MARI is a 3D digital painting tool allowing artists to paint directly onto 3D models. It was designed to meet the most challenging requirements and VFX projects, MARI is capable of handling super high-resolution textures and millions of polygons without slowing artists down. MARI interacts well with other pipeline tools and with industry standard Python scripting and a customisable UI artists can work the way they want to. MARI was the primary 3D paint tool used on 9 of the 10 features shortlisted in the category of ‘Visual Effects’ in the 2013 Oscars®. These include: The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, The Avengers and Prometheus. Now, after years of developing, talking to, and learning from, digital painters, MARI 2.0 was released.
The new layer system has all the features artists expect from the most advanced layer based workflows available today such as; all the control and flexibility artists know and love from 2D painting applications is now available in full 3D. A fully updated .PSD support means MARI 2.0 works seamlessly with Adobe® Photoshop® and other paint software that reads industry standard .PSD files.
- Every channel is now a full, non-destructive, layer stack.
- Shaders now use layered channels to control every aspect of the surface look including diffuse, displacement and specularity.
In MARI 2.0 the developers not only matched the functionality of the most advanced layer based workflows available today, but taken them to an entirely new level. The next generation of layers allows artist to work smarter and faster than ever before, bringing the full power of a layer based workflow along with adjustments, procedurals and advanced masking.
Next generation features include:
- Procedural Layers- A powerful procedural engine is built into the heart of the layer stack; offering fluid, GPU accelerated real time procedural noises, patterns, projections and more. Procedural layers mean artists can easily create the look they want, seamlessly blending procedural and painted detail with the same toolkit.
- Mask groups- In MARI 2.0, rather than a single mask per layer, each layer’s mask is a full layer stack in its own right. Artists can use blending, groups, adjustments and procedurals in their masks for a much more flexible, and non-destructive, workflow.
- Shared layers- We don’t think artists should have to waste time keeping track of how and where they have reused layers and masks. MARI 2.0 introduces a unique layer concept, shared layers, to ensure that artists can spend more time painting. A shared layer is one that appears multiple times in the same stack, or is shared between stacks, and is automatically and instantly updated wherever it is used.
- Streamlined layer view - With powerful grouping, tagging and filtering options, the layer view in MARI 2.0 means even highly complex stacks are easy to navigate and control.
Watch the video below for a demonstration of the new features available inside MARI 2.0 and if you want to try MARI 2.0 follow the link at the bottom and try a 15 day trail.
More information at: The Foundry