ArmorPaint

Active

Country: Lithuania (LT)
Founded: 2018
Developer: Minko Gechev (individual developer from Lithuania)
Pricing: $19 one-time purchase (commercial); Free (open-source)
Open source: Yes
Platforms: Windows, Linux, macOS, iOS, Android

Indexes

3D Modelling

Overview

ArmorPaint is standalone software for physically-based rendering (PBR) texture painting on 3D models. Users drag and drop models into the viewport for direct painting with instant visual feedback.³⁴ It targets 3D artists and game developers, powered by a custom GPU-accelerated 3D engine using Direct3D12, Vulkan, and Metal for features like ray-traced baking and path-traced rendering.⁴⁵

Key Features

PBR Texture Painting - Paint directly on 3D models with physically-based materials and instant viewport feedback.
Node-Based Materials - Build procedural materials, fill layers, and brushes using a node system.
GPU Acceleration - Runs entirely on GPU for smooth 4K painting on supported hardware.
Live-Link Plugins - Integrate with Blender, Unreal Engine, and Unity for real-time linking.
Ray-Traced Baking - Bake maps with ray-tracing support on Direct3D12, Vulkan, and Metal.
Path-Traced Rendering - Viewport rendering with path-tracing on compatible iPads and desktops.
Drag & Drop Workflow - Import models directly and paint without complex setup.
Plugins Support - Extend functionality with custom nodes and node systems.

Pricing

Plan	Price	Includes
Open-Source (Free)	Free	Full source code access, build from GitHub for personal use.
Commercial License	$19 (one-time)	Standalone app downloads for desktop, iOS, Android; support development.

Platforms & Requirements

Runs on Windows 10+, Linux, macOS (Apple Silicon) as portable apps; experimental iOS (App Store, M1/A13+) and Android (Google Play, high-end devices for 4K). No minimum specs listed, but GPU recommended for performance; Windows may show unrecognized app warning.³⁷

Integrations & Ecosystem

Blender live-link plugin
Unreal Engine live-link plugin
Unity live-link plugin
Import 3D models (drag & drop)
Export PBR texture maps
Compatible with Unity, Unreal, Godot
Armory3D engine integration

Alternatives

App	Difference
Substance Painter	Commercial with broader industry tools; ArmorPaint is standalone, open-source, GPU-focused.
Blender Texture Paint	Free in full 3D suite; ArmorPaint specializes in dedicated PBR painting viewport.
Quixel Mixer	Free Epic tool for Megascans; ArmorPaint offers node-based procedural painting.
Materialize	Free baking tool; ArmorPaint provides full painting and live preview.

Reputation

ArmorPaint is recognized as a capable open-source alternative to Substance Painter, praised for GPU performance, node-based workflow, and Armory3D integration among indie developers.²⁸ Users note active development with frequent updates like v0.9 in 2023, but alpha status brings rough edges and frustration on unsupported hardware.³⁶ Experimental mobile builds receive mixed feedback due to device requirements.¹⁵

Sources (9)