Idea Accelerated releases Axiom 3.3 for Houdini
Initially posted on 28 October 2022. Scroll down for information of the Axiom 3.3 update.
Idea Accelerated – aka former Naughty Canine TD Matt Puchala – has up to date Axiom, his GPU-accelerated sparse volumetric fluid solver for simulating results like smoke and fireplace in Houdini.
Axiom 3.0 focuses on simulation efficiency, including native help for CUDA and Metallic, native ARM help for Apple Silicon Macs, and new choices to cut back simulation time and reminiscence utilization.
A sooner different to Houdini’s spare Pyro solver for look improvement
First launched in 2020, Axiom is a GPU-accelerated sparse volumetric fluid solver, supposed as a sooner different to Houdini’s Sparse Pyro solver for look dev work.
Like its native counterpart, Axiom offers near-real-time viewport suggestions on advanced fireplace and smoke sims, however is GPU-accelerated through OpenCL, falling again on the CPU if a simulation exceeds GPU reminiscence.
It has been used on recreation cinematics by Riot Video games and Valve, and in VFX by Muse VFX.
Native help for Metallic, Apple Silicon and CUDA
Axiom 3.0 expands the vary of APIs the software program helps – and by extension, the vary of {hardware} on which it’s natively GPU-accelerated.
Mac customers get native Metallic help – launched in beta in Axiom 2.2, and now production-ready – together with native help for Arm processors for brand spanking new Apple Silicon Macs.
Home windows and Linux customers get native CUDA help, which ought to enhance efficiency on Nvidia GPUs.
Enhancements to simulation efficiency and reminiscence utilization
As well as, there are a selection of architectural adjustments supposed to enhance simulation efficiency, with the discharge notes describing the solver as “from 8-32% sooner total”.
Particular adjustments embody the choice to extend the dimensions of the neighbour tile cache, dashing up advection operations, significantly for fast-moving simulations like explosions.
Additionally it is now doable to cut back the reminiscence footprint of simulations with “little or no distinction” in visible high quality by switching from the previous default 32-bit-precision simulation grids to 16-bit-precision grids.
The solver can now use system reminiscence in addition to GPU reminiscence when operating underneath Metallic or CUDA, enhancing the efficiency of bigger simulations that may’t match into GPU reminiscence.
Higher dealing with of simulation supply shapes, plus new velocity drag power
Axiom 3.0 additionally updates dealing with of simulation supply shapes, with sources now inheriting the orientation of an enter mesh in addition to its measurement; and simulation values now being composited when supply shapes overlap.
Supply shapes additionally now have viewport handles, making it simpler to regulate their measurement and place.
The discharge additionally provides a brand new velocity drag power for slowing down simulations, and makes it doable to make use of as much as three disturbance and turbulence forces in a single simulation.
Up to date 23 Might 2023: Idea Accelerated has launched Axiom 3.1.
It’s primarily a efficiency replace, significantly for Mac customers, with simulation now “5-25% sooner” when utilizing both Metallic or OpenCL on macOS; and higher stability when retiming simulations.
Nonetheless, there are a selection of recent options, together with a brand new Quick Perlin noise sort, which is roughly 5x sooner than the usual Perlin noise, at the price of a smaller vary of controls.
Up to date 27 January 2024: Idea Accelerated has launched Axiom 3.2.
Once more, it’s primarily a efficiency replace, with the solver “10-20% sooner total”, and additional advantages for customers with “very high-end” GPUs from NVIDIA’s GeForce RTX 30 and 40 Sequence.
New options embody the choice to make use of arbitrary fields to drive management ramps on forces, and to vary the utmost variety of advection hint steps from the default worth.
As well as, it’s now doable to put in writing VDBs from subframes in a simulation; and writing out VDBs is now “20% sooner total”.
Up to date 4 September 2024: Idea Accelerated has launched Axiom 3.3.
The replace provides the choices to make use of top fields instantly as a collision supply in simulations, with out the necessity to convert them into VDB objects first.
There are additionally now two auxiliary fields that may be sourced, advected, subtle, dissipated and used to generate output, in an analogous technique to colour, however are scalars as a substitute of vectors.
Pricing and system necessities
Axiom 3.3 is appropriate with Houdini 19.0+ operating on Home windows, Linux or macOS.
Business node-locked licences now value $199, down $200 because the launch of Axiom 2.2, whereas floating licences, which used to value $499, at the moment are priced on demand.
The software program may also be used free in trial mode with Houdini Apprentice; the Indie version, which is appropriate solely with Houdini Indie, prices $99.
Read a full list of new features in Axiom 3 in the online documentation
Read more about Axiom on the product website
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