Foundry releases Mari 8.0 in open beta
Mari 8.0 makes it possible to perform A/B wipe comparisons between the outputs of different parts of the node graph, making it easier to iterate on materials, or create variants.
Foundry has released Mari 8.0, the next version of its 3D texture painting software, in open beta.
The release introduces over 50 new nodes to Mari’s Node Graph, most for math operations, but also new nodes for A/B comparisons, color grading and hex tiling textures.
In the past, Foundry has asked us not to share videos showing the UI for new features until they are out of beta, but you can see demos on its website.
New Node Graph features for hex tiling, A/B comparison, and color correction
Mari 8.0 adds a number of new features to the Node Graph, Mari’s node-based environment for authoring materials.
A new Hex Tile node minimizes visible repeats in textures by tiling and blending them in a hexagonal grid, rather than a conventional rectangular one.
Hex tiling is now supported in other key VFX tools including Houdini, Redshift and RenderMan.
Other new nodes include Compare, which makes it possible to perform A/B wipe comparisons between different node streams, making it easier to iterate on the look of a material.
Color Remap centralizes color grading adjustments into a single node, providing a single location to perform hue, saturation, exposure and gamma adjustments.
There are also 49 new math nodes, ranging from basic arithmetic and trigonometry operations to conditional logic and “advanced randomization”.
Workflow improvements
Other than that, there are a couple of workflow improvements, including trackball rotation-style navigation for manipulating the virtual camera, as an alternative to the standard Orbit tool.
Archived projects are now identified in the library with a “clear visual indicator” on thumbnails.
Now using the CY2025 spec for the VFX Reference Platform
Mari 8.0 also moves the software to the CY2025 specification for VFX Reference Platform.
A newer CY2026 spec exists, but since Mari 7.5, the current stable release, is now four versions behind, it’s a step forward.
Price, system requirements and release date
Mari 8.0 is compatible with Windows 11 and Rocky Linux/RHEL 9. It is currently in beta.
Foundry hasn’t announced a date for the stable release, but based on the timescale for previous updates, we’d expect it to be in three to six months.
Mari is available rental-only. Individual subscriptions have a standard price of $86/month, or $689/year. Subscriptions for teams cost $1,289/year, up $60/year since the release of Mari 7.5.
Read an overview of the new features in Mari 8.0 on Foundry’s website
(Requires a Foundry account)
Read a full list of new features in the current Mari 8.0 beta in the online release notes
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