Foundry updates texture tool with Disney technology

The update to its Mari software incorporates the US animation studio’s internally developed texture creation technology, Paint 3D, and its open source Ptex texture mapping system for rendering.

It is the first time Walt Disney Animation Studios has commercially licensed its proprietary animation software to another company, following a deal struck with The Foundry last year.

“Ptex removes the need for UV geometry, where GFX artists traditionally had to match parts of a painting to a model, which can be time consuming,” said The Foundry head of product management Richard Shackleton. “What Disney invented does away with that step.”

He added that the latest version of the software could reduce the need for texture artists to use Adobe’s Photoshop.

“Photoshop isn’t built for post-production and doesn’t integrate well into post pipelines or Linux, which dominates the post world. Mari’s engine supersedes it, with features such as displacement preview, and allows artists to be more efficient,” he said.

Mari 1.3 also allows artists to keep abreast of changes to assets, tiled textures for quick coverage, and environment mapping for simulating a shiny, reflective surface.

A bridge set linking Marito compositing tool Nuke is due to be released later this year, which The Foundry says will enhance workflows and help to fix common texture projection challenges, including seaming, stretching and occlusion.

More Disney-developed features are expected to be included in upcoming versions of Mari, but Shackleton declined to comment on future collaborations with other tech firms.

He added: “It has been one of The Foundry’s strengths to work with technology that is built and proven in post and then adapt it to a wider market.”