To ensure that our customers are always on the forefront of creature technology, Ziva VFX v1.9 offers complete Maya 2020 support/integration, along with a brand new Maya File Referencing system. This new system allows users to create ZivaVFX simulation bodies on referenced scene objects. Here are some common workflows:

• Apply ZivaVFX components to referenced Maya meshes. For example, create zTissues from referenced meshes.
• Apply ZivaVFX components to referenced ZivaVFX setups. For example, create zAttachments between referenced zTissues and zBones, build a zRestshape on a referenced zTissue.

A small difference between referenced and normal scene objects is that Ziva VFX does not lock the transform attributes of referenced objects. This is due to limitations in Maya that can cause problems when referenced objects have locked attributes. It is up to the user to make sure that they don’t accidentally move the transform of referenced geometry after it has been converted into a Ziva Tissue or Cloth. If you encounter and obstacles when using the Maya File Referencing, please click here to learn more about our custom system intregration limitations.

Additional minor updated in Ziva VFX 1.9 include:

• Disable Maya Cached Playback using Safe Mode when zSolver is enabled in the scene. Note that ZivaVFX still does not support Cached Playback yet.
• Add zRivetToBone support to zQuery command. See zQuery for details.
• Scene Panel display disabled nodes with dark font color.
• Improve simulation stability when zFiber strength is large relative to Young’s modulus on the same tissue’s zMaterial.
• Improve simulation stability when zMaterial surfaceTension is large relative to Young’s modulus or tensileStiffness.