Netherlands-based animation middleware firm MysticGD has announced a new version of its realtime character animation and model exporting tool EMotion FX, version 3.8. MysticGD says the tool's EMotion Studio is "completely new," now fully command-based with support for undo and redo, multiple viewports, multiple characters, and custom plug-ins for extensibility. The new release adds an updated motion compression algorithm that the company says reduces motion memory size 8 to 25 times. Even without compression, the company asserts, filesizes are now smaller by 30 to 50 percent. MysticGD says EMotion FX version 3.8 also features an improved deformable attachment system that lets users add new nodes or bones partially animated separately and partially animated by the main skeleton, with the aim of simplifying the customization of advanced models. In addition to adding support for the latest versions of Autodesk Max and Maya, EMotion FX version 3.8 supports more advanced rendering, with 50 API examples and a sample browser. "We believe good tools are the future of successful game middleware," says development director John van der Burg. "Therefore we spent a lot of time writing a completely new EMotion Studio until we knew for sure that it was better than any existing on the market."