Quixel announces updates to NDO, DDO and 3DO
Quixel has announced new versions of NDO, DDO and 3DO, its suite of Photoshop-based texturing tools for games artists, improving integration with their host software and introducing support for macOS.
The tools – which, if Quixel follows its current version numbering system, will form Quixel Suite 3.0 – are currently in open beta.
The YouTube video announcing the updates (embedded above) also covers the official release of Mixer, Quixel’s new tool for blending material scan data, discussed in more detail in this story.
Powerful Photoshop-based tools for creating texture maps for games
First released in 2014, Quixel Suite combined two of Quixel’s existing products, texture-painting toolset DDO and normal map creation tool NDO, with 3DO, a PBR model and material viewer.
It provides Photoshop users with a powerful toolset for painting and previewing texture maps without the need to learn entirely new applications, such as Allegorithmic’s Substance products.
But despite its popularity, Quixel Suite hasn’t had a major update since version 2.0 was released in 2015, Quixel having recently been focusing on Megascans, its new online library of real-world scanned materials.
New this update: better integration into Photshop, Mac support, improved search performance
In the YouTube video announcing the updates, Quixel CEO Teddy Bergsman doesn’t go into a lot of detail about the new features.
However, he does note that each tool is now “more tightly integrated into Photoshop” and should work like “any other native panel” – which also means that they should now work on macOS as well as Windows.
Performance has been improved, with Bergsman citing a speed boost when searching and applying smart materials. It is now also possible to browse the Megascans library from directly inside Photoshop.
Pricing and availability
The new versions of DDO, NDO and 3DO are currently in beta. You can apply to join the beta program by posting your requests in the comments to Bergsman’s announcement video via the link below.
The current release, Quixel Suite 2.3.2, is available for 64-bit Photoshop CS4 and above, running on Windows 7+ only. Indie licences, intended for teams of up to 10, cost $139; Commercial licences cost $549.
DDO and NDO are also available separately. Both have an MSRP of $89 for an Indie licence, or $349 for a Commercial licence. At the time of posting, all of the products are available at a discount.
Apply for the open beta of the new versions of DDO, NDO and 3DO
(Post your request in the comments to the YouTube video)