VFX
Atoms Crowd is a standalone crowd framework for large animation datasets — integrated in Maya, Houdini and Unreal Engine.
Capabilities
Easy to use
Layout shots in several ways and run a first simulation in a few clicks. Atoms will not take decisions for you — artists stay in control.
Skeleton-based quality
Agents are fully skeleton-simulated for strong animation quality, with support for any number of joints and legs.
Customizable
Full control over every entity. Use nodes and Python, or go deeper with C++ to integrate Atoms into your pipeline.
Host applications
- Unreal Engine
- Maya
- Houdini
- Katana
- Gaffer
Render engines
- Arnold
- Redshift
- V-Ray
- RenderMan
File formats
- USD
- Alembic
- FBX
- Atoms native formats
Trusted by
Hybrid workflow
Atoms supports multiple hosts with a shared workflow. Lookdev and prepare agents in Maya, simulate in Houdini, return to Maya for rendering — or work the other way around, or stay in one application. The same crowd data moves cleanly across supported tools.
From simulation to render
Render with engines such as Arnold, V-Ray, RenderMan and Redshift. Use Atoms Proxy for fast viewport caches and lighting without needing a full VFX seat, and plug into lighting hosts such as Katana and Gaffer when your pipeline requires it.
Products
Atoms VFX
Crowd simulation in Maya and Houdini. Artist-driven layout, skeleton-based agents, and production pipelines for film and episodic.
Atoms Realtime
Atoms in Unreal Engine with skeleton instancing for games and apps. Simulate in-engine; cache display needs no license.
Atoms Procedural
Render with Arnold, V-Ray, RenderMan and Redshift. Atoms Proxy for fast viewport caches and lighting without a full VFX seat.
Atoms Framework
Core libraries for animation and large datasets. Python and C++ APIs, crowd classes, and batch simulation in Maya and Houdini.
Atoms Agents
Free agent bundle for customers — populate scenes quickly and start simulating without building characters from scratch.
Pricing
| Product | License | Monthly | Quarterly | Yearly | Purchase |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Atoms VFX |
1 Atoms VFX floating/node locked license AtomsMaya, AtomsHoudini |
£440 /month | £1090 /quarter | £3190 /year | Buy now |
| Atoms RT |
1 Atoms RT floating/node locked license AtomsUnreal |
£390 /month | £740 /quarter | £1990 /year | Buy now |
| Atoms Framework |
1 Atoms Framework floating/node locked license Standalone Python/C++ APIs, AtomsMaya/AtomsHoudini batch sessions and commands. |
£140 /month | £250 /quarter | £550 /year | Buy now |
| Atoms RT Viewer |
1 Atoms RT Viewer floating/node locked license AtomsUnreal live not-editable simulation in the editor. |
£140 /month | £250 /quarter | £550 /year | Buy now |
| Atoms Procedural |
1 Atoms Procedural floating/node locked license AtomsUnreal (headless mode), AtomsClarisse, AtomsGaffer, AtomsKatana, rendering with Arnold/Renderman/Vray/Redshift |
£20 /month | £40 /quarter | £80 /year | Buy now |
| Atoms VFX + RT |
1 Atoms VFX + 1 Atoms RT floating/node locked licenses AtomsMaya, AtomsHoudini, AtomsUnreal |
£540 /month | £1390 /quarter | £4290 /year | Buy now |
AtomsUnreal plugin source code might be provided upon Toolchefs approval. Additional fees might apply.
Product comparison
| Features | Atoms VFX | Atoms Realtime | Atoms Procedural | Atoms Framework |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Assets | ||||
| Manage agent type and clips | ✓ | ✓ | No | No |
| Import custom assets | ✓ | ✓ | No | No |
| Import atoms agents | ✓ | ✓ | No | No |
| Simulation | ||||
| Create and simulate agents | ✓ | ✓ | No | ✓ With Atoms API |
| Caches | ||||
| Export caches | ✓ | ✓ | No | ✓ With Atoms API |
| Edit caches | ✓ | ✓ | No | ✓ With Atoms API |
| USD | ||||
| Exporters (skeleton, animation, meshes) | ✓ | No | No | No |
| Use USD files for agent type and animations | ✓ | No | No | ✓ With Atoms API |
| Export USD caches | ✓ | ✓ | No | ✓ With Atoms API |
| Edit USD caches | ✓ | No | No | ✓ With Atoms API |
| Commands / Exporters | ||||
| Skeleton definition exporter | ✓ | No | No | ✓ |
| Animation Clip exporter | ✓ | No | No | ✓ |
| Material exporters | ✓ | No | No | ✓ |
| FBX exporter | ✓ | No | No | ✓ |
| Alembic exporter | ✓ | No | No | ✓ |
| CFX exporter | ✓ | No | No | ✓ |
| Rendering | ||||
| Render support | ✓ | No | ✓ | ✓ |
| Motion blur | ✓ | No | ✓ | ✓ |
| Atoms proxy | ✓ | No | ✓ | ✓ |
| API | ||||
| Python API | ✓ | No | ✓ | ✓ |
| C++ API | ✓ | ✓ | Limited for custom procedurals | ✓ |
| Support | ||||
| Bug fixes and service desk | ✓ | ✓ | No | No |
Become a crowd master
Request an evaluation for Maya, Houdini, and Unreal Engine, or talk to us about fitting Atoms into your pipeline.