Monday, July 4th, 2022 Posted by Jim Thacker

Pilgway ships 3DCoat 2022 and 3DCoatTextura 2022


Posted on 17 March 2022. Scroll down for news of the latest update.

Pilgway has released 3DCoat 2022, the latest version of the sculpting, retopology and 3D painting app, and 3DCoatTextura 2022, the cut-down edition of the software for 3D texture painting.

The update introduces a new Core API for customising or extending the software’s functionality, bringing 3DCoat “one step [closer] to becoming … semi-open-source”;

Other changes in 3DCoat 2022 include a new Bevel tool, a new voxel brush engine, improvements to auto-retopology and sculpting performance, and glTF export.

Despite the Russian invasion of Ukraine, 3DCoat’s Kyiv-based developers are still continuing to put out regular updates to the software: at the time of writing, the current build is 3DCoat 2022.29.

An ongoing series of 3DCoat 2022.x updates
Pilgway typically puts out an update to 3DCoat every three or four days, so 3DCoat 2022 is less of a single monolithic release than the point where the version numbering ticked over from 2021.99 to 2021.01.

However, there is now a stable 2022 build available for download, and Pilgway has updated the version number on the homepage of the product website, so it seems safe to say that it’s out.

Updated 31 March 2022: Pilgway has just officially announced 3DCoat 2022.

New Core API lets users customise the software at the ‘speed of C++’
The biggest change in the 2022 releases is the new Core API, which enables users to extend or customise 3DCoat’s functionality with “the full native speed of C++”.

Pilgway describes modifying 3DCoat via the API as “far more than scripting”.

In this tweet, lead developer Andrew Shpagin describes the change as bringing the software “one step [closer] to becoming absolutely customisable and semi-open-source”.



New Bevel tool, new voxel brush engine, and glTF export
Features for non-coders include new curve modelling tools, and a new Bevel tool, shown in use in the video above to create complex stepped bevels on hard-surface models via a customisable profile curve.

The update also introduces a new voxel brush engine, described as being “closer to real-world sculpting”; and improves performance of voxel and surface sculpting in heavy scenes.

Other changes include updates to the auto-retopology and node-based shading systems, and the option to export files to other DCC applications in glTF format.

3DCoat also ships with an new collection of alpha textures for adding surface detail to sculpts.


Updated 30 May 2022: Pilgway has overhauled the workflow for exporting assets from 3DCoat to Blender.

The Blender AppLink – 3DCoat’s integration plugin for Blender – got a major update in April, with last week’s 3DCoat 2022.28 release making it possible to export models with PBR textures directly to Blender.

Some users are reporting problems getting the AppLink working properly, but you can find a troubleshooting guide in this forum thread.

Since this story was originally posted, Pilgway has also added initial support for importing and exporting data from 3DCoat in USD format, pitched as a way to export assets to Unreal Engine 5.

Other new features include the option to create custom colour themes for the user interface.



Updated 4 July 2022: Pilgway has released 3DCoat 2022.35, the latest stable version of the software.

The release makes it possible to sculpt and paint simultaneously with any of the voxel brushes.

Other recent changes include support for geometric primitives in the Core API for Boolean modelling, and better turntable rendering, with users now able to render at resolutions higher than screen resolution.



3DCoatTextura 2022 also now available
Pilgway has also released 3DCoatTextura 2022, the latest version of the cut-down edition of 3DCoat for texturing 3D models created in other software.

3DCoatTextura is essentially 3DCoat’s Paint and Render rooms, so the changes should be the same as for 3DCoat 2022 itself, minus the new modeling, sculpting and retopology features.

Updated 4 April 2022: Pilgway tells us that the new features in 3DCoatTextura 2022 are glTF export and the new set of alphas.

Development work continues, despite the war in Ukraine
3DCoat’s developers, most of whom live and work in Kyiv, are continuing to put out updates despite the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

You can find updates on their current working conditions on Andrew Shpagin’s Twitter feed, and read Pilgway’s appeal to the citizens of the Russian Federation on the firm’s website.

Pricing and system requirements
3DCoat 2022 and 3DCoatTextura 2022 are available for Windows 7+, Ubuntu 20.04+ and macOS 10.13+. Both 2022 updates are free to existing users.

For individual artists, new perpetual node-locked licences of 3DCoat cost €379. Subscriptions cost €19.85/month or €149.85/year. Rent to own plans require 11 continuous monthly payments of €39.70.

For studios, new perpetual node-locked licences of 3DCoat cost €459; floating licences cost €499. Subscriptions cost €29.85/month or €279/year for node-locked; €34.85/month or €299.85/year for floating.

For individual artists, perpetual node-locked licences of 3DCoatTextura cost €95. Subscriptions cost €9.85/month. Rent to own plans require six continuous monthly payments of €19.70.

For studios, perpetual node-locked licences of 3DCoatTextura cost €359; floating licences cost €399. Subscriptions cost €19.85/month or €189/year for node-locked; €24.85/month or €209/year for floating.

You can find details of educational pricing on Pilgway’s website. All prices exclude tax.


Read an overview of the new features in 3DCoat 2022 and 3DCoatTextura 2022

Read a detailed list of new features in 3DCoat 2022 on the product forum
(Changelog is in the third post: individual posts about 3DCoat 2022.x start on page 69 of the thread)