The CEUM 2025 recordings are now available to stream. The CityEngine User Meeting, hosted by the ICE.ART 3D Environment Conference, delivers a compact tour through current procedural-city workflows, ArcGIS-driven planning pipelines, and emerging production use cases in urban-scale visualization.

The lineup includes case studies such as “ArcGIS as a Planning System,” a deep dive into “Parisian shapes,” and a demonstration of how procedural modeling supports real-world planning tasks in projects like downtown Wake Forest.

A key technical highlight is the updated Python 3 support in CityEngine, presented with a focus on integration scenarios for automation, data pipelines, and asset generation. Esri’s Professional Services team also breaks down utilization trends and typical deployment patterns seen across planning offices and visualization studios.

All talks, intro to outro, are now online on the CEUM website and the official YouTube playlist.

The organizers also confirmed the next CityEngine User Meeting for 2 April 2026, giving everyone enough time to procedurally generate travel plans.

The post CEUM 2025 Recordings Online: Cities, Pipelines & Python first appeared on DIGITAL PRODUCTION and was written by Bela Beier.

BranchK, developed by Jim Meston, is a free toolkit for Houdini aimed at procedural environment creation. It introduces new nodes, BK Point Capture and BK Deform, which enable users to work efficiently with hierarchical structures such as trees, branches, and leaves. According to the developer, the tools can process non-BranchK-native meshes, automatically derive orientations from a “rest mesh” reference, and scale deformation or attribute information across multiple levels of hierarchy. The developer also claims that BranchK performs roughly three times faster than Houdini’s standard Surface Deform operator. This hasn’t currently been verified.

Why it matters

Environment artists and technical directors often need to maintain consistent orientation and deformation across complex hierarchical models. BranchK directly addresses this need by combining orientation capture and hierarchical deformation in a single procedural framework. The “rest mesh” workflow allows users to define a stable reference state for geometry, which the system then uses to propagate motion or deformation through an environment’s hierarchy. For pipelines focused on realtime engines or high-volume vegetation, this combination promises significant efficiency gains.

Technical details & usage notes

Available information suggests that BranchK’s core functionality centres on two stages: capture and deformation. The BK Point Capture stage records positional, scale, and orientation data from a reference mesh, while BK Deform applies that information to a working mesh or hierarchy. The toolkit reportedly supports non-BranchK meshes, which means users can introduce it into existing environment assets without needing to rebuild geometry. Performance improvements are claimed by the developer, yet they remain unverified in third-party benchmarks.

Licensing terms specify that BranchK is free for use but may not be redistributed. Any production that employs the toolkit must credit the author. Compatibility information, such as supported Houdini versions, render engines, and export formats (USD, Alembic, or FBX), is currently undocumented. Artists and studios should confirm these details through testing before relying on BranchK in active production.

Join the Discord for the Project here

The post Free “BranchK” toolkit for Houdini adds hierarchy-deformation features first appeared on DIGITAL PRODUCTION and was written by Bela Beier.

KitBash3D has released its DieselPunk environment kit—normally priced at US $245—for free download via Epic Games’ Fab marketplace. The offer runs until 18 November 2025. The kit targets artists building cinematic-quality, retro-futuristic environments in Unreal Engine 5, and is described by the studio as a “high-poly asset collection intended for use in cinematics within UE5.”

The DieselPunk kit channels Edwardian and interwar industrial design: cathedrals and palaces meet refineries and fuel stations. The architecture is “darkly beautiful,” filled with “greasy machinery, rugged materials, and industrial spires,” according to the official KitBash3D description.

Inside the kit

The package contains 316 unique actors built from 1,395 unique meshes, totalling approximately 17.8 million polygons. Mesh collision is enabled and automatically generated, but no LODs are included. There are 90 materials and 637 textures, all at 4K resolution. Texture and mesh quality clearly target cinematic or offline rendering rather than performance-constrained realtime scenes.

Formats provided include FBX and OBJ (on kitbash3d.com), and the Unreal build supports UE 4.26–4.27 and UE 5.0–5.4. Supported platforms are Windows, macOS, Linux, PS4, and Xbox One. The DieselPunk release date for this update is 8 November 2025; distribution is via the Fab marketplace as an “Asset Package.”

World-building details

The kit’s scope covers both civic and industrial architecture. Included are hotels, palaces, distilleries, apartments, mansions, towers, oil derricks, fuel stations, factories, pubs, stores, trams, bridges, storage tanks, walkways and chimneys. KitBash3D describes it as ideal for “retrofuturistic dystopias or grungy post-modern noir,” designed to help artists “make cohesive fuel-powered worlds.”

Licensing and restrictions

The Fab release uses the Fab Standard Licence, which allows both personal and commercial use across engines and tools, within Fab’s terms.

By contrast, KitBash3D’s own “free asset” policy states that assets downloaded via its Cargo app are for personal use only, whereas kits obtained directly from kitbash3d.com can be used commercially. Because DieselPunk is distributed through Fab, users should confirm commercial rights under Fab’s EULA before production use.

Technical notes for production artists

The assets are high-poly, built for cinematic fidelity. Artists targeting realtime or VR projects should expect to retopologise or create custom LODs. The automatic collision setup is adequate for blockouts, but may require manual refinement for gameplay environments.

Since materials are 4K, expect heavy texture memory use; production teams should test streaming and compression settings within Unreal Engine.

Why it matters

For concept, film, and cinematic environment work, this kit provides a time-saving foundation of consistent industrial architecture. The cohesive design language can accelerate set-dressing, look-dev and lighting passes for any diesel-era or noir-futuristic aesthetic.

Reminder

As always, test all assets in your pipeline before relying on them in production. Confirm file format compatibility, check materials and UVs, and validate licence terms before commercial deployment.

The post KitBash3D’s “DieselPunk” kit free till 18 Nov – retro-futurism ahoy! first appeared on DIGITAL PRODUCTION and was written by Bela Beier.

With Roads, artist Marco Pavanello (publishing under Wolf on Superhive Market and on Gumroad) offers a deceptively simple Blender modifier setup for fast, procedural street generation. The tool lets users create complete, textured roads by extruding vertices from any mesh object.

Once a vertex is extruded, a full road mesh appears. Move the vertex, and the path curves dynamically—no additional modifiers or manual UV mapping needed. As the developer describes it: “Extrude a vertex and you’ll get a road, move it and you will create a curve, everything else is magic.” The implementation is built entirely on Blender’s native modifier stack and geometry nodes, meaning no compiled code or scripts are required.

Procedural by Design

Every aspect of the setup is procedural, from the geometry to the surface texturing. The included textures adapt automatically to the mesh deformation, maintaining consistent line markings and edge detail along curves. The system is designed to keep roads planar (flat), which simplifies viewport editing and avoids unexpected Z-offsets during extrusion. Users are reminded that vertical road modelling is unsupported—the surface will always remain level. The asset works in Blender 4.5 and is compatible with both Cycles and Eevee render engines. The creator explicitly recommends linking the asset library rather than appending, ensuring procedural dependencies remain intact when reused across projects.

Junctions and Lanes on Demand

One of the more technical features of Roads is its procedural junction generator. The setup automatically creates intersections for three-, four-, or five-way road crossings. The underlying node graph analyses connecting edges and merges topology to maintain correct lane and marking alignment. Lane count is also controlled via a single slider. Adding or removing lanes dynamically adjusts the overall width and marking patterns without breaking the underlying mesh continuity. All parameters are exposed in Blender’s Modifiers panel, allowing for live adjustments while modelling.

Workflow and Installation

Installation follows Blender’s current Asset Browser workflow. After extracting the Roads ZIP, users must register the folder in Edit → Preferences → File Paths → Asset Libraries, and set the import method to Link. In a new scene, a basic mesh (such as a plane) can serve as a starting object. Once all but one edge are deleted, dragging a Roads asset from the Asset Browser onto that edge instantiates the setup.

The developer suggests adjusting the Clip Start in the View panel to 1 metre for better visibility of painted lane markings. After setup, new roads are created simply by extruding the object’s vertices. Modifying parameters in the Modifiers panel allows fine-tuning of width, lane count, and material properties in real time.

License, Price, and Distribution

Roads is priced at $10 and distributed under a Royalty-Free licence through Superhive Market. The pluugin was authored in Blender 4.5, tested in Cycles and Eevee, and is classified under the platform’s Modifier Setups category. There is no external dependency, no installation script, and no Python component, which means the asset can be shared or version-controlled within production pipelines without modification.

Use Cases in Production

The tool is positioned for environment artists, level designers, and visualisation professionals who need rapid road layouts without external CAD or terrain plugins. Because geometry remains procedural, layout changes can be made interactively without reimporting or rebuilding the mesh.

However, since the asset enforces planarity, it’s best suited for flat terrains like urban scenes, car commercials, or realtime game prototypes where roads do not require elevation changes. The fully procedural texturing can reduce lookdev overhead, particularly in previs or real-time workflows where consistent UV alignment is required but manual texture painting is impractical.

What It Isn’t

Roads is not a terrain conformer, traffic simulator, or spline-based road network generator. It operates strictly within the Blender modifier system. The description on Superhive does not indicate automatic terrain adaptation or decal projection features. All intersections are handled within the node graph and remain 2D. As of publication, there is no mention of bridges, tunnels, or height-based modifiers. These limitations are inherent to its procedural design and must be considered during layout planning.

Testing Recommended

As with any procedural setup, users should test the modifier within their pipeline before committing to production scenes. Modifier behaviour can vary between Blender subversions, and procedural node setups occasionally differ when linked across projects. The developer’s documentation does not specify backward compatibility or version migration procedures.

Verdict

For ten dollars, Roads provides an elegant, minimalist solution for planar road generation in Blender. Its vertex-based extrusion workflow is immediately intuitive, while its reliance on procedural geometry and materials keeps files lightweight and editable. It won’t replace more advanced road tools that support vertical topology or terrain matching, but for quick previs, layout, or stylised city builds, Roads offers remarkable speed for minimal setup. As always, verify compatibility within your current Blender environment before use in production.

The post Procedural Roads Ahead: Blender Add-on “Roads” Lays Asphalt with Vertices first appeared on DIGITAL PRODUCTION and was written by Bela Beier.

Tomorrow (Thursday), the CityEngine User Meeting 2025 goes live at 5 p.m. Central European Time (8 a.m. Pacific / 11 a.m. Eastern). It’s a free online event for professionals and enthusiasts working with CityEngine and related tools. The session is hosted by the same organiser behind the IceArt events, known for bringing together a precise mix of artists, designers, and developers. Attendance is free but registration is required via GoToWebinar.

Devin Lavigne, Partner, Houseal Lavigne, X: @devlavigne
A Fellow of the American Institute of Certified Planners (FAICP), Lavigne is cofounder of Houseal Lavigne, known for its GIS-driven 3D planning projects. He integrates ArcGIS, CityEngine, SketchUp, Unreal Engine, and Omniverse to visualise urban data. He has led more than 200 plans worldwide and received the APA National Excellence Award, Esri’s Most Innovative Partner Award, and five Esri SAG Awards. Lavigne regularly presents at Esri UC and the Geodesign Summit, focusing on pragmatic, production-ready digital-twin workflows.

Dr. Leilei Duan, 3D Technical Consultant, Esri
Duan holds a PhD in Design, Construction, and Planning from the University of Florida and previously taught at the Spatial Sciences Institute at USC. At Esri, she advises clients on advanced 3D spatial solutions and emerging applications for CityEngine and ArcGIS Urban.

Romain Janil, Founder & CEO, romainjanil.com X: @RomainJanil
Janil is a designer specialising in 3D environment production across realtime, offline, and hybrid workflows — including simulation, games, and VFX. Known for procedural innovation and strong visual sensibility, he bridges the design and technical domains, making procedural design accessible to production artists.

Silvia Casas, Senior Product Manager, Esri
Casas manages ArcGIS Urban and CityEngine product development. With degrees in urban planning and architecture, she joined Esri in 2004 and has since led multiple 3D city and planning initiatives. She coordinates user requirements and development priorities for both ArcGIS Urban and CityEngine, translating feedback into stable production features. Expect insights from her on current roadmap directions and the practical challenges of balancing R&D and user stability.

Simon Haegler, Principal Software Developer, Esri
Haegler is a core developer at Esri R&D Zurich and one of the technical architects behind CityEngine. Trained in electrical engineering, he specialises in procedural 3D city modelling for media and AEC workflows. His work bridges the tool’s procedural engine with modern rendering and pipeline integration.
Haegler often presents detailed looks at CGA rule systems and interoperability between CityEngine and realtime tools.

For City Planners, TDs, and VFX Generalists Alike

CityEngine sits at the intersection of visual effects, realtime visualisation, and urban simulation. Whether used in city planning, game environments, or film previsualisation, its rule-based modelling workflow continues to attract a technically minded audience. The organisers describe the event as “fun”, a welcome rarity for a tool better known for geometry than parties. Expect a few seasoned users to show tips, scripts, and workflows not usually found in documentation.

Why It Matters

For production artists already relying on procedural assets, this event is a chance to catch up directly with the tool’s developers and early adopters. With contributors from both academia and production, it bridges the gap between R&D and daily use.

The post Procedural Thursday: CityEngine Users Meet Online Tomorrow first appeared on DIGITAL PRODUCTION and was written by Bela Beier.