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Maxwell Render

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1 Overview
2 Supported Platforms
3 Software Components:
- 3.1 Version History
4 Technology / Paradigm Overview
5 Workflow
6 Features List
- 6.1 Core engine Features
- 6.2 Maxwell Studio Features
7 Plugins
8 Sample Galleries
9 References
10 External links

Overview

Maxwell render is a software package that aids in the production of photo realistic images from computer 3D model data. It was introduced as an early alpha on December 2004 (after 2 years of internal development) and it utilized a global illumination algorithm based on a metropolis light transport variation. Maxwell render was among the first widely available implementations of unbiased rendering and its GI algorithm was linked directly to a physical camera paradigm to result in a hands-free (so to speak) rendering experience; where the user was not required to fiddle with fine grain illumination options typical of scanline renderers and raytracers of the time. Maxwell was originally developed by Next Limit Technologies, residing in Madrid Spain and founded in 1998 by engineers Victor Gonzalez and Ignacio Vargas.

Supported Platforms

Apple Computer Mac OS X on PowerPC and x86 architectures
GNU/Linux on x86-64 architecture
Microsoft Windows on x86 and x86-64 architectures

Software Components:

Current Maxwell Studio

Current Material Editor

Core render engine (MXCL standalone)
Maxwell Studio (MXST standalone) - First appeared on 12/02/2005
Material Editor (MXED) - First appeared on 12/02/2005
Plugins (modeling software specific)

Version History

Current Software Version = 1.6
Pre-release^[1]

Alpha 1.1.05 (Dec/04/2004)
Alpha 1.1.09 (Dec/21/2004)
Alpha 1.1.10 (Dec/22/2004)
Alpha 1.1.22 (Mar/09/2005)
Alpha 1.1.23 (Mar/10/2005)
Alpha 1.1.29 (Mar/22/2005)
Alpha 1.1.30 (Mar/23/2005)
Alpha 1.1.31 (Apr/01/2005)
Alpha 1.1.32 (Apr/08/2005)
Alpha 1.1.33 (Apr/15/2005)
Beta 1.2.0 (Jun/15/2005)
Beta 1.2.1 (Jun/23/2005)
Beta 1.2.2 (Jul/01/2005)
Beta 1.2.2a (Jul/01/2005)
RC1 (Dec/02/2005) - First appearance of MXST and MXED
RC2 (Dec/05/2005)
RC3 (Dec/07/2005)
RC4 (Dec/12/2005)
RC5 (Jan/17/2006)

Full release^[1]

Version 1.0 (Apr/26/2006)
Version 1.1 (Jul/04/2006)
Version 1.5 (May/23/2007)
Version 1.6 (Nov/22/2007) (current)

Technology / Paradigm Overview

(To be completed)

Workflow

(To be completed)

Features List

Core engine Features

ENGINE CHOICES:

RS1: Default render engine
RS0: Preview render engine (used in viewports and material previews)

SPECTRAL RENDERING:

Engine performs calculations in spectral range

PHYSICAL CAMERA PARADIGM: (controls the GI)

Calibrated (to a certain extent of accuracy) to correspond to actual physical camera values
Shutter speed (controls exposure and motion blur)
F-stop (controls exposure and depth of field)
ISO setting (controls exposure, but does not add film grain)
Depth of field (is standard and inevitable, just in a real camera)
Focal length (also affects depth of field)
Film Back size (also affects depth of field; in combination with focal length and distance) Diaphragm (Circular, or polygonal with number of blades and angle of rotation)
Rotary Disk Shutter (shutter angle and FPS)
Shift Lens
Z-clip Planes (This is a CG feature that allows the camera to section/view into an object)

PHYSICAL SUN (accurate sun positioning)

Earth Latitude
Earth Longitude
Date of Year
Time of Day
Manual GMT
Automatic GMT (auto-determined dynamically, based on internal timezone data charts, as user spins the globe interface)
Location Presets (Large set of location presets)
Manual Rotation of North relative to the user model
Import Google kml data (this is basically a lon/lat value)

PHYSICAL SKY (atmosphere)

Generate a clear sky based on time of day, as well as:
Turbidity
Ozone
Water Level

PHYSICAL MATERIALS
RENDERING CHANNELS

Rendering Channel (Default. Contains the actual image)
Alpha Channel
Material ID Channel
Z-Buffer Channel
Shadow Channel
Opaque Channel
Object ID Channel

ENABLE/DISABLE illumination aspects

Direct Illumination
Indirect Illumination
Direct Reflection Caustics
Direct Refraction Caustics
Indirect Reflection Caustics
Indirect Refraction Caustics

(To be completed)

Maxwell Studio Features

Feature 1
Feature 2

(To be completed)

Plugins

Rendered in Maxwell Render, Modeled in Rhinoceros 3D 4.0

Modeler	Version	Win32	Win64	Mac OS X	Linux
3ds max	7, 8, 9	Yes	Yes	No	No
Maya	6 7 8 8.5 2008	Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes	No No Yes Yes Yes	No Yes Yes Yes Yes	No No No No Yes
Lightwave	8 9	Yes Yes	No Yes	Yes Yes	No No
Cinema 4D	9.6, 10	Yes	No	Yes	No
Softimage\|XSI	6	Yes	Yes	No	No
Rhino3D	4	Yes	No	No	No
SolidWorks	2006 2007	(old) Yes	No Yes	No No	No No
SketchUp	5, 6	Yes	No	Yes	No
Form-Z	5.5, 6	Yes	No	Yes	No
Archicad	9, 10	Yes	No	Yes	No