Ziva VFX-Inspired Muscle Simulation Plug-In for 3ds Max & Maya

Senior Technical Animator at Activision Blizzard, Shirzad Bahrami, has presented HézFX, a plug-in for Maya and 3ds Max that delivers realistic muscle simulation, and invited artists to test its Maya version.

In the video above, Bahrami demonstrated the tool's capabilities: red muscles are simulated by HézFX, and blue muscles are visualized using Ziva VFX, software for constructing and simulating muscles, fat, fascia, and skin, previously canceled by Unity, with an exclusive license now held by DNEG. Earlier, Bahrami showcased another setup comparing HézFX and Ziva VFX on the same bones and tissues.

According to the artist, HézFX will include density painting for areas where you need more deformation resolution in the tissue, proximity painting tools, and automatic endpoint finding for muscle fiber directions, among other features. Bahrami also shared a new HézFX clip, noting that a muscle doesn't contract all at once: it activates along its fibers and in the belly.

The animator said that the 3ds Max version of the plug-in already has more than 10 active beta testers, and he is now looking for a limited number of seasoned CFX artists to try the Maya version. If you have a background in muscle simulation and want to try the tool, reach out to the artist on LinkedIn.

To learn more from Shirzad Bahrami, you might check out his tutorials on animating a fish, along with a 3ds Max script, and simulating destruction of a wooden house: