Maxwell Render
Encyclopedia
Maxwell Render is a software package that aids in the production of photorealistic images from computer 3D
model data; a 3D renderer
. It was introduced as an early alpha on December 2004 (after 2 years of internal development) and it utilized a global illumination
(G.I.) algorithm based on a metropolis light transport
variation.
and its G.I. algorithm was linked directly to a physical camera paradigm to provide a simplified rendering experience wherein the user was not required to adjust arbitrary illumination parameter settings, as was typical of scanline renderers and raytracers of the time. Maxwell Render was developed by Madrid
-based Next Limit Technologies
, which was founded in 1998 by engineers Victor Gonzalez and Ignacio Vargas.
Maxwell Render is a rendering engine based on the mathematical equations governing light transport, meaning that all elements, such as emitters, materials and cameras, are derived from physically accurate models. Maxwell Render is unbiased, so no tricks are used to calculate the lighting solution in every pixel of a scene; the result will always be a correct solution, as it would be in the real world. Maxwell Render can fully capture all light interactions between all elements in a scene, and all lighting calculations are performed using spectral information and high dynamic range data.
Due to its very nature, Maxwell Render enables users to create accurate and extremely realistic images. Maxwell Render is a recognized standard in architectural visualization, product design, jewelry, film production, scientific research and other high-end rendering markets, and the leader in render quality.
Further releases were
The current software version is 2.6
3D computer graphics
3D computer graphics are graphics that use a three-dimensional representation of geometric data that is stored in the computer for the purposes of performing calculations and rendering 2D images...
model data; a 3D renderer
Rendering (computer graphics)
Rendering is the process of generating an image from a model , by means of computer programs. A scene file contains objects in a strictly defined language or data structure; it would contain geometry, viewpoint, texture, lighting, and shading information as a description of the virtual scene...
. It was introduced as an early alpha on December 2004 (after 2 years of internal development) and it utilized a global illumination
Global illumination
Global illumination is a general name for a group of algorithms used in 3D computer graphics that are meant to add more realistic lighting to 3D scenes...
(G.I.) algorithm based on a metropolis light transport
Metropolis light transport
The Metropolis light transport is a SIGGRAPH 1997 paper by Eric Veach and Leonidas J. Guibas, describing an application of a variant of the Monte Carlo method called the Metropolis-Hastings algorithm to the rendering equation for generating images from detailed physical descriptions of three...
variation.
Overview
Maxwell Render was among the first widely available implementations of unbiased renderingUnbiased rendering
In computer graphics, unbiased rendering refers to a rendering technique that does not introduce any systematic error, or bias, into the radiance approximation. Because of this, they are often used to generate the reference image to which other rendering techniques are compared...
and its G.I. algorithm was linked directly to a physical camera paradigm to provide a simplified rendering experience wherein the user was not required to adjust arbitrary illumination parameter settings, as was typical of scanline renderers and raytracers of the time. Maxwell Render was developed by Madrid
Madrid
Madrid is the capital and largest city of Spain. The population of the city is roughly 3.3 million and the entire population of the Madrid metropolitan area is calculated to be 6.271 million. It is the third largest city in the European Union, after London and Berlin, and its metropolitan...
-based Next Limit Technologies
Next Limit Technologies
Next Limit Technologies is a computer software company based in Madrid, Spain. Founded in 1998 by engineers Victor Gonzalez Sanchez and Ignacio Vargas the firm now creates cross-platform particle simulation and light simulation software for fluid and rigid body modeling, and accurate visual rendering...
, which was founded in 1998 by engineers Victor Gonzalez and Ignacio Vargas.
Maxwell Render is a rendering engine based on the mathematical equations governing light transport, meaning that all elements, such as emitters, materials and cameras, are derived from physically accurate models. Maxwell Render is unbiased, so no tricks are used to calculate the lighting solution in every pixel of a scene; the result will always be a correct solution, as it would be in the real world. Maxwell Render can fully capture all light interactions between all elements in a scene, and all lighting calculations are performed using spectral information and high dynamic range data.
Due to its very nature, Maxwell Render enables users to create accurate and extremely realistic images. Maxwell Render is a recognized standard in architectural visualization, product design, jewelry, film production, scientific research and other high-end rendering markets, and the leader in render quality.
Software components
- Maxwell Render (core render engine)
- Maxwell Studio
- Material Editor
- Maxwell FIRE (Fast Interactive Rendering)
- Network components (Maxwell Monitor, Manager and Node)
- Plugins (modeling software specific)
History
The first alpha was released on 4 December 2004; the first release candidate on 2 December 2005. The latter marked also the first appearance of Maxwell Studio and Material Editor.Further releases were
- Version 1.0 (26 April 2006)
- Version 1.1 (4 July 2006)
- Version 1.5 (23 May 2007)
- Version 1.6 (22 November 2007)
- Version 1.7 (19 June 2008)
- Version 2.0 (23 September 2009)
- Version 2.1 (18 July 2010)
- Version 2.5 (13 December 2010)
- Version 2.6 (2 November 2011)
The current software version is 2.6
Integration with other software
| Modeler | Version | Supports Windows (32-bit IA-32 IA-32 , also known as x86-32, i386 or x86, is the CISC instruction-set architecture of Intel's most commercially successful microprocessors, and was first implemented in the Intel 80386 as a 32-bit extension of x86 architecture... )? |
Supports Windows (64-bit X86-64 x86-64 is an extension of the x86 instruction set. It supports vastly larger virtual and physical address spaces than are possible on x86, thereby allowing programmers to conveniently work with much larger data sets. x86-64 also provides 64-bit general purpose registers and numerous other... )? |
Supports Mac OS X? |
Supports Linux? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3ds max | 7 8 9 2008 2009 2010 2011 |
Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes |
No No Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes |
No No No No No No No |
No No No No No No No |
| Autodesk VIZ | 06 07 08 |
Yes Yes Yes |
No No No |
No No No |
No No No |
| Lightwave LightWave LightWave 3D is a high end computer graphics program developed by NewTek. The latest release of LightWave runs on Windows and Mac OS X.- Overview:... |
8.x 9.x |
Yes Yes |
Yes Yes |
No Yes (9.3UB) |
No No |
| Maya Maya (software) Autodesk Maya , commonly shortened to Maya, is 3D computer graphics software that runs on Microsoft Windows, Mac OS and Linux, originally developed by Alias Systems Corporation and currently owned and developed by Autodesk, Inc. It is used to create interactive 3D applications, including video... |
8 8.5 2009 2010 2011 |
Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes |
Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes |
Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes |
Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes |
| Cinema 4D Cinema 4D CINEMA 4D is a 3D modeling, animation and rendering application developed by MAXON Computer GmbH of Friedrichsdorf, Germany. It is capable of procedural and polygonal/subd modeling, animating, lighting, texturing, rendering, and common features found in 3d modelling applications.- Overview:The... |
9.6 and up | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| Rhino3D Rhinoceros 3D Rhinoceros is a stand-alone, commercial NURBS-based 3-D modeling tool, developed by Robert McNeel & Associates. The software is commonly used for industrial design, architecture, marine design, jewelry design, automotive design, CAD / CAM, rapid prototyping, reverse engineering as well as the... |
4, SR5 5 X64 WIP |
Yes Yes |
No Yes |
No No |
No No |
| Softimage Softimage XSI Autodesk Softimage, or simply Softimage is a 3D computer graphics application, owned by Autodesk, for producing 3D computer graphics, 3D modeling, and computer animation... |
5.x 6.01 7.01 |
Yes Yes Yes |
Yes (5.1) Yes Yes |
No No No |
No No No |
| SolidWorks SolidWorks SolidWorks is a 3D mechanical CAD program that runs on Microsoft Windows and is being developed by Dassault Systèmes SolidWorks Corp., a subsidiary of Dassault Systèmes, S. A. . SolidWorks is currently used by over 1.3 million engineers and designers at more than 130,000 companies worldwide... |
2007(s.p. 3.1) 2008 2009 |
Yes Yes Yes |
Yes Yes Yes |
No No No |
No No No |
| Archicad ArchiCAD ArchiCAD is an architectural BIM CAD software for Macintosh and Windows developed by the Hungarian company Graphisoft. ArchiCAD offers specialized solutions for handling all common aspects of aesthetics and engineering during the whole design process of the built environment — buildings, interiors,... |
10 11 12 13 14 |
Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes |
No No No No Yes |
Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes |
No No No No No |
| Form-Z Form-Z form·Z is a computer-aided design tool developed by AutoDesSys for all design fields that deal with the articulation of 3D spaces and forms and which is used for 3D modeling, drafting, animation and rendering.-Overview:... |
6.1 and up (6.6 recommended) | Yes | Yes | Yes (UB) | No |
| SketchUp SketchUp SketchUp is a 3D modeling program marketed by Google and designed for architectural, civil, and mechanical engineers as well as filmmakers, game developers,... |
6 7 8 |
Yes Yes Yes |
No No No |
Yes Yes Yes |
No No No |
| Modo Modo Modo may refer to:* Modo, Inc., a design and manufacturing firm in Hillsboro, Oregon* MoDo, Mo och Domsjö AB, a Swedish industrial corporation * Modo Hockey, a Swedish ice hockey club... |
302 401 |
Yes Yes |
Yes Yes |
Yes Yes |
No No |
| Photoshop | CS3 CS4 CS5 |
Yes Yes Yes |
Yes Yes Yes |
Yes Yes Yes |
No No No |
| Nuke Nuke - Science :* Nuclear weapon* Nuclear power* Microwaving Food* ICBM- Computing :* Nuke , a node-based compositor* Duke Nukem, a series of video games with a protagonist of the same name* Nuke , a damaging attack in a role-playing game... |
5 6 |
Yes Yes |
Yes Yes |
Yes Yes |
Yes Yes |
See also
- Indigo RendererIndigo RendererIndigo Renderer is a 3D rendering software that uses unbiased rendering technologies to create photo-realistic images. In doing so, Indigo uses equations that simulate the behaviour of light, with no approximations or guesses taken...
- A commercial unbiased renderer. - KerkytheaKerkytheaKerkythea is a standalone rendering system that supports raytracing and Metropolis light transport, uses physically accurate materials and lighting — and is distributed as freeware...
- A free unbiased renderer. - LuxRenderLuxRenderLuxRender is an open source software rendering system for physically correct image synthesis. The program runs on Microsoft Windows, Mac OS X and Linux and exporters are available for Blender, SketchUp, Cinema 4D, XSI, DAZ Studio, and Maya.-Overview:...
- An open source unbiased renderer - Octane RenderOctane Render-Integration with other software:Octane Render comes with free plugins for the following software:* Autodesk 3ds Max* Autodesk Maya* Autodesk Softimage* MAXON Cinema 4D* Google Sketchup* Blender * Luxology Modo...
- A commercial unbiased GPU-accelerated renderer.