Autodesk's 2015 update for Maya aims to simplify complext tasks to allow artists to be more efficient.
Among the new features that Autodesk has introduced for this purpose are new simulation systems including XGen and Bifrost.
XGen (below) is a technology that has been widely used by leading animation companies such as Disney and Pixar on feature films including Frozen, Tangled and Toy Story. It's used to generate curves, spheres or custom geometry on the surface of a polygon mesh, resulting in realistic hair, fur or feathers, for example, or to populate large landscapes with greenery, rocks and debris.
video
