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RailClone 4 for 3DS Max released

Oct 28, 2019 by CGPress Staff 37 |

Itoo Software has announced the latest version of its parametric modelling and layout tool for 3DS Max. RailClone 4 has several new features focused on making the tool more useful for scene layout. This includes the ability to automatically use grab the materials applied to source geometry (in previous versions it was necessary to manually create or assemble multi-sub materials manually for complex objects). Another new featured that had applications for layout work is a new RC Spline Modifier to allow users to add markers on a path that can be used to position geometry and control nearly any of a graph’s parameters.

RaiClone uses the concept of generators to build objects. Each generator is in essence, either a 1D or a 2D parametric array with several targetable parts and deformation features. RailClone 4 extends this concept to allow the user to nest the output of one generator inside another. This means the user can create one parametric model and then use it as an input in a different array. Although this was possible in the past via a workaround by adding a separate RailClone object to another’s graph, RailClone 4 allows the user to do this while retaining full instancing to generate very large polygon counts. Having everything in once graph should also make the object easier to iterate and update.

A new display mode allows users to preview large scenes in the viewports. Quick Mesh instantiates geometry in the 3DS Max viewport that has not been deformed (apart from simple transform operations) to preview large polycounts as well as promising to speed up interactivity when using high-poly assets such as you might find when using RailClone as a layout tool.

RailClone has several boolean tools that allow the user to clip geometry using splines. Until now, this left open edges where it was sliced. RailClone 4 can now cap the open edges automatically and UV Map them using real-world map coordinates. The UX has been improved including several changes to make working with the node-based editor easier

Other improvements include rewritten and more intuitive group and transform operators, a new statistics window, performance improvements, new expressions, the ability to retain instancing when using the Material node with Corona, and more.

A perpetual license of RailClone costs €220 and a free lite version is also available. With this release, RailClone Lite now has fewer feature limitations. In the past the lite release worked only on flat splines, but from RailClone 4 onwards the lite version now allows the user to deform geometry on undulating splines and surfaces, and unlocks all the deform tools.

To find out more about this release, read the announcement in full on the iToo Software website.