Maxwell 3 includes extensions, specific external pieces of code which allow extend the capabilities of Maxwell.

The extensions are .MXX files (stands for Maxwell Extensions) and are located in the Maxwell 3>extensions folder. 

There are two types of extensions in Maxwell 3: 

  • Extension Objects: the extension code generates a new object in the scene with particular characteristics (like the Maxwell Sea, Volumetric or the Alembic importer) 

  • Object Modifiers Extensions: the extension modifies an existing geometric object (like the Grass, Scatter or Subdivision modifiers). 

 

The current available extensions and the features they provide are: 

 

Extension Objects 

Extension name

What it does

More info...

MaxwellVolumetric.mxx

Creates a volumetric media either as a constant density object, or using particle files to create smoke, fog, atmospheric haze etc.

 

MaxwellSea.mxx

Creates a simulation of the ocean surface

Maxwell Sea

MaxwellParticles.mxx

Render particles as spheres from RealFlow or other particle systems in 3D applications which allow this through their SDK

Maxwell Particles

MaxwellMesher.mxx

Render particles from RealFlow™, meshing the particles at render time. Ment for rendering fluids and provides sophisticated controls over the resulting fluid mesh

Maxwell Mesher

RFMeshes.mxx

Render fluid meshes from RealFlow™ that have already been meshed in RealFlow™

RF Meshes

RWMeshes.mxx

Allows Maxwell to render RealWave water simulation meshes already created in RealFlow™

RW Meshes

MWObjectAlembic.mxx

Imports an object in Alembic format, both embedded or (more interesting) using it as a referenced Alembic object

Alembic support

 

Object Modifier Extensions 

Extension name

What it does

More info...

MaxwellCloner.mxx

Allows Maxwell to distribute instances of an object using a particle cloud file

Maxwell Cloner

MaxwellGrass.mxx

The grass generator. Generates and distributes random grass guides regarding certain parameters controlled by the user

Grass

MaxwellScatter.mxx

Scatters instances of a given object across the surface of another object

Maxwell Scatter

SubdivisionModifier.mxx

Subdivides the object using Pixars subdivision algorithms: Loop and Catmull-Clark

Pixar OpenSubdiv

MaxwellHair.mxx

Takes fibers generated from a hair/fur system and converts them to analytic cone shapes at render time. Internal use, has no interface

Hair and Fur