Pencil Pro is a Blender add-on by CGMatter, sold through Superhive (formerly Blender Market). Officially categorised as a “Modifier Setup”, it converts meshes into animated hand-drawn sketches. Unlike simple material overlays, it simulates actual drawing strokes: dual-pass lines and shading, screen-space rendering, and edge-flow aware strokes that follow mesh curvature.

The add-on requires no UVs, works on multiple or animated meshes, and lighting is optional. Setup is a single-button operation: assign a target collection in Blender, hit Pencil Pro, and the add-on spawns both a line-art controller and a procedural shading material.

Update 1.1: faster strokes

Version 1.1, released on 7 May 2025, introduced a 2.5× performance boost plus a “fast mode” for more aggressive optimisation. Pencil Pro is sold standalone for US$15, or discounted as part of the Genie bundle (a multi-add-on pack on Superhive).And yes, we only got to the Update now – sorry for being late, but… this is too good not to share.

Why it matters

Standard NPR converters often break down under close inspection, repeating UV-bound textures or ignoring mesh topology. Pencil Pro instead calculates in screen space, with strokes that flow along the underlying geometry. Zooming out retains line density. Lighting is optional, but when used, shading and line placement respond dynamically. The system works live: moving, rotating, or editing geometry triggers immediate redrawing.

Workflow and setup

After installation, the add-on appears in Blender’s N-panel. It only activates once a target collection is selected. Users can choose whether to generate material shading, line art, or both. Once enabled, Pencil Pro creates a controller object with collection and light assignments, applies a Pencil Pro material to each object in the collection, and generates a Grease Pencil object for strokes. Multiple meshes can share one controller as long as they are grouped into the same collection, and lights can be included to enhance shading.

Line art controls

Line work is Grease Pencil-based, with boundary outlines and interior strokes working together. A light threshold setting determines where lines appear on illuminated faces: lower values suppress strokes in highlights, while higher values draw them across bright areas. Stroke population is influenced by density, which sets the number of strokes; length, which controls whether they appear as short stipples or long contours; and opacity, which acts as a transparency multiplier. Resolution defines how finely each stroke is segmented, with at least two points required to form a line, while the duplicates option repeats strokes with slight offsets to simulate sketching over contours.

Because strokes follow mesh curvature, geometry resolution is critical. A quality level setting subdivides input geometry automatically to improve stroke flow, but low-poly meshes still benefit from manual subdivision to avoid faceted artefacts. Stroke appearance can be further adjusted through thickness controls, radius variation between boundary and interior strokes, and smoothness, which reduces jaggedness at the cost of precision. Natural imperfections are added by transform variation, which offsets strokes slightly in rotation, scale, or position, and by noise variation, which controls the amount and frequency of stroke wiggle. Overshoot settings allow strokes to extend beyond contours for a more human look. All strokes are drawn relative to the camera, meaning that hidden surfaces are ignored.

Shading controls

Shading is screen-space based: the image plane acts as the paper. Correct aspect ratio is important, since mismatches distort hatching patterns. A time parameter drives temporal randomness, with shading and strokes changing slightly per frame to mimic hand-drawn flicker. This effect can be disabled by removing the driver, leaving shading static.

Surface appearance is controlled by several parameters. A light multiplier adjusts the sensitivity of shading to scene lighting. Fresnel brings back edge highlights and contour definition, while roughness breaks up the transition between light and dark. Smudge adds irregularities to shading, preventing the tiled look of procedural patterns.

Two main shading techniques are available. Hatching is controlled through line thickness, patch scale, rotation angle, and distortion, which moves away from an unnatural grid into more organic variation. Dark regions fill automatically with more hatch strokes, and increasing thickness deepens shadows. Dots, or stippling, operate with their own threshold, radius, spacing, and randomness controls. They provide a dithering-like effect that differs from hatching but can be combined with it. Both methods respond to lighting conditions, including world background light, which influences the perceived shadow depth.

Dynamic behaviour

All aspects of the effect are procedural and update instantly. Moving objects, rotating meshes, editing topology, or changing lights triggers live redrawing. Temporal randomisation adds an authentic flicker that resembles flip-book animation, though it can be locked if a static look is required. Demonstrations show Blender’s Suzanne mesh being rotated, extruded, and shaded on the fly, with immediate recalculation.

When zoomed out, the viewport may display cross-hatch artefacts, but these do not persist in renders. Overlapping strokes can be reduced by shortening stroke length and decreasing overshoot values.

Pricing and availability

Pencil Pro is available as a standalone product for US $15 via Superhive and is also offered at a reduced price within the Genie add-on bundle.

Reminder

As with any procedural tool, users should run in-house tests before committing Pencil Pro to production work. Behaviour may differ at render scale compared to viewport previews.

The post Pencil Pro sharpens Blender with hand-drawn precision first appeared on DIGITAL PRODUCTION and was written by Bela Beier.

Creating professional VFX breakdowns for showreals in Blender has never been easier. Breakdown Maker, a $25 add-on available on the Blender Market, simplifies the process of exporting and visualizing complex scenes. Designed with VFX artists, animators, and post-production professionals in mind, this tool eliminates tedious manual tasks, enhancing productivity and ensuring consistent results.

Automated Render Pass Exports

One of Breakdown Maker’s standout features is its ability to export render passes effortlessly. Instead of exporting each asset manually, users can define and export multiple passes in just a few clicks. This saves time and ensures consistency across layers, a critical factor in compositing workflows. The tool applies clear naming conventions, helping maintain organization in multi-layered projects.

Animation Presets for Professional Showcases

The add-on includes six animation presets inspired by industry standards. These presets allow users to animate and showcase the construction of a scene step-by-step, revealing the creative process. Combining multiple animation styles is straightforward, offering flexibility in how each element appears.

For those who need detailed turntables, Breakdown Maker simplifies the setup process. Users can select from customizable preset animations and lighting options to create polished, high-quality demos that highlight their models effectively.

Lighting and HDRI Options

Lighting is critical in presenting 3D assets, and Breakdown Maker doesn’t disappoint. It offers various preset lighting schemes that can be applied with a single click, providing users with a range of moods and styles to suit their projects. These presets are editable, ensuring compatibility with any model. Additionally, the add-on supports HDRIs (High Dynamic Range Images). Users can upload their own or choose from a library of presets, with a Rotate HDRI option available to test lighting interactions from all angles. For advanced users, the asset browser includes studio light setups. These lights emulate professional environments, providing realistic and customizable lighting for turntables and scene breakdowns.

Texture Switching and Calibration Tools

Breakdown Maker includes options to switch between standard, wireframe, and solid color textures during turntable creation. This feature ensures optimal visualization from every perspective.

For industry-standard calibration, the add-on lets users integrate ColorChecker charts and reflective spheres into their scenes. These tools ensure accurate lighting and color fidelity, crucial for professional reels.

Testing for Pipeline Integration

For $25, Breakdown Maker offers an affordable solution tailored to the demands of modern VFX and post-production workers. By automating tedious processes and enhancing visualization capabilities, this Blender add-on simplifies the creation of detailed, professional VFX breakdowns, making it a valuable addition to any artist’s toolkit – and the showreel.

The post Breakdown Maker for Blender: Get your showreel ready! first appeared on DIGITAL PRODUCTION and was written by Bela Beier.

Blender’s MIO3 UV add-on has released an update featuring extensive tools for UV unwrapping and mesh transformation. MIO3 UV offers advanced capabilities for managing UV layouts directly in Blender, facilitating detailed control over texture placement and mesh modification. This add-on provides users with options to convert UV data into mesh forms and vice versa, adding flexibility for 3D modeling and texturing workflows.

Key features in MIO3 UV include precise UV-to-mesh transformations, allowing users to manipulate UV maps as editable 3D meshes, and support for multi-object workflows. The add-on’s UV tools also allow non-destructive editing, meaning artists can experiment with different layouts without committing changes, making it suitable for managing complex surfaces and reducing rework.

Users can generate UV shells and islands with custom alignment options to optimize texture distribution and avoid distortions. For finer control, MIO3 UV includes an option to mirror UV data, which supports symmetrical mapping on models—a valuable tool for maintaining consistent texturing on intricate designs. It also provides customizable settings for UV packing, which automatically arranges UV shells to maximize texture space and avoid overlaps.

Additionally, the add-on allows for extensive modifications to vertex and edge layouts, giving users the ability to finetune mesh geometry at the vertex level. These mesh editing tools are useful for adapting models to specific textures, ensuring smooth transitions and fewer manual adjustments.

The MIO3 UV add-on can be purchased for FREE on the Blender Market . This tool supports Blender’s native functionality while adding dedicated UV management features to streamline the workflow, offering precision in mesh-based texture applications. As with any new tool, testing is recommended to verify stability across project scales and ensure compatibility with Blender setups.

The post MIO3 UV for Blender: Advanced UV Unwrapping and Mesh Transformation Tools first appeared on DIGITAL PRODUCTION and was written by Bela Beier.

“BlockBlender” – sounds like a particularly robust blender, doesn’t it? In fact, it’s a new tool for Blender that fulfils the dream of many artists: Turning any 3D scene into a Minecraft-like world of blocks. Finally, you no longer have to tediously craft your models by hand, but can simply import them as .OBJ, .FBX or .BLEND files, script them and have them transformed into “Minecraft Blocks”.

Who is BlockBlender for? Actually for anyone who has always wondered what their creations would look like in the angular world of Minecraft. Or for those who have to explain to the art director that his concept is crap and will definitely not be the “new Minecraft”.

The principle behind BlockBlender is simple: you import any 3D model into Blender, select the Minecraft blocks you want and the tool does the rest. For example, you can transform the realistic structure of an old stone façade into a cube-shaped representation with cobblestone blocks – without spending hours of manual labour. Python scripts make it possible to customise and automate every step of this process as required. Of course, conversion to optimised .JSON files is also supported so that performance in Minecraft doesn’t fall by the wayside. Whether you’re creating complex city plans, organic landscapes or abstract works of art, BlockBlender turns every design into a building block dream. The tool is particularly useful for anyone who regularly works with Minecraft maps or even uses them commercially.

BlockBlender on BlenderMarket – Official product page

The post Blender meets Minecraft first appeared on DIGITAL PRODUCTION and was written by Bela Beier.

In nuce: The user vfxguide has published his Damage Bundle on blendermarket.com. It is a toolset for Blender that allows artists to enrich 3D objects with cracks, scratches and other damage – in a matter of seconds. The toolset is aimed at artists who want to enhance their environment design with object details; it is priced at 32 US dollars and works with Blender 2.93, 3.0, 3.1, 3.2, 3.3 and 3.4.

In toto: The One Click Damage Tool included in the download scope in particular ensures quick damage traces. In addition, the associated add-on called The Cracker causes cracks and the Stomper Tool can be used to stomp flat (for example on floor panels) – and the Glass Breaker Tool can be used to smash windows.

Click further: To the Damage Bundle on blendermarket.com. Digital Production last reported on destruction orgies on 4 April 2022 – at that time, a plug-in for Unreal Engine 4 and 5 ensured that 3D vehicles were given scratches.

Source: 80.lv ( report by Theodore McKenzie)

The post Do some damage with this Blender toolset! first appeared on DIGITAL PRODUCTION and was written by Patrick Poti.