New CG software you may have missed: 2 November 2026. Character Creator 5.2 gives Reallusion's character creation software a new AI model generation toolset, making it possible to generate characters, clothing and hair from reference images. While CG Channel tries to write about the major new versions of CG software released each week, sometimes there are smaller updates or useful plugins that CG Channel Inc. don't manage to cover. Rather then letting those releases slip past unnoticed, CG Channel Inc. has put together a round-up of updates to VFX, animation and architectural visualization tools that didn't get full stories last week. Below, you can discover what's new in a major update to Character Creator, Reallusion's character-generation software, and a slightly smaller update to its iClone animation software. Blender users get a major update to a popular add-on: layer-based painting tool Ucupaint. CG Channel Inc. also cover UV unwrapping software Unwrella-IO, simulation plugin Pulldownit for Maya, GPU renderer OctaneRender, and terrain generator World Machine. And in the world of virtual production, Foundry has released a new version of Nuke Stage, and announced an upcoming macOS edition aimed at indie artists and smaller studios Character Creator 5.2. Overview CG Channel Inc. kick off the round-up with a significant update to Character Creator, Reallusion's 3D character creation software for games, animations, VFX and visualizations. Character Creator 5.2 introduces two major toolsets: the AI 3D model generator and CC Wrap. The model generator generates 3D character, clothing, hairstyles and accessories from reference images, using third-party generative AI models: Tripo P2.0 for low-poly topology, and Tripo H3.1 and Hunyuan V3.1 for high-poly detail. A supporting concept design module uses generative AI to generate single-view reference images tailored to use for 3D mesh generation. CC Wrap converts custom 3D characters - humanoid characters sculpted manually in other DCC applications, or generated via AI - to Reallusion's CC3+ and CC5 HD formats. The workflow should be familiar to users of standalone topology transfer tools like Wrap, with CC Wrap also auto-rigging the character after the wrapping process is completed. It's capable of both full-body and facial wrapping, although Reallusion recommends Headshot - its separate, paid-for plugin - for facial work. New features * AI Mesh Generator: generates 3D models from 1-4 reference images * AI Mesh Generator: uses the Tripo H3.1, Hunyuan V3.1 and Tripo P2.0 AI models * AI Polygon Reduction: remesh models to uniform quad meshes, using Tripo AI * CC Wrap: wrap custom 3D characters to CC3+ and CC5 HD Actors * New options for conforming clothing to a 3D character * New controls for skin weighting * Support for importing 3D models in GLB format * Workflow improvements to the ActorMixer system added in Character Creator 5.0 * Updates to the ActorMixer Pro and Headshot 3 plugins (separate paid-for plugins) Price and system requirements No changes since its story on Character Creator 5.0. AI mesh generation in Character Creator. The toolset is also available in its sibling tool, iClone. iClone 8.76. Overview Reallusion's other flagship application, character animation software iClone, gets a similar update to Character Creator. Users get the AI Mesh Generation toolset and the supporting concept design and polygon reduction modules, plus the new options for conforming clothing to 3D characters. New features * AI Mesh Generator: generates 3D models from 1-4 reference images * AI Polygon Reduction: remesh models to uniform quad meshes, using Tripo AI * New options for conforming clothing to a 3D character * Support for importing 3D models in GLB format Price and system requirements No changes since its story on iClone 8.6. Nuke Stage 1.2. Overview Nuke Stage, Foundry's ICVFX and virtual production platform, gets its second update since its original release last year. The major change is support for DMX (Digital Multiplex) light controllers, making it possible to control physical lights from a Nuke Stage project, using the sACN network protocol. The previous update, Nuke Stage 1.1, added support for 3D Gaussian Splats, new Feed Mapping and Gallery UI panels, and support for Stype's camera tracking systems. Foundry has also announced upcoming support for macOS as well as Windows, targeted at "small-scale ICVFX set-ups" using "multiple Mac render nodes and iPhones". New features * DMX support: control physical lights on set from Nuke Stage * New Output Mapping panel streamlines mapping content to a LED wall * Support for LTC (Linear Timecode) audio input * Workflow and UI improvements including new 2D manipulators in the Image Viewer Price and system requirements Nuke Stage is compatible with Windows 11 only. The macOS edition is due in "2027": you can register for early access on Foundry's website. Commercial licenses of Nuke Stage are priced on enquiry. Educational license bundles, which include one Nuke Studio license and one Nuke Stage render node, cost $499/seat/year. OctaneRender 2026.6. Overview The latest update to the stable version of Otoy's GPU production renderer improves support for the USD and MaterialX standards, and improves workflow for node graphs. New features * USD: import DistantLight and DomeLight_1 light types * USD: import image textures used in RectLights * USD: improved import of lights that use Blackbody emission * MaterialX: import now enables Fake Shadows by default, for transmissive materials * Improved undo and redo functionality for grouping and ungrouping node graphs * Support for macOS 27.0 in Octane X Price and system requirements No changes since its story on the OctaneRender 2026.4. Pulldownit 6.6 for Maya. Overview Pulldownit, Thinkinetic's shattering and dynamics plugin for visual effects and game development work, gets new options to modify the results of simulations manually. In particular, a new Eraser tool reduces the number of fragments generated, either to visually improve the outcome of a simulation, or to reduce calculation times. Users can also now change the 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. New features * New Eraser and Chipping on Borders modes for re-shattering * New ability to change the source node for a existing fracture * Re-shattering operations now '3x faster' * Undo last re-shatter operation now '4x faster' Price and system requirements No changes since its story on Pulldownit 6.5. At the time of writing, the 3ds Max edition of the plugin has not been updated: the latest version is Pulldownit for 3ds Max 6.5. Unwrella-IO 1.5. Overview Unwrella-IO, 3d-io's standalone UV unwrapping and packing software, gets the biggest update since it was released last year, adding new workflows for placing UV seams manually. New features * Place UV seams manually: new set of edge selection tools to mark out seams * UV packing now 'up to 2x' faster * Improved UI performance: now supports DirectX on Windows Price and system requirements Unwrella-IO 1.5 is compatible with Windows 10+. Perpetual licenses cost €199. Ucupaint 3.0 for Blender. Overview The popular open-source layer-based painting add-on for Blender gets a major update, adding support for Photoshop-style Adjustment Layers. Surface displacement has been reworked, with height/bump and vector displacement now getting their own texture channel, rather than being part of the normal channel. The previously separate previews for channels and layers have been unified into a single preview mode, making it possible to view channels, layers, layer alphas and masks in one go. New features * New Height and Vector Displacement channel * Unified Preview mode for channels, layers, layer alphas, and masks * New Adjustment Layer system for non-destructive adjustments to layers * New Spherical and Cylindrical decal types * New UI focused on the layer list: other panels are hidden by default * Revamped texture baking workflow Price and system requirements Ucupaint 3.0 is compatible with Blender 2.76+. The compiled binaries are free downloads. The source code is available under an open-source GPLv3 license. World Machine 4069 'dragontail peak' Overview World Machine Software's terrain-generation software for games and VFX work gets a number of workflow and performance improvements, following a major overhaul earlier this year. New features * Flow Restructure overhaul: channels are cut through ridges again, and basins drain through those cuts * Performance updates: Strata is 'about 16x faster' and Expander is '13-16x faster' * Workflow improvements to the node graph and interface Have your say on this story by following CG Channel on Facebook, Instagram and X (formerly Twitter). As well as being able to comment on stories, followers of its social media accounts can see videos CG Channel Inc. don't post on the site itself, including making-ofs for the latest VFX movies, animations, games cinematics and motion graphics projects.

Foundry makes virtual production more accessible with Nuk... 30/10/2026 Creative software developer Foundry today announced Nuke Stage now supports macOS, making the end-to-end virtual production and in-camera visual effects (ICVFX) solution even more accessible to individual creators, students, and large-scale professional studios. Purpose-built to address the unique challenges of virtual production, Nuke Stage combines the power of media servers with the creative control of visual effects. With Nuke Stage support for macOS ecosystem, teams will now be able to use Apple ProRes, genlock, and synchronisation across multiple Mac render nodes and iPhones. Genlock support for Apple's MacBook Pro with M5 Pro and M5 Max, along with Mac mini with M5 Pro, extends Apple's reputation for enabling professional filmmaking workflows into the virtual production landscape. Bringing Nuke Stage to the Mac makes small-scale ICVFX technically and financially feasible for a much wider range of productions, says Christy Anzelmo, Chief Product Officer. Nuke Stage was designed to work across a wide range of hardware configurations and we're thrilled to extend that to macOS, enabling studios to build connected content creation, ICVFX, and compositing pipelines across the Nuke ecosystem. In addition to the incoming macOS support, Foundry will offer discounted education licenses of Nuke Stage for qualified institutions. The education license bundles one Nuke Studio license and one Nuke Stage Render node for $499 / �305 / 370 per collective seat, billed annually. Virtual production allows our students to get incredibly imaginative in their filmmaking whether or not they are able to shoot on location. Nuke Stage dramatically simplifies virtual production workflows, and now students will be able to gain practical experience opening up both job opportunities and broadening their creative possibilities, says Drexel University Program Director, Nick Jushchyshyn. Additionally, Nuke Stage metadata tracking has been enhanced to ensure every on-set creative decision is recorded, and support for DMX lighting and output mapping enables fast and intuitive stage setup. Summary of new features: DMX lighting support: Remotely control multiple light fixtures from one control console with DMX lighting. Switch between different modes and make precise changes to specific LED lighting fixtures on set. New output mapping: Output mapping defines where content is rendered on the wall, for quicker setup and shoot preparation. macOS support (coming 2027): Teams can leverage the macOS platform for virtual production and ICVFX. Early access to macOS for Nuke Stage is expected in 2027; register for updates and be the first to know. For Nuke Stage education licenses, contact Foundry's education team. Nuke Stage enables real-time playback of high-resolution environments that prioritise fidelity, colour, and creative control for in-camera finals. Studios interested in Nuke Stage can access a self-serve trial today. 05/01/2027. Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be... 30/10/2026. Creative software developer Foundry today announced Nuke Stage now supports macOS, making the end-to-end virtual production and in-camera visual effects (ICVFX)... 29/10/2026. Jameis Winston and Willie Colon are among current and former players hosting pro... After arriving in Fayetteville with dreams of calling games, the Arkansas native found her passion in the control room, building a promising future in replay an... 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