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Release tracker

The latest version of each 3D and VFX tool, what changed in it, and what to watch for before you move a project onto it. One page instead of six changelogs, read by someone who uses these tools for work.

Last change: 8 October 2026 · every entry links to the full piece and its sources

  • Rizom-Lab

    RizomUV 2027.0

    Stable

    8 October 2026

    What changed

    • A headless mode runs the scripting surface with no interface, reporting through console output and exit codes, for batch jobs, automated builds and render-farm work.
    • Python replaces Lua as the default scripting language, and RizomUVLink now works on every platform rather than Windows only.
    • Align Borders straightens island borders along the U and V axes during Unfold or Optimize; Live Update recalculates an island as soon as an edge constraint changes.
    • Islands can be processed in parallel, the Scene Outliner spans objects, materials and polygon groups, large FBX scenes load partially, and there are texture-budget controls.

    Watch out for

    • The "up to five times faster" Optimize figure is Rizom-Lab's own, applies to large islands, and no independent measurement has been published.
    • Nothing in the release places seams, so an unattended job starts from a mesh that already carries its cuts.
    The full piece →80.lvCGChannel

  • Maxon

    Cinema 4D 2026.4

    Stable

    30 September 2026

    What changed

    • A Model Context Protocol server built in, so Claude Desktop or ChatGPT can drive Cinema 4D in words.
    • Authentication on the connection, permission groups for which tools the assistant may call, separate controls for Python, and a local audit log.

    Watch out for

    • The MCP server is off after install and runs on your own machine; reaching another machine on the network is a second, separate opt-in.
    The full piece →CG ChannelDEVELOP3D

  • Foundry

    Mari 8.0 beta 2

    Beta

    24 September 2026

    What changed

    • A Hex Tile node that breaks up texture repetition on a hexagonal grid, plus a Tri-Planar Tiled node and a Compare node for A/B wipes.
    • Over fifty new nodes across the 8.0 cycle, most of them small maths operations.

    Watch out for

    • Still an open beta, with no stable date; CG Channel estimates three to six months.
    • Priced at $86 a month or $689 a year for an individual when the beta was announced.
    The full piece →CG Channel

  • Tripo AI

    Tripo P2.0

    Stable

    21 September 2026

    What changed

    • Generates quad-dominant meshes natively, rather than triangulating and leaving retopology to a separate pass.
    • Quad output runs 500 to 25,000 faces; triangle output runs 500 to 50,000. Choosing quads halves the face ceiling.
    • Adds several variants per prompt and a Mesh Edit mode over the August P2.0 Preview, which produced triangles only.

    Watch out for

    • The output is described as quad-dominant, not pure quad, so some triangles remain in the mesh.
    • At 25,000 quad faces the budget suits props and set dressing; a hero character head can use most of it on its own.
    • The quad percentages and the part-separation claim are the maker's own, reported by the trade press; no independent test has been published.
    The full piece →VoxelMatters3Dnatives

  • Lubos Lenco

    ArmorPaint 1.0 (26.09)

    Stable

    3 September 2026

    What changed

    • The first 1.0, after eight years of early access.
    • Builds for Windows, Linux, macOS, iOS, Android and WebAssembly, painting on the GPU through Direct3D 12, Vulkan and Metal.

    Watch out for

    • The source stays free under zlib; the ready-made binaries cost $19.
    The full piece →

  • Tyson Ibele

    tyFlow 2.100

    Stable

    2 September 2026

    What changed

    • A PhysX Vehicles operator: chassis, wheels, suspension and tyre model driven by PhysX in the same flow graph as particles and rigid bodies.
    • The usual round of Inferno improvements.
    The full piece →

  • CLO Virtual Fashion

    Marvelous Designer 2026.1

    Stable

    24 August 2026

    What changed

    • A Seamline Ripping Tool that tears a garment along a seam, the way real fabric fails.
    • Brush Pinching and a Pinching Simulation Override, for shaping cloth by hand while the simulation runs.
    The full piece →

  • Foundry

    Nuke 17.1 beta

    Beta

    21 August 2026

    What changed

    • Basic relighting for Gaussian splats: Direct, Point and Spot lights rendered through the updated SplatRender node.
    • A GeoSequencer node that turns a splat sequence into an animatable USD stream, .splat export, and a 3D viewer on Hydra 2.0.

    Watch out for

    • The relighting needs no normals or position data, because a splat has none: expect an approximation, not light falling on real geometry.
    The full piece →CG ChannelRadiance Fields

  • Blender Foundation

    Blender 5.2 LTS

    Stable

    14 July 2026

    What changed

    • Long-term support until July 2028.
    • Colour management: HDR output, ACES 1.3 and 2.0, and an ACEScg or Rec.2020 working space.
    • Cycles: an unbiased null-scattering method for volumes, faster GPU volume sampling, adaptive subdivision out of experimental, thin-film interference on metals.
    The full piece →