Crocotile 3D, a tool beloved by game developers and pixel art enthusiasts, has released version 2.4.5. The software, known for its focus on tile-based 3D modeling, offers updates that expand functionality and streamline workflows for real-time graphics and indie game development.
New Features: Refining Tile-Based Creativity
The latest release introduces several quality-of-life improvements. Most notably, a new select-and-copy tool simplifies manipulating geometry and textures. This feature enables artists to copy tiles or segments between layers or objects, reducing repetitive tasks.
Another highlight is the paintable tile layers. These let users create layered textures directly on models, a boon for artists designing pixel-art-style assets or retro-themed environments. Meanwhile, the software’s grid snapping system has been refined to enhance precision when placing tiles, making workflows more predictable and intuitive.
Version 2.4.5 also expands the range of export options. New FBX enhancements improve compatibility with third-party tools, bridging Crocotile 3D with broader 3D pipelines. Combined with the updated OBJ export, it ensures assets are production-ready for integration into popular game engines like Unity and Unreal Engine.
Usability Improvements for Artists and Developers
For artists working with highly detailed models, the update improves handling of high-poly tile groups without significantly affecting system performance. This ensures smoother editing of intricate assets.
The release also focuses on UI and workflow enhancements. A revamped tile alignment tool aids in correcting offsets during model assembly, useful when working with complex patterns or snapping irregular shapes. Additionally, customizable hotkeys further cater to efficiency-minded artists.
What is Crocotile 3D?
For newcomers, Crocotile 3D is a specialized modeling tool designed for tile-based creation, often used in retro-style games and voxel-inspired 3D art. Unlike traditional modeling tools, it focuses on grid-aligned geometry, enabling precision without sacrificing creative freedom.
Crocotile 3D 2.4.5 brings a rich set of features tailored for efficient tile-based 3D modeling. The Draw and Edit modes enable seamless addition, removal, and editing of tiles directly in 3D space, complemented by perspective and orthographic projections for flexible viewing angles. The tool supports importing and exporting a variety of formats, including .obj, .gltf, .glb, .dae, and .fbx, ensuring compatibility with external software and game engines. Modeling enthusiasts will appreciate the Minecraft-inspired block placement system for building assets intuitively, while UV tools allow for precise modification of tiles, tilesets, and vertex UV mapping.
Artists can create or edit textures using integrated paint editor tools and refine their models with options to rotate, flip, mirror, or reverse faces, vertices, and UVs. Advanced features like vertex colors, lights, and shadows enhance visual detail, while animated tiles and UVs, along with tools for movie rendering, cater to animation workflows. The addition of skinning and rigging with bones and vertex weights in this update makes Crocotile 3D a viable option for character modeling. Essential tools for splitting, cutting, copying, and pasting tiles streamline iterative workflows, and nested instances and grouping tiles into prefabs simplify managing complex models. With powerful transformation tools—translate, rotate, resize—and the reassurance of an undo/redo system, Crocotile ensures flexibility and creative control throughout your modeling process.
Stability and Testing
While the updates improve usability and broaden Crocotile’s capabilities, professionals should evaluate the new version before integrating it into production workflows. As always, stability remains paramount for projects with tight deadlines.
Pricing and Availability
Crocotile 3D is available for purchase for 30 Dollars – itch.io or Steam. More details, along with the full changelog for version 2.4.5, are available on the official website.
For developers working on stylized games or experimenting with retro-style 3D modeling, Crocotile 3D’s latest updates promise a more streamlined and versatile creative experience. Just don’t expect it to replace your industrial-strength modeling tools. It knows its niche and sticks to it—like a perfectly aligned tile.
