For those who don’t know the tool: Adobe Substance 3D Painter is a texture painting hub that spits out textures and masks for other DCC apps.

Warp to Geometry, because decals deserve better

Substance 3D Painter has a new option called Warp to Geometry aimed squarely at one of texturing’s most reliable time sinks: projecting decals onto surfaces that refuse to behave. The feature lives as a new toggle in the contextual toolbar. When enabled, decals follow the curvature and topology of the mesh they are projected onto. The stated goal is cleaner results on complex surfaces, including cases where curvature shifts sharply and projection artifacts become obvious.

The practical change is easy to describe. A decal projection that would normally fade at the edges when the surface bends hard can retain its shape instead, with the toggle stopping that edge fade in the before-and-after comparison shown for the feature. If your decal workflow involves anything more dramatic than a flat panel, the point is clear: fewer hand fixes and fewer compromises to keep projected detail readable across tricky shapes.

Viewport post effects step up the lookdev game

Painter now includes additional post-processing effects in its built-in renderer. The intent is to let artists preview assets in the viewport under conditions that are closer to final renders. There are now 10 post effects in total. New options include lens flares and film grain. In other words, the viewport can lean further into presentation and context, so you can judge a surface with more of the usual render seasoning already applied.

This is still a preview context, not a final render pipeline. It is a way to iterate with more of the finishing layer visible while you paint, adjust, and evaluate. As always with shiny new viewport tricks, test new tools and innovations before using them in production.

Flatten layers, export fast, keep the editability

A new Flatten action has been added inside the layer stack. The workflow improvement here is about speed and convenience, especially when you want to get something out of your stack without committing to the full export pipeline. The flow described is simple. You can group layers and merge them to create a flattened copy. That flattened copy can be exported to disk. The payoff is a quicker path for getting textures or masks out of Painter so you can test them in other DCC applications, without having to go through the full export pipeline.

Crucially, flattening does not have to mean losing your ability to keep iterating. The original group can be saved as a Smart Material, making it possible to edit it in future. That is a useful balance for anyone who wants fast outputs for testing while keeping the layered logic intact for later adjustments. This is also the kind of change that quietly speeds up team communication. A flattened export is easier to pass around, and a saved Smart Material keeps the authoring side reusable for the next asset that needs the same treatment.

The end result is less friction when you need quick texutres for a test, while still keeping the layered work ready for a more considered pass later.

Project setup tweaks and a nod to USD workflows

Painter 12 also updates parts of project setup and iteration. The New project dialog has been reordered to make key settings quicker to access. There is also a new checkbox for reimporting the project mesh in the Project configuration dialog. Taken together, these are small adjustments that aim to reduce the number of clicks and the time spent hunting for the setting you always use.

Beyond that, there are smaller feature updates and bugfixes, including to USD workflow. Even when changes like these do not grab headlines, they often show up as day-to-day time saved, especially on projects where geometry keeps evolving and the texturing side needs to keep pace with mesh updates.

Platforms, licensing, and the money part

Substance 3D Painter 12.0 is available for Windows 11, Red Hat Enterprise Linux versions 8.6 and 9.2 or later, Ubuntu 22.04 or later, and macOS 12.0 or later.

Perpetual licenses are available via Steam and cost $199.99.

The software is also available via Creative Cloud based 3D and AR subscriptions. Substance 3D Texturing subscriptions cost $24.99 per month or $249.99 per year. Substance 3D Collection subscriptions cost $59.99 per month or $599.99 per year. That gives teams and individuals a choice between a one time buy through Steam or subscription access through the 3D and AR plans, depending on how they prefer to budget tools and how often they expect to stay on the latest major versions.

If you are planning to fold these features into an existing pipeline, keep the usual discipline. Validate the new projection behavior on your typical asset types, check that flattened exports match what downstream expects, and confirm viewport effects do not mislead your approvals when compared to your final render targets. And yes, do a quick proejct side-by-side on something ugly, curved, and full of detail. The tools are clearly aimed at those moments.

The post Adobe releases Substance 3D Painter 12 with decal warp first appeared on DIGITAL PRODUCTION and was written by Bela Beier.

The texturing add-on Ucupaint for Blender has reached version 2.4.0. According to the official release notes, the update introduces a substantial number of new features, UI enhancements, and bug fixes aimed at improving performance and workflow stability across Blender versions 2.76 through 5.0.

What’s new for artists

Among the most notable additions is the introduction of a dedicated alpha channel, which provides a separate transparency layer instead of relying on background or alpha toggles. A new decal constraint system allows decal objects to stay fixed to the surface of a mesh, improving the projection workflow for labels and surface markings. The add-on now also detects files with a “Smoothness” suffix automatically and loads them into a single layer, while “other object” colour baking can be used to generate more precise masks.

Sculpting with vector displacement maps (VDMs) has been refined: when Mirror U/V is active, the Mirror modifier is temporarily applied, enabling symmetrical sculpting directly on mirrored geometry. A new operator in the normal-channel cog menu allows artists to apply all VDM layers at once to the multiresolution modifier. Baking options have expanded as well, with support for Open Shading Language (OSL) and an additional Ambient Occlusion channel that can be added after Quick Setup. Transparency can also now be used for missing rays during “other object” normal baking, and users can select the layer alpha as a channel source.

UI and workflow updates

Ucupaint 2.4.0 introduces a new sponsors panel that displays current supporters of the project, alongside a refreshed info panel showing contributor icons. A convenient button has been added to switch to material view when working in solid or wireframe mode. The software now displays a warning when creating realtime Ambient Occlusion or Edge Detect layers, clarifying that the viewport preview may differ from the baked result.

When the main channel list is collapsed in layer preview mode, the active channel name remains visible, aiding navigation in complex scenes. Material-specific settings such as render method or alpha blending have been moved into a new material dropdown, reducing clutter and improving workflow consistency.

Performance improvements

Version 2.4.0 also improves performance across multiple fronts. Transform operations within Blender experience noticeably less lag when the Ucupaint interface is visible, and UI sliders now respond more smoothly. Native VDM baking has been optimised for Blender 5.0, and the baking process in general has become faster since unrelated objects are automatically hidden during the operation.

Bug fixes

The update resolves a long list of stability issues. Blender’s built-in icons are now used more consistently to prevent missing icon errors. Baking a channel with multiple objects no longer causes incorrect colours when vertex-colour data is absent, and sculpting a VDM image with Flip Y/Z disabled now produces the correct mesh.

Errors when baking masks to images, particularly when the active object was hidden, have been fixed. Blender 5.0’s lack of an automatic output node, which previously caused baking errors, is now handled correctly, and mask baking with blur enabled works as intended. Other fixes address disappearing “Refresh Linear Color Space” buttons, eraser-tool crashes when using Erase Alpha blending, incorrect mask loading from colour ID attributes, and leftover baked masks when deleting layers. Additional bug fixes include resolving preview node disconnections, animation playback errors in Blender 5.0, incorrect default values for custom bake targets, and missing extrusion or ray-settings controls when “Use Cage” was disabled.

Caveats

No independent third-party testing of key features such as the new alpha-channel workflow or decal constraint system was available at press time, so users are advised to test thoroughly before deployment in production.

Get it here!

The post Ucupaint 2.4.0 with alpha channel and decal-constraints first appeared on DIGITAL PRODUCTION and was written by Bela Beier.

Toolbag 5.02 adds a Decal layer type with a dedicated viewport tool, for precise on‑mesh placement of logos, ports, bolts, graffiti and similar design elements.

Decal Projection mode for vector layers enables artists to design on a virtual grid with snapping and booleans before projecting shapes onto meshes—non-destructive, repeatable placement even across multiple objects.

A new Smudge tool for paint layers allows intuitive blending of colours and shapes, including across UV and UDIM seams and geometry borders.

Tile Strips enable modular creation of tubular vector shapes—such as straps, shoelaces, snakes, feathers—using start, middle, end, and optional feature tiles that update dynamically with length and offer taper control. Toolbag includes example presets like Lace Boot, Strap Braided Leather, and Strap Nylon.

Tube Mode for Paint Layers incorporates vector tube-style drawing (profiles, tapering, warping, displacement) directly into brush strokes, with Tile Strip support too.

Sample Layers for Masks allows any layer to be converted to a mask via drag-and-drop, with configurable mask generation based on albedo, roughness, and other maps—supported for both paint and fill layers.

Sync Points now work inside groups or as children to other layers, including an Isolate option to limit their scope. Sync Points may also toggle effects like normal map direction and can be saved within Smart Materials.

The Shape tools and vector workflow include several stability enhancements: selecting shapes now jumps to the correct list; Pen and Curvature tools support point editing; spiral shapes are more stable; vector drawing over UV seams and thin geometry is more robust; radial symmetry is less topology‑sensitive; vector shapes now persist through object transformations; small brush sizes no longer create gaps; and several mask‑stack duplication and scene‑load bugs are fixed.

Texture Projects can now be collapsed, exporting textures while simplifying the scene setup. Likewise, linked Bake Projects can be collapsed by removing high‑poly geometry to improve memory and performance. Other fixes include proper selection in multi‑texture‑set mode, alpha channel trimming for unnecessary exports, accurate material reference display, and improved brush previews and mask generation.

Baking Innovations

Toolbag supports Low‑to‑Low baking, enabling texture bakes directly on low‑poly meshes without requiring duplication. A dual‑material setup (Source and Result) provides editable previews, with a Unified Material Preview option to combine multi‑material sources. Drag‑and‑drop or Quick Loader supports bake group setup. The Exclude When Ignoring Groups option avoids ambient occlusion artifacts from intersecting parts.

The UV Matching mode is also now supported for workflows without high‑poly meshes. The previous Multi‑Layered PSD export option has been removed and replaced with a button to export layered PSD after baking; several regressions—including cage expansion, UV padding quality, skew and offset painting—have been fixed. The alpha channel is also now omitted in exports when not needed.

Material Fixes

Fixes include preventing crashes when duplicating material layers, improving grayscale texture input handling, and ensuring the sRGB toggle in Vertex Color shading does not alter albedo textures improperly.

Rendering Upgrades

The Render object now lives in a dedicated window that can be docked independently. Render‑setting changes now generate undo history separate from the main undo track.

Ray-Traced Fog support has been added. Fog now behaves consistently in Ray-Traced and Raster modes, including god-rays and shafts, Vertical Fade for height control, and global illumination parameters for all fog objects. Denoising in Hybrid mode is improved, the 1K transparency texture limit removed in Ray Tracing, and Shadow Catcher/backdrop and ray-traced shadow bugs fixed.

A VRAM Budget system allows automatic switching and compression of ray‑tracing acceleration structures and backend (Accelerated/RTX vs Generic) based on scene complexity, adjustable in Preferences > GPU. Changes apply without restart. NVIDIA DLSS has been updated to version 4.

Scene & UI Workflow Improvements

Multi‑Select and Edit now applies to most scene objects, enabling mass adjustments (e.g., subdivision, cage settings). Materials and layers are currently excluded.

Other updates include a Hotkey Editor with import/export/reset and overwrite prompts; Scene Search for name or type filtering; a Presentation button for quickly adding backdrop, shadow catcher, and turntable objects; improved Light button for camera types; fixes for backspace deleting keyframes, sky‑thumb updates, scene‑list navigation, and deletable default sky objects.

Mesh File Handling

High‑precision UV exports from Reality Capture no longer corrupt UVs. Groom animations are suppressed when hidden and cannot crash when framed. Exported glTF files now preserve UV and texture orientation correctly.

Library System

Custom folders can now be created, deleted, and populated in the Library window; assets can be rearranged via drag‑and‑drop. The Apply to All checkbox simplifies mass import metadata assignment. However, first‑party content remains fixed, files must be imported via the interface to include metadata, and external OS copying is unsupported.

See all new features here: https://marmoset.co/posts/marmoset-toolbag-5-02-available-now/#feature-list

The post Marmoset Toolbag 5.02 Rolls Off the Assembly Line first appeared on DIGITAL PRODUCTION and was written by Bela Beier.

Toolbag 5.02 introduces an experimental Low-to-Low Baking mode, letting artists bake from one low-poly mesh to another using a dual-material setup. The new Bevel Shader supports hard-edged UVs, and baking previews can now be edited in the interactive mode. That’s good news for everyone who enjoys less guesswork and fewer bake group tantrums.

Decals, Tubes and Smudges

The new Decal Layer is almost finished, allowing drag-and-drop decal painting directly onto models. These decals are fully adjustable in size, projection, falloff, and rotation. Vector decal projection is also in beta – project curves as 2D vectors, combine them with booleans, snap them to grid, and yes, tubes and solids are supported, even if brush or symmetry settings aren’t yet.

Smudge Tool finally makes its debut, letting users smear paint layers across UV seams, geometry borders, and UDIMs. And Tile Strips can now be used to place tube textures as modular start/mid/end patterns, complete with tapering and tiling. For even more painterly control, a new Tube Mode for vector painting is included, letting you paint curves with warp, taper and brush profiles, and project Tile Strips directly.

For masking, you can now Sample Layers from paint or fill and convert them into reusable masks – non-destructively. Groups now support Sync Points, including adaptive anchors with isolation toggles.

The Fog Rolls In

In rendering, Toolbag 5.02 beta adds Ray-Traced Fog – still experimental, but already supporting multiple fog volumes, height-based falloff, and god rays. Raster rendering also supports fog, though it currently lacks falloff. Ray tracing also gets leaner on memory: Toolbag automatically switches between RTX and generic backends based on available VRAM, with a new GPU Auto mode in preferences that doesn’t require a restart.

If you’ve been longing for more control over your shortcuts, rejoice: the Hotkey Editor is finished. You can bind, reset, export/import and view all key assignments – including a conflict detection view that avoids shortcut chaos. The Scene Search bar is live, letting you filter your scene objects as you type. Multi-selecting scene items like meshes, lights and cameras is now supported for batch transforms. The new Render Window provides a dedicated space for render settings, separated from object properties. Finally, users can now add custom folders to their Asset Library, move/delete assets and folders freely, and even bulk import using “Apply to All” – though drag and drop from the OS still isn’t working.

Price and Availability

Toolbag 5.02 is currently available as a beta. Pricing details remain unchanged and can be found on the Marmoset Toolbag official site. As always with beta releases: stability is not guaranteed. Artists should evaluate these features in non-critical environments before integrating them into production pipelines.

Marmoset Toolbag 5.02 Beta

The post Baking, Decals, Fog and a Smudge of Beta in Marmoset Toolbag first appeared on DIGITAL PRODUCTION and was written by Bela Beier.

Corona 13 integrates the Chaos AI Enhancer, enabling quick, quality enhancements of complex vegetation and 3D humans—traditionally resource-heavy render elements. These can now be optimized with minimal effort and no interference with other scene elements. Especially useful in photorealistic archviz workflows where speed matters.

GPU-Driven Animation via Vantage

Users of 3ds Max and Cinema 4D can render animations using Chaos Vantage Live Link for full real-time GPU rendering with ray tracing, offering a fast alternative to CPU rendering. The real-time view in Vantage supports live scene updates regardless of complexity. A Vantage license or the new Archviz Collection is required.

Cel & Outline Shaders for Stylized Looks

With Cel and Contour shaders, artists can render scenes as stylized cartoons or simple outlined compositions. These effects can be used individually or combined—ideal for early-stage design visualization or stylized client presentations.

Scatter Clusters for Dense Detail

New Scatter Clusters allow controlled generation of object groupings (e.g., plants, rocks, debris) using noise or color maps. 3ds Max users also benefit from Painted Layers—support for Cinema 4D will follow soon.

More Asset Variations in Cosmos

The Chaos Cosmos asset library now includes seasonal plant variants and more clothing options for 3D figures, giving users greater flexibility in storytelling and visual detailing.

Firefly Removal at a Click

Unwanted bright pixel artifacts (aka “fireflies”) in stills and animations can now be removed with a single click—no more tedious post-processing needed.

VRScene Import from Enscape

Corona 13 supports direct import of .vrscene files from Enscape, allowing photorealistic rendering of Enscape projects in Corona. Note: Requires V-Ray to be installed.

Thin‑Film Shader for Iridescence

A new Thin‑Film shader simulates iridescent effects like oil slicks, anodized metals, dichroic glass, and soap bubbles. Useful for both realism and surrealism in materials.

Availability & Licensing

Corona 13 is available now for:

• 3ds Max (2016–2025, Windows 64-bit)
• Cinema 4D (R17–2025, Windows & macOS 64-bit)

Licensing options include monthly or yearly subscriptions. Corona 13 is also bundled in the Archviz Collection, which includes Corona, Chaos Cosmos, Phoenix, Player, Scans, Vantage, and Anima. A 30-day trial version is available.

Corona vs V-Ray

Corona 13 emphasizes streamlined, artist-friendly workflows with integrated creative tools—ideal for fast-paced archviz. While V-Ray offers deeper customization via node-based shading and hybrid CPU/GPU pipelines, Corona 13 focuses on usability and visual fidelity with minimal setup. Ideal for teams prioritizing speed, stylization, and clean results.

Note: Despite significant upgrades, test Corona 13 thoroughly in your production environment before rolling it out in mission-critical pipelines.

The post Chaos Corona 13: AI, GPU & Cartoon Vibes first appeared on DIGITAL PRODUCTION and was written by Bela Beier.

Real-time fluid dynamics for VFX artists just got an upgrade with Fluid Flux 3.0, a plugin for Unreal Engine. Designed for simulation-heavy workflows in game development, real-time rendering, and VFX production, this update brings features like glass system simulation, underwater lighting improvements, decals, rain, and more to simplify creative pipelines without sacrificing detail.

Glass Simulation and Lighting Updates

One of the standout additions in Fluid Flux 3.0 is the glass system, enabling realistic refractions and reflections. Whether designing shattered windows or curved lenses, artists can fine-tune how light interacts with transparent materials. Underwater lighting also sees significant enhancements, with support for caustics (light patterns refracted by water) and realistic attenuation effects, crucial for crafting immersive underwater scenes.

Expanding Dynamic Weather Effects

For those working on dynamic environments, the rain system delivers fluid interaction with surfaces in real-time. The droplets move naturally across uneven surfaces, adding depth to cinematic sequences or interactive gameplay. Paired with decals, users can dynamically apply and animate textures like water stains or liquid spills, further expanding the storytelling potential in virtual worlds.

Fluid Dynamics Enhancements

The fluid simulation engine remains at the core of the plugin. Fluid Flux continues to support GPU-accelerated simulations, ensuring high-performance rendering even with complex scenes. The physics system has been refined to accommodate the demands of larger-scale simulations, improving integration with Unreal Engine’s other real-time tools.

Integration and Practical Use

Fluid Flux 3.0 also introduces a range of additional features aimed at streamlining workflows and expanding creative options for Unreal Engine users. The static mesh generator has been completely rewritten as a separate editor actor tool, now leveraging the Geometry Scripts Plugin introduced in Unreal Engine 5, offering a more modular approach to mesh creation. A buoyancy editor provides a dedicated interface to preview pontoons and fine-tune buoyancy settings directly in the editor view, with real-time runtime previews to visualize adjustments instantly. Improvements to how velocity data from simulations are interpreted within Niagara particles and the surface shader offer more precise control over fluid interactions, enhancing realism in particle-based effects. A new motorboat asset expands the possibilities for interactive and dynamic scenes, while an innovative Niagara particle effect simulates raindrops interacting with water surfaces, adding depth to weather simulations. Additionally, the update introduces a curve-based waterline configuration, a completely reimagined system for defining the visual properties of waterlines, such as light refraction, transmittance, shadows, and blur effects, granting unprecedented control over fine details. Together, these tools broaden the capabilities of the plugin, making it an even more versatile solution for game developers and VFX professionals looking to push the boundaries of real-time fluid simulations.

The plugin is available now, priced at $349.99, with additional details and purchasing options on Fab.

And read the full release notes here.

The post Fluid Flux 3.0: New Tools for Fluid Dynamics in Unreal Engine first appeared on DIGITAL PRODUCTION and was written by Bela Beier.