UNITY 2.6 goes Free + Max/UNITY Bridge

Openness of software to the public in my opinion has always played a crucial role in growth and development of multimedia and methods of production. The vast amount of choices out there make for a complex decision making process, and especially when you bound to pay for quality software.
This particular post is aimed to introduce some of such options that recently become available, but also highlight additional benefits of incorporating such tools that are capable of integrating with likes of MAX and Pure Data.

Unity
Unity is a multi platform game development tool, designed from the start to ease creation. A fully integrated professional application, Unity just happens to contain the most powerful engine this side of a million dollars. Its recent 2.6 release marked itself as a Free Download option for all users. Unity Pro does have few additional extras, yet there are options to try then out for at least 30 days, which could be a yummy option for some.

Download Unity:
http://unity3d.com/unity/download/
(Free Unity Version, 30 Day Trial Unity Pro version. View Licences Comparison)

I have picked this news via vjforums discussions (Thanks bridd) that also touched
a subject of “Max-Unity Interoperability Toolkit version 1.0″ (Thanks Elbows). I suggest you also check it out.

Max-Unity Interoperability Toolkit version 1.0. μ [myu]
μ [myu] Max-Unity Interoperability Toolkit version 1.0. μ [myu] is designed to simplify communication between the Max/MSP/Jitter http://www.cycling74.com and Unity3D http://www.unity3d.com rapid prototyping environments. Utilizing the TCP network packets, μ [myu] allows for easy bi-directional control of Unity3D and Max/MSP/Jitter assets, as well as importing of dynamic Jitter textures into Unity3D scene. Apart from the Jitter-specific texture communication protocol, μ [myu] relies upon the netsend/netreceive framework, thus making it also compatible with Pure-Data http://www.pure-data.info.

WHY μ?
Max/MSP/Jitter and Pure-Data offer unprecedented flexibility in digital signal processing, particularly audio, as well as easy integration of external controllers and sensors, video, and 3D assets, while Unity3D is an advanced scalable and optimized 3D gaming engine with integrated intuitive scene editor and physics engine. By coupling their strengths μ [myu] aims to expand their rapid prototyping potential with minimal integration overhead.

μ [myu] was developed at DISIS http://disis.music.vt.edu and is available for download from the DISIS website http://disis.music.vt.edu/main/portfolio.html

Watch μ [myu] in Action: