Abstract releases InstaMAT 2026 with new Curves Brushes
Abstract has released InstaMAT 2026, a major update to its family of 3D texture painting and material authoring tools for games and VFX.
The core application, InstaMAT Studio, gets a new system of Curves brushes, support for radial symmetry painting, automatic stroke smoothing, and a lot of new mask types and filters.
The cost of Pro licences has risen since the release of InstaMAT 2025, but the software is still free to indie artists earning under $100,000/year.
A promising alternative to the Substance 3D tools for games, motion graphics and VFX
On its release in 2024, 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.
InstaMat Studio 2026: paint along editable 3D guides with the new Curves brushes
Key changes in InstaMAT Studio 2026 include a new system of Curves brushes.
Like Substance 3D Painter’s 3D path system it makes it possible to draw a curve path directly onto the surface of a mesh, then have brushstrokes follow that path.
The underlying curve remains editable, making it possible to reshape the brush strokes later, and the strokes are not dependent on UVs and remain intact even if mesh topology changes.
Panting: support for radial symmetry and automatic stroke smoothing
Other new painting features include support for radial symmetry, making it possible to paint repeating patterns around a central axis, as shown above.
The existing planar symmetry system has been updated, with changes including the option to offset the symmetry plane on any of the world axes.
InstaMAT also now has a stroke-smoothing system, Lazy Stroke, which dampens jitter in brush strokes, in the same way as the Lazy Mouse systems in Substance 3D Painter and ZBrush.
Masking: new Mesh Normal and Mesh Ambient Occlusion masks
InstaMAT 2026 also introduces new mask types, including the Mesh Normal Mask (shown above), which isolates parts of a mesh with similar normal angles.
It works independently of UVs, and is described as “particularly useful for masking flat surfaces, curved regions, or specific faces on complex geometry”.
A new Mesh Ambient Occlusion Mask isolates part of a mesh based on their exposure to ambient lighting, helping to isolate cracks and crevices.
New filters for manipulating material layers and masks
There are also new filters for manipulating material layers, masks and decals, including Mesh Directional Blur (shown above), which helps to create directional leak and drip effects.
Other new filters mirror or sharpen layers and masks.
A new Mesh Bake Bevel Normals node provides a quick way to apply bevels to the edges of low-poly objects, using masks generated by InstaMAT’s bevel normals baker.
Other changes
UI and workflow changes include a new dedicated painting toolbar, providing quick access to the most commonly used controls, like brush Radius, Flow, Rotation and Spacing.
There are also new Planar Translation gizmos for manipulating meshes or masks in the viewport.
Changes to pricing and licensing
Since the release of InstaMAT 2025, Abstract has changed the pricing of the software.
Indie licenses, for users earning under $250,000/year, are largely unaffected, but Pro licenses rise from $949.99 to $989 for perpetual licenses, and from $299.40/year to $432/year for rental.
Studio licenses been revamped, with a new, lower-cost Indie Game license for teams of 10 or fewer developers, and the price of AAA Game licenses rising.
Price and system requirements
InstaMAT Studio 2026 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 with attribution.
For users with revenue under $250,000/year, perpetual Indie licenses cost $489, while rental costs $96/year.
For users with revenue over $250,000/year, perpetual Pro licenses cost $989, while rental costs $432/year.
Abstract also offers studio-wide Game and Enterprise licenses. See full pricing here.
Read a full list of new features in InstaMAT 2026 in the online release notes
Visit the InstaMAT product website
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