It seems that next “2011″ product line from Autodesk will rely on PhysX SDK in more intensive manner than before. We already wrote about updated PhysX solver in Softimage 2011, and now PhysX plug-in integration is listed in new features set for Autodesk MotionBuilder 2011, character animation software package.

Rigid-body and ragdoll simulations can now be calculated using the Nvidia PhysX plug-in, a feature of particular benefit to games customers using the PhysX middleware.

As you may notice on the screenshot, PhysX SDK 2.8.3 is used for the integration, and apart from rigid body solver plug-in provides cloth simulation features.

Autodesk Softimage is well known 3D modeling, animation, rendering, and compositing solution. Rigid body physics system in Softimage has moved to PhysX SDK with version 5.0, and old physics core wasn’t upgraded since than.  However, according to latest press-release, upcoming Softimage 2011 will finally include updated PhysX components

PhysX 2.8.3 — Helps artists create meshless deformations in ICE with the latest NVIDIA PhysX rigid body library. Provides new support for springs and dampers. New library also offers accelerated performance when using the optional addition of an NVIDIA CUDA enabled graphics processing unit (GPU).

Interesting detail – since hardware acceleration support is promised with clear definition of PhysX SDK as “rigid body” solution, it seems that GPU rigid body solver is going to be used.

Update: confirmed via Softimage wiki – “Support for CUDA acceleration for PhysX Rigid Body Dynamics (including ICE)”

GDC 2010 (Game Developer Conference) is just about to start, and is going to be rich on PhysX related content this year. Apart from session on APEX Clothing integration with EvE Incarna we mentined previously, featured talks will include “Authoring Physically Simulated Destruction with NVIDIA APEX” and “Taking Fluid Simulation Out of the Box: Particle Effects in Dark Void“.

You can read session descriptions via provided links, but actually not only this has catched my eye. Nvidia GDC 2010 page was updated with schedule of presentations, that are going to be demonstrated at Nvidia booth #1702 at March 12-13

Those include such intriguing topics like:

Unity for Engineers – are they planning to demonstrate update physics system in Unity 3.0 ?

Authoring Runtime Animation with NaturalMotion Morpheme 2.3 – I’ve heard that Morpheme is going to be integrated with APEX Clothing, is that it ?

Softimage 2011 Enhanced with PhysX – next version of Softimage will include updated PhysX SDK integration ?

Streamlining PhysX Content in Max – is it related to rumored new physics system in XBR ?

Sadly I can’t visit GDC myself, but I’ll try to provide you with any open or insider information I’ll be able to gather

Finally, Vadim Mir has released new version of RayFire Tool, plug-in for advanced destruction simulation.

RayFire 1.5 is now based on 2.0 PhysX plug-in for 3ds Max, which allows  to use PhysX solver for both 32 and 64-bit versions of 3ds Max.

Promo Reel, which gathers all the best RayFire shots, is presented above.

Vadim Mir announced yesterday, that beta version of new RayFire Tool 1.49, built on 2.0 PhysX plug-in with 64-bit support, is ready to use. Details in quotes below:

Due to some new PhysX plugin restrictions some old features are not available atm, that is why it is 1.49 Beta. For now there is no Glueing and Imposible to use Grouped objects. But the most needed features like dynamic simulation and Interactive demolition work fine.

Also, since Nvidia still didn’t release PhysX plugin for public, you will need to get it and install manually. You can get it here:
http://developer.nvidia.com/forums/…90&st=0&start=0

For first 1-2 weeks 1.49 beta will be available only for licensed users.
To get it, please email to me with request and I will add it in your customer area.

P.S. Do not uninstall older 32 bit RayFire versions.

Source: cgsociety.org

PathEngine, pathfinding and agent movement middleware toolkit, was updated to version 5.23.

Apart from other changes, like memory footprint and loading time optimisations, PathEngine 5.23 adds support for automatic ground meshes processing and building from third-party physics provider scene data – PhysX SDK and Havok.

PathEngine middleware was used in certain games, like Titan Quest, Stormrise and Pirates of the Burning Sea, and is going to be implemented into Metro 2033 and Just Cause 2.

Orbaz Particle Flow Tools Box#2 Pro, PhysX SDK based plug-in for 3ds Max, was updated to version 1.05. Most important change in this release is native support for 64-bit versions of 3ds Max, that was achieved previously by custom wrapper around 32-bit PhysX SDK.

We’ve managed to contact Oleg Bayborodin, PFlow developer, to recieve some commentaries:

“1.05 version of Box#2 Pro uses 64-bit PhysX SDK v.2.8.3. That allowed us to switch completely to native PhysX libs for both 32- and 64-bit versions.  The new version works without restrictions on 64-bit flavors of Win XP, Vista and Windows 7.  The update is not a beta, and it is available to all licensed users of Box#2 Pro.

The overall switch to 64-bit PhysX SDK was very smooth since the plug-in problems related to 64-bit version were already taken care of during Box#2 beta. The only thing we did, is to switch from our “hack” PhysX 64-bit library to the NVIDIA’s one. Apparently, with larger RAM pool available, it’s possible to work with larger scenes. Please keep in mind that the new PhysX SDK did not remove the limitation of 64K simulation items per PhysX scene.”

Taking advantage of PhysX simulation engine (included free, works with and without PhysX-enabled hardware), Box#2 Pro provides operators and tests to replicate real-world effects such as natural and man-made forces, binding particles together and then breaking the bonds, collisions between particles and with other objects, and more.

Box#2 Pro enables special-effects artists to fully harness the power of 3D software to create such effects as beaded curtains, chains, collapsing buildings, destructible environments, and much more.

You can watch Box#2 demo video here

Vadim Mir has updated RayFire Tool plug-in for 3ds Max to version 1.46. RayFire is focused on objects destruction simulation, and while supporting calculations via PhysX plug-in or Reactor, advanced features like interactive demolition or objects glueing are based on PhysX SDK only.

New in 1.46:

• Wood splinters fragmentation type.
• Deactivation of Animated Impact objects.
• Interactive demolition by RF_Bomb.
• Reduce keys function. More then 200 times faster then original max’s reducel keys function.

Some illustrations to RayFire capabilities:

Source: cgcosiety.org

Ervin Coumans, creator of “Bullet” open-source physics engine, has posted some interesting facts at bulletphysics.com recently. According to article in August 2009 issue of Game Developers Magazine, covering middleware survey results (over 100 senior developers of various development companies surveyed), Physx SDK have the lead with 26.8% in physics libraries rating, next is Havok with 22.7%, third – Bullet at 10.3%, and finally – Open Dynamic Engine at 4.1%.

Source: bulletphysics.com