3DModels Novation ArchViz Challenge winners announced!, congratulations to all of them.
As sponsor of the competition Thinkinetic is proud to award with a Pulldownit Pro license to the winners.
Take a look to best images and interviews with winners in the official announcement:
Pulldownit plug-in for 3ds Max updates to version 6.5, adding useful features to the non-destructive workflow introduced in previous version and fixing some usability issues.
New ability to increase or reduce fracture clusters size, alongside the Edge Fracture tool you can easilly add debris on detaching clusters or re-size exploding areas at ease.
New “Eraser” tool to reduce fragmentation, allowing artists to get quality fracture results while maintaining control over the number of fragments generated, you can visually erase shattering areas and play the simulation immediately, undo last operation or recover the original shattering at any moment.
New ability to change source node of a breakage, allowing artists to apply an existing breakage to a different model, or re-use it as starting point for a new destruction effect.
There are also several bugs fixed, you can check the whole list of fixes in the Pulldownit version logs page:
Read the full list of fixes in the Pulldownit web site version logs
Licensed users can already access Pulldownit 6.5 from his account and there is a demo version for 3ds Max 2027 in the Thinkinetic web site.
Shatter New Features
New Erase Fracture Tool, this new tool allows to reduce fragmentation on the model interactively, you can undo your changes at any moment.
New Re-shatter option “Set Current as Base Breakage”, this new option allows to set current shattering as base breakage, you can revert to base breakage at any moment.
Dynamics New Features
New ability to resize fracture clusters, now you can reduce or increase fracture cluster size at ease just by clicking in the intended buttons and compute simulation immediately.
UI Enhancements
New Shatter it “Select Source Node” button, by clicking on it you can ser a new geometric node as source for the current breakage.
Pulldownit 6.5 is already available for Maya 2027, you can review latest features in this post:
Maya 2027 itself brings a number of updates in modeling, skinning, animation and simulation.
Probably the most interesting update is the new Smart Bevel feature, it enhances traditional bevel operations getting rid of geometric defects, especially after Boolean operations or when working with intersecting geometries, and you can adjust the bevel level visually,
ngSkinTools this well-known skinning add-on now comes integrated in Maya, it is a non-destructive, layer-based approach to character skinning, it allows artists to refine and experiment with skin weights using a visual, non-destructive, layer-based approach.
MotionMaker adds a new equine template, alongside the human and dog templates introduced in previous version, you can create quickly and easily animations of horses trotting and galloping, jumping over a fence seems not supported though, at least didn’t worked for me when testing it.
A number of improvements have been added to the Sequencer, you can trim or time scale a shot simply by dragging the edge of its entry in the Sequencer pane, besides there are new ways to organize shots and a new playblast menú with several options to customize its behaviour.
In the simulation field Bifrost now computes asynchronously, allowing to continue working in the Bifrost editor meanwhile, it adds new surface tension settings for adjusting small scale droplets and splashes,and a new set of basic constraints like hinges and sliders are available for rigid body simulations.
Finally Arnold render updates to version 5.5.0 with several minor enhancements and bug fixes.
Summer Day Studios expains many of Maya 2027 new features in this nice video:
Thinkinetic sponsors Novation ArchViz 3D Challenge by 3dmodels,
Each participant receives the same 3D building and can transform it however they like: redesign it as a house, hotel, cafe, museum, or anything else. Add an environment, craft your lighting and tell a story through architecture.
And there is a dedicated Animation Category with separate prizes. Bring your architectural scene to life with a short animation: a camera walkthrough, a time-of-day transition, or any cinematic approach you choose.
Pulldownit Pro license is one of the valuable prizes and there are plenty of them!
those interested can check rules and prizes here:
Remember you can summit your work until June 9th, 2026.
We are thrilled to announce Pulldownit plug-in for Maya gets a non-destructive workflow, allowing to sculpt fractures over the model freely, visually chipping the areas you want and computing dynamics immediately, or modifying the original model transform or shape and its associated fracture body will update accordingly, you can undo latest changes or revert to original shattering at any moment.
Maya mesh modifiers are supported, there are only a few known limitations with some modifiers that you can review in the Maya Script Editor Pane.
In addition now is possible to increase or reduce fracture clusters size, alongside the Edge Fracture feature introduced in v 6.0 makes very easy to adjust perfectly detaching or exploding areas.
There are also several useful UI improvements you can review below and you can check the whole list of fixes in the Pulldownit version logs page:
Read the full list of fixes in the Pulldownit web site version logs
Licensed users can already access Pulldownit 6.5 from his account and there is a demo version for Maya 2026 in the Thinkinetic web site.
Shatter New Features
New Non-Destructive shatter workflow, reshatter areas, change the original model transform or shape and recompute dynamics immediately, Maya Mesh modifiers are supported.
Shatter it supports Xref Objects, Xref objects can be shattered seamlessly and are supported by non-destructive shatter workflow(with the inherent limitations of using Xref objects in a Maya scene).
New Reshatter option “Set Current as Base Breakage”, this new option allows to set current shattering as base breakage, you can revert shattering to base breakage at any moment.
Dynamics New Features
New ability to resize fracture clusters, now you can reduce or increase fracture cluster size just by clicking in the intended buttons and compute simulation immediately.
UI Enhancements
New Shatter it window layout, making it more intuitive by showing only parameters affecting the selected shatter style.
New Shatter it SwatchDisplayPort, this new visual widget displays an icon of the selected shatter group cut material, you can access cut material properties just by clicking over it.
New Shatter it “Show/Hide source node” button, after clicking on it you can transform source node or modify its mesh freely.
New Shatter it “Refresh Breakage from Source” button, by clicking on it shattering is refreshed from the current source node transform and shape.
New Shatter it “Revert to Base Shape” button, by clicking on it source node shape is reverted to original state.
New Reshatter option “Update Base Shape”, by clicking on it source node base shape is updated to current state.
Happy holidays and best wishes from the Thinkinetic team, we want to thank especially to all users who have purchased or renewed their Pulldownit licenses in 2025, and we have interesting news for them!
Pulldownit 6.5 for Maya will be released in first weeks of January and licensed users will count with free upgrade from v 6.0, this new version introduces a brand new non-destructive fracture workflow so you can modify source node position or shape and the fracture body auto-updates accordingly.
For those who want to start trying Pulldownit 6.5 in advance a demo version is available at the Thinkinetic web site.
Link to Pulldownit 6.5 demo version
Thank you for trusting our tools, have a great new year!
Black Friday/Cyber Monday is here!, at Thinkinetic we are offering 25% Off in all our single licenses for Autodesk 3ds Max or Maya, including one year of support and updates.
If you think our destruction tools can be useful for your Cg projects next year, that’s a good deal!, just visit Thinkinetic shop when you are ready, discount is already applied in final cost, no special code needed.
Actually many companies in the CG market are offering important discount between 20% and 50% Off, you can find most of them listed nicely in these sites,
Best VFX, 3D, Rendering and Editing software deals at the Toolfarm site
Review best CG tools software deals at the CG channel site
Happy shopping!
3DModels One Car Render Challenge 2025 winners announced!, congratulations to all of them.
As sponsor of the competition Thinkinetic is proud to award with a Pulldownit Pro license to the winners.
take a look to best images and interviews with winners in the official announcement:
We are thrilled to announce Pulldownit 6.5 for Maya turn non-destructive, so you can modify your shatter pattern in any way and compute dynamics immediately, change the original model position or shape and the fracture will update accordingly, Xref Objects and Maya mesh modifiers are supported.
Look new non-destructive workflow in action in this demo video:
Pulldownit 6.5 will be released in the following weeks and licensed users will count with free upgrade from v6.0.
LayerForged has published an stunning promo video showing its dark creatures in action!
All destruction effects where done with Pulldownit plugin in 3ds Max, here an extensive tutorial about it:
Tutorial: Destroying the scenery in 3ds Max | KineticThoughts
You can find 3D printed versions of all D&D models shown in the video in the LayerForged website:
If you are interested in quality Dungeons & Dragons 3D printed models layerforged unleash New Monsters Every Month!
https://www.patreon.com/layerforged
KineticThoughts 