Vue 7 xStream is now shipping, downloading now.
Not a bad upgrade price ($395) though the full package is quite bit higher than previous versions.

Max 2012
Windows 7 64 SP1

Are you getting it?
Please let me know if it actually works. It has been a pretty frustrating program, especially the Xstream version and the viewport display (or lack of) in Max.

Well, it now supports DirectX viewport rendering so that doesn’t seem to be a problem for now.
Some things that I’ve run into are:
1) Eco Painter seems to be not working now, though it did work at first and looked good,
not sure what may be the problem.
2) All Vue commands are from the Max header, which is fine but I will have to set up shortcuts for speed.
3) Though all the Vue panels are modal so you can do your editing while in Max but cannot do anything other than
work with the panels untl you close the specific panels. And unlike previously, there is no interactive updating,
which is not helpful.
4) The meta cloud texture is terrible, full of tiny noise, not the smooth cloud looking material needed.
Will have to see about developing something better.

This after about 45 minutes for working.
Seems stable though, so far.

Max 2012
Windows 7 64 SP1

Whoops, my bad, Paint Ecosystem has to be selected in the Vue Edit menu before the Paint Ecosystem Utility will work.
Back to working again.

Max 2012
Windows 7 64 SP1

In the stand alone mode xStream will paint on infinite planes but not in the xStream/Max mode.
The meta cloud textures have cleared up now that I set my Max System Units Settings to inches, instead of meters.
The viewport rendering is still a problem in OGL and D3D, though objects seem pretty good (can disappear in viewport)
once a viewport update doesn’t happen on an ecosystem, I haven’t gotten it back, though it does render fine.
This lack of real time updating is a draw back.
And I have had problems with the file crashing when saving, though not every time,
could be trying to save before it finishes an under the hood operation will have to keep an eye on this.
Every file that didn’t have Max objects in it will not open again,
but so far even if Max crashes while containing native Max objects the file has opened and retained all it previous attributes.
This is with very limited testing. I am incorporating the Vue file into the Max file and don’t want to have to mess with multiple files.

EDIT: eco painting on a Vue infinite plane in Max does work to a 20,000x20,000 unit distance,
which is the size of the visible geometry in Max, though the plane/terrain renders out without an end.
I have had less crashes by making sure there are no background operations going on before trying to save a file and not editing thing swhiel the autosave is working.
After further time with the program the vegetation seems to be working (visible) with some more reliability,
and have had an instance where after the vegetation was no longer visible due to rotating the view it did return to visibility
on a sequential rotation.

Max 2012
Windows 7 64 SP1

For anyone interested is seeing some Vue 7 tutorials you can find some here.

Max 2012
Windows 7 64 SP1

A quick question… Do you know if Vue 7 xStream supports Mental Ray Satellite?  We are using Maya 2008 right now(and will upgrade to 09 when we change over from MAC to PC), and our Render Farm uses MR Satellite.

Thanks,
Rob

"You know that every time I try to go where I really want to be is already where I am ‘cause I’m already there...”

From the Vue 7 xStream features page:
“NEW! Rendering compatible with MentalRay Distributed Bucket Rendering.”
It seems like it does but you may have to do further research yourself, maybe ask on the forums.

Max 2012
Windows 7 64 SP1