For those who don’t know the tool: UVPackmaster by Łukasz Czyż (glukoz) is a GPU-accelerated UV packing plugin for Blender. It automates the tedious job of fitting UV islands efficiently, using CUDA or Vulkan acceleration, and is widely used in texturing workflows for VFX, games, and real-time assets.

Dynamic tiles, dynamic thinking

The newly released UVPackmaster 4 marks a structural overhaul of the popular UV packing add-on. Developer Łukasz Czyż rebuilt the engine to allow features that the 3.x architecture could not support. The first visible result is Dynamic Tiles, a system that automatically calculates the number of UV tiles (UDIMs) needed during packing, rather than forcing users to assign them manually.

Texel density tiers for texture discipline

Another key addition is improved texel-density management. Users can now define per-island density before packing, and introduce texel-density tiers (groups of islands linked by shared scale rules). This enables consistent texture resolution across materials without iterative rescaling.

Group layout for atlas workflows

A new Group Layout Mode enhances control over texture atlas creation. It lets users manage UV groups directly during packing, particularly useful for environment assets or game-ready atlases. Interface refinements also include the option to reposition UVPackmaster panels freely within Blender’s UI.

A re-engineered core

The 4.0 release refactors the underlying codebase for long-term extensibility. According to official statements, UVPackmaster 3 will continue to receive maintenance updates until at least 2027, but will not receive any new features. The redesigned engine introduces better multi-platform stability across Windows, Linux and macOS, including Apple Silicon.

Still a GPU workhorse

As before, UVPackmaster can use either CUDA or Vulkan for acceleration, allowing both NVIDIA and AMD GPUs (and Macs) to benefit. The packer continues to support multi-threaded CPU fallback, UDIM workflows, per-group packing and heuristic search algorithms to improve UV fill efficiency.

Licensing and support

UVPackmaster 4 is priced at US $53 for a single-user licence, with higher-tier studio options available. It supports Blender 2.83 and later on 64-bit systems. As always, we recommend testing new software releases in controlled conditions before full adoption of the pipeline.

The post UVPackmaster 4 unwraps a smarter way to pack first appeared on DIGITAL PRODUCTION and was written by Bela Beier.

With Mari 7.5, Foundry introduces a long-promised feature that fundamentally changes how artists work with texture maps: Multi-Paint. This update lets artists paint or project on up to eight texture streams at once: diffuse, specular, bump, displacement, roughness and more, all from a single node.

The update also integrates a Bakery-powered Texture Transfer system for rapid re-baking between objects and UV layouts. Both systems are built to speed up high-end workflows in film and visual effects, where hundreds of UDIMs and dozens of maps per asset are the norm. The following is a based solely on Foundry’s official release notes and documentation. So, take it with a grain of salt and test fpor yourself, we didn’t have the time to update Mari yet.

Multi-Paint: simultaneous control of eight texture streams

Until now, Mari’s paint engine supported one RGBA image stream per paint node. Artists could paint colour (diffuse) directly on a model, but each additional surface channel such as bump, specular, roughness or subsurface required a separate node, layer or bake.

Mari 7.5’s new Multi-Channel Paint Node eliminates this bottleneck. A single node can now carry up to eight streams (texture channels) simultaneously. Each stream corresponds to a channel in the chosen Shader Model such as Arnold Standard Surface, V-Ray Mtl, or Unreal.

When a Multi-Channel Paint Node is active, the Multi-Paint Palette appears in the Palettes toolbar. The palette lists all streams associated with the shader model such as Base Color, Roughness, Metallic, Normal or Height, and allows enabling up to eight at once.

The active or Primary Stream determines what the viewport shows during painting, identified by a white eye icon in the palette. While you see and interact with the primary channel (for example, diffuse), every enabled channel receives the same brush stroke data in parallel.

The Multi-Paint Palette: command centre for channel management

The palette acts as a live editor for channel configuration. Artists can:

Select active streams (up to eight).
Set individual Blend Modes per stream (multiply, overlay and more).
Assign foreground and background colours or load image inputs.
Define Primary Stream visibility and quickly swap preview targets.
Reset, batch-edit or clear streams.

Adding textures is drag-and-drop from the Image Manager or file browser. When an Image Group is dropped into the palette, Mari auto-assigns textures to shader channels by matching filename patterns such as “_rough” or “_disp”.

Mari 7.5 introduces Multi-Paint Presets, stored as reusable configuration files in the Shelf palette. These presets capture stream layouts, colour and blend settings, allowing consistent setups across multiple assets or shader models.

Painting tools rebuilt for Multi-Paint

A large portion of Mari’s paint engine was refactored to handle the multi-channel context. The following tools are now compatible: Paint, Paint-Through, Roller Brush, Blur, Clone Stamp, Warp, Slerp, Tow Brush, Pinup, Paint Buffer Eraser, Select Tool Fill, Marquee Select and Paint Buffer Transform.

Each of these tools operates through the Multi-Paint layer stack. Brush properties, projection masks and painting palette parameters are now multi-aware, ensuring that texture projection or cloning behaves consistently across all active streams. Mari supports both colour and image input per stream. For procedural workflows, users can feed channel-specific images or colour corrections before committing to a bake, maintaining Mari’s hallmark non-destructive approach.

Image Groups: intelligent texture organisation

The Image Manager was redesigned to handle large datasets typical of production texture packs. The old tab system is gone, replaced by hierarchical Image Groups. Image Groups can be created manually or automatically when folders are imported. Inside a group, images can be sorted, renamed or reassigned. When dropped into the Multi-Paint Palette, Mari matches textures to shader streams using internal Material Ingest Presets (*.mip files). These presets store naming conventions and expected channel mappings for common vendors such as Texturing XYZ or scanned materials.

If automatic assignment fails because of unconventional filenames, artists can open the Image Group Properties table to manually link each image to the appropriate shader stream. A Lock Streams feature prevents reassignment of locked mappings during auto-assign. This makes Multi-Paint particularly suitable for texturing workflows using large texture libraries or vendor-supplied scan sets with predictable naming conventions.

Shader Model Context and Node Integration

Each Multi-Channel Paint Node must be initialised with a Shader Model. Supported shader contexts include:

Arnold Standard Surface
Autodesk Standard Surface (1.0.2.x)
3Delight Principled
Principled BRDF
USD Preview Surface
Unreal
VRay Mtl (5 and 6)

The shader model defines which streams are available in the Multi-Paint Palette. The palette updates automatically when switching between nodes in different contexts. The node can be merged into existing node graphs via a Multi-Channel Merge Node, integrating seamlessly with existing layer stacks. Artists can switch between single-channel and multi-channel painting by simply selecting the desired node in the graph. Resolution and bit depth can be defined per node such as 4K 16-bit, or the node can inherit channel settings downstream using the Use Channel Settings toggle.

Preset Workflows and Shelf Integration

Preset workflows address one of Mari’s historical pain points: repetitive setup across large asset sets. Once a Multi-Paint Palette configuration is complete, it can be stored as a .mpp file (Multi-Paint Preset).

Presets can include colour values, blend modes and stream assignments, and can be batch-applied to new paint nodes from the palette’s dropdown. Hovering over a preset reveals thumbnail previews for verification before applying.

In large-scale productions, this allows technical directors to define standardised setups for shader models and distribute them via the Shelf palette to all texture artists.

Bakery-powered Texture Transfer

The second major technical upgrade in Mari 7.5 is the Texture Transfer system, powered by Foundry’s in-house map-baking engine The Bakery. Previously, transferring texture data between models relied on a particle-based method that could be slow and sometimes inconsistent. The new Bakery system replaces it with a GPU-accelerated baking approach that can reproject paint data across topologies and UV layouts far faster and more accurately. In practical terms, Texture Transfer enables the reuse of existing texture work when:

Retopologising a model
Updating UV layouts
Creating LODs (levels of detail)
Transferring look-dev setups between asset variants

Users can select one or more nodes in the Node Graph, right-click, and choose Selection > Transfer. The system opens a dialog allowing specification of source object, target object and patch (UDIM) mapping. Foundry’s documentation cites an internal benchmark: transferring three 28-UDIM 4K 16-bit Paint Nodes into a single 4K UDIM in roughly ten seconds, a significant speed-up compared to the previous generation.

The Bakery supports transfer of Nodes, Layers or Channels. Transfers preserve topology-based alignment where possible, and a Patch Fill Color option highlights untransferred areas, allowing manual correction afterwards. The legacy particle transfer system remains accessible through Mari’s Python API for backward compatibility, but Foundry now recommends the Bakery workflow for all new projects.

Workflow Example: Multi-Paint and Texture Transfer in practice

1. Setup: Create a Multi-Channel Paint Node, select a Shader Model such as Unreal, and define resolution and bit depth.
2. Import assets: Drag vendor texture packs such as Texturing XYZ into the Image Manager. Mari auto-creates an Image Group.
3. Assign channels: In the Image Group Properties, map each texture to the correct shader stream or use Auto-Assign with an ingest template.
4. Activate Multi-Paint: Open the Multi-Paint Palette, enable desired streams such as Base Color, Roughness, Normal, set the Primary Stream, and start painting using any supported brush tool.
5. Preview and bake: Use the Paint-Through tool to project images while previewing the Primary Stream. All enabled channels are painted concurrently.
6. Transfer: Once the asset evolves, for example a new UV layout, select relevant nodes, choose Transfer and re-bake textures to the updated geometry.

This workflow shortens iteration time between concept, look-dev and final asset while preserving fidelity across multiple texture channels.

Performance and scalability considerations

While Multi-Paint greatly improves efficiency, painting multiple 4K or 8K 16-bit streams simultaneously significantly increases GPU memory demand. Each stream is stored and processed independently, so large UDIM sets can quickly saturate VRAM.

Foundry’s release notes do not specify new memory optimisations beyond the core multi-threaded backup system, suggesting artists may need to monitor GPU load closely. Using lower-resolution previews or fewer active streams may be advisable on mid-range hardware. Texture Transfer performance depends on The Bakery’s compute configuration. Transfers are faster on multi-core CPUs with high disk throughput.

Compatibility and industry formats

Mari 7.5 continues to support standard exchange formats: FBX, OBJ, Alembic, OpenEXR and USD. The new systems integrate with UDIM workflows and scale comfortably beyond one million polygons in a single topology. Shader-model-based mapping ensures compatibility with renderers such as Arnold, V-Ray, Unreal and 3Delight without custom remapping.

Final notes and caution

Foundry’s documentation emphasises that Multi-Paint is a complementary workflow. Artists can combine it with traditional Paint Nodes without breaking compatibility. Existing projects can adopt it incrementally. However, the complexity of eight-stream painting introduces new edge cases in performance and layer management. Artists should benchmark Mari 7.5 on representative assets before integrating it fully into production pipelines. As with any major feature update, test before committing, particularly in environments with shared asset libraries.

Conclusion

Mari 7.5 marks a structural evolution of Foundry’s texturing toolset. With Multi-Paint, texture artists can finally paint multiple channels in perfect alignment, directly within a single node. The Bakery-based Texture Transfer complements this by making map reprojection effectively real time.

Together, they shift Mari’s focus from per-channel micro-management to holistic, multi-stream surface authoring, a change that may redefine standard practice in VFX texturing.

The post Mari 7.5: Multi-Paint, Texture Transfer and the Death of the Single Channel first appeared on DIGITAL PRODUCTION and was written by Bela Beier.

Rizom Lab has released RizomUV 2025, the latest version of its standalone UV unwrapping software. The main addition is GPU-based packing, available only on Windows with CUDA-capable NVIDIA GPUs.

The new algorithm produces UV layouts 2–4% more efficient in tile coverage compared to CPU packing. More importantly, Rizom Lab reports typical speed increases of three to four times. The gains apply to both single-tile and multi-tile (UDIM) workflows. GPU packing does not extend to macOS or Linux. Users on those systems remain limited to CPU packing.

Packing Gets Choices

The release introduces four selectable packing “strategies”. Each prioritises a different outcome: faster speed, maximum coverage, minimised artifacts, or a mode tailored to pixel-art pipelines. These strategies work on both CPU and GPU packing. Packing to tiles in UDIM workflows has also been improved. Objects grouped together can now be automatically distributed across tiles.

Scene Outliner and UI Tweaks

A new scene outliner displays a hierarchical view of objects, with controls for visibility and isolation. This should improve navigation in complex assets. “Align UV to 3D” has been reworked. The tool now interprets the original 3D orientation more accurately, ignoring irrelevant surface noise. Users can align islands along specific directions (+U, –U, +V, –V) with fallback axes. Workflow settings can be saved as defaults across sessions. These include UI preferences, UV set resolution, scene units and packing padding. The update also extends support for vertex, edge and polygon selections, including border selection.

Editions, Pricing and Platforms

RizomUV is available in two editions. The Virtual Spaces (VS) edition targets game and VFX workflows with normalised UV space. The Real Space (RS) edition is intended for product and industrial design with non-normalised UVs. Pricing for VS: perpetual licence €149.90, or rent-to-own at €14.90/month. The Pro version is rental only at €34.90/month. Pricing for RS: perpetual licence €299.90, or rent-to-own at €29.90/month. The Pro version is €59.90/month rental. Supported platforms are Windows 10+, macOS 11.0+, and RHEL 8.6+ Linux. GPU packing requires Windows and an NVIDIA GPU with CUDA support.

Caution Before Deployment

RizomUV 2025 promises real benefits for Windows users with NVIDIA GPUs, especially when handling dense models or many islands. On other platforms, the gains are more incremental. As with any new feature set, studios should test GPU packing performance and reliability on in-house hardware before deploying the update in production.

The post RizomUV 2025: Faster Packing, But Only If You’re on Windows with CUDA first appeared on DIGITAL PRODUCTION and was written by Bela Beier.

Nevercenter has released Silo 2025.2, and the changelog is refreshingly pipeline-friendly. The big headline is that Silo can now import and export Pixar’s USD files, meaning it can finally hold a proper conversation with the rest of a modern production pipeline. Alongside that comes UDIM UV mapping, the tile-based approach to texturing that makes character artists and texture painters breathe a little easier. No more cramming 8K detail into a single UV island.

The update also touches the modelling workflow itself. Viewports can now be synced so that rotations, pans, and zooms line up across multiple views, which is handy if you like your orthos behaving like obedient soldiers. A new three-view vertical split layout joins the mix, offering another way to clutter your screen with geometry. Numeric inputs have learned some manners too: centimetres, millimetres, and inches are all accepted, with automatic conversion. In short, you can finally model a chair that actually fits through a door.

Several annoying bugs have been squashed along the way, including problems with multi-monitor setups and orthographic rotations. Long-time users will recognise these as the little paper cuts of Silo, so this is a welcome clean-up.

Pricing and Availability

If you bought Silo from Nevercenter within the past year, the update won’t cost you a cent. For everyone else, the current Silo plus Milo bundle is listed at 159 US dollars. As before, the package runs on Windows 10 (64-bit) and newer and macOS 12 or newer.

Caveats

Nevercenter calls the USD support “full,” but the fine print is missing. Which parts of the spec are truly covered — materials, shading networks, subdivision surfaces, animation — is not detailed. Similarly, UDIM performance with very large tile sets has not been documented. As always: test in your own pipeline before committing production work.

Conclusion

Silo 2025.2 is not trying to be Houdini, Maya, or Blender. But with USD, UDIMs, synced viewports, and proper unit handling, it has stopped being an island. For anyone who liked Silo’s speed but cursed its isolation, this is a significant step. The real test will be whether it plays nicely with the rest of your studio’s toolchain. Try it, break it, and decide for yourself.

The post Nevercenter Adds USD & UDIM in Silo 2025.2 first appeared on DIGITAL PRODUCTION and was written by Bela Beier.

B3FX Studios has released MatPlus, a new Blender add-on that bolts a Substance Painter-style workflow directly into the software’s material editor. Unlike external tools such as Substance 3D Painter, Mari, or ArmorPaint, MatPlus does not require round-tripping between applications. Everything lives inside Blender.

Version 1.0 works with Blender 4.5 and supports both Eevee and Cycles. Licensing is GPL. Pricing starts at 75 USD for a personal licence, 300 USD for up to five seats (Indie), and 600 USD for studio-level access.

Layers, masks, and other familiar comforts

MatPlus installs a non-destructive, layer-based paint system, complete with blending modes and per-layer masks. The package also includes what the vendor calls “intelligent masks,” referencing geometry attributes such as curvature, ambient occlusion, and thickness.

Practical examples include edge wear, dust accumulation in crevices, or dirt streaks on hard surfaces. Masks can be filtered with blur, sharpen, distortion, and inversion operations.

Paint here, paint there

Painting works in both the 3D viewport and in 2D UV space. A 2D symmetry mode is available, as is UDIM support for tiled UV workflows at higher resolutions. Artists can jump between viewport and UV painting without leaving Blender’s editor.

Bake it till you make it

The add-on features an “optimised” baking system, which includes an automatic cage setup aimed at minimising artefacts. According to the vendor, the output is “game-ready” for engines such as Unreal and Unity. Whether that translates into production-proof reliability remains to be tested.

Free extras bundled in

To save artists a few clicks, MatPlus ships with asset libraries: brushes shaped like bolts, screws, ports, and signage decals, plus grayscale grunge textures for masks. The package also includes more than 360 PBR materials covering metals, tiles, wood, and brick.

Community feedback on Superhive has been largely positive, with six reviewers rating the add-on five stars. One noted smooth performance even at 4K resolution. Another pointed out that some bundled materials originate from the free library AmbientCG, suggesting users verify the sources of included content.

Test before trust

The feature list is ambitious: non-destructive layers, masks tied to geometry, UDIM support, and an integrated baking system. But as with any newly released pipeline tool, artists should test MatPlus carefully before committing to it in production. Official documentation and tutorials were not available at press time.

The post Painting inside the box: MatPlus gives Blender a Substance-style makeover first appeared on DIGITAL PRODUCTION and was written by Bela Beier.

Maxon has released Cinema 4D 2025.3 on June 18 2025. It introduces a GPU-accelerated liquid simulation system, UDIM support in the UV editor, texel-density tools, AI-driven searches in the Asset Browser, and native integration of Laubwerk plant assets. All updates reflect real production needs—though as always, they should be tested before rolling out in client work.

Liquid simulation lands

The update expands the existing particle system into liquid territory using GPU-accelerated Position Based Dynamics (PBD). Users can create fluids via the Liquid Fill emitter or convert existing particles using the Liquify modifier. Liquids expose parameters such as surface tension and viscosity, can be meshed to geometry using the new Liquid Mesh, and can interact with other particle systems, cloth, and rigid bodies under the Unified Simulation System. The solution is optimized for small-scale effects—beer pours or sauce drips—not large-scale FLIP-type simulations. Users can recreate white-water or bubbles using existing tools. That was teased at Cinema 4D 2025.2

UDIM and texel-density tools

Cinema 4D now supports UDIM and UVTILE standards directly in the UV Editor. Tile grids extend indefinitely, allowing UV elements to be moved, rotated, and packed across tiles, with new controls for tile-specific packing. Game-art workflows benefit from texel-density tools offering get/set/match functionality across UV elements, tiles, and objects, with presets tailored to first-person, third-person, and top-down perspectives.

AI searches in Asset Browser

An AI-powered search feature now complements the standard text search in Maxon’s Asset Browser. The feature is image-aware, allowing a query like “furniture” to return relevant results even when metadata lacks the keyword. The searches operate locally, preserving asset privacy.

Laubwerk plants go native

As part of Maxon’s acquisition of Laubwerk, this update adds a parametric Plant object that enables adjustment of age, seasonal variation, level of detail, and display settings directly within Cinema 4D. The complete Laubwerk library now ships as Capsules, while prior LBW assets remain compatible.

Requirements and pricing

Cinema 4D 2025.3 installs over the 2025 base, requiring Windows 10 22H2 or macOS 13.6+; AI Search is not supported on Intel based Macs. Subscription pricing remains at US $109/month or $839/year, rental-only, now bundled with Redshift GPU acceleration.

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Final word

The introduction of native liquid simulation and UDIM tools brings Cinema 4D closer to a full-featured DCC solution. However, this new PBD system is aimed at small-scale effects; larger fluid dynamics will still require FLIP-style tools or external solvers. As always, users should validate stability, performance, and visual fidelity in production-standard scenarios before migrating pipelines.

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Release notes // Cinema 4D 2025.3 – June 18, 2025

The post Cinema 4D 2025.3 gets liquid sim and UDIMs first appeared on DIGITAL PRODUCTION and was written by Bela Beier.

If your next 3D shot demands a textured globe with properly mapped UDIMs and a side of sanity, the Figments UDIM Globe add-on might be worth a look. The free tool lets artists generate globe objects complete with baked-in UVs optimised for UDIM texture layouts—a rare case where world-building starts with fewer headaches. Created by developer Figments, this add-on creates spherical objects with UDIM-compliant UVs right out of the gate. No manual UV unwrapping, no endless fiddling with seams—just a sphere and a texture-ready UV layout that starts at tile 1001 (UDIM’s default numbering) and continues eastward as needed.

UVs, but make them planet-sized

The key feature of UDIM Globe is automatic generation of UVs that tile across UDIM spaces, allowing artists to wrap textures seamlessly around the sphere using tile-based workflows. This is particularly handy for artists working in physically based rendering (PBR) setups, where assets often need high-res, multi-tile textures for close-up beauty shots. The tool doesn’t just generate the sphere and UVs. It also creates a rotation rig, so the globe can be spun in your scene immediately after creation—useful for animations or motion graphics.

Use cases and limitations

The add-on targets workflows where globe-style objects need UDIM textures applied efficiently. Think of it as a shortcut for animation, visualisation, or VFX shots that include Earth-like bodies, stylised planets, or any situation requiring procedural yet UDIM-compatible geometry. That said, there are no additional controls for surface detail, shader presets, or deformation—this is not a planet generator in the vein of Gaea or World Machine. It’s a UV-and-rotation solution, not a full-on terrain engine.

Compatibility and install

Figments UDIM Globe runs in Blender, and installation follows the default Blender add-on process: download the toolset here via GumRoad (hosted by Figments), install it as a zipped archive in Blender’s preferences, and start mapping. Because this is a free, open-source utility, artists are encouraged to check the tool’s GitHub page for updates, notes, and community feedback. As with any new plugin, especially in production workflows, it’s best to test it in isolated setups before committing it to pipeline-critical tasks.

Price and availability

This asset pack is completely free – even for commercial use! But any payment or donation is greatly appreciated. The add-on can be downloaded from GumRoad.

The post UDIM Planet: Free Globe Toolset Orbits Blender, Max, Maya, Houdini, Unreal and C4D first appeared on DIGITAL PRODUCTION and was written by Bela Beier.

With the beta version of Marmoset Toolbag 5, users have access to a range of new features. The software now supports ray tracing and path tracing in real time. In addition, the material workflow has been improved. The user interface now offers new tools for creating and editing materials. Artists can adjust complex materials in just a few steps, which significantly optimises the workflow. Support for Subsurface Scattering (SSS) has been enhanced to enable better visualisation of semi-transparent materials such as skin or wax. SSS simulates how light enters, scatters and then exits a material, resulting in a realistic representation of materials such as human skin where the light partially penetrates the surface.

The texturing toolset has also been expanded. There are now new options for editing textures directly within the software. The implementation of GPU-accelerated baking ensures faster render times, which increases productivity. The new “GPU Baker” feature utilises the power of modern graphics cards to create textures such as normals, ambient occlusion and displacement maps more efficiently. This process is not only faster, but also more accurate, resulting in greater detail in the final results.

Support for UDIMs

Another significant innovation in Marmoset Toolbag 5 is the support of UDIM (U-Dimension) textures. UDIM is a texture layout format that allows high-resolution textures to be applied to complex 3D models by splitting texture coordinates into a tiling pattern. This enables more efficient use of memory and facilitates the handling of models with extremely detailed surfaces. With support for UDIMs, Toolbag 5 users can now work directly with the same high-resolution textures they create in their favourite content creation tools, improving consistency and quality throughout the production pipeline.

Groom Hair Rendering

Marmoset Toolbag 5 Beta also introduces support for Groom Hair Rendering, a feature specifically designed for rendering realistic hair, fur and similar complex surfaces. This feature uses advanced shaders to simulate the behaviour of light on hair textures, allowing for realistic rendering of shine, transparency and shadow casting. Especially for character artists and VFX professionals working with animal models or characters, Groom Hair Rendering is a valuable tool to increase the visual authenticity of their models. With real-time adjustments, changes can be viewed immediately in the viewport, making the design process much easier.

Triplanar Materials

Triplanar mapping is a technique that is also supported in Marmoset Toolbag 5 Beta. This method is used to create seamless textures on objects that do not have UV coordinates or where UV seams are visible. Triplanar mapping projects textures from three different directions (X, Y, Z) and blends them seamlessly into each other, creating a uniform appearance. This is particularly useful for visualising organic or irregular surfaces such as rocks, landscapes or other natural structures. The feature significantly reduces the effort required for UV mapping, saving time when creating and editing 3D models.

Improved rendering and lighting options

The lighting in Marmoset Toolbag 5 Beta has also been enhanced. Real-time lighting makes it possible to test complex lighting settings quickly and easily. With functions such as “Area Lights” and “Spotlights”, artists can exercise precise control over the light sources in a scene. Area lights make it possible to define larger areas of light that emit diffuse light, creating a more realistic representation of ambient light. Spotlights provide focussed light that is particularly suitable for dramatic scenes or scenes with high contrast. Both light types are customisable in real time and can be used in combination with ray tracing to achieve realistic lighting.

In addition, Toolbag 5 offers extended support for HDRI light sources. With the ability to load and customise HDRI environments in real time, artists can quickly switch between different lighting scenarios and see the effects on their scene. The integration of HDRI environments enables an accurate simulation of ambient light, which is particularly relevant for the visualisation of outdoor scenes or scenes with complex reflections.

Improved UI and usability

The user interface of Toolbag 5 has been redesigned to optimise the workflow. The new layout option allows users to customise the UI according to their individual needs by allowing them to freely move and arrange windows and panels. This not only offers flexibility, but also a better overview, which makes the workflow more efficient. The “Dark Mode”, which is now activated by default, reduces eye strain during prolonged use and is another feature that is particularly beneficial for artists who often work for hours in front of the screen.

A highlight is the improved viewport rendering, which reflects the changes made to the model or materials in real time. This allows for instant feedback and saves time as artists don’t have to wait for the final render processes to see the effects of their changes. The ability to use different shading modes in the viewport gives users precise control over how their models look during the editing process.

Python scripting and automation

Marmoset Toolbag 5 Beta offers comprehensive support for Python scripting. This allows users to automate workflows and create custom scripts tailored to the specific needs of projects. Python can be used to automate repetitive tasks, customise the user interface or create custom tools required in specific pipelines. The integration of Python also opens up possibilities for developing custom plugins that can be used directly in Toolbag 5. This feature is particularly useful for larger studios that want to develop customised solutions for their specific requirements.

Technical requirements and compatibility

The software runs on most modern operating systems, including Windows and macOS. A powerful GPU is recommended to take full advantage of the real-time ray tracing features. Support for Vulkan and DirectX 12 has also been integrated into the beta, ensuring compatibility with the latest graphics cards. Marmoset Toolbag 5 Beta is optimised for use with modern hardware to ensure high performance.

Price and licensing

The beta version of Marmoset Toolbag 5 is available free of charge to all users of Toolbag 4. The final version is expected to be available in various licence models, including individual and studio licences. Pricing and detailed licensing information will be announced at the time of the official release.

For more information on the use and documentation of the new features, please refer to the official Marmoset Toolbag documentation.

The post Marmoset Toolbag 5 Beta: Try it now! first appeared on DIGITAL PRODUCTION and was written by Bela Beier.