For those who don’t know the tool: Unity is a real time engine used for games, virtual production and interactive content. Polybrush was its in editor mesh and vertex painting tool. The new alternative is designed as a Unity editor extension for painting and modifying meshes directly inside the engine.

RealBlend Mesh Painting and Creation is an editor extension available via the Unity Asset Store. It is designed to provide mesh editing and painting workflows directly inside the Unity editor, reducing the need to round trip to external DCC applications for certain environment art tasks. RealBlend supports vertex painting, mesh sculpting and procedural geometry creation within Unity.

Unity deprecated PolyBrush, so I made a better one :) – Realblend
byu/AdamNapper inUnity3D

Vertex painting and layer blending

RealBlend enables vertex colour painting on meshes inside the scene view. Vertex colour painting stores colour data per vertex, allowing artists to drive shader blending, material variation or masks without additional texture maps. The tool supports multi layer blending across Unity’s render pipelines. Layer limits differ by pipeline. Up to five layers are supported in HDRP and up to three layers in URP and the Built in pipeline, according to the product description.

Sculpting and mesh editing

In addition to painting, RealBlend includes sculpting tools such as move, push and smooth. These tools operate directly on mesh geometry inside the Unity editor, allowing artists to adjust forms without exporting to modelling software. Because vertex density determines sculpting resolution, practical results will depend on mesh topology.

Procedural mesh creation

RealBlend also includes procedural mesh creation tools to generate planes, curved walls and custom surfaces procedurally. This positions the tool as more than a paint overlay system. It can be used to create base geometry and then modify or paint it in the same environment. The exact parameter controls for procedural generation are not described in detail on the Asset Store page.

Additional utilities

Along are utilities for mesh baking and a mask packer for RGBA maps. Mask packing typically combines multiple greyscale textures into different colour channels of a single texture to optimise memory usage. Procedural noise functions are also referenced for creating dirt and wear effects. These can be used to introduce variation without external texture authoring.

Pipeline compatibility and pricing

RealBlend is listed as compatible with the Built in Render Pipeline, URP and HDRP. The product is distributed through the Unity Asset Store. Pricing is 20€, currently discounted to 14.40€ (may vary by region and promotion – I don’t understand those pricing policies at all anymore, so you should consult the Asset Store listing for current pricing and licence terms. Do that HERE) No subscription requirement is indicated on the product page.

Production considerations

In editor mesh painting and sculpting can accelerate environment art iteration, particularly for blending materials, adding surface variation or shaping greybox geometry. However, tools that modify mesh data directly inside the engine should be evaluated for asset stability, version control behaviour and compatibility with existing shader setups.

As always, new tools and editor extensions should be validated in controlled conditions prior to deployment in active projects.

// https://assetstore.unity.com/packages/tools/painting/realblend-mesh-painting-creation-352952

The post RealBlend brings mesh painting back to Unity first appeared on DIGITAL PRODUCTION and was written by Bela Beier.

When Nuke first began supplanting Shake in VFX studios, it didn’t just change software, it exposed a gap in how compositors shared tools and solved problems. At the time, digital workflows still leaned heavily on Shake, a node-based compositor developed by Nothing Real (and later Apple) that earned its place as the VFX industry standard. Shake was endlessly flexible, but its strength was also its weakness: most advanced workflows relied on custom scripting, and the lingua franca was PERL.

PERL (Practical Extraction and Report Language) was and is a powerful scripting language, beloved by sysadmins and a handful of technical artists for its text-processing prowess and, let’s say, “unique” readability. In practice, most solutions on the Shake mailing list boiled down to: “Just write a bit of PERL script.” The problem: most artists weren’t coders, and the knowledge was always a little out of reach.

Frank, working between Weta and Digital Domain (now at Ohu VFX) during this transition, saw the problem: Nuke was set to take over, but the workflows, scripts, and knowledge were at risk of, like it’s predecessors, being fragmenting into digital oblivion. The 3DsMax forums – at the time a gold standard for knowledge-sharing and generosity – offered inspiration for how things could work: tools and advice shared without ego or friction. The compositing community, Rueter realised, needed its own central hub before information became scattered for good.

When Foundry (then still “The Foundry”) took over Nuke development, Rueter seized the moment. Nukepedia was his answer: a single, global repository for Nuke scripts, gizmos, and solutions. The mission: keep tools accessible, keep knowledge alive, and make sure “just write some PERL” stopped being a barrier.

Ready to level up your VFX editorial and post-production workflows pipeline? Registration is now open for the SIGGRAPH 2025 “Nuke’s Timeline Tools Masterclass: From Ingest to Delivery”—your chance to get hands-on with the latest timeline features in Nuke. Whether you’re deep into post or just want to speed up your review workflow, don’t miss out on this practical deep dive with real-world examples from leading artists. Secure your spot now via Eventbrite—seats are limited!

Frank Rueter gives us the full, unvarnished story of how Nukepedia was built, why it survived, and what comes next for the compositing world’s most vital knowledge bank.

Digital Production: Before Nukepedia, what was it like for artists hunting for tools?

Frank Rueter: When I started out at a small company, none of us could code and we had no budget for customizing workflows. If you asked a question on the old Shake user group, the answer was always “just write a bit of PERL script.” Helpful, unless you didn’t know how to write any PERL. There were brilliant forums, like the old 3DsMax one, where people actually shared knowledge, but everything for compositing was fragmented. There was a risk Nuke would repeat this chaos as it started gaining ground, so I wanted a single place for all things Nuke before the knowledge got lost.

DP: So how did you get from that concern to launching Nukepedia?

Rueter: I was working at Weta and Digital Domain during the transition from Shake to Nuke. At Digital Domain, Foundry was taking over Nuke development from D2Software, and there was this key meeting where Matt Plec—Nuke’s Product Designer—said, “I think we need something like Nukepedia, but I don’t know what I mean by that.” I said, “I do!” The name just described exactly the kind of hub I’d been picturing.

With some help from Ben Minall in London and Diogo Girondi in Argentina, we started looking at how to build a website. In those days, web choices were basically Joomla or WordPress, so we picked Joomla. I’d also seen how HighEnd2D and HighEnd3D worked—forums with tool-sharing. I asked Will McCullough, who ran those, to set up a Nuke group, and I began posting my own gizmos and TCL scripts to get things going.

DP: Was Foundry involved from the beginning?

Rueter: I talked to Bill Collis, Foundry’s cofounder and CEO, about making Nukepedia a joint project. He was completely supportive but thought it would be too complicated to do it officially, so he just gave his blessing and promised support where possible.

DP: How did the launch go?

Rueter: We officially launched Nukepedia at the Mayan Theater in LA during Siggraph 2010. My hope was 500 signups in the first months, but we hit that number the first day. Since then, registrations have just kept growing—now almost a million. It’s been a steady climb and, not surprisingly, the old Joomla site was groaning under the load.

DP: Joomla—good choice at the time? Or a digital curse?

Rueter: For a while, Joomla did what we needed, but it’s open-source, and once the user base exploded, it became a liability. We got hacked twice. Martin Rose and Foundry helped resurrect the site each time, but by 2025, it was clear we needed something more robust.  So Kara (my partner) and I decided that Nukepedia was too important to see compromised so OHUfx engaged CactusLab in Auckland to build it anew from scratch, so hopefully, I can finally sleep again.

DP: Why does the Nukepedia relaunch matter now? What’s actually changed?

Rueter: First: stability. The old site was becoming unreliable and stressful to run. The new platform should handle the traffic and prevent downtime. But the real upgrade is we can finally give nuBridge a more stable foundation – a direct interface inside Nuke that loads the full Nukepedia database into your session in seconds.

The other big thing is we will now have a link to Github repos, meaning tool authors with repos can expose their tools on Nukepedia, providing a single source and removing any need for double handling . No more bouncing between browser and Nuke, no more manual installs. You can search, filter, and test tools instantly, and save favourites to share with other artists or use across different gigs. It makes the entire process about ten times faster. Uploading new tools still requires the website—mainly to keep documentation up to standard.

DP: If everything is free, why offer paid subscriptions?

Rueter: All 2000 tools are, and will remain, free. But server costs and development aren’t. All proUser subscription funds, both past and future, go towards  the rebuild and ongoing improvements. Subscribers also get nuBridge, some partner discounts (Compositing Academy, FX Elements, Das Element, The VFX Shop), and other time-saving features. But the fundamental spirit of Nukepedia is unchanged: open, accessible, and focused on community benefit.

DP: What do you see as the biggest impact for artists using nuBridge?

Rueter: Honestly, speed and accessibility. If you’re on deadline and need a gizmo, the last thing you want is to hunt through broken links or manually install scripts. nuBridge is designed to make it as painless as possible to find, test, and use new tools. For freelancers, favourites lists mean you can move your entire toolbox from studio to studio without hassle. For less technical users, auto-install means (where possible) you don’t need to worry about file paths and dependencies. It’s about making Nuke accessible for both the creative and technical ends of the spectrum.

DP: And what’s next for Nukepedia?

Rueter: We’re not trying to reinvent support forums—the Foundry forums are still the right place for that. But we might look into Discord or other ways for developers to collaborate. Maybe even a chatbot to help surface knowledge that would otherwise get lost. But the priority remains: keep the tools accessible and the community strong.

DP: Any last thoughts for the die-hard pipeline purists?

Rueter: Test everything before you drop it in your production. Nukepedia is a living database—tools are shared by the community and might not fit every studio’s standards or security needs out of the box. Kick the tyres  and run some shots before you release into your pipelines.

The post Frank Rueter’s Quest to Stop Nuke Knowledge from Disappearing first appeared on DIGITAL PRODUCTION and was written by Bela Beier.

OpenScatter is a free, open-source add-on for Blender developed by May3D. It enables artists to distribute objects—think plants, rocks, or perhaps the occasional misplaced coffee cup—within a scene based on factors like slope or elevation. The add-on supports wind animation and object collision, making it particularly useful for environment art in motion graphics, animation, or visual effects projects.

Non-Destructive, Layer-Based Workflow

OpenScatter employs a non-destructive, layer-based workflow, allowing users to create different scatter layers for each object. This means you can tweak your scatter settings without permanently altering your original models—a feature that might just save your bacon when the art director changes their mind for the tenth time.

Advanced Control Features

Users can control which parts of a surface instances are scattered on using texture masks, guide curves, or abiotic properties like elevation or slope angle. Different scatter systems can also interact with one another; for example, preventing ground vegetation from growing within a certain radius of tree bases.

Dynamic Animations and Performance Optimization

The add-on supports dynamic object collisions and simple wind animation, adding realism to scenes where objects interact or sway in the breeze. To keep your viewport running smoothly, OpenScatter includes features like viewport mesh optimization, automatic low-poly mesh generation, and camera and render-region culling.

Availability and Support

OpenScatter is compatible with Blender 4.2 and above. You can download it for free from GitHub. If you’re feeling generous and want to support future development, you can purchase the add-on from BlenderMarket for $1 or $10—think of it as buying the developer a well-deserved coffee or two.

Final Thoughts

OpenScatter offers a user-friendly yet powerful solution for object scattering in Blender. Its non-destructive workflow and advanced features make it a valuable tool for environment artists and VFX professionals. However, as with any new tool, it’s advisable to thoroughly test OpenScatter before integrating it into critical production pipelines.

For more information, check out the official documentation.

The post OpenScatter: Scattering Objects in Blender Just Got Breezier first appeared on DIGITAL PRODUCTION and was written by Bela Beier.

The latest release of Plasticity, affectionately dubbed “CAD for Artists” has arrived with version 25.1, bringing a host of features designed to make your modeling experience as smooth as a perfectly beveled edge.

New Commands: CV Sliding and Section Analysis

Plasticity 25.1 introduces two new commands to its toolkit. The CV Sliding on Curves and Solids command allows for precise adjustments during modeling, ensuring your creations are as accurate as your morning coffee’s pour. Meanwhile, the Section Analysis feature enables users to slice through their 3D models, revealing internal structures without the mess—think of it as a virtual autopsy for your designs.

Modeling Enhancements: Square Command and xNURBS Additions

The update doesn’t stop there. Enhancements to the Square Command and other features have been implemented, along with two new xNURBS additions. These include the use of adjacent trimmed edges for smoother transitions and the ability to adjust surface curvature tension, akin to tools found in Lofting and Bridging workflows. It’s like giving your model a spa day, smoothing out all those rough edges.

UI Overhaul: A Modern Makeover

In an effort to keep things fresh, Plasticity 25.1 boasts a modern, streamlined user interface. While preserving key functional elements from previous versions, features are now more intuitively organized and come with new icons to improve usability and workflow efficiency. It’s like rearranging your workspace—if your workspace also got a sleek new paint job.

For a detailed breakdown of all the changes, you can peruse the release notes here.

As with any new tool or feature, it’s advisable to thoroughly test these innovations before integrating them into your current projects. After all, even the most promising updates can have unexpected quirks.

For more information and to download the latest version, visit the official Plasticity website.

The post Plasticity 25.1: Slicing Through Models and Streamlining Workflows first appeared on DIGITAL PRODUCTION and was written by Bela Beier.

Material Artist Ehsan Kiani has unveiled the Tattoo Master Tool, a new addition to Substance 3D Painter’s arsenal. This tool streamlines the creation of realistic tattoos on any skin material, offering a range of customizable parameters. Whether you’re aiming for a fresh ink look or the charm of aged body art, the Tattoo Master Tool provides complete control over details and skin interaction. For those eager to see it in action, a tutorial video is available, guiding users through its full potential. Additionally, the product includes a helpful guide for further support. To explore or purchase the Tattoo Master Tool, visit Ehsan Kiani’s ArtStation page. The price is a VERY reasonable 4,99 for the standard license, 35 Dollars for the Commercial License, and if your whole studio wants to use it, it is 149 Dollars for unlimited users.

A Canvas of Possibilities

The Tattoo Master Tool isn’t just about placing ink on virtual skin; it’s about integrating art seamlessly into your 3D models. With its user-friendly interface, artists can adjust tattoo age, saturation, and blending modes to achieve the desired effect. The tool also supports various skin tones and textures, ensuring that the tattoo adapts realistically to different characters. By incorporating this tool into your workflow, you can elevate the authenticity of your digital creations, making them more relatable and lifelike. For more of Ehsan’s work and additional resources, visit his ArtStation page.

Note: As with any new tool, it’s advisable to test the Tattoo Master Tool in your specific workflow to ensure compatibility and desired results.

The post Mastering Ink in Substance 3D Painter first appeared on DIGITAL PRODUCTION and was written by Bela Beier.