderer of choice.
Key features of Carbon Scatter include:
- Automated Smart Scattering: Carbon Scatter does not merely scatter the objects randomly across the underlying surface, but actually computes where to place them according to the relief of the underlying geometry. For example, as in nature, more trees will grow on flat terrains than on steep slopes, and no objects will be placed where they are likely to "fall down."
- Paint Objects and Plants with the EcoPainter (3ds Max and C4D): The EcoSystem painter tool (EcoPainter) lets the user interactively paint instances over any surface (or group of surfaces). Painted instances can be attached to the underlying surface so they move together with the surface, or they can be independent. Painting can be performed with a mouse or with a tablet, which gives you the ability to control additional parameters through pressure.
- Advanced EcoSystem Control: Multiple plants can be dragged from the plant browser into the EcoSystem population list, making the preparation of complex EcoSystems much quicker. When painting EcoSystems, users can paint with the underlying EcoSystem material rules applied, so that, for instance, the influence of slope and altitude or the sizing rules are taken into account.
- Powerful Layered EcoSystem Materials and Function Graph: EcoSystems behave just like regular materials. A single EcoSystem material can have any number of layers, each layer with its own population list and full set of controls.
Users can easily influence EcoSystem populations according to altitude, slope, or orientation, or even take advantage of Carbon Scatter's powerful function graph to control almost every aspect of the population. For example, artists can use a fractal noise generator to control the distribution instances, or use a bitmap to limit distribution to specific areas. On top of this, the population density can also depend on time.
Additional features include: compatibility with SolidGrowthCS plant technology, over 100 SolidGrowthCS plant species, free unlimited network rendering nodes, and support for animated proxies.
Carbon Scatter is available in English for Windows XP, Vista and 7 (32 and 64 bit), and on Mac OSX 10.5+ (Mac Intel only, 32 and 64 bit).
Carbon Scatter comes in 3 flavors: Carbon Scatter Single, Carbon Scatter Multi and Carbon Scatter Multi-CE (Content Edition).
- Carbon Scatter Single (SRP: $195) can be used with one of the compatible applications installed on your system (choice of the host application is done upon order). It will work with all compatible renderers for the selected host application (e.g. mental ray and V-Ray for 3ds Max).
- Carbon Scatter Multi (SRP: $295) can be used with all compatible applications and renderers installed on your system.
- Carbon Scatter Multi-CE (SRP: $395) includes over 100 SolidGrowthCS plants and can be used with all compatible applications and renderers installed on your system.
Carbon Scatter Single and Carbon Scatter Multi ship with a small collection of 8 SolidGrowthCS plant species. Carbon Scatter Multi-CE ships with over 100+ SolidGrowthCS Plant Species (Carbon Scatter Multi-CE plant species cannot be read by Carbon Scatter Single or Multi).
Compatible renderers:
- mental ray and V-Ray (1.5 and 2) for 3ds Max 2009 to 2012.
- mental ray and V-Ray (1.5 and 2) for Maya 2009 to 2012.
- native renderer for Cinema 4D R11.5 and R12.
Until July 25, 2011, owners of Vue 6 through Vue 9 (Infinite or xStream) can save $200 on Carbon Scatter and get Carbon Scatter Multi-CE for $195 only!