Marmoset releases Toolbag 5.03
Marmoset has released Toolbag 5.03, the latest version of its real-time rendering and look dev software for games, VFX and general portfolio work.
It’s another sizeable free update, adding new Text and Scatter Layers, support for IES light profiles and physical light units, and support for 3Dconnexion’s SpaceMouse input devices.
A real-time look dev and rendering toolkit for games, VFX and portfolio assets
A lightweight system for look dev, compositing and final rendering, Toolbag is widely used by games artists, but is also increasingly being used in other sectors of the industry.
It enables users to visualise imported models quickly, setting up PBR materials and lighting, with 2021’s Toolbag 4.0 also adding a 3D texture painting system.
Users can then either bake texture maps for export to other DCC software or game engines, or render stills or animation directly.
Texturing: new Text and Scatter layers
Toolbag 5.03 adds two new texture layer types: Text and Scatter Layers.
Text Layers (shown above) can be used to project text onto a model, or align it to the surface of a mesh. There are controls for font style, spacing and aligment.
Scatter Layers can be used to distribute elements like rocks or leaves in a 3D scene: either over a particular surface, or by projecting them in 2D, 3D or from a decal plane.
Performance improvements include the option to temporarily pause or disable individual UDIM tiles, and a layer caching system that improves performance “about 2.7x” in an average project.
It is also now possible to import vector designs, like logos or labels, in SVG format.
Lighting: support for IES light profiles and physical light units
There are also two changes intended to make it possible to recreate real-world lighting more accurately, particularly in interior scenes.
First, Toolbag now supports IES light profiles, which recreate the falloff pattern of real-world lighting fixtures: you can download them for free online.
And second, it is now possible to define light brightness in physical units.
Other changes to the lighting and rendering toolset include the option to preview motion blur in the viewport, and new controls for Procedural Skies, including Sun Scale and Sky Color.
Other changes
Toolbag’s baking toolset gets the option to set a maximum ray distance when baking, and the quality of the curvature maps it generates has been improved, particularly near UV seams.
It is also now possible to multi-select materials.
Finally, Toolbag now supports 3Dconnexion’s SpaceMouse range of 3D input devices, for viewport navigation.
Price, system requirements and release date
Toolbag 5.03 is compatible with Windows 10 and macOS 13.5+. It supports AMD, Apple Silicon and NVIDIA GPUs.
Perpetual licenses cost $399 for individual artists, or $1,299 for studios. Subscriptions cost $18.99/month for individuals, or $49.99/month for studios.
Read a full list of new features in Toolbag 5.03 in the online release notes
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