Abstract unveils InstaMAT 2025

Abstract has unveiled InstaMAT 2025, a major update to its family of 3D texture painting and material authoring tools for games and VFX.

The release – originally known as InstaMAT 1.0, and scheduled for 22 July 2025 – will see InstaMAT Studio officially leave early access.

It will also add complete new toolsets, including terrain generation; new tools for creating and manipulating textures; and support for ray tracing in viewport previews.

A promising alternative to the Substance 3D tools for games, motion graphics and VFX
On its early access release last year, InstaMAT got a lot of attention in the CG community, with many seeing it as an alternative to Adobe’s Substance 3D tools.

The core application, InstaMAT Studio, supports layer-based painting and node-based authoring workflows similar to Substance 3D Painter and Substance 3D Designer, and includes AI-based features similar to those in Substance 3D Sampler.

Integration plugins make it possible to edit the procedural materials it creates inside a range of DCC applications and game engines: 3ds Max, Blender, Maya, Unity and Unreal Engine.

For studios, InstaMAT Pipeline makes it possible to run tasks from the command line, or batch-process assets; while a C++ SDK makes it possible to customize the software.

You can find more technical details in our story on the original release.

According to Abstract, the technology has seen “significant usage among AAA game studios” during early access, with Bandai Namco and Blizzard Entertainment namechecked specifically.

InstaMAT 2025: advanced texturing, terrain generation and viewport ray tracing
As well as moving InstaMAT out of early access, InstaMAT 2025 is due to introduce a number of key features to the software.

We’ll update this story with more details once the new version is actually released, but below, you can find Abstract’s own summary of the key changes:

• Enhanced asset texturing with reference layers and mask filters
  Create sophisticated, procedural texturing workflows and effects with dynamic layer references and powerful mask manipulation, unlocking new levels of artistic control, iteration, and procedural workflows with a flexible artist-friendly approach.
• Physically based terrain generation
  InstaMAT adds a terrain generation system with physically based simulation to its arsenal of asset creation toolsets. Artists can create realistic terrain formations for games and VFX pipelines. InstaMAT combines terrain shaping, realistic erosion, biome generation, and asset scattering into a flexible node-based workflow. This new all-in-one system removes multi-app complexity, enabling faster, scalable, and consistent environment creation.
• Advanced curve-based detailing
  Create complex and organic shapes and lines with new Curve Brushes and a suite of Curves nodes. Manipulate curves directly on the mesh to see the procedural painting update in real time. Scatter shapes and details along paths and control advanced painting properties including brush dynamics, color, depth, and thickness.
• Cinematic viewport rendering with ray tracing and GI
  Visualize 3D assets with cinematic quality thanks to InstaMAT’s upgraded real time viewport. Experience real-time ray traced shadows, reflections, GI and improved translucency.
• Advanced curvature and normal baking
  A new curvature baker generates higher quality curvature maps that support InstaMAT’s generative effects such as edge wear and stylization. The new Normal Bevel baker creates smooth, rounded edges along sharp surfaces, giving low poly assets a boost in quality without increasing subdivisions and polygon counts.
• Hundreds of new library assets
  InstaMAT’s material library already includes more than 1000 PBR materials. The 2025 release adds more than 250 new assets, from brand-new stylized materials to hundreds of decals and filters with drag-and-drop controls.
• Collaborative project sharing and execution with Polyverse integration
  Upload and manage assets effortlessly with cloud collaboration, version control, and augmented reality previews for streamlined teamwork. Share entire InstaMAT projects to Polyverse to create custom Polytrons and execute them as microservices in the cloud.

Free Pioneer license no longer requires you to share your user data
In addition, Abstract has removed data collection from its Pioneer licenses.

The renewable one-year licenses let indie artists use InstaMAT Studio for free, including on commercial projects, so long as they credit Abstract: either by including the InstaMAT logo on the splash screen of a game, or by linking to the InstaMAT website from online content.

In the original early access release, you also had to agree to share your user data with Abstract when installing the software, but this requirement has now been removed.

According to the InstaMAT website, while you still have to opt in on installation, no data is actually collected. The opt-in will be removed with the next update.

Price, system requirements and release date
InstaMat 2025 is due for release on 22 July 2025.

InstaMAT Studio is compatible with Windows 7+, Windows Server 2016+ and macOS 13.0+. Integration plugins are available for 3ds Max, Blender, Maya, Unity and Unreal Engine.

The Pioneer edition of the software is available free to artists and studios with revenue under $100,000/year, and can be used on commercial projects.

For users with revenue under $250,000/year, perpetual licenses cost $489.99, while rental costs $9.99/month or $99.99/year.

For users with revenue over $250,000/year, perpetual licenses cost $949.99, while rental costs $299.40/year.

Abstract also offers studio-wide Game and Enterprise licenses. See full pricing here.

At the time of writing, subscriptions are available at a pre-release discount.

Visit the InstaMAT product website

Read more about the InstaMAT tools in the online documentation

Get started using the InstaMAT tools with Abstract’s video tutorials

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