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.
Originally posted on 2 July 2026 for Beta 1, and updated for Beta 2.
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 Tri-Planar Tiled and Hex Tile nodes
Mari 8.0 adds a number of new features to the Node Graph, Mari’s node-based environment for authoring materials.
One of the biggest is the Tri-Planar Tiled node, for applying uniform surface detail to models with UV distortion and seam placement issues, or even those with no UVs at all.
It projects a single 2D image texture across a 3D model along the X, Y, and Z axes, unlike the existing Triplanar Projection node, which uses up to three separate images.
The new node provides a range of blending controls, including a Smart blend mode to preserve high-frequency details, noise-driven blending, and customizable falloff ranges and curves.
The release also adds a Hex Tile node, which 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 Node Graph features: hex tiling, A/B comparison, and color correction
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.
A new set of Transformation nodes provides mathematical and spatial control when creating procedural materials or manipulating 3D spatial data.
They include a Coordinate Transform node, for driving any node with a Position input, and a UV Radial Transform Node, for manipulating UV coordinates.
There are also 49 new math nodes, ranging from basic arithmetic and trigonometry operations to conditional logic and “advanced randomization”.
New options for generating and working with masks
Mari 8.0 also adds new options for creating masks, including the option to create color ID masks directly from active canvas selections, or from Selection Groups.
There are also new nodes for creating masks from surface colors on a model: Color Mask for isolating a single color, and Multi Color Mask for stacking multiple target colors.
It is also now possible to add a mask port to any node in the Node Graph.
Workflow improvements
Other than that, there are a several 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.
The search box in the Shelf gets support for logical operands, making it possible to include or exclude search terms more precisely.
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.
Newer CY2026 and CY2027 specs exist, but since Mari 7.5, the current stable release, is now five 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 a month or two.
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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