NVIDIA has uploaded new portion of video tutorials, covering various aspects of APEX Destruction authoring process using PhysXLab tool.

First set of tutorials is explaining creation and usage of Fracture Maps – simple black-and-white images, that can be used to specify fracturing pattern for cut-out fracturing mode.

APEX Destruction: Fracture Maps (Part 1) – Photoshop

APEX Destruction: Fracture Maps (Part 2) with PhysXLab

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NVIDIA has released PhysXLab 1.1 Beta – updated version of PhysXLab, standalone authoring application for APEX Destruction and APEX Particles modules.

Release Notes:

• APEX 1.1 support (PhysX SDK 2.8.4.6).
• Possibility to have multiple physical meshes per chunk – convex decomposition (controlled by “Collision Quality” settings).
• New options for “Playground” simulation – Radius Damage Tool, ability to throw or drop destructible asset, shoot it with box or sphere.
• Separate pieces now detected by the FBX importer.
• Can now import a multiple mesh and export without further fracturing.
• Ability to cancel fracturing opertation – “Stop Fracture”.
• Chunk instancing (correponding chunks between different destructible actors will be rendered through intance bufer).
• Chunks tiling (matching chunks created from cutout fracturing will be instanced within the same actor, as well as referenced actors).
• Visualization of instanced chunks.
• LOD settings can now be applied to destructible in playground.
• Supports ASDW keys to move camera.
• Updated interface with support for all new features.

Bugs fixed:

• Bad tangent generation fixed.
• Large memory usage issues fixed.

PhysXLab 1.1 can be downloaded through Developer Support Center. Follow the path:

[Online Support] -> [Downloads] -> [APEX PhysX Lab (beta)] -> [APEX PhysXLab 1.1 (beta)]

If you are experiencing trouble with registration of PhysX Developer account, please refer to our registration guide.

Very interesting PhysX Fluid Simulation demo was revealed by a user Finalspace on German Delphi OpenGL Community forum.

Written from scratch on C++, based on PhysX SDK 3.0.2 and OpenGL, this demo is showcasing Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamics (SPH) fluid simulation in a basic environment.

However, the amount of options is appealing – you can choose from various scenes, change fluid parameters, add rigid bodies or more particles (up to 262 000), apply forces to the fluid, switch rendering modes – PhysX Fluid Simulation is a fully functional playground, more advanced than original PhysX Fluids demo from NVIDIA.

You can download PhysX Fluid Simulation v 1.2 from our server (1.7 mb), or from original thread.

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JeGX has presented new 1.4.0 version of FluidMark, benchmarking and testing tool for GPU PhysX/Hybrid PhysX systems.

Release Highlights:

• New: added two benchmark presets (1080 and 720).

Preset:1080: with this preset, the settings are the following:: 1920×1080 fullscreen, duration of 60 sec, 60000 particles, heavy additional graphics load and multithreaded PhysX synchronized on the rendering.

Preset:720: with this preset, the settings are the following: 1280×720 fullscreen, duration of 60 sec, 30000 particles, moderate additional graphics load and multithreaded PhysX synchronized on the rendering.

• New: PhysX built-in CPU multicore option added.
• New: score submission with oZone3D.Net account.
• Update: the additional graphics load option covers now the whole screen and not only the upper-right corner.
• Update: revamp of the main startup dialog box (now a bit simpler to use).
• Update: compiled with PhysX SDK 2.8.4.6.
• Bugfix: fixed a nasty deadlock that hung FluidMark sometimes at the end the tests.

You can download PhysX FluidMark 1.4.0 from Geeks3D.com.

We remind you, that in case if you want to use FluidMark 1.40 with Hybrid PhysX Mod, you need to delete/rename PhysXDevice.dll file in application folder, due to usage of driverless PhysX SDK 2.8.4.

Recently, we got a chance to lay our hands on a bunch of high-resolution, never-seen-before screenhots from Art Gallery demo – it was used by NVIDIA to demonstrate APEX Destruction capabilities at GDC 2011.

For you viewing pleasure.

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Autodesk has uploaded several partner presentations from Unreal University event at MIGS 2011 (Montreal International Gaming Summit).

One particular session – “UDK Overview || Nvidia session” – is provided by NVIDIA, in which Johnny Costello, PhysX content engineer, gives overview of APEX Destruction module functionality and it’s usage inside UDK (starting from 30:00).

This session covers pretty basic Destruction authoring features (PhysXLab, slicing, depth settings, playground, exporting to UDK, etc) – so for those who is already familiar with APEX or previosly released tutorials (set #1, set #2), it won’t say anything new. However, it is worth watching for a beginner.

Note: one interesting feature was mentioned during the presentation – in near future Destruction module will support objects deformation through joints.

Following the release of 2.7 PhysX plug-in for 3ds Max, NVIDIA has also uploaded new 2.70.1028.1400 plug-in for Maya (2009 – 2012).

Update [22.11.2011]: Maya PhysX plug-in was updated to version 2.70.1109.2230, that includes various bugfixes and minor updates.

2.7 PhysX plug-in for Maya – Release Notes:

• General: New unified exporter
• General: Improved PhysX shelf GUI
• General: Support for PhysX 3.1
• General: Support for APEX Clothing 1.1
• General: Compatibility with other plug-ins that use PhysX directly (e.g. Thinking Particles)
• General: Scene validation

• Rigid Bodies: Copy/paste multiple physical meshes
• Rigid Body: Kinematic to Dynamic Switching
• Rigid Bodies: Ragdoll improved mass distribution

• APEX Clothing: Support for latch to nearest regions
• APEX Clothing: Support for Graphical LoD and Contact Layers
• APEX Clothing: improved custom physical mesh handling

2.7 PhysX plug-in for Maya is available at Developer Support Center. You can find it under following path:

[Online Support] -> [Downloads] -> [APEX DCC Clothing Plugins] -> [Maya 2.7.X (beta)]

If you are experiencing trouble with registration of PhysX Developer account, please refer to our registration guide.

Next major release of DCC PhysX plug-in for 3ds Max has arrived.

New 2.70.1028.1400 PhysX plug-in for 3ds Max (2009 – 2012, 32- and 64-bit) just have landed on download page at Developer Support Center.

Update: 2.7 PhysX plug-in for Maya is also available

Additionally, updated 2.61.1028.0930 PhysX plug-in was released for 3ds Max - it includes minor bug-fixes for 2.61 version.

2.7 PhysX plug-in for 3ds Max – New Features Overview:

• General: Additional PhysX SDK 3.1 solver

Plug-in now features two different simulation engines – PhysX SDK 2.8.4 and new PhysX SDK 3.1, with an option to switch between them seemlesly, without necessity to restart 3ds Max.

Providing same simulation quality as SDK 2.8.4, SDK 3.1 solver is noticeably faster, especially in specific scenes which contain composite meshes with complex concave geometry.

As a test, we’ve measured a time that is needed to simulate 200 frames of “Chainmail” scene (430+ composite rigid bodies), in a viewport. As you can see, in this case SDK 3.1 solver is ~40% faster.

Notes: #1 APEX Clothing is not yet supported by SDK 3.1 engine.

#2 Current SDK 3.1 implementation has limited contact buffer, so it is not recommended to use it with large number of objects.

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NVIDIA has already pleased us today with updated tutorials for APEX Clothing module, but this is not all -  a bunch of new tutorials for APEX Destruction module, focused on usage of destructible assets with UE3 or UDK engine, has arrivied just a hour ago.

Update: Destruction tutorials package (with destructible assets, textures and UDK levels) was added to Developer Support Center.

Not familiar with APEX or its integration in UDK ? Start with these links: APEX Destruction | APEX 1.0 Beta | March UDK released with full NVIDIA APEX support

APEX Destruction Tutorial with UDK: Fracture Materials (2)

This tutorial describes how to use fracture materials in UDK.

APEX Destruction Tutorial with PhysXLab: Wood Material (3)

This tutorial provides step by step instructions for creating a destructible wood plank using PhysXLab 1.0 or higher.

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NVIDIA has released upgraded set of tutorials on how to create APEX Clothing assets in 3ds Max, Maya and how use them in UE3/UDK engine.

Archives are containing recorded video tutorials, all necessary assets, UE3 packages and scene files (for 3ds Max/Maya 2011 and latest PhysX plug-ins).

New tutorilas are availale for download at Developer Support Center, under following section:  [Online Support] -> [Downloads] -> [APEX] -> [APEX DCC Clothing Plugins]

• Clothing Max Tutorials Part 1 (9-29-11).zip (590 mb)
  • Tutorial #1: Setup and UI
  • Tutorial #2: Waving Flag authoring
  • Tutorial #3: Cape (low res) authoring
  • Tutorial #4: Trench Coat (medium res) authoring
• Clothing Max Tutorials Part 2 (9-29-11).zip (525 mb)
  • Tutorial #5: Pants (high res) authoring
  • Tutorial #6: Exporting from 3ds Max to UE3
• Clothing Maya Tutorials (9-29-11).zip (497 mb)
  • Tutorial #1: Setup and UI
  • Tutorial #2: Trench Coat (medium res) authoring
  • Tutorial #3: Exporting from Maya to UE3
• Clothing Tutorial for Unreal 3 (9-29-11).zip (186 mb)
  • Tutorial #1: Animation Notifies Max Distance Scaling

3ds Max Tutorials Note: scene files ending with “_2010″ are not compatible with 3ds Max 2012.

You can also find mentioned video tutorials at NvidiaApexDeveloper channel at YouTube.

If you are experiencing trouble with registration of PhysX Developer account, please refer to our registration guide.