Announcing NEX v1.5 -- free trial and videos!

[puch]

NEX is a very cool tool.
I can not believe you guys haven't released a Linux and Mac version! You would completely own the market in certain areas.

[FRimasson]

It looks fantastic !!
Does all the mesh modifier works in symetry mode (extrude face, bevel.... ?)
If it's the case, it's a nice alternative to silo, that woks great in symetry.

[akeissami]

Thanks for the feedback.

puch, we'd love to do a Mac and Linux release too. We're hoping to have more news on that development before the end of the year.

FRimasson, yes, you can use Extrude and Bevel with it. Since NEX automatically selects both sides of the mesh, all Maya commands work with it.

By the way, we've also added a new Extrude and Bevel tool within NEX. Of course, it uses the same node (http://draster.com/nex-1.5/faq.html#custom_nodes) as the Maya extrude and bevel but gives you a more ergonomic workflow. The videos for those are being added to the NEX help page:
http://draster.com/help/nex-1.5/videos.php

[elvis75k]

@ akeissami: warning "texture update and connect are pointing the same video"
and the "symmetry is linking to connect.."

anyway, great update!!

[akeissami]

Yikes, I'll ask the web admin to fix that in the morning. Thanks for the heads-up and for the kind words!

[etobler]

I have to say, the new surface slide is AMAZING! You should make a video showing off that!

I'm loving the fact that it's a free upgrade! Somehow NEX keeps me from going to XSI and Max!

[robkoni]

I have the first Nex ,:cool: great tool makes Maya more like modo..hehe, however will this work with 2009

[akeissami]

robkoni, yes. If you need it, I can send you a link to that build now.

[SoulVector]

Very cool Arash! Thanks a lot! Now go have a couple of beers will ya :beer:

[akeissami]

haha, thanks Mikael. Thanks again for being such a great beta tester too!

It's almost 4am and I haven't slept in 2 days, and yet I can't help but stare at this thread. sick i am.

[rasmusW]

wow! looks like some of the stuff in silo now. that's cool.
nice update.
still think your re-topo tool is one of the best out there. atleast of those i've tried.

-r

[Ollarin]

Nex just keeps getting better! You guys at dRaster have done an amazing job on this plugin!

[akeissami]

rasmusW, it is the best out there. I've tried them all. I can say this objectively and with 0 bias. :)

In all seriousness, with the new enhancements we've made to NEX v1.5, I can resurface a mesh in minutes. I'll be sure to make a new video of the new enhancements later this week (they're kind of hidden).

[akeissami]

Hey, it's my main man AdmiralRa! Thanks, your creature model worked perfectly! Keep rocking bro!

[PaulAdams]

Hats off fellas. I've been using the original Nex for a while but to give away this as a free upgrade is top draw.

[ChewyPixels]

I simply love NEX!! It's a must-have Maya plugin! You guys rock and thanks for the free update! :cool:

[sakaH]

looks very nice. I started using Maya because of work,
and those tools would really speed up my workflow.

Unfortunately I have linux machine at work so can't help but cry :cry:

please make a linux version quickly guys, I'm begging you!

[chadtheartist]

I still think NEX has the best topology tools I've used. It's fast and efficient. It's awesome you guys released this as a free update too. There are a lot of improvements from 1.0 that are well worth a paid upgrade IMO. I can't wait to see what you guys come up with in 2.0!

[Ollarin]

Hey, it's my main man AdmiralRa! Thanks, your creature model worked perfectly! Keep rocking bro!
Hehe!
Thanks for using the models! :D

WOOO! ROCK ON! :buttrock:

[lovisx]

Does nex override what's already there as far as Maya 2009 goes, or does it all work in conjunction with the new features? Haven't had a chance to use nex yet so I have no clue how smoothly it works with Maya.

[ChewyPixels]

Does nex override what's already there as far as Maya 2009 goes, or does it all work in conjunction with the new features? Haven't had a chance to use nex yet so I have no clue how smoothly it works with Maya.

Nex doesn't get in the way of your regular workflow if that's what you are concerned about. Also, you can switch it off and on with the click of a button if you wish to do so.

[lovisx]

is it hotkey assignable? how open is it to mel?

[xtrm3d]

congratulation for such an amazing tool !!!
i cant live without NEX in maya , it feel like a mix of teh best modelling aplication out there ( xsi , modo .. polyboost ..silo )
looking forward to see with what you guy would come out NEXt .. ( sorry for teh easy pun )

[akeissami]

Thanks again everyone, and thank you cgtalk!

lovisx, the NEX integration in Maya is very seamless (and very customizabled within the options dialog). This is another video worth making, so I'll start getting started on that too. I'll post it that before the end of the week. And yes, virtually all features are accessible via mel (almost everything has a hotkey command in the hotkey editor already). If you can't find a command, the NEX help has a mel command in each tool description. If you need any help finding any NEX mel commands, please don't hesitate to ask.

[CoolDuck]

Congrats on releasing NEX 1.5! I have been using NEX for a while, I have 2 licenses. :D It's great! I second on the Mac version... sometimes I have to work in OS X... and do a bit of Maya, but without NEX I'm modeling a lot slower and with limitations.
Imho, if a Mac version does not come out very soon, you will lose out on a lot of potential customers. I know a lot of Maya modelers on the Mac.

[sergicaballer]

Nex tools are amazing! I need this tools for my modeling work!
Please put your developerTeam to work on mac/linux version! Your tools expands Maya's potential, and let than a lot of modelers don't use another modeling program for their work. Congratulations!

[McJAKe]

Great to see NEX updated to Maya 2008
Its a great tool- retopo tools work really well in my opinion.

[ahmedadel0077]

hey guys thanks for this amazing plugin , i never knew that modeling could be that easy , i loved it :)

[BigErn]

60 day trial? hah I remember getting Nex 1.0 beta for 1 day and buying it the next! Without a doubt there is no way I could, or would want to model in MaYa without NEX.

:bowdown::beer:

[Koogle]

Good to see this addon plugged on cgtalk, about time!

Been using NEX for maya since its first public beta and its one of the best things about using maya for modelling. If there is one thing I've always liked about NEX its that there is difference between making a tool that does one opperation and leaves you to go make the rest of changes the long way around :argh: and tool that just packs a whole ton operations and customizing at your disposal through the use of interactivity and quick accessible shortcuts. That is the difference between something that just meets the bare requirements and one that goes above and beyond them, allowing you to keep on with the workflow without stepping out of the creative loop.

This 1.5 update has been a great plugin to use throughout its development, and its been working on maya2008 for ages now btw and no doubt they'll have it updated for 2009 right away. Those Nex guys listen and interact with there community all the time and its all gone to help shape this plugin nicely! Great to see this out the door, as its been ready and available for ages imo. And I'm sure like other NEX users we are already looking forward to the next installment :D

And most of the improvements they've brought into Maya were way before Autodesk even got around to doing it and it still puts them to shame when they eventually bring in similar features like some in maya2009 that one can already see just aren't as good in implementation. To say i'd rather see NEX replace & redo everything in Maya would be understatement and I'm sure if they had the time/resources they would, maybe even do a Mac&Linux release but meh. :cool: They truly understand the importance of workflow and how keyboard/mouse shortcuts combined with an interactivity model can really speed things up. Just the small things like providing built in TOGGLES(i luv toggling :P) for commands/menu items and tools cuts down on wasted time and should be the norm for every production app! it makes the difference.

It also saves time for those who haven't/can't source there your own mel scripts or haven't collected them over the years.. nothing beats just installing a plugin and assigning key shortcuts right way to the functions you use commonly, most new users will always appreciate not having to dig through or discover cgtalk threads and script depositories for things that really should already be directly accessible from the start. Anyway that is just a small thing but small things add up :)

Really the future for NEX is good and I can only see them doing even better things to make Maya better. And while I can only hope they move into other areas of improving maya, like animation/texturing/rendering there is still just soo much stuff in the modelling department like tool interactivity within the viewport and cough* better snapping* where Nex can help maya bridge that gap into being a better arch/cad/viz app.

Also completly chucking out maya's default plain vanilla decade old transform manipulators out the window and replacing them with the better NEX ones in all areas even when out of component editing would be NICE :D but I'm sure NEX 2.0 will be great improvement for maya whatever is planned NEXt :P

Anyway there is so many things to say about what NEX can do and all the fun it brings to even the most basic of modelling opperations. If you ever wanted to win a speed modelling competition this and some well placed keyboard shortcuts would make it a breeze ;)

[Cometsoft]

Until and if they come out with a Mac version, I'm not looking. Maya's modeling tools have gotten good enough that I wouldn't be tempted to go back to Windows for a modeling plugin.

[Leshiy3d]

need Linux NEX, as well

[Vlada3d]

It is such a powerfull tool, great job.

[zenonithus]

just downloaded the trial. nice set of tools! but I'm a bit disapointed in the extrusion not being able to do proper clean corner offsets. Is this something you've considered working on?

[akeissami]

...really appreciate the generous feedback everyone! Thank you!

eddperetti, the offset you get is the same you'd get using the Maya extrude tool -- because they use the same node. Indeed, we have a proper offset feature high on the todo list.

[Indavisual]

Hey Arash. Its me Jeremy. I've been using NEX and I too am addicted. I love how it doesnt mess with your workflow at all.

You should come up north to celebrate the 1.5 release. :P

[hanskloss]

Is it just me or is anyone else experiencing this problem: once NEX is run "select shell" stops functioning. I can no longer select shells by double clicking a component.

Why is every developer clinging so tight to tying their plugin directly to Maya's UI. Why not make use of the hudSlider command (virtual slider inside the viewport)? With it the constant clicking in the side panel would become unnecessary. There is at least a dozen ideas floating in my head. Just a thought:)

[hamletina]

anyone knows what has happend to draster.com? it just seems to be dead! i'm really upset and frustrated about that. if any of you guys know any external links to the sample videos and a trial version of NEX 1.5, sharing will be greatly appreciated! thanks in advance, folks! ))

[majid-smiley]

great ! NEX was one of my favorites ! i must check the new version

[ahmedadel0077]

hi this plugin is amazing , i downloaded the trial , but there is a small thing , when i tried to use the Quad-Draw , i wanted to snap to grid but it didn't snap , is there a way to snap to grid while drawing the points ?? , and if not i hope u add this in the next version , i know it might look silly but it will save time , so i won't have to go back and snap the points where i want them , anyway i am talking too much :D thanks

[Leshiy3d]

anyone knows what has happend to draster.com? it just seems to be dead! i'm really upset and frustrated about that. if any of you guys know any external links to the sample videos and a trial version of NEX 1.5, sharing will be greatly appreciated! thanks in advance, folks! ))
that's because Russia is banned over this site, due to "some" reasons
i know, that's ridicoulus )

[akeissami]

hanskloss, thank you for the feedback. The double-click select-shell feature is new in Maya 2008 EX2, and has not yet been implemented in NEX. We'll get that in our next update.

Why is every developer clinging so tight to tying their plugin directly to Maya's UI. Why not make use of the hudSlider command (virtual slider inside the viewport)? With it the constant clicking in the side panel would become unnecessary. There is at least a dozen ideas floating in my head. Just a thought:)

We actually didn't follow the conventional Maya UI approach. With NEX, you don't need to click any side panel -- simply bring up the contextual marking menu, and pick whatever attribute you'd like to adjust. In fact, you can use both the LMB and MMB for dragging. Are you referring to anything specific to NEX with the "constant clicking in the side panel" comment?

Leshiy3d, where did you hear that? I doubt Russia would do that.

...and apparently not all:
http://dlight.ru/forums/showthread.php?t=376
http://www.cgtalk.ru/forum/showthread.php?p=183373

hamletina, sorry if you are having any issues connecting, please send me a pm, and I'll get you whatever you need. I don't handle the server stuff so if anyone else is having any issues, please let me know so I can help you connect.

[akeissami]

http://draster.com/videos/downloadable/QuadDrawTipsTricks-part1.mp4
28 MB

(I forgot a few tricks that I wanted to add to part 2, so I'm going to do that over again).

I'll be adding all the videos to the Youtube channel, so feel free to subscribe to that.
http://www.youtube.com/dRasterInc

more to come...

[akeissami]

mrbond, almost forgot to answer your question. Right now, with Quad Draw you can only snap to the surface of the grid plane, not to the grid intersections. We have an extensive snapping feature set planned that will include this option and much, much more.

[Leshiy3d]

Leshiy3d, where did you hear that? I doubt Russia would do that.
i've tried that, if you use anonymous server it works, but it doesn't work by default (if you are in Russia)
i have no idea about the reason :)

[ddekevich]

I've downloaded the trial version of NEX 1.5 and installed it on my Pc, but when I try to launch NEX in Maya (in Plugin manager) it says that it requires Windows Management Instrumentation service to be running. I've checked my services and WMI is on, but I still can't launch NEX. Also there's 0x80041002 code in the error message. Can anyone please help me with making this work. Thanks in advance.

PS I have Maya 2008 without any expansions.

[akeissami]

Hi Denis,

I remember someone else having this issue several months ago. Please follow the directions on the following webpage, and email us the files.

http://dRaster.com/help/wmihelp.html

Sorry about the trouble.

[csprance]

Man Nex sounds so awesome because it sounds so similair to modo and there is no equal to modo when it comes to quickly modelling something I wish i could use it with linux but since there is none does anyone know of any alternatives or a planned date for linux at all I know you said at the end of the year but thats a bit broad.

[marcotronic]

Congrats to the release! I beta tested 1.5 and just bought it. A great set of tools. Can´t imagine working without it anymore. Thumbs up!


Marco

[CoolDuck]

Please..... a Mac version! :drool:

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