PSOFT Pencil+ 4.2.7 for 3ds Max 2024 – 2027 – Non-Photorealistic Rendering Plugin for 3ds Max

PSOFT Pencil+ 4 for 3ds Max is a non-photorealistic rendering (NPR) plugin that reproduces the appearance of pen-and-ink, colored pencil drawings, and animation cels directly within 3D graphics . It enables artists to achieve the distinctive visual style of Japanese 2D animation and illustrations in a 3D environment.

Version 4.2.7, released on April 23, 2026, is a maintenance update that primarily adds official compatibility with Autodesk 3ds Max 2027, along with minor bug fixes . This update is free for all registered users of Pencil+ 4 . The plugin supports 3ds Max versions 2024, 2025, 2026, and 2027.

Primary Users

PSOFT Pencil+ 4.2.7 for 3ds Max is designed for 3D artists, animators, illustrators, and visualization specialists who want to achieve distinctive non-photorealistic (NPR) renders. It serves professionals who:

• Create cel-shaded or hand-drawn style animations for broadcast and film

• Produce illustration-style architectural or product visualizations

• Work in Japanese animation (anime) production pipelines, where the plugin is widely used

• Need to quickly iterate on stylized looks without complex shading networks

Key Features & Capabilities

Pencil+ 4 offers a comprehensive toolset for stylized rendering, focusing on materials, linework, and workflow efficiency .

Expressive Cel-Shading Materials

• Cel Shading: Reproduces the flat, clean look of traditional animation cels with fine control over shading and textures .

• Material Penetration: Allows light to pass through objects, creating subtle and complex visual effects .

• Nitrous Viewport Shader: Enables real-time preview of Pencil+ materials in the 3ds Max viewport, leveraging GPU acceleration for fast feedback .

• Gradation and Color Control: Features adjustable gradation bars with gamma/LUT correction for precise color tuning .

Powerful Line Drawing Engine

• Fast and Beautiful Lines: Creates a wide range of lines, from mechanically uniform strokes to rough sketch-like lines with width modulation .

• Multithreading Support: The line rendering engine is multithreaded, delivering massive speed improvements. In one test, Pencil+ 4 rendered lines 68 times faster than its predecessor on a complex scene .

• Advanced Edge Detection: Offers a robust set of edge detection settings, including outlines, open edges, intersections, material ID boundaries, and more .

• Viewport Display: Lines can be previewed directly in the viewport .

Utilities and Workflow Enhancements

• Pencil+ 4 Spreadsheet: A utility plugin for batch-editing parameters of materials and lines, significantly reducing the burden of managing complex projects .

• Pencil+ 4 Bridge & Converter: Utility plugins that facilitate workflow integration, also updated to support 3ds Max 2027 .

• Powerful Render Elements: Output lines and other elements to separate files for compositing, including EPS and PLD formats .

• Online License Authorization: Allows flexible license management, enabling users to easily transfer licenses between computers .

What’s New in Pencil+ 4.2.7

The 4.2.7 release is a targeted update focused on compatibility and stability.

Official Support for 3ds Max 2027

• The primary enhancement is full compatibility with Autodesk 3ds Max 2027 .

• The Pencil+ 4 Bridge and Converter utility plugins have also been updated to support 3ds Max 2027 .

Minor Improvements and Fixes

• The installer no longer includes a local manual; it now links to an online manual .

• Various minor bug fixes have been implemented .

Important Note

• Due to a bug in the 3ds Max 2027.0 library, Pencil+ 4 Spreadsheet does not currently support 3ds Max 2027.0. PSOFT has stated they will look into supporting it once Autodesk fixes the underlying issue .

System Requirements

🖥️ System Requirements