Foundry has announced a new release of Mari, its 3D painting software. New features of version 4.0 include faster startup by automating steps that needed to be done manually in previous versions, including the creation of shaders with connected channels as defined by a startup dialog.
A new Export Manager enables users to configure the batch exporting of channels and Bake Point nodes with the ability to manage multiple export targets from the same source.
The interface has been improved with a new toolbar that provides a single location from which to manage the visibility of Mari’s various palettes. You can now also maximise a palette by tapping the space bar, plus tools with similar functions are grouped more logically under single button. The UI has had several other changes to improve usability and offer a less obstructed view of the canvas.
Workflows have seen incremental improvements, including a new drag-and-drop fill feature, the brush editor is now integrated into the tool properties palette and the current brush is displayed. A new palette is added for browsing texture sets and improvements has been made when working with Group layers.
Mari 4 features a new Principled BRDF shader to preview the channels that match their final target 3D program.
Several updates have been made to the core including support for OpenSubDiv 3.1 , changes to the preferences to make them less likely to be corrupted with working between Mari versions. The Preference UI has been modified for clarity.
Mari is currently available for £1,034 for a perpetual license with one year of maintenance or is available to rent for £499 annually or £49 monthly. Find out more about the new release on Foundry’s website.
