Unity Technologies cuts price of ArtEngine by 80%
Unity Technologies has cut the price of ArtEngine, its AI-based material-processing software, by 80%.
A standard subscription, previously priced at $1,140/year, is now available for $228/year, and a new Pro edition with offline and batching functionality has been introduced at its original price point.
In addition, recent updates to ArtEngine have added a live link to the Unity Editor, direct export of materials as Unity asset packages, and an experimental new project template system.
An AI-based toolset to automate common material processing tasks for game dev work
Originally developed by Artomatix as an online solution, and acquired by Unity last year, ArtEngine automates common image-processing tasks for game development.
Key tools include Upres, which increases the resolution of textures or rendered images – for example, assets created for previous-gen games – automatically filling in missing details.
There are also a range of artefact-removal tools, including fixes for JPEG compression and seams, image unwarping, and a Photoshop-style Content-Aware Fill system.
The software can also ‘mutate’ properties of textures, creating instant variants, transfer colour schemes between images to speed up look dev work, and generate PBR materials from single source images.
The software is available to users of other game engines, although it is directly integrated with Unity Technologies’ own Unity engine, and users need a Unity ID to install it.
Standard subscriptions now available at 20% of the previous price
Unity has now cut the price of a standard subscription to ArtEngine from $1,140/year to $228/year – a reduction of 80% – having initially introduced the new pricing as a discount earlier this year.
A new Pro subscription has been introduced at the old price point, which includes support for offline use and batch processing of files, both previously only available with top-of-the-range Studio subscriptions.
New features: live link and direct material export to the Unreal Editor
In addition, ArtEngine 2021.10, the latest update to the software, adds the option to export processed materials to the Unity Editor as Unity asset packages, without the need to install a separate plugin.
Since we last wrote about ArtEngine, other updates have added Unity Direct Link, a live link system enabling users to edit materials inside the software, and have them update in a Unity project in real time.
The software also has an experimental new template system, making it possible to export any part of an ArtEngine project’s node graph to reuse in future projects.
Pricing and system requirements
ArtEngine is available on Windows 8.1+ only. It requires a compatible Nvidia GPU.
The software is rental-only, with a minimum one-year subscription term. The base edition now costs $228/year. The Pro edition adds offline functionality and batching, and costs $1,140/year.
The Studio edition, which is licenced for use across multiple sites, and which includes a command-line interface, dedicated support and training, costs $4,000/year.
Read an overview of the new features in ArtEngine 2021.10 on Unity Technologies’ blog
Read a full list of changes in ArtEngine in the online release notes